Week 5

Through one of my principals at work, I got the opportunity to volunteer at the Financial Services Roundtable dinner last Wednesday. My principal told me that she likes to volunteer for events like that because they are a great opportunity to network. I thought it was interesting that someone in her position would still bother volunteering, but after seeing how many Senators and Representatives attended the event, I can understand how it would be well worth her time.

The dinner was at the Ritz, and it must have cost an arm and a leg. Guests helped themselves to an open bar, snacked on lamb and artichoke appetizers, and enjoyed a supper of filet and scallops. Luckily, my roommate and I were also able to ride the gravy train and consume some of the delicacies. We sat at a spare table that was set for 10 people. However, only three other people joined our table, so my roommate took the opportunity to eat an extra three deserts that were left at the table. She's no dummy!

The Ritz event was probably exceptionally extravagent because it was finance-related. Around 400 guests were present, representing the leadership of some of the largest financial institutions in the world. I would guess that 25% of the world's wealth was assembled there. I, personally, did not contribute to this statistic, although the great state of Iowa was represented by John Deere Credit.

Here's Michelle and me earning our supper by handing out nametags to some high rollers. Also pictured is a lovely bouquet of flowers.

It was a good week for me, because not only did I eat for free on Wednesday, I also ate on someone else's dime Thursday. My work hosted a Happy Hour at Tortilla Coast, and I again perfected my nametag-handing-out abilities. I really am a virtuoso of my craft. I am also an authority, a phenom, a pundit, a maven, a ringer and a guru regarding nametag-handing-out. I like all those words. I think you should now have a fuller comprehension of my abilities.

Here I am pretending to be an adult. My other coworkers probably aren't faking it.

Here I am with my principal, John Milne, who is quite the character. He continues to call me the "anti-Iraq protester girl."

In social news, I went to hear Emily King perform at the Black Cat last Friday. I saw her open for John Legend this spring in Dallas, and those tickets set me back about $70. So I was overjoyed to find that tickets were only $20 for the show I attended. Plus, I got to stand right in front of the stage. Booya! Maybe I wasn't paying attention when I was in Texas, but it seems like there is a lot more going on music-wise here, which is just fabulous. Last weekend I also walked around Chinatown and visited the Dupont farmer's market. All in all it was a successful weekend, nothing to wild to report.