Living in the DC area for a couple of years now has certainly turned me on to politics and current events. It’s the bug everyone gets when they move in. As much as I could see myself working in the government I don’t think I’ll be running for office anytime soon- but you never know. Thanks to Anh “Joseph” Cao- the new congressman from Louisiana’s 2nd district and first Vietnamese-American ever elected to Congress I now have new hope in what I can do as a proud Vietnamese-American.
A lot of this week has been centered around politics. The highlight of this week was a visit to the White House. Now closed to public tours, you have to know someone in order to get in there. In this case Carrie knew someone and we went on a tour this past Thursday.
I thought it was interested how the photos on the wall are constantly updated. As we walked in there were photos on the wall of Bush’s recent Holiday Reception. He certainly knew how to fit in with kids. I was also amazed to see the photos that adorned the walls around Cheney’s offices. By the elevator there’s a really sinister looking half portrait of his face. One of Carrie’s friends and I had one goal while we were there- and that was to use the bathroom. I wanted my own Forrest Gump moment. I was impressed that the bathrooms had a cool machine that buffed your shoes.
The Oval Office was brighter than I thought. It was roped off and guarded by Secret Service after-hours. So I guess I won’t be having any cool moments inside the room. As we went from room-to-room it was interesting how the seat the President sits in is always taller than the rest. Talk about King of the Nation. The new Press Room was certainly impressive, from the camera banks to the engraved seats. Everyone has a specific spot- with the best seat in the house going to Helen Thomas (who is also the only one that has their name on their seat, usually it’s just the outlet.)
Carrie and I capped off the night at this quaint Greek place in Dupont called Mourayo. It was quiet for the night but still classy- except for the waiter that was dressed like a European sailor. I don’t know how classy it is to be served by a member of the Village people.
Well besides stealing sugar packets from the White House I was up to other things, I’ve finally got back to editing “The OBX Season 2” and I hope to have something done before I go back home for Xmas. I also got to catch up with Wendi over dinner and a Bruins/Capitals game- it’s amazing to hear that the Bruins were in first place in the Eastern Conference as they lost to the Caps.
This weekend I wanted to celebrate my big quarter century but personally I’ve been too busy to effectively plan a bash. Last minute attempts at a night out ended up falling through. I’ve had great birthday nights the past three years and this year should be a special one, but with work killing me softly and the fact my birthday is always around the holidays makes it tough. I
Saturday I did go out with Sarah and Falkor to celebrate our friend Owen who was in town. We met up at a small place in Bethesda called Saphire. Carrie, Doug, and Katie met up with us later that night.
Last night I went out with a whole group of friends to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The show was similar to the one I saw last year but it was still a great show to watch, and it always helps to enjoy it with a suite full of your friends.
As we enter the last week before Christmas- there’s a lot I need to do before I go home. I need to finish my shopping. I took the day off of work today and knocked a lot of it out with a trip to Potomac Mills.
I also need to finalize my plans for New Years. I also want to finish “The OBX Season 2.” I also need to plan out all the people I need to see while I’m back home. You can see how celebrating my birthday isn’t going to fit in the immediate picture, yet as I write this I’ve now crossed over to December 16th.
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[...] As part as his assignment to create a political cartoon for the paper he gets to shadow Curl on a visit to the White House, a trip Mike is very jealous of- and he should be. Any true Washingtonian living here has visited the White House, maybe it was through a tour, a friend on The Hill, your job, or through good ol’ DC Networking. Martin Austermuhle over at DCist dropped the fact he’s been in the briefing room- and I’ll go ahead and be a complete asshole- and mention that I’ve been there, done that as well. [...]