More than just eye candy?

I am completely shocked that John McCain chose Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as his running mate. But the more I think about it, it is absolutely brilliant! John McCain brings to the table years of experience, the elderly vote, the veterans and military vote, among other things. Sarah Palin is young, a former beauty queen, from the North (the way North), and would without a doubt be the most conservative person to enter the oval office. Brilliant! After some quick polling of my female co-workers, many of them loved the idea, despite them hardly being die hard right-wingers. Sarah Palin is 44 years old, has five children, including a toddler with down syndrome. She is married to an oil executive for BP and ran for governor on the theme of we need to drill more and drill now. She is lifelong National Rifle Association Member. Despite McCain’s wealth and power, Palin is from humble roots in small town Idaho. Her nickname is “Sarah Barricuda” because she is ruthless as a candidate. There are more reasons this is a brilliant pick. Can you imagine the outrage from the media and women groups if Obama has negative ads or is too critical of Governor Palin? I think she will do very well with disgruntled Hillary supporters, apathetic females, and hard core, far right conservatives who are leery of McCain’s moderate record as a Senator. She has some issues though. She is involved with some ethics issues right now after firing her sister’s ex-husband for… well… being her ex-husband. Before being Governor, she was the mayor of Waselis, a town with a population under 9,000 people. She has lots of ties to big oil but no foreign policy experience. (Not that it matters, because McCain has plenty to share.) Basically, this was a complete grand slam homerun for John McCain. A brilliant pick which might turn the election in his favor.


1. Did anybody watch Obama’s speech last night? I thought it was fantastic. A lot of the criticism was that he was not specific enough for his plans as President. He definitely answered those questions last night. Unfortunately, a well planned surprise by John McCain has shifted all of the focus to the GOP.

2. I love the names of Palin’s kids: Track, Trig, Willow, Piper, and Bristol. Are you kidding me?

3. I’m happy. Iowa State won their opener yesterday 44 – 17. The march continues.

Hissy fits!

I know I am in the minority but I have been glued to my TV set the past few days watching the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Some of my co-workers are there and they already have some great stories like giving Sam Donaldson directions and posing for pictures with Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer. There even was an Oprah sighting. Throughout the DNC, I have been very pleased with some aspects, and disappointed with others. I thought Michelle Obama gave a terrific speech. She clearly showed that she would be a capable first lady and would bring many positive attributes to the White House. I thought Brian Schweitzer gave a fantastic, fiery, passionate, indictment on John McCain that got me all fired up. Schweitzer is the Governor of Montana. Other speakers though, like keynote speaker, Mark Warner were terrible. I thought Bill Clinton and Joe Biden did a nice job but by far the speech of the week has to go to Hillary Clinton. She gave one of the most memorable speeches in my lifetime. She was strong, articulate, honest, and powerful. I will be anxious to watch Obama give his speech today. Let me also admit that I was wrong about Joe Biden. After reading more about his story of growing up poor in Scranton, PA, working his way through the University of Delaware and then Syracuse Law School before being elected senator at 29, I came away very impressed. He was a fireball of emotion last night although I felt he did speak a little bit long. I also really liked his work he has done on foreign relations and being a champion for women’s causes long before it became popular to do so. What did you all think?

1. I rented season one of Mad Men yesterday. After only watching one episode, I am neutral. I think right now the point is just to introduce us to the characters, the time period, and the theme of the show. It has won several awards and some of my co-workers are addicted. I will keep watching. I just got the Blockbuster All Access Card and there are so many TV shows that people say are really good that I have not seen one episode of. They include: Dexter, Weeds, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Deadwood, The Sopranos, Lost, 24, Heroes, et cetera. I am trying to save money so spending $20 a month seems reasonable.

2. While watching the DNC coverage, one thing that has really bothered me is the stubborn behavior by Hillary Clinton supporters despite Hillary basically begging them to vote for Obama. 40% of people who voted for Clinton in the primary will now either vote for McCain or not vote at all. CNN has had several interviews with delegates wanting to punish the Democrats, or punish Obama. This infuriates me and this exactly why I did not want a long primary season. People are too scarred. In 2004, I was a die hard Howard Dean supporter. I was really disappointed when John Kerry got the nomination instead of Dean. However, instead of being petulant, I looked at Bush’s record, and I looked at John Kerry, and I said I agree a whole heck of a lot more with Kerry then Bush, so I volunteered my time, donated money, and voted for John F. Kerry for president. This is why I think John McCain might make a brilliant move if he picks a woman, like Kay Hutchinson, former governor of Texas, or another woman as his running mate. I truly believe that Barack Obama cannot win the election unless those who voted for Hillary Clinton, now support him. I am not upset at Hillary Clinton. She wanted to be president and did all she could. After it was clear she was going to lose the nomination, she graciously dropped out, and has wholeheartedly supported Senator Obama. It is time for her supporters to stop their hissy fits and to start supporting Obama. No way, No How, No McCain!

3. The college football season starts tonight. I can’t wait to watch the Cyclones destroy South Dakota State tonight!

Dead Moines no more!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Last Thursday, I went to the Minnesota State Fair. As usual, I over-ate. I had French fries, corn on the cob, funnel cakes, grilled chocolate sandwiches, cheese curds, and elk meat. I had never had elk and every time at the fair, I try to try something new. The Fair was a lot of fun this year and it is still going through Labor Day if anybody wants to go again. Thursday night, for work, I headed down to Destination Iowa State. DIS is a welcome fair for incoming freshmen and transfer students to let them know all about ISU. I got a little nostalgic thinking about my time as a scrawny 17 year old meandering around a giant campus and taking it all in. After that, I walked around campus a bit. The campus has changed a lot since I graduated; all the changes are for the better. The Hub looks fantastic. The bookstore has a major improvement. Maple Willow Larch Commons is going to be awesome. Of course, who couldn’t notice the huge changes to Jack Trice Stadium? I came away very impressed. After that, I headed to West Des Moines and stayed with the Robbins and his girl. They have a beautiful apartment and the area they live in actually seems really cool. Des Moines used to have a nick name, Dead Moines. No longer is that name apt. Des Moines has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the city and it is beginning to show. They have great shopping, cool restaurants, and a legitimate nightlife. On Friday, I drove back and was planning on having dinner with Elyse but when I opened the door, about a dozen people yelled “surprise”! To say I was surprised would be an understatement. The color drained away from my face and I felt like I flew backwards about twenty yards. After a good laugh, and some hugs, I was ready for the party to begin. Thank you very much to everyone who came. I had a great time. Friday evening/Saturday morning began with the announcement that Obama picked Joe Biden to be his running mate. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it. His positives include several yings to Obama’s Yangs. Biden is a Catholic; Obama is a Protestant. Biden is white; Obama is black. Biden is a seasoned senator at 65 who has served the people of Delaware in congress for over three decades. Obama is young at 46 and has been a senator for less the one full term. Joe Biden grew up on the East Coast in Pennsylvania, went to school in New York and Delaware, and now resides in Delaware. Obama grew up in Hawaii, and now lives in the Midwest. Plus, Biden is a feisty attack dog. The negatives are he represents a small state that is not a battleground state. In addition, Biden is not that well known but has a reputation for several verbal gaffes and is not a terrific speaker or debater. Again, I’m neutral on the pick. It looks like McCain will announce his running mate next Friday or Saturday and all the pundits say it will be one of three people, Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, or former Secretary of State/Defense Tom Ridge. They all have major plusses and minuses. I will wait to do my analysis until McCain picks his choice. The rest of the weekend was fun too. I went to a Vikings game on Saturday night. I had a wonderful lunch at the new Bloomington Chop House and watched a random, but funny movie, Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay. All in all it was a fantastic birthday weekend.

1. I would like to know what takes TV shows so long to get on DVD. Season Four of the Office doesn’t come out until September 2nd. That is like four months after the season finale. Season Three of How I Met Your Mother Doesn’t come out until Mid-October. That’s five months after the show ended. What on earth takes them that long? This is on my mind because Season Four of Entourage comes out on DVD today. Again, like four months after the show ended.

2. The College football season begins this Thursday. Guess who plays on opening night? The might Jackrabbits of South Dakota State come to might Jack Trice Stadium to get devoured by the Cyclones of Iowa State. My final score prediction is 27 – 10 ISU wins by 17!

3. How much of the Democratic and Republic conventions are you going to watch? I’m unsure right now. Some things will be interesting but even as political rube like me doesn’t want to watch two hours of Barack Obama’s sister, and Joe Biden’s wife talking. I think I will actually end up watching a lot more then I think. I am heading up to North Dakota tomorrow and I have a feeling it will be me alone in the Holiday Inn Express, eating a Quizno’s, while watching MSNBC’s analysis on how Hillary’s voters are thinking.

4. The Olympic ceremonies ended yesterday. This was, in my opinion, the best Olympics I have ever seen. Michael Phelps sets the all time medal record while breaking seven world records. Usain Bolt breaks the 100 meter and 200 meter world record finals easily. Team USA wins the gold medal back in Men’s basketball. And there was controversy and guts on display during gymnastics. It was a great two weeks and Beijing, you should be proud. London in 2012 has a lot of work to match these games.

5. I love it! Finally, a reality show on MTV I actually want to watch. Here is a sneak peak of Exiled. They take eight former Sweet 16 stuck up bitches girls and sends them to Africa and India to see how people who did not grow up with a silver spoon live. I am legitimately very intrigued at this tough love approach. When you have five minutes, watch this preview: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1587340&vid=232356

I don't get it

Joe Biden as Obama's VP?

I just don't get it. He's not from a battleground state. He's from the North. He is not particularly popular. I just don't get it. What voters does Biden draw in? To be honest, I hate the pick. Let's not forget several months earlier Biden said of Obama, "The Presidency does not call for on the job training". And then later while trying to awkwardly compliment him after he dropped out he said Obama was "clean and articulate". Huh? Pundits normally say that choosing your running mate is the first major decision a future president could make. My initial assessment... D+. I am incredibly disappointed with Barack Obama. Very very disappointed. I guess Joe Biden has a strong foreign relations background. But guess what? If foreign relations was a voter's primary concern he would go with McCain.

I guess I will have to trust Senator Obama's judgment. What else am I supposed to do?

Don't get mad... Get Fidler

I have bad news. If the election were today, Barack Obama would lose the election. In the last few weeks, every single one of the key battleground states have switched to John McCain’s side including Florida, Indiana, Virginia, Ohio, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, and the Dakotas now all have McCain with leads from two points to six. John McCain would end up with 271 electoral votes to 264 for Obama. There are two big reasons for this. One, John McCain has been absolutely ruthless in his negative ads. Unfortunately, negative ads work. Ask John Kerry. Two, the Russian/Georgia Conflict has made national security once again the most important issue to the general public. Obama does better when the economy is the primary issue. I would look for Fox News and the Republican media machine to once again begin fear politics with the Evil Russian Bear. The more the country is afraid, the more they will rally around a strong military leader – like John McCain. Interestingly enough, McCain had a rather weak military history. As General Wesley Clark said, “Being a prisoner of war does not necessarily qualify you to be President.” McCain also received near record demerits while at the Naval Academy and he barely graduated finishing in the bottom five out of a class of almost 900. However, perception is often times reality and in this world conflict with Georgia and Russia, America has really rallied around John McCain. Also, Obama struggled big time at the Saddlebrook debate this past Saturday. Obama is in big trouble ladies and gentlemen. Unfortunately, all of the momentum is with the Arizona Senator. John McCain’s negative ads have convinced literally millions of Americans that Obama is just a smooth talking celebrity whose lack of political and world experience would leave the country less safe. Obama needs big help and he needs big help soon.
1. The Minnesota State Fair starts soon. Guess who is going tomorrow? ME! Then it is off to Iowa for some business for a couple of days.

2. The college football season starts a week from tomorrow. I can’t wait.

3. My birthday is coming up. I’m ready.

Suit Up!

Today is my last night baby-sitting the animals. I feel bitter sweet. I will miss the dog but I will greatly enjoy getting full nights sleep once again, sleeping in my own bed, and not picking up poo off of neighbors’ lawns with nothing more then your hand and a Ziploc bag. The past two weekends I have been a bar fiend! I really liked The View a lot. That’s a bar/restaurant right next to Lake Calhoun in Lifetime. The View had cool bartenders, great location, and terrific happy hour. The only problem was the happy hour didn’t start until 11:00. I also checked out The Ugly Mug and Dive. The Ugly Mug was a really cool bar in downtown Minneapolis. It had great live music, reasonably priced drinks, and lots of beautiful people. Upstairs, is a dance club called Dive. Visually, I thought Dive was really cool. They had lots of cool colored fountains. They had plenty of space if dancing is your thing. Unfortunately, my dancing skills have been compared to an elephant getting stung in the ass by a giant hornet. After that it was off to Bellanotte and the land of eight dollar rum and cokes. Normally, I mock the inside for its ridiculous pretentiousness but I was pleasantly surprised at how fun it was outside, near their bonfire, looking at Hennepin Avenue.

1. Did anybody else watch the Barack Obama/John McCain presidential forum at Saddleback Church. The event was hosted by Evangelical Pastor, Rick Warren. He is the author of the book, The Purpose Driven Life (which has casually sold over 25 millions copies.) I thought Obama did the best he could under the circumstances. The audience was all Evangelicals and all of the questions were basically red meat to fuel up the conservative base. He was asked his views on gay marriage, abortion, stem cell research, et cetera. Keep in mind the whole audience were hardcore evangelicals. By all accounts, McCain dominated this type of conversation. I actually thought Rick Warren was fair, and impartial in his questions and I was frankly a bit disappointed by Obama’s answers. Did he think that Pastor Warren would not ask him his views on abortion? Obama basically danced around the topic for two minutes before giving a non-answer answer. McCain meanwhile got standing ovations with basically everything he said. No surprises there. Oh well. I’m just frustrated because all of the polls show all the momentum is with McCain. According to a Saturday Star Tribune poll, even Minnesota is now a statistical tie. And for the first time in months, I can say that if the vote were today, John McCain would most likely win the election. It pains me to write that.

2. It is pretty amazing to watch Michael Phelps win eight gold medals. What I thought was interesting is how freakish his body is. He is 6’4. But he has the torso of a man who is 6’8 and the legs of a man who is 6’0. He also has abnormally large hands and feet. Plus, he has double jointed ankles and knees. His ankles can bend to almost a perfect 90 degree angle so there is less resistance then his competitors. In addition, his arms are much longer then most men who are 6’4. Basically, he is a genetic freak programmed to swim. It reminds me of Lance Armstrong who was born with a heart and lungs 50% larger then the size of most men.

3. I read that Craig Robinson who plays Darrel in The Office was arrested this past weekend for possession of Cocaine. What an idiot! He’s got a great job, on a hit sitcom and he blows it by getting caught with coke. Amazing.

4. Okay, so… The Democratic Convention begins a week from today. That means that Obama will name his running mate probably in the next 48 hours. My guess is that it will be either Indiana Senator Evan Bayh or Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. I am fine with either.

You better watch your step because I am about to drop some knowledge.

I am mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. The more and more I read about the Russian invasion of Georgia the more disgusted I am. To the heavy majority of Russian leaders, the collapse of the Soviet Union was the worst thing to happen to Russia in their history. They were embarrassed and now they want to reunite the Soviet Union and make the SU the strongest country in the world. Russians have tried before with not good success before - Chechnya comes to mind.Last week, Russia invaded the country with several goals. One, take back a big chunk of Georgian territory that is oil rich and take control of that oil. Two, destroy the Georgian military. Three,after you have wiped out their military, replace the Georgian president (who was democratically elected) with a pro-Russia puppet government. Four, gradually incorporate Georgia as a part of Russia.Just like Tibet is part of China. The Russian leadership hubris is sinister and should frighten all citizens of the West. But what should America and Europe do? First, make an immediate pledge to protect the rest of the Satellite countries. You better believe that Ukraine is next on Russia's "to do" list. Second, remove Russia immediately from the G8 summit unless they withdraw immediately.Three, boycott everything Russia including the 2014 Olympics in Sochi,Russia. Sochi, by the way, is 14 miles from the capitol of Georgia.Four, have an emergency summit of NATO and tell Russia that if their imperialism continues, then NATO will have no choice but to begin World War III. This is terribly disappointing of Russia. Not to mention, this really hurts America on the War on Terrorism. Iran is areal threat to the world and America desperately needs Russia's help to keep Iran from developing nuclear power. This is a bad situation ladies and gentlemen.

1. Did anybody else watch the 4 X 100 Freestyle relays at the Olympics yesterday. It was quite possibly the most exciting finish to a race I have ever seen. What a great story from the trash talking between the French and the American team to the come from behind American finish where we won by only a few hundredths of a second.Wow.

2. Does anyone else think that a John McCain and Joe Lieberman ticket would remind them of the old guys from The Muppet show?

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

As I sit down to the computer on this glorious Saturday evening in August, I reflect on what a sometimes sad world we live in.  If I am not mistaken, it is the year 2008, and another country (Russia) invaded another country (Georgia).  Already over 2000 deaths.  I just don't understand how a country can decide the best way to solve their problems is to send eighteen year olds with guns to battle another country's eighteen years old in combat.  I just don't get it.  Is there no other way to solve this?  I think President Bush has taken the right response. He is appalled at the course of action but at this point has no plans to intervene in anyway.  That's all we can do at this point is admonish the Russians and Georgians for their barbaric and selfish response.  Not 24 hours after seeing the best of what the world can offer in the form of the unselfishness of the Olympic Games opening ceremonies, we have young men and women dying in battle.  I guess I just hoped by 2008, war would seem... well... unnecessary.  

1.  I was saddened to read that comedian Bernie Mac has passed away just after turning fifty years old.  From what I understand, he died of complications of pneumonia.  My thoughts and prayers are with the Mac family.

2.  CNN.com got access to the Democrat's playbook for their convention beginning on August 25th.  Here were some of the notes from the article:

It reasserts his promise of energy rebates to struggling families, pension subsidies, a crackdown on predatory lenders, higher taxes for families earning over $250,000, tax breaks for others, billions for economic stimulus and "direct high-level diplomacy, without preconditions," in the case of Iran.

On trade, it promises a multilateral approach to improving the North American Free Trade Agreement, without saying specifically what those changes should be. Obama criticized NAFTA when campaigning in states that felt disadvantaged by it, but the platform offers no suggestion he would take unilateral action against the deal.

Instead, it says: "We will work with Canada and Mexico to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement so that it works better for all three North American countries."

Democrats typically have a strong plank in favor of abortion rights; this year's version is stronger than usual. "The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right," it says.

Gone is the phrase from the past that abortions should be safe, legal and "rare."

The party also pledges to ensure access to adoption programs, prenatal and postnatal care and income support programs for expectant mothers who need the help.

The party also:

--Promises "tough, practical, and humane immigration reform in the first year of the next administration."

--Favors restoration of the ban on assault-type weapons and other "reasonable regulation" that recognizes the constitutional right to own and use firearms.

--Favors helping religious groups provide social services as long as "public funds are not used to proselytize or discriminate."

--Promises to close the Guantanamo detention center.

--Promises to double the Peace Corps.

I really like the bottom few a lot.  Yes, doubling or tripling the Peace Corps makes sense to win the Public Relations battle that George W. Bush has caused us to lose on.  Yes, closing Guantanamo Bay prison would do wonders to help win the war on terrorism.  And I like who they are not being wishy washy on issues they care about like health care and gun control.  I don't have to agree with everything the Democratic Party stands for but I hate that for so long they have been the "weaker" of the two parties.  It is time they stopped lying and really told the American Public what they believed in, not what is politically beneficial at that particular moment.  I think Dean has done a great job as the head of the Democratic National Party.

3.  I always liked John Edwards.  I still like him as a politician.  He is a man who came from nothing and worked his ass to get where he was.  He has been dealt with some rough things in life and battled to overcome then.  However, I was truly saddened and angered when I read yesterday that he did admit to having an affair with a member of his team.  This former Democrat Senator from North Carolina just happens to have a wife who has terminal cancer.  Stay classy Edwards.  He is an embarrassment and I hope he takes his millions and I never hear from him again.  Let me preface this statement, that I am knowingly being sexist with these next sentences... What is wrong with the women that Democrat leaders choose to have affairs with?!?!  Clinton with Flowers, Lewinsky, et cetera and now Edwards with this hideous looking woman!  Can you not do better as extremely wealthy, good looking, powerful men then to have affairs with these beastly women?  I know if they were attractive it would not make a difference but at least it would be a little bit less embarrassing.  Good riddance.

Hello, Goodbuy

It’s been a crazy few days since getting back from D.C. and most recently North Dakota. It is good to be back in the Twin Cities. I won’t actually be at home but rather I will be spending the next two weeks in Crystal, MN baby-sitting the house, and the animals while she is on vacation. As you know, I love dogs so I am greatly looking forward to playing with the Collie. For the first time, I can say I am actually nervous about Barack Obama winning the election in November. McCain has been doing really well in the past month and every day he has been gaining. This election will be extremely close and right now, Obama would still most likely win. However, here are the states that are within a +/- of four percentage points (or basically in a statistical tie) according to polling data that I have been tracking daily using a variety of different polls (Quinnipiac, Rasmussen, Gallup). Okay, I am a bit obsessed at this point. : )

-Oregon
-Nevada
-Colorado
-Montana
-North Dakota
-South Dakota
-Michigan
-Indiana
-New Hampshire
-Virginia
-North Carolina
-Ohio

Here is the good news. Of those twelve states that are tied right now, Democrats only won two of them in 2004 (Oregon and Michigan). If Obama could pull a surprise or two and win in Virginia, Indiana, or Ohio, plus carry Oregon and Michigan. He will win. In addition, two states that Bush won in 04, Iowa and New Mexico, Obama has nice leads in. Again, I still feel if the election were today, Obama would win, but what worries me is that all of the momentum is in McCain’s favor.

1. Imagine my surprise as I was unloading my suitcase last night when I saw that Brett Favre was traded to the Jets last night. We all knew he was going to be traded but I never thought I would see country Favre in the biggest American city on a terrible team (they only had four wins last year) and no good wide receivers. Oh well. My favorite part of the trade was the poison pill they put in that said the Jets would have to give up their next three first round draft picks if he ends up with the Vikings.

2. I have that stupid freecreditreport.com song in my head all day.

3. Speaking of commercials. I have a tragic announcement. Yesterday while watching TV with my sister, I saw a Target commercial with a cover of the Beatles song, Hello Goodbye. Normally, I bemoan any criticize any attempt to cover a Beatles classic but this one I really enjoyed. And then my sister said, “You know that that is The Jonas Brothers right.” I then looked it up, was proved wrong, and managed to vomit a bit in my mouth. I had previously prided myself in not knowing one Jonas Brothers song and never watching any of their show. Damnit catchy pop music!

Our nation's capitol

It has been a while since I wrote and I wanted to fill you in with how my recent trip to Washington D.C. went. God has blessed my family in many ways and I have been able to go on several wonderful vacations in my life. This trip has to be one of the best. Since last December, I had only taken one day of vacation so I was more than ready for an escape. We flew out last Saturday morning to Ronald Reagan International Airport and we stayed at the J.W. Marriott in downtown D.C. This hotel was one of the most elegant hotels I have ever seen. In addition, because my Mom is a platinum member of Marriott, we were upgraded to a suite with a view of the monuments and the White House. It was an absolutely spectacular room. Being a newspaper junkie, I loved that I could get free USA TODAY, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post every day. I had never read the Post before but I was extremely impressed with it. The address of the hotel was 1390 Pennsylvania Avenue so that gives you an indication of how close it was to the White House. As you know, there are several cities in America that I love including Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and San Diego but I think Washington D.C. is my new favorite. First off, it is much bigger than I thought. Second, it has an amazing amount of things to do and see. Third, it is visually very beautiful. The architecture is stunning and full of such history. In addition, the diversity was amazing. Not just skin color, but you had on the one hand the most powerful, wealthy people in the country to hippie protesters, to homeless people. That is one thing I really did not like. I have never been to a city with as many homeless people as D.C. There were also a lot of college students around. I didn’t realize so many colleges were within a twenty minute drive of downtown including George Washington University, Georgetown, the Naval Academy, Univ. of Maryland, Howard, and others.

When we arrived on Saturday, we spent the afternoon and night walking around downtown. We walked by Ford Theater where President Lincoln was killed and eventually meandered over to Chinatown. That was quite an experience. I loved all of the shops and restaurants. We ate a tapas restaurant called La Casta. It was really good but in general I feel that tapas restaurants are frustrating and can be spendy. This was no exception. Sunday morning we met cousin Mike Taylor. After just graduating with his master’s degree from Univ. of Maryland, he got this great job with the U.S. Department of Justice. We spent the day going to the two Air and Space Museums. Like most of the Smithsonian museums, admission was free; which I liked. We saw about everything from the Enola Gay that bombed Japan, to a Blackbird spy plane, to cold war missiles. But after two museums of aircraft, we were all ready to go home. Mike recommended we eat at this pizza place called Matchbook. His recommendation was right on and the food was fantastic.

On Monday, my parents had a bit of a surprise for us. We spent the morning on these things called Segways. Which are like motorized scooters you stand on. I thought it was going to be really dorky but it was really really fun. They actually can go pretty fast. Anyway, we got a tour of some of the D.C. Landmarks on a Segway. After the tour, we ate at the legendary Ol Ebbit’s Grill. My Dad wasn’t feeling well so he actually went to the hospital with my Mom and my sister and I hung out at the hotel for the rest of the day. He just had a mild fever, maybe he was dehydrated, but he is fine now. I also went on the Metro. The Metro is just like Chicago’s train/subway system except it is much newer and cleaner. I was very impressed. We ended up using the Metro every day for the rest of the trip.

Tuesday was a jam packed day. We woke up early and went to the Museum of Natural History, then we went to the National Archives to see the original Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, next up was the American Indian museum, after that we walked to the Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and Vietnam Wall. Whew. I am tired just writing about it. I could write pages about each thing I saw. It was so moving to go the various war memorials. I didn’t realize so many Americans lost their lives in the Korean War. About 54,000 soldiers died in the Korean War – only about three thousand less than the Vietnam War. We also walked around George Washington University’s campus in an area called Foggy Bottom. This area is kind of like Minneapolis’ Uptown or Chicago’s Wrigleyville. It is a great area for a college. After a delicious dinner at Legal Seafood, we all were asleep by about 9:00.

Wednesday was another busy day. We started by going to the Spy Museum. I loved it! It had all kinds of cool artifacts and history of the KGB, CIA, and other spy agencies. I highly recommend it. After that we went to Washington’s newest museum, the Newsseum. This is a museum that focuses on the history of the press, and media. This was also very cool. I could go into great detail about these places as well. At the Newsseum, Colin Powell walked by which was really cool. My favorite exhibit was the Pulitzer Prize exhibit. They had a picture of every single winning Pulitzer Prize and a caption explaining it. That was just awesome. My favorite picture was of this girl who was dying of Starvation in Africa and there was a vulture right by her. I know it is morose but also incredibly beautiful. The photojournalist was instructed by the U.N. not to help the starving child or get close because there were so many diseases. Many of the Pulitzer Prize winners were macabre. I spent a great deal of time in that exhibit just alone with my thoughts on the often lurid nature of humans while looking at pictures from Vietnam, Tienanmen Square, and Africa.

Thursday was yet another busy day. My Mom had another surprise for us. Apparently a friend of a friend knows Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Imagine my surprise when we go to the capitol for a tour, but we instead go to a side door and we meet Senator Klobuchar and her staff. Senator Klobuchar was very nice, humble, and to me, meeting a senator and actually having a conversation is so much cooler then meeting a celebrity. I know that puts me in the minority but I’m okay with that. Later, one of her interns gave us a great tour of the U.S. Capitol. After that, we took a tour of the White House and Jefferson Memorial.

We did not slow down on Friday either. My Dad and sister went to the Zoo while my Mom and I went to the Holocaust Museum. I was deeply moved by this museum. What I found most interesting was how Hitler became Germany’s Chancellor. Quite a story! This is a beautiful museum. Later that day, my family and I met up and we walked around Georgetown University’s campus and the Washington Harbor. Georgetown has a really interesting college town. It is not in downtown and kind of secluded in D.C.

We left back for Minneapolis on Saturday. All in all I give the trip an A+. I know this is long already but I really feel I could have gone into much more detail about certain exhibits and museums. And there was so much that we didn't get to see because there were only so many hours in a day. I would love to go back soon and see the American History museum, one of the four major art museums, maybe a Washington Nationals baseball game, the zoo so I could see the pandas, and more. But no complaints; what a great trip!