In transit.

I've got a plate of food in front of me, an Amstel right to my left and a glass of water to my right. I'm back in JFK airport. While this week was filled tears, it was also filled with family. The chance to see relatives I saw two weeks ago but also a chance to see some I'd never met before. It's a surreal feeling seeing your grandmother dead but at the same time an opportunity to meet new people.
Sometimes it feels like I've been living in an airport for the last two weeks and some will agree that's probably true. But I feel blessed to have the chance to travel like this and to also see those I love. Before I say anymore, let me remember why I am here.
I'm excited to travel back to DC to see everyone I've missed, to get back to work and to make sure the hill is kept in check.
Take these chances.

jetBlue.

I'm sitting in jetBlue's temporary JFK terminal. A bird just flew by. But the lay-over is worth it. I've never been treated so well on and had such good customer service by anyone let alone an airline. Leaving early, food service, and most important comfort. Okay so the 36 channels of DirectTv sold me along with all of the XM radio. I have my iPod ear buds but if I wanted free ones they were provided. Or for a dollar more I could have bought a pair just as nice. Either way a nice ride so far.

Grandma.

I didn't want to take the blog to this much of a personal level. But I needed to, Rest In Peace Grandma. I love you.

DMB.

John Paul Jones Arena, university of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
I've never seen more Dave Matthews Band t-shirts before in my life. Or more people interested in pink warehouse. Or more people obsessing over a bar Dave worked in over 20 years ago. The shows were good. Not great but good. Of course worth the trip.

I wasn't that impress with UVA. Maybe I was expecting more. It's not bad, or ugly. It was just there. Maybe we missed the beauty, but it was pretty average. After MSU's loss this weekend, maybe go Cav's?

Republicans are boring...

Not a shock to most but today was terrible. The house republicans held a press confrence on their new border bill. The topic is interesting, press confrences in general are fun, even the bill is interesting, but the republicans are not. The speak of the house is boring. The Majority Leader is boring. Even the guy with the cool title, the Whip is boring. Now this isn't an anti-republican entry, but maybe some people wouldn't think you are the most souless on earth if you didn't always do the following things:
1. Repeat your position 3 times within the same minute.
2. Answer any questions posed by the press with the same answer.

• My favorite is, "we're working on it, and you'll know when we have an answer."

• Another good one is, " We're working on a solution, you'll know when we have it.

3. Take more than 2 minutes for questions.
4. Press confrences where you repeat what you've said for the past week are a waste of time.

That's all there is for today. Tomorrow Dave Matthews Band. Saturday Dave Matthews Band.

Dancing on the Metro.

So it really wasn't on the metro, but it was on the platform. I wish so very dearly it was me. He was male between 25 and 30. With his mountain bike and helmet. Dancing as if he were with his new wife. I think that's the best explanation, I hope he was practicing for his wedding.

Spartans Win (and look good).

I caught a flight up to Pittsburgh this weekend for the Michigan State vs. Pitt game. Delayed to Pittsburgh by about 20 minutes, But I'm still here at Pittsburgh International airport waiting to leave. My flight's been pushed back by 65 minutes. A taxi cab ride back to the suites is more likely at this point. First I want to comment about the game, then about the airport.

Game Time.
The spartans played three amazing quarters of football, for the first time it felt good to be a Spartan fan. We controlled the line and played bread and butter football. We ran the ball like we knew what we were doing and we looked good. College games in professional stadiums, look good on paper but terrible in person. There is absolutely no atmosphere, maybe it's coming from the big ten, where my team, with stadium capacity of 74,000 plus is middle of the road. The Spartan faithful was out in full force I'd say about 5,000 State fans made it to the game. Either way the Green and White played one of their best games I've seen in a long time.

Airport.
A very nice and clean place. Very empty. Free WiFi. But the windows aren't very big and you can't see that much for it being a newer airport. I think at some point I'd love to work for an airport working in the information technology. I think systems of travel and those types of things are very interesting. I'm not really sure what to call it or even if it is a field. Maybe it's something to look into. Pittsburgh in general is a great place, a great city. Hopefully sometime soon I'll get the chance to live there. Picture from the game via the Lansing State Journal.

End of the week.

Thursday is the end of the week, for the MSU delegation so what's that mean? A nice little Sam Adams Octoberfest. Sam's beer is no Busch Light, which can be a good thing, but also a bad thing. Mr. Adams drops his beer around 7.99 a 6 pack. Where that isn't a big deal since it a nice beer. It's not a party beer. It's something to relax with. Enjoy it's oak leaf taste. My visuals have been slacking so enjoy.

Blog it and the Metro.

It's very interesting to know what and what I did and who I saw everyday. But my entries will start to become old fast. In fact they probably already have. So I'm going to start with some general thoughts of DC and Virginia. Maybe Maryland too, if I make it up there. I think it's most appropriate to start with the DC Metro.

The route I take to work is pretty simple, get on either the blue or the orange and head towards capitol south. It takes about 25 to 35 minutes depending on how busy things are. In the morning it's hard miss a train they come almost every minute. For the job I've been on the red and green and yellow lines. And Adams-Morgan is where the bars are, so you know. Unlike New York or Chicago there are no express trains, so every train stops at every stop. But the stations and cars are some of the cleanest things I've ever seen, they make New York and Chicago look like dumps. So far a two weeks into the Metro fun, I've survived. Oh and today's visual! The system map.


I'd love to feature a Metro story every week so someone remind me.

Wait, Okay I'm alive.

September 11th is over, well almost over without any problem. Today I spent the day at the National Press Club. My first event was a news conference about 9/11, those holding the conference won't call themselves conspiracy theorists but I have my doubts. Should we trust everything the government says? No. But I think it's more important to celebrate those lives of those who have died, instead of making it into another media event. My second event was special to me. Both the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the 9/11 commission spoke on the commission it's self and the current state of the ongoing fight on terror. As you probably are aware Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton held those respective positions and tried to make the commission as bipartisan as possible and it was until the very last question. Where both were asked if ABC's Docu-drama was very factual, Kean the republican said yes. Hamilton the democrat responded no. So who knows where anything stands anymore, I just though it was interested they agreed all the way until that point.

This weekend was fun for all those wondering where pictures are, I don't take my camera to the bar very often, maybe this weekend.

New places.

Today was really my first full day covering events. This morning I attended the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. National Town Hall on Energy. Joe Kennedy was on the panel along with Congresswoman Kilpatrick (D-MI). Bill Richardson was scheduled to appear, however, he is currently in Sudan. Though directed at the African American attendees, several of the topics brought forward weren't race related and proved very interesting. More on those issues in another post.
My second event was at the National Press Club. Now if you've never been there, you'd figure it would be in the National Press Building and it is. The club it's self and the engagement today was on the 13th, thanks for the elevators. Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) gave a speech on the state of terrorism. Biden will run for president in 2008. A Clinton type talker, he can make anything seem interesting. That was my day. I hope you had fun too. Pizza time.

(awesome.)

I'm sure everyone is wondering, where I've been, I will tell you.
Tuesday I started my internship. I can't start to explain how awesome my internship is. Tuesday morning it poured all day. But I came prepared. Greg D. he's the other Greg, and Jennifer are the three new interns. Amelia and Joshua are the veteran interns. Lovisa, she's the internship coordinator is awesome the rest of the crew is awesome and the job is awesome. And today I got the most awesome thing.

A real life press pass.

Pictures from the week.

World War II Memorial.


FDR Memorial. My first time there.

The Weekend Update.

Saturday night was Heather's birthday, she's one of the kids in the program. Going to the bar in Adams-Morgan is like going to the bar East Lansing, with one exception, they are massive. Packed full of college students looking to party. It's a bit more expensive, that's expected. Everyone had good time.
Today we went to the Smithsonian American History muesum, It closes for two years on the 5th. It was packed, and less than half of it was open.
I forgot to add, we've met several of the Wisconsin kids and they are good people as well, I'm certain we'll have a great time.

Rain. UPDATE.

Ernesto says hi. The rain isn't too bad right now, but the wind is kicking up. The whole group is here hanging out in the fairchild building, in the Michigan State office. We're waiting to head out to the library of congress to pick up reading cards. The whole group gets a long really well, we're looking forward to watching the football game, and enjoying the district this weekend with a 21st birthday. No pictures right now. But a map of where we are in DC.

See the 'D'? Thats where we are.

UPDATE: The Library of Congress didn't happen, it's too rainy and windy out for all that walking.