Happy President's Day weekend to everyone! Here in DC, it's a federal holiday, so no work, but we still have classes. With that said, the extra time off is presenting more opportunities for fun around the city.
Before going any further along that tangent, I must recognize that it's not every day that your boss receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. So, congrats Congressman Lewis! As many of you have already seen, I've posted pictures with him wearing his medal. There was a very nice reception in his honor that night hosted by the Faith and Politics Institute. I had the opportunity to meet Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer there. We spoke for a minute and he gave me a nice pat on the shoulder before going off to say kind words about his colleague. The food there was also spectacular, I might add. The crab cake sliders were my favorite. There was also a UGA reception on Wednesday, but I found it a little underwhelming, perhaps I was comparing it to the night before!
Friday, we ventured to Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street for dinner. The food is very good (it's been featured on the Travel Channel) and U Street is a very fun place to wander around. It's the jazz center of the city. It's one of those places you just have to go some point in DC.
Saturday, a group of us went to the National Cathedral, which is located about 7 miles from the Capitol. It's the second-largest cathedral in the United States, and has been the home to numerous memorial services and famous sermons over the years. After that, we ate some Lebanese food for lunch. It was good, even though I have no idea what I was actually eating. After that we strolled down Embassy Row and visited the Woodrow Wilson House in DC--the only president to remain in DC after leaving office. I will post those pictures and the ones from Alexandria soon.
And because it was so nice last weekend, I'm going back to Old Town Alexandria with a different group of people today. Happy Sunday!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Old Town
This past week of work has been quite busy. After being in the districts last week, the House was back in session, and I was busy again taking phone calls, running around to various offices, and generally trying to be of some miniscule importance. There were lots of meetings the Congressman was in, and he did a couple of interviews as well. For the first time I actually recognized one of the reporters who came into the office: Ms. Emily Heil of Roll Call, who has been an occasional contributor on MSNBC.
In policy circles, Egypt has been the hot topic, and was also the topic of a policy forum in which the WSP students participated. For those who may not know, Hosni Mubarak, an authoritarian ruler but US ally nonetheless, has stepped down from power in the wake of massive protests.
There was a reception on Wednesday night hosted by the Georgia State Society, but I was feeling under the weather, and declined to go, resulting in a relatively quiet week. With little school work to do, the break was much appreciated.
The one fun activity which several of my friends and I did on Saturday was a trip to Old Town Alexandria, VA. The only true analogies I can give are St. Augustine and Savannah's River Street, and I would mostly describe it as a cross between the two--about as large as St. Augustine's historic district, but with an English design more similar to Savannah. I will post a few pictures shortly. We went to a small bakery for lunch, which was quite good, and a good value, and walked along King Street, which is the main thoroughfare. (FYI, it's accessible via the King Street Metro Station located on the Blue and Yellow lines). The street ends near an old torpedo factory, which has been turned into an art center. There are also quite a few restaurants located right along the Potomac. It was a pleasant day trip that I would recommend to others in DC.
In policy circles, Egypt has been the hot topic, and was also the topic of a policy forum in which the WSP students participated. For those who may not know, Hosni Mubarak, an authoritarian ruler but US ally nonetheless, has stepped down from power in the wake of massive protests.
There was a reception on Wednesday night hosted by the Georgia State Society, but I was feeling under the weather, and declined to go, resulting in a relatively quiet week. With little school work to do, the break was much appreciated.
The one fun activity which several of my friends and I did on Saturday was a trip to Old Town Alexandria, VA. The only true analogies I can give are St. Augustine and Savannah's River Street, and I would mostly describe it as a cross between the two--about as large as St. Augustine's historic district, but with an English design more similar to Savannah. I will post a few pictures shortly. We went to a small bakery for lunch, which was quite good, and a good value, and walked along King Street, which is the main thoroughfare. (FYI, it's accessible via the King Street Metro Station located on the Blue and Yellow lines). The street ends near an old torpedo factory, which has been turned into an art center. There are also quite a few restaurants located right along the Potomac. It was a pleasant day trip that I would recommend to others in DC.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Conjunction Junction
Today's fun fact: if you call the Department of Education, the hold music is the soundtrack to Schoolhouse Rock's "Conjunction Junction."
Anyway, I need to explain my week-long hiatus from posting. Part of the reason is a paper that was due tonight. However, the main reason was that my computer broke down during the middle of last week, about the time I would have made the next post. So, I had to spend my time going on adventures to get it fixed. I went to the Apple Store in Georgetown on Thursday and was told that what I thought was a small problem was really the Logics Board (Apple's equivalent of the motherboard). Friday, I went to the only store nearby with the part, and Saturday, I picked it up. They expedited my repair and really saved my paper, which I was afraid I'd have to restart. It's worth noting that by "nearby" I mean Tyson's Corner, VA. It's basically the equivalent of Norcross from Atlanta for my GA readers. Here's a map. I also owe a tremendous amount of thanks to the Metro (or WMATA) their rapid transit system. Walking in Tyson's Corner (an edge city--I recommend the book for more info, I loved it), you feel like you're in suburbia, but I was able to navigate it thanks to the Metro. And upon later exploration, they are actually in the process of running a new rail line right into Tyson's Corner.
The House also goes back into session tomorrow, so more action should be happening. I'm scheduled to go to a briefing and collect representative's signatures for a bill. I fear that I may be coming down with a slight cold, but I'm hoping to stave it off with medicine and vitamins. Hope everyone reading this is doing well, and may you all have a happy Tuesday!
Anyway, I need to explain my week-long hiatus from posting. Part of the reason is a paper that was due tonight. However, the main reason was that my computer broke down during the middle of last week, about the time I would have made the next post. So, I had to spend my time going on adventures to get it fixed. I went to the Apple Store in Georgetown on Thursday and was told that what I thought was a small problem was really the Logics Board (Apple's equivalent of the motherboard). Friday, I went to the only store nearby with the part, and Saturday, I picked it up. They expedited my repair and really saved my paper, which I was afraid I'd have to restart. It's worth noting that by "nearby" I mean Tyson's Corner, VA. It's basically the equivalent of Norcross from Atlanta for my GA readers. Here's a map. I also owe a tremendous amount of thanks to the Metro (or WMATA) their rapid transit system. Walking in Tyson's Corner (an edge city--I recommend the book for more info, I loved it), you feel like you're in suburbia, but I was able to navigate it thanks to the Metro. And upon later exploration, they are actually in the process of running a new rail line right into Tyson's Corner.
The House also goes back into session tomorrow, so more action should be happening. I'm scheduled to go to a briefing and collect representative's signatures for a bill. I fear that I may be coming down with a slight cold, but I'm hoping to stave it off with medicine and vitamins. Hope everyone reading this is doing well, and may you all have a happy Tuesday!
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