No, not the Culinary Institute of America

Let's not kid ourselves, I hardly have anything of true interest to write about. Which is why I haven't in a while.

Last week, loyal readers, that has changed.

The big news of the week - really of my entire year - I met the director of the CIA. Let's back up and see how I got to that point. Last month, I got a call from the CIA about hosting a few career services professionals from around the southeast at their headquarters. Apparently they need some fresh blood to search out Al Qaeda and think we're the ones to help them do it. Anyways, after the background check and bomb sniffing dog, I found myself in the lobby of the CIA. To be completely honest, it was pretty incredible.

The whole day I was wandering (ok, lets not kid, I did not do ANY wandering. There were eyes on me the entire time) around the CIA. Talking to analysts. Who can't really tell me what they do or what they research. Met the director of the CIA, an old mafia looking guy, and all I wanted to know is if he knows Bo Obama and is he as awesome as his pictures? Went into the office where they create the PDB (Presidential daily briefings). We were rushed through the CIA museum where there were all sorts of artifacts like spy pens, spy ciggy boxes, spy brooches, pen bombs, escape kits, al qaeda instruction manuals (I'm sure my blog just went onto some flagging list for mentioning AQ twice thus far). It's insane to think that these things truly are in use and it's just not some James Bond movie.

Of course, my favorite part was the CIA gift store. Because who doesn't want a CIA rally towel, wine glasses, bourbon canister, or golf ball? You name it, the CIA has its name on it.

You know what? For everything the agents and analysts deal with, everyone looked uneasingly calm. We only saw one dude the whole day and a half who was speeding through the hallways sweating profusely. Otherwise, they were chilling out in the cafeteria, eating a Dunkin Doughnut, or grabbing a Starbucks (apparently the one in the CIA is the busiest in Northern VA). Just another day at the agency.