Monday July 12:
Arrived....after delays at the airport. although there was a group of us stuck at the airport waiting for a shuttle so it was fun times. the waitress at the TGI Fridays was really nice. When we finally got the the Sheraton I was the last one in my room so i got the shitty cot. also had to eat the crappy leftovers from dinner...afterwards was orientation, which was nothin special, then our first LGM (leadership group meeting) where we met everyone, including our Faculty Advisor (FA) Nichelle, who rocks my socks. they were all cool people, played the name game. Finally a social where i met a few people, hung out with Mary and met Papa mostly. Oh yea, can't forget the roommates, Keadrick and John, both cool people, but was a reasonably quiet night for us.
Tuesday July 13:
Woke up waaaaay too early to breakfast...it was me, Keadrick, and maybe 4 other people at 6:45 to eat gluey milk, watery eggs, and "bacon". NExt was a quick LGM i don't remember, then we had Fergie (see the speakers). Next was lunch in Georgetown, where I got to know Alex much better and I bought 2 cds (Sugarcult and Skrape). Then back to the hotel for another LGM and If I Were President (see simulations).
Then dinner which probly sucked. It was, however, the installment of my first hero. Me, Papa, and a few others were in the lobby playing ratscrew and theres this guy in a chair next to us sleeping with his hand on his face (i'd have to act it out) and he starts snoring, so i lean over to Papa and point to him saying "He's my hero," and it started something you'll hear more about later on.
then our first Model Congress meeting where nothing really happened (although Neel (the FA) is really cool). Then we went to the FDR, Jefferson, and WWII Memorials where I hung out with Papa, Alex, Mel, and Vegas. Got back late and had an immediate bed check even though one of the buses broke down on the way back.
HERO OF THE DAY: SLEEPING GUY IN LOBBY
Wednesday July 14:
Woke up alittle early still, but not so bad. Can't remember how bad breakfast was this time. Had a quick LGM, followed by a briefing on our special interest sight visit. Each person filled out a form saying where they wanted to go. I ended up at Citizens Against Government Waste. They were terminally obsessed with pigs. Basicly they were against excessive government spending and they gave us their pig book, which has some of the most stupid spending done by the government...and NJ has the least pork per capita! w00t!
Before that was Alphonso!! yay! (see speakers). then was lunch at the old post office with overexcessive security. A band from LIverpool happened to be there at the same time. Although the food court/shopping sucked, the music was really good and a 16-year-old trumpet player did the Haydn Concerto really really awesomely. Me and Alex were alittle late to the buses, but o wel. then dinner and an optional seminar...which meant bout 3 hours of break.
then an LGM to get our capitol hill schedules and our first grassroots meeting where i introduced the Goose-Be-Gone campaign to my fellow north jerseyians (see simulations for a LOT more detail). finally we got our tshirts and then social/sleep.
HERO OF THE DAY: RANDOM GUY ON A BENCH
Thursday July 15:
Went to capitol hill, met staffpeople...see grassroots in simulations bout what happened specificly. Hung out with TJ, Marie, and Aley most of the time there. Went to Supreme Court while we were all free to do whatever, wouldve been better if we had time for the tour. Then went to Library of Congress where we saw an exhibit with these really awesome political cartoons. Also i received the nickname Beeper thanks to my belt buckle and the several metal detectors i had to go through..
Then dinner, an LGM, and Global Challange (see simulations), and another LGM. Then was The Capitol Steps, a singing political satire group that was fucking hilarious. I couldnt help myself, i bought all 4 of their cds, only $30 for 72 songs though, so good deal.
HERO OF THE DAY: TIKI IN THE SENATE BUILDING
Friday July 16:
had a GOOD breakfast at the national press club! yay! pancakes! fruit! good stuff! Then was the press panal (see speakers). Next was going to Korean, Vietnam, and Lincoln memorials, then lunch at Pentagon City Mall aka i buy a happy meal that provides for about an hour of entertainment, virtual tennis thing, and brookstone!
Then the Cuba speaker, and LGM meeting where i become the lawyer for testing the constitution, dinner, MoCo, grassroots, and a social.
HERO OF THE DAY: THE HAPPY MEAL BAG WITH SEXUAL INNUENDOS/THE BARBIE THE CAME WITH IT THAT HAD A PURSE AND VERY REMOVABLE SKIRT
Saturday July 17:
missed breakfast, LGM to get our "best kept secret" location, i go to the JFK center, which although really pretty, sucked. Then there was lunch at Union Station where i hung out with Alex, Lucy, and Chris. As we were leaving, Papa runs up to me with another Barbie (I started a trend of Happy Meals) and the person who bought, the name escapes me, was the temporary hero on the moment...
then we had a white house photo opportunity where it was listen to someone yell, "CLICK AND GO!" over and over as we had a total of 5 min there. I ran into a sprinkler, was good. Then MoCo, and off to the soccer game!
on the way over it started to rain...hard. and the bus was leaking right over me, so i enjoyed it thoroughly as i encouraged the rain to cover me...did cool stuff to my hair, etc.. no one really cared bout the game, but we yelled and cheered anyway to make it fun for us. we cursed off people who got hurt, watched the hardcore fans including the drum guy make the stands shake, the mascot, the 2 peple in the entire upper tier, and we had wet newspaper balls to throw at eachother and one of those giant horn that became a peace pipe. Also, ***if anyone lost a medium NYLC shirt because they left it on a seat at the soccer game, the shirt somehow ended up tied on my head and I still have it since no one claimed it. if you know whose it is and want it back...too bad, its mine now and i doubt youd want the residue from my head anyway***
HEROES OF THE DAY: HARDCORE FAN SECTION, DRUM GUY, 2 PEOPLE IN THE UPPER SECTION
Sunday July 18:
missed breakfast again, then off the Arlington Cemetery to see JFK grave and unknown soldier, then 3 hours of the Smithsonian Museums which we got to see on our own (i was with Papa and Alex). then grassroots, dinner, MoCo, DJ social (which i left early because i felt like calling people and it was boring).
HERO OF THE DAY: never officially declared, but LADY AT AIR & SPACE GIFT SHOP WHO WAS REALLY COOL TO US AND WE TALKED TO FOR ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES
Monday July 19:
another missed breakfast, although definately not a loss..., then Testing the Constitution (see simulations), LGM, lunch, grassroots final preparation, capital punishment debate (see speakers), LGM, MoCo final prep, finner, LGM to get elective workship assignments, i had Defying Murphy's Law. Sounds cool but SUCKED! I'll never get that hour back. it was basicly if this happened in a business, thats bad, how do you fix it? UGH! but we got out early, so some break before presenting our Goose-Be-Gone campaign, which lost in the first round, but oh well.
HEROES OF THE DAY: THE ENTIRE THRID FLOOR LANDING...DURING A DINNER BREAK WE WERE ALL SITTING THERE AND AS PEOPLE CAME BY WE WENT UH, UH, UH, UH AS THEY APPROACHED AND CHEERED WHEN THEY STEPPED ON IT AND THE WOMAN WHO BITCHED THE GUY IN THE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DEBATE
Tuesday July 20:
Skipped breakfast, LGM, religion debate (see speakers), lunch at Tyson's Corner (nice lil mall)..was probly my biggest lunch...first pizza huy (personal pan pizza, 3 breadsticks, and a soda) and after digesting and buying and old POD cd, a volcano!! Volcano = 4 brownies, 3 scoops of ice cream, and caramel sauce all over it. it was ORGASMIC!!! but it left me in the bathroom for a little while...so worth it though. It was so big me Papa and Alex had to split it, but Alex barely ate any and I had to force more of it into my mouth. sooo good though.
Next was grassroots finals, dinner (along with pool time since we had well over 2 hours), MoCo committees where i testified with Carmylia successfully to get our amendment in the bill, and finally another social and bed.
HERO OF THE DAY: ME FOR CUTTING OFF THE OPPOSING PERSON ASKING ME QUESTIONS
Wednesday July 21:
i was late for bus since my room overslept...again. then it was MoCo actual session (see simulations).
Lunch was in Old Town Alexandria..we had Popeyes and then sampled from two competing ice cream shops that were right across the street from eachother, Pop's and Scoop Grill. Scoop Grill was first...and they had CUSTARD! but not just any custard, it was better than even Rita's!! but Pop's had no custard, so we got a split custard and oreo ice cream which tasted fantastic. The waitress there had a friend from Ridgewood and we talked for a bit (with Papa and Alex). After the really awesome ice cream me and Papa attempted to force down a Pop's vanilla and chocolate, but 1) we were full and 2) it tasty really bad. Scoop Grill won easily and we left a note on a napkin saying so.
Only another event of the day was the goodbye dance, which was pretty fun. Food didn't suck, lots a water nearby for the people on the overly crowded dance floor, Papa and West breakdancing, West breakin out the fishnets out of nowhere, and there was some good music mixed in with the really bad rap. Danced with Aley and Olivia, played cards with Papa, talked with Katie and Alex a lot, and took a lot of pics.
HERO OF THE DAY: SCOOP GRILL WAITRESS
Thursday July 22:
woke up IN TIME! to check out and get luggage ready..i dont think i had breakfast though.., when to our last LGM to fill out last forms and get certificates, then the final speech with 6 of the 'young leaders' giving their thoughts including the Speaker of the House, Marshall. Immediately after I had to get on the bus to to airport, so i didn;t get much of a chance to say goodbye to most people, but hopefully i'll see most of them anyway. While looking for my bags though i started freaking out since i couldn;t find my backpack and i almost flipped a shit...actually i probly did, but people were really really nice with helping me find it (it was moved away from where i left it). At the airport we had some time to kill so me, West, and a group of Texans whose names i can;t remember for the most part unfortunately, ate at the TGI Fridays and then i got ready to board the plane and here i am back home.
HERO OF THE DAY: PAPA FOR FINDING MY BACKPACK
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