A NYC Trip to Remember

I am a little slow to put these pics up, but I just discovered that Slide.com helps you to make slideshows out of your facebook pictures, so that way I only need to upload them once..... So I kind of like Slide better than Photobucket, but you can always use both.

A few weeks ago, about 15 of us Utah Hinckley Interns decided to take the $40 round trip Washington Deluxe bus and go to NYC for the weekend. It was loads of fun and I got to see a Broadway musical ON BROADWAY for the first time! "Chicago" was so amazing and I wish that I had more cash and time to have seen a few more shows. I kept a little MoleSkin notebook to write down memories and man alive it was funny to read over some of them. Highlights of the trip, include:
- The Washington Deluxe staff
- Planning a stay at Hosteling International
- Randy's stress out moment at Times Square
- Suzanne, James, & Matt arriving to theater in a rickshaw
- POURING POURING RAIN all day
- Randy's $10 umbrella
- Stardust Diner
- The Double-deck bus tour
- ...and much much more!

Check out some fun pics from the occasion:

I'm giving Obama & McCain a run for their money!

Well, it has been only a few months since I have been here in Washington D.C., but I have done some real networking. Life in the nation's capital is nothing short of awesome and I can hardly believe how popular I have become with the locals here. Since I have been working in P.R. and Government Affairs for the last few months, I have come to understand what a "viral marketing campaign" can really do for someone. I just didn't know that my interest in becoming a Presidential candidate would become so infectious, so fast.

Check out some local news footage below to see what I mean:

True Magic = D.C. Monuments at Night (2)

Well over the past couple of weeks, I have continued to urge our group to get out and see the monuments at nighttime. We have had two more such occasions and they were more than we could hope for. "The Mall" as it is called here (the grassy area between the monuments in downtown D.C.) is chuck full of monuments and they are all within walking distance of each other, you just have to fight the late-night humidity and the mosquitoes. I found a cool map online that outlines where these monuments are, so check it out below:

A online map of the Washington D.C. "Mall"

Tour #3
After the first two successful monuments tours, I was dying to see the home of our beloved President. In 1997, I was here in D.C. with the National Boy Scout Jamboree, but we didn't have a ton of time here in the district, so all I remember about the White House is driving by on a bus, getting out for a few seconds to snap a picture, and getting back on. It was so cool though, when we walked towards the White House and I was amazed at how close you can really get! The front door to the White House is extremely close to the gate and the backyard is a large, so it wasn't as breathtaking. When we walked up it was marvelous and lit up. We could even see a TV on in one of the windows and it was just crazy for me to know that that is where the President lives. I dunno, just a surreal experience that was lots of fun.

The glistening home of the American President


Megan, Marko, Becca, and I at the White House

We then started to walk towards the Jefferson Memorial and passed the White House - Eisenhower Executive Office that is adjacent to the White House. Meagan Kline said, "Oh this is the Presidential Work Out facility" and I was all, "fo reelz?" --> I almost believed her being the pure and peacefully gullible person I am, but then there was a big sign that said "Executive Offices." haha, I can be such a dummy sometime.

The White House - Eisenhower Executive Office

We then walked about 20 mins towards Tidal Basin to go see the Jefferson Memorial. I think that this monument is BY FAR my favorite monument. It is probably because it is lit so well along the water in a greenish-yellow tone and I think that is just breathtaking. I tried to get some good shots but taking the picture in the dark wasn't the best, so here are some of my best shots:

Overlooking Tidal Basin to Jefferson Memorial


Jefferson Memorial lit up along Tidal Basin


Mr. Thomas Jefferson himself inside his memorial building


A look back at Washington Memorial along Tidal Basin = so cool!


The BEST and yet cheesiest pic of the night! - Marko and all the girls

Tour #4
Later that week we took the Metro over to the war memorials to see the Vietnam and the Korean War Memorials lit up at nighttime. These memorial are really close to each other, so we decided to go see them both in one night. This was more of a somber tour, because everyone around us was so quiet and we weren't sure whether we should smile out of gratitude for the work of these soldiers and armed forces or to remain serious. I was really moved by the Wall of names at the Vietnam War Memorial. There were thousands of names that seemed to go for ever and loved ones had come and dropped cards, flowers, notes, knick knacks, and mementos next to the names of their loved ones. I am so grateful for these brave men and women that fought to preserve the freedom which I enjoy. And it was really neat to have a place where one can go to reflect on the heroic attempts of so many who have gone before.

Standing at the wall - Vietnam War Memorial


Small mementos are left daily by loved ones


Army boots, Vietnam War Medallion, and flag left at the wall


A somber smile by the gang that went


Soldier Statue near the Vietnam War Memorial


Lit up statues of soldiers at the Korean War Memorial

It was really cool to see all these memorials at nighttime all lit up and to remember how grateful we should be to live in a land which promotes, enforces, and defends life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There is so much more to see by night and I think that Tour 5 (FDR Memorial/Mason Memorial) and Tour 6 (Einstein Memorial) are tentatively planned for the future, so stay tuned.

--Randy

A Summer of Nationals Games

The Washington Nationals are D.C.'s MLB team out here and they get to play in a brand new stadium that was built about two years ago with the coolest humongous HD MEGA-tron screen. It has been really fun to attend the games while I've been here, each time with lots of different people. John Haddow, the lobbyist at our firm, gave me four tickets to the game, so the first time I attended with my friends Sally Shen, Daisy Yan, and Beibei Zhu (all co-workers). We had 2nd row tickets and it was way fun to be so close. My favorite part of the game is the GEICO Presidents Race where the 4 Presidential Mascots race to a finish line put up on field. They do it every game and for some reason I get such a kick out of it. See footage below:


According to Wikipedia, Abe Lincoln is in the leader for the 2008 season, but who knows..... competition can be fierce. I have never been one for baseball, maybe cause the Salt Lake team seems to change their name or the name of the stadium every other year. Is it Franklin Quest or Franklin Covey Stadium? The Bees, the Buzz? Who knows? But the MLB is a lot more fun with a lot more fans as well. The offices of a lot of the other interns have season tickets as well, so hopefully I will be able to go more often. Meagan Kline got us tickets from the Caring Institute and Marko and I bought sweet matching "Swirly W" hats of the street. Check out some of my favorite Nationals Games pics below:

I have already been to 4 games, one of which was completely rained out. Elyse had gotten tickets to the game from work and when we tried to go it started POURING cats and dogs..... we did see three pitches, but then they covered up the field and we were sopping wet, it was actually quite fun regardless. Check out the footage:

Kayaking the Potomac River

A few weeks ago we decided to go to the National Air Show, however, to our dismay the free shuttle service was canceled due to the high demand of riders and the minimal staff they had available. But we weren't about to give up on having a fun Saturday afternoon.... so Randy whipped out his handy-dandy "D.C. Top 10" guide-book and we decided to go and kayak in the Potomac River around Roosevelt Island.

As a group we headed over to the "Foggy Bottom - GWU" Station and walked to Thompson Boat Center, only to find out that all their double kayaks had been rented for the day. The cashier dude said, "Oh yeah there is this Jack's Boats place about a 5 minute walk down the Potomac, they will have more boats available, try there." His "5 minute walk" was actually about 25 minutes, but we still made it and boy am I glad. This was probably one of the funnest and funniest things I have done since I have been here.

We decided to have a race, which only resulted in super weak arms, which could barely get us home, when after 45 minutes the wind picked up and we had to paddle against it. It was really fun and I would definitely suggest it to anyone in the area! Check out all the fun pics from our adventure!

--Randy

Washington D.C. .... more than just monuments!

First off, I discovered this new website called Slide.com and it is amazing. I was trying to find a way to show a bunch of pictures in a slideshow and I have seen PhotoBucket.com and RockYou.com ones, but this really beats the bunch. Thanks to them, this slideshow is pretty sick.

I have been really slow to upload pics to my blog and am way behind. I know that when one thinks Washington D.C., you think of all the monuments and government buildings there are, but there are also a lot of fun non-monument sites that you can hit up for fun! Below is a slideshow of some of the coolest ones I have seen so far!

Hope you enjoy! --Randy

The TREATS and EATS of D.C.

There are SO MANY fun places in D.C. to eat. Not only am I getting fatter, but I am also going broke because of all the great places, whether big or small, that there are out here to chow down. Whether it is simply snacking for breakfast at Corner Bakery, lounging in luxury at Eastern Market for Brunch, grabbing a bite at Potbelly's or Cosi for lunch, or dining in luxury at Vapiano's or Tony Cheng's Mongolian Restaurant, I know one thing.... I LOVE D.C. FOOD!

I will add more pics to this post when I get them, but as for now, here are some of my best food lovin' pics!

Me & Krista Fantin at "Pasta Mia" in Adams Morgan


Say "Mongolian Barbeque" - Tony Cheng's a definite TOP 10


The whole gang lovin' the Mongolian Cuisine


Sally, Daisy, Suneeti, Meagan, Cam, and I at Eastern Market


Inside the Eastern Market


Lovin' the Saturday pastries


Me, Rochelle, Ryan, Marko, and Katie at very famous the Eastern Market breakfast


Lava Cake at Love Cafe - a D.C. MUST


Five Guys - it just might be better than In 'N Out


Late Night Apple Crisp at Kramer's Book Store

So I bought this book called "D.c. Top 10" and I am quite glad, because we have enjoyed going to some really awesome places for dinner. The first few weeks I discovered so many good placed to eat lunch close to my work, of which "Hunan Palace" - a Chinese buffet has become my favorite. There is also a Subway attached to my building and so the $5 foot longs can often be tempting, but lately I have been pretty good at packing a lunch or making soup or something fast in my firm's kitchen to save some cash, so I can go to more expensive places for dinner. I love the eats and the treats out here.... for those of you who have lived here know what I am talking about!

My Love-Hate Relationship with the Metro

Oh how I love and hate the Metro system here.

I mean, I am not the biggest fan of cramming into it every morning with 100's of other sweaty bodies who just came from the rain and 85% humidity to equal like a heat index of 114 inside the metro as we all try to get to work before 9:00. I don't love having the blue and orange line going down every few weeks, getting derailed, or having to wait for people that feel that it is their duty to stand on the left side of the escalator while I have to wait, when that side is supposed to the "passing lane." I don't like when I hear that little "Ding dong, ding dong... doors closing" and I am scared for my life that it is going to guillotine my head off. And to make things worse, my roommate and my boss both downloaded that noise for their text message noise, so I have to hear it all the time and have nightmares about getting caught in the door. I hate that every line and then every car in that line has a separate and distinct smell... and baby it ain't flowers.

But I DO LOVE the crazy people that talk to themselves or yell obscenities to themselves while everyone else looks at them in silence. I do love walking into the metro and seeing fields of white ears (white iPod earbuds that is) and everyone grabbing their "Washington Express" newspapers and reading it on the go. And sadly I love when people smack into the little barricade things before their card is processed. (one lady even smashed her wheelchair into them and pieces of it broke off, I am evil because I started laughing, I guess you had to be there). I love the feeling that I don't know anything about how far it is in between metro stops, for all I know from Dupont Circle to Farragut North is three miles, when really it is like one block. haha. I love being able to swipe my little white card through the scanner that vacuum sucks it to the other side of the terminal and you walk through with ease. I love watching people get all flustered when someone's SmartTrip won't scan and they sit there scanning it over and over again while you hear "Humpff" noises and see rolling eyes. I love the time I pushed the seeing eye dog out of the door before it chopped its head off and the blind lady almost smashed into the subway. I love the big brown vented AC towers that pump cold air onto a platform. But mostly I love saving money on gas and getting places without having to figure out where I am in DC with a GPS stuck in traffic like the rest of the peeps here in "the district."

Oh how I hate and love the Metro.....

All hail "Metro Center"


Long-A lines to get your tickets


Typical scene inside the Metro


The longest escalators (Woodley Park Station)


Marko HATES the Metro


Randy and Meagan LOVE the Metro


Meg, Becca, Cam, Christine, Diane, and Maggie lovin' the metro


All the girls loving the Metro escalators (Marko still pisst, haha)

Kasi Goodwin & Suneeti Agrawal LOVE the metro


Cameron Beech & Christine Angstman LOVE the metro!