Well, my last weekend in DC has passed and although it was fun, I definitely had to overcome some obstacles. Two things that I have no control over were working against me big time. Snow on Saturday when I went to go check out Alexandria, VA and the Metro subway was delayed all weekend.

Maintenance work on the subway turned regular 25-30 minute commutes into almost an hour, it was ridiculous! I just now realized that I have not driven a vehicle for the entire semester, so it's going to feel pretty strange when I get back home. You know how whenever you are driving and in a hurry, it seems like all the lights turn red and the slowest drivers in the world end up in front of you, well the metro can be very similar. Whenever you're in a hurry, you will just miss the train and the next train will not arrive for 10 minutes! Or like this weekend, you'll be on the train and pull up at a station, then for some reason wait there "momentarily" which turns out to be 10 minutes!

So the big thing I wanted to do this past weekend was go to the Smithsonian National American History Museum. It just opened recently after being closed for about 2 years. This is the museum where the original star spangled banner is and one of the original copies of the Gettysburg address, plus tons of other cool stuff. I could have spent the entire day at this museum and I'm thinking about going back before I leave. So, I took some pictures from the museum:

• yes, that is the "puffy shirt" from Seinfeld
• Roberto Clemente's uniform (A former Marine and a great baseball player)
• Kermit!
• And a poster that is so true.

Also a picture w/ a quote that is on the side of the U.S. Dept. of Justice building that I really liked and since I am a Justice Admin. major, I thought it would be appropriate.

Side note, I'm a little disappointed to say the least with TU losing in the conference championship game on Saturday (one of the ugliest performances from them in a long time), even more disappointed with all of the so-called fans who did not show up! A conference championship in a stadium as small as Tulsa's should have been sold out. Nevertheless, I can be happy with a 10 win season from TU every year and we still have the chance to win 11, GOLDEN....

Another week

Here are some pictures from the past week:

A group picture of all the interns at The Potomac Advocates with our Research Coordinator, Patrick in the middle. All the guys were giving me a hard time because I wanted our group picture to be at the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial, but democracy was in effect and I lost. This is still a good picture though.

In the middle is a picture at the apartment after finishing my Forensic Psych. class and my portfolio project, nothing but relief and joy on my face!

The last pic. is my favorite, because that's w/ Jeff Baxter, I think I mentioned him earlier in the semester when I saw him at a dinner over by the Capitol. He's a guitarist that was in Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers and also does missile defense consulting work for the government. My mom has always been a big fan of the Doobie Bros., so I think she'll like the pic as well!

So, I'm leaving DC soon and have to do some last minute sightseeing of all my favorite places and some that I haven't been to yet.

Down the home stretch!

My time in DC is coming to an end, unfortunately it flew by so fast, I wonder if RSU will let stay another semester!

I just finished my Forensic Psychology class last night and it was a good class that touched on some interesting topics. Anytime you have bright students who want to learn and a professor who shows enthusiasm for the course, I think it is a guarantee to have a good semester.

The past week was a blur with all the work I had going on, but for the most part everything is finished. All I have left to work on is my portfolio for The Washington Center which shows people what I was doing all semester. In the portfolio, I write about things such as my volunteer work and the lecture's I attended. But most importantly I try to persuade or convince the good people at RSU who made this experience possible for me that their $$$ was definitely well spent!

I really don't know where to begin with all of the opportunities this internship has provided me. I could start with the education, the people, the places, and I still think I would forget to mention something or someone.

The educational benefits alone, my gosh! The lectures that you attend on a variety of important topics that are presented by some very respected individuals. You learn from your job, the people at your job, the people you meet through your job-NETWORKING! Then there is the college course you take such as Forensic Psych. Also, you can learn a lot from your fellow interns that come from all walks of life. Aside from my time in the Marine Corps, this semester has been one the best learning experiences of my life.

It's not a gym...it's a fitness studio!

In Oklahoma we call 'em gyms, at the Bedford Springs Resort, it is
a fitness studio. Notice the perplexed look on my face, I wasn't the only one.

Okay, it was a great weekend at the Resort! Such a beautiful place, I tried to hide from my co-workers when it was time to leave, but unfortunately they found me.

There was a lot of history at Bedford Springs that I was unaware of. For example: President Buchanan was such a frequent guest, that Bedford Springs was actually called the "Summer White House" when he was in office. Also, Ronald Reagan stayed there during his second term as California's governor and Eisenhower stayed there while campaigning for President.

All three interns got to stay in the suite overlooking the golf course.
This was the view at night from our balcony, which was bigger than the entire apartment I stay at in D.C. This is one of my favorite pictures because of the sunset.

The pictures: Can you guess which bed was mine at the resort? Now you understand why I didn't want to leave!

A picture of the front of the resort, what you can't see is the opposite end of the resort(where I stayed). The resort is located in a valley surrounded by mountains or hills depending on where you're from.That's right ladies! Just for you, I got to meet Ty Pennington on Saturday night at the resort. He was a super nice guy, just hanging out with some friends, shooting pool, and watching football.

more to follow

I had another full week in the capitol, no surprise there. The Marine Corps turned 233 on Monday and then Veterans Day on Tuesday was excellent. Thanks to all those who called me, it always feels good to hear.

I could not have thought of a better way to honor the veterans than by going to the war memorials and helping out with a volunteer organization that helps the survivors who have lost a loved one in the military. TAPS(Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)

http://www.taps.org/

is a great organization that offers services to people who have lost someone serving in the military. I spent the day helping out at their office in D.C., helping them prepare for an upcoming weekend seminar where they provide assistance for the families.

Also, in my last post, I talked about another excellent organization called USA CARES, they do great things for the troops and their families, go to their website at http://www.usacares.org/

and under the volunteer/projects links, you will find some really good projects that help the troops. I am hopeful that I can get some of those projects going at RSU when I return in the spring.

So, right now, I am writing this post from a suite at the Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. My company brought us here for the weekend to attend the annual post-election conference that they hold for their clients. This place is great! Our balcony is about 100 yards from the golf-course, I just finished swimming in the indoor spring water pool, which was outstanding! Then I decided to go really high class and sport the complimentary terry cloth robe. I'll have a lot more to write about this place after the weekend and I promise to include a lot of pictures. Hey, you work hard and play hard!

I'll always remember...

where I was when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States! Tuesday night was one of the main reasons why I wanted to be in D.C. this semester and it definitely did not disappoint. The atmosphere before and after the election has been one of the most interesting things I have ever experienced.

I started out election night watching the results at The Monacle restaurant, it's on the Senate side of the capitol and a lot of Senators and Representatives like to go there. It's interesting because there was an older autographed picture of John McCain on the wall right by our table. After hanging out at the Monacle, my friend Tere and I decided to go check out some more places. I wanted to experience all D.C. had to offer that night. So, we went to another restaurant called Bullfeathers (I've mentioned this place before) over on the House side of the Capitol. The atmosphere was much more lively and festive there, it was a younger crowd compared to the Monacle so we decided to that we would stay as long as we could before having to take the subway back home, because their service ends at midnight.

It was at Bullfeathers, where I watched the historic moment at around 11 or 11:30 when it was announced that Obama had won. The place went wild. By that time, I think most of the McCain folks had already gone home.

My only regret of the night and I didn't even think about this until I got back to my apartment and it was too late, was that I wish I would have gone to the White House. Outside the White House, is where all the energy and excitement was at. Traditionally, it's not a place where people go, so maybe that is why it didn't occur to me,but for some reason, the street in front of the White House was packed that night. I finished the evening by running on the treadmill for 40 minutes while I listened to President-elect Obama's speech.

Change of subject, this is one of my favorite pictures because Dennis Miller was so cool when I met him. He's the national spokesperson for USA cares, a really good organization that does amazing things for the troops and their families.

couple gallons of coffee and I'll be fine

Today is the day! It's going to be a long one, actually I think today and tomorrow will just blend into one very long day.

Things are tense right now in D.C. I saw a lot of anxious and concerned faces on the subway this morning. The past 2 years have funneled into today and I could not think of a better time to be in our nation's capitol. There is no question that this has been the most exciting/controversial Presidential election of my generation, but I think everyone is just ready for it to be over with.

My firm is hosting a private watch party tonight for our clients and associates at a restaurant down the street from our office.

So, change of subject, I thought I should add some new pics. The "I have a dream" pic is actually an old one from my 2nd day in D.C. It's pretty cool because that day was the 45th anniversary of the famous speech.

There are actually two residences in the White House picture. If you look in between the 2 yellow signs, you'll see a make shift tent where this lady has lived since the 80's.

Also, if you look in the left corner of the pic, you can see the top of the Washington Monument.