New ID Badge and Coming Home

New ID Badge
At work I got a new ID badge because of my change in status from probationary to non-probationary.  It feels good and relaxing to have my new badge.  The ID badge has a microchip in it.  Due to the microchip, the ID badge is required to be held in a special ID badge holder to prevent information on the microchip from being taken by certain electronic devices.

Coming Home
I will be home in Iowa at the end of July and beginning of August.  I will arrive in Iowa on Saturday July 27th.  I will depart on Monday August 5th.  Due to going back to Iowa, I will not be post anything on my blog during that time.

My New ID Badge

Bethany Softball Over and Jon's Birthday Dinner

Bethany Softball Over
Bethany Lutheran Softball 2013 is finally over.  The season started on May 3rd for Bethany and ended on July 19th.  We both games in the double elimination tournament on Friday July 19th.  We lost the first game 7-5 and we lost the second game 7-6.  For the first time this season I wore cleats.  I was wearing tennis shoes the other games.  I did not have my best offensive games of the season.  I am not sure if was the shoes or the month of not playing a game and not swinging a bat.  However I played well defensively.  I caught a sinking line drive while diving and I had an outfield assist when a runner from first tried to go to second base after I caught a fly ball.  The team and season was fun.  I was glad I was able to play.  It was a great source of comradery for the members of Bethany Lutheran Church too.

Jon's Birthday Dinner
I went with Jon to a restaurant in Chinatown to celebrate his birthday with people from his school or work.  Many of the people from his school or work were from foreign countries.  I was able to practice some of my Spanish with guys from Spain.

Ducks Hanging in Chinese Restaurant Window

Hand Made Noodles

Hand Made Noodles

Trip Home to Iowa

Trip Home to Iowa
I will be home in Iowa at the end of July and beginning of August.  I will arrive in Iowa on Saturday July 27th.  I will depart on Monday August 5th.

In Person Interview and Bethany Softball

In Person Interview
I had my first in person interview with an attorney at work this week.  Before this interview, I had only one other interview with an attorney, which was over the phone.  The attorney with whom I had the in person interview has his own law firm based in Israel.  He had 21 interviews in 2 days!  Each interview is about 30 minutes.  That is a lot of interviews.

Bethany Softball
The Bethany Softball game on Friday, July 12th was canceled because of rain.  The coach said he saw a guy with a boat, but no animals on the field.  Hopefully we will be able to play sometime.  The only games left are for the double elimination tournament.

Also it is official, we finished last in the league at 2-8.  I was the manager of one of those wins.  It is all about the playoffs.

Brewers vs. Nats x2, Bethany Softball, 4th of July Fireworks, and Sailing

Brewers vs. Nationals x2
A friend and I went to the Brewers vs. Nationals on July 3rd and July 4th.  The game on July 3rd was at 6:05 pm with fireworks after the game.  The Brewers won 4-1.  A recap of the game is here.  Our seats were in the 2nd row in left field.  There was a guy behind us who was constantly heckling all of the Nats players including Bryce Harper in LF.  An example of what he yelled was, "If I was 20 again, I could run and hit and catch ball.  Unlike you."  The "you" he was referring to was Bryce Harper.   The game on July 4th was bright and early at 11:00 AM.  The Brewers lost 8-5.  The game was tied at 5 when the Brewers reliever gave up a 3 run home run.  During the game there were 3 home runs to left field.  One home run each went to section 104, 106, and 107.  Our seats were in section in 105. Our tickets for this game were in the same section as the game on July 3rd in left field, but in about the 10th row.

It was really fun going to those games.  I like baseball.  Nationals Park is beautiful, clean, and close to a metro stop.  The Nats haven't hit there stride yet.  The Brewers on the other hand are done for the season.  They are not going to be close to getting to the playoffs.  Too many injuries (Braun, Hart) and terrible pitching (starters and bullpen, but mostly the starters).  However with Braun and Hart back next year the offense was formidable.  The pitchers can have a bounce back year and/or new people can be brought in to pitch.

Bethany Softball
The season has been extended to the end of July because of the rain outs and churches only able to play on Friday nights.  We forfeited the game because we did not have enough players.

4th of July Fireworks
I went to the fireworks on the 4th of July with a friend from the patent office and her friends.  The fireworks were great!  There was also a concert with Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond.

Sailing
One of my professors from the University of Iowa in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Department was in DC area on vacation.  His wife has family in the area.  The professor invited me to go sailing with him and his family including his father-in-law.  The boat is located on Solomon's Island.  I have never gone sailing before.  It was exciting!  We sailed in the Chesapeake Bay.  We sailed from port to the oldest lighthouse in the bay and then back to port.  I actually steered the boat for an appreciable amount of time.  It was not easy.  The boat is not as responsive as a car.  Also I had to avoid crab pots in the bay.  Prof. Stanier's father in law is really into sailing.  He sails almost every weekend.  He owns the boat we sailed on.  Also this week he is going down to the Caribbean for 10 days to sail.

Bryce Harper in Left Field

View of the field from our seats

Fireworks

Fireworks

Me 

One Minute Video of the Fireworks

The boat with Prof. Stanier's Father-in-law on the boat