Final thoughts.

Shasta and I are back in our comfy office on the 8th floor of Fine Arts. It's very neat to look back at last week and reminisce on the craziness of it all. We are so appreciative to Murray State for sending us and couldn't have had a better experience. We want to thank each and every one of you who have been following our journey! We hope that we've kept you informed and entertained! Be sure to watch Roundabout U January 24-31 (check our website for you local listing) for the full coverage of our trip to Washington, DC. You can also check out our YouTube page for all of the stories and video diaries.

Final video diary post!

Well folks, this is my final video blog post. Please forgive the interesting inflection, as lack of sleep severely impacts my voice, haha. Tomorrow, you can check back for my final thoughts on the trip and you'll find links to the packages we sent to the local news stations. Enjoy!

One last day.

My deepest apologies for the hiatus. Video upload issues and late night events kept me from getting much done other than what was necessary for the news stations and Roundabout U back home. I am working on my final video diary which should get posted later tonight!
Shasta and I had about five hours of sleep in two days when we left DC this morning. We are back with Stan's sister, Ilene, in Winchester, Virginia after a SHORT stop at Arlington National cemetary. As soon as I got here, I feel fast asleep. It's amazing what a nap can do for your body! I really felt for Shasta and Chris (they guy back home receiving our uploaded files at 3 am to complete the next episode of Roundabout) because they were up nearly all night sending and receiving files on an overloaded internet system. I stayed up as much as I could to help Shasta but I think I got an extra hour of sleep. The issues we had were completely unpredicted, but she and Chris are my heroes for making it all happen despite the difficulties.
Nevertheless, my belly is full of spaghetti-this italian girl's favorite comfort food. I'm downing the Mountain Dew to chug through this last video and am anxious to jump back into bed for a full night's rest. Tomorrow, I'll tackle BlackBoard...any professors out there want to give me a break on assignments? No? Okay, then. It's back to [home]work for me!
Stan, if you read this, we have a few surprises for you!

Video Post three!

The Kentucky Bluegrass Ball. More to come from Inauguration day!!


Obviously, the Inauguration ceremony took place today. I will post video tomorrow. Crowds were unbelievable. I mean it-truly unfathomable. If you watched any media coverage at all, you know what I'm talking about. It was unreal to be amongst the crowd. I got some great still shots. There were countless photo opportunities.
I am sorely disappointed in Americans today. Though they rallied in to usher "a president of peace and hope," they trashed the beautiful city of Washington, DC. Where there are millions of people, there are thousands of coffee cups, newspapers, kleenex, chip bags, and candy bar wrappers. Perhaps it was lack of trash cans, perhaps it was the lazy American...but it was disappointing to see the streets littered.
Nevertheless, today was a historic day. Our first African American President. And surely you heard about Ted Kennedy-the poor guy. Shasta and I had snuck into the parade boundary and were very excited about getting footage. But after hours in the cold due to an early morning and super cold temperatures, the camera batteries were draining quickly and our appendages were near frozen.
Fun fact: Rhode Island State Police have awesome uniforms. Go check it out.
I PROMISE you'll see another video tomorrow!

Just a teaser...

Video blog will be posted tonight about last night's Kentucky Bluegrass Ball. Two words: Muhammed Ali.

The big day.

Today's it, inauguration day! There's so much hustle and bustle. In the past 30 minutes, over 3000 people have ridden the metro!

Video post number two.

A renewed sense of excitement.

This morning, Shasta and I set out across town toward Penn Quarter, where we'll be spending most of our time tomorrow. A lovely fellow by the name of Matt Hunter owns the place and has offered to let us set up shop tomorrow during the swearing in ceremony and the parade, as his establishment is feet from the barricaded boundary. After waiting 45 minutes in line for our morning jolt at Starbucks, we hit a sea of people...in an organized line. There were people everywhere. We knew they were in line for something, so we decided to figure it out. We found out that all of these people were waiting in line for tickets to the inaugural ceremony. Some had even been there for three hours.
Shasta and I looked at each other with excitement...a definitely story for 6 and 12! We interviewed several people standing in line and found people who had actually gotten tickets of their very own. With a new energy in our steps, we headed home to get to work. Shasta began editing and I walked back to Good Stuff eatery to grab some drinks for us. The line was incredible, just incredible.
Next, we're off to the Kentucky Bluegrass Ball, where there will be an expected 1400 people! Time to get all dolled up!
I promise you'll see a video diary entry tonight :)

On democrats and getting lost...

If I could write out what it sounds like to take a deep breath, I would put it right here. I don't think Shasta and I expected it to be this difficult to get our work done. We left at a reasonable time for the Kentucky on the Potomac but got a bum steer and decided to drive instead of taking public transportation. We made good time for the first part of the trip, but sat a block away from our destination for about 30 minutes. Finding a parking spot was another story... to be quite honest, the hullabaloo with that threw my focus off and I was a little cloudy at the beginning of the event. Thankfully, with Shasta at my side, we conquered a room full of political figures that I've compared to something like being in a sardine can with 200 democrats. Party affiliation having no real effect on what it was like, mind you. This, of course, is an unbiased blog.
We started out smoothly, snagged interviews and plenty of b-roll...all before they turned on the air conditioning. (Thank goodness for a/c!) Making great time, we headed to find a place that was a little less crowded so that Shasta could edit the package to be uploaded to our FTP client so that stations like KFVS 12 and WPSD 6 could pick them up and air them on tonight's newscast. All went well until we realized we hadn't shot a standup. Big oops. We had to leave our decent editing spot, pack up our equipment, and rewind. This error on our behalf cost a lot of time. When we began to edit again, we discovered that the computer case had become faulty. Picture this: Shasta in a snazzy business suit, prying open a briefcase snap with anything she could find, including one of the many keys on her key ring. Operation: smash faulty briefcase. Mission successful!
Good thing Shasta is such an efficient editor! She made up for lost time and had the package ready to go before I ever could have. With that, we connected to the hotel's internet service and much to our dismay, discovered that it was going to take 5 and a half hours...HOURS...for the video to upload. I believe at that point, we had 50 minutes and a decision to make.
This morning, we uploaded my video diary to the FTP site from the apartment and it took all of 2 minutes. We stood and debated; head back to the apartment and risk getting caught in traffic versus stay at the hotel and hope the connection gained some speed. Shasta made the executive decision and we headed back across town for the apartment.
I dumped Shasta off at the front door with all of our equipment and started back around the block on a hunt to find a parking spot. Sound familiar? Seems to be a trend around here. Operation: find a parking spot, take 3! Needless to say, I was doing fine for a while, found a spot several blocks away, and put my mad parallel parking skills to the test. I set off toward the apartment and realized I had left my dying phone in the car. I ran back to where I had parked, grabbed my phone and the computer and started back in what I THOUGHT was the same direction. Before I knew it, I was lost. Yes, Dad, if you're reading, I was lost all by myself in Washington, DC.
Eventually, I ran into some lovely people (a lady from...get this...Glasgow, KY) who helped me orient myself. 7 blocks later, I spotted IT...Starbucks, that is, and my heart filled with happiness. Homeward bound! I was a little surprised I hadn't received a worried phone call from Shasta but when I reached in my pocket to call her, I saw that my phone had been connected to hers the whole time. Good thing! She had been with me the whole time :) [As I write this, Shasta snickers, "listening....lost...."]
I have never been more pleased to see the awning for our apartment building!! I believe that concludes the most adventurous day of my life thus far! So, forgive me please for not posting a video diary tonight, I promise you'll get one tomorrow!

I love this city!

No video post just yet, I'll save that for tonight after we come back from the Kentucky on the Potomac Inaugural cocktail party. This morning, Shasta and I slept in (respectively)...if sleeping until 7:30 is sleeping in! Keep in mind that our bodies are still on CST, where it would have been 6:30! But our first two mornings were earlier ones, so we are thankful for the rest.
Last night after we finished our work, we went out to the car to find it alone on the street where it had been parked. All around us we read, "No parking 11 PM 1/18 to 11 PM 1/20." That meant we were about to begin a mission: Operation Find a New Parking Spot. Not as easy as it might sound...well, okay, it's kind of like finding a parking spot on campus! We drove around for at least 20 minutes before spotting a glorious open space...less than a block away from where we had been parked. Sounds like our observation skills were lacking after the sensory overload that was yesterday's adventure!
After that, we tucked ourselves into bed for a good night's rest. This morning, we ventured away from Cosi and had lunch at the original "Good Stuff," a restaurant opened by "Top Chef Chicago" contender, Chef Spike. This town is so excited to have a new President...they even have an Obama burger!
Right now, Shasta and I are (admittedly) relaxing at the MOST amazing Starbucks I have ever been to. This place has two floors and a CONFERENCE room! It's right on the corner of 3rd and Pennsylvania. Our relaxation is only disturbed by the sound of an espresso machine. Oh, sweet sounds! Nevertheless, we are planning for today's stories and making lists for tonight's event.
OH! And we had some great pizza for dinner last night. I'm not sure if it was actually great or if we were just really hungry! Either way, it was a blessing!
Check back tonight for the second video diary post!

First Video Post

Day one is under our belts and we are finally warming up from being outside for 4 hours. The Weather Channel says it, "feels like 14," but I don't believe it...seems MUCH colder to Shasta and me, who are used to warm Kentucky weather!
This afternoon, we began our journey away from the apartment and started up Pennsylvania Avenue toward the capitol building. Two miles later, we were staring up at the Lincoln Memorial! I am pleased to post my very first "video diary" entry and hope you enjoy watching it.

Our big adventure begins

Thought I'd drop a quick post before we head out, along with another picture from this morning's sunrise that I snapped RIGHT before we headed out. I am jealous of Ilene's view! Stan, you have a lucky sister!
Shasta and I arrived at our apartment in the city not too long ago. It is literally a stone's throw away from the capitol building. I'd post pictures of our surroundings but I don't want to give it away too quickly-you'll have to watch the video diary tonight! We grabbed some lunch at Cosi, which is where we decided we'll be spending A LOT of time...it's right around the corner and adorable. Free Wi-Fi!
As soon as we finish getting all bundled up, we'll be headed out for our journey across DC. We're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue, starting at the capitol and making our way to the Lincoln Memorial. It's going to be a long walk with our equipment, but with all the commotion that will take place tomorrow and the following days, today is our best sight seeing day. We'll also be shooting some feature pieces for Roundabout U, which will air January 24-31.
P.S. The second picture is of our very first glimpse of DC. Perhaps tonight I'll set up a photobucket account so that I can upload more pictures for you all to see. I've been snapping them every chance I get!

Goodmorning,Virginia!

Another early morning! The place we are staying has the most amazing view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the sunrise is unlike any I've ever seen. I took pictures but they just do NOT do this sunrise any justice. In the short time it's taken me to write this, the view has gotten ten times better! In other news, the current temperature is 3..below! Shasta and I both have on layers for today's adventures!
I've gotta run to grab a bite to eat before we hit the road for...drum roll, please...Washington, DC!! Have a fantastic day!

What a drive!

What an incredible drive! We left Murray at 6 am after loading our equipment into the car around 5:30 am. I tried to get to bed early last night, but sometimes a college student's sleep pattern just isn't easily changed! I woke up at 3:45, wide awake, way before my alarm was scheduled to go off. Nevertheless, the excitement kept me awake.

The drive progressed a lot more quickly than I expected. I'm used to making the drive to Chicago, but unexpectedly, this drive was much less exhausting. Shasta might tell you something different!



We arrived in Winchester, Virginia around 7 EST to be greeted by Stan's sister, who has graciously allowed Shasta and me to stay with her tonight before we head into Washington, DC early tomorrow morning. In the morning, we'll be meeting with the owner of an apartment that's a stone's throw away from the White House. She's letting us rent it for our use during the trip. Apparently it's a big thing for people in the area to rent out their houses for travelers during inaugurations and other big events. Sounds like a good idea to me!

I thought about posting my first video blog tonight, but I look rough! 13 hours in a car does not do me ANY justice! I do, however, hope you enjoy the few pictures I took on the road... Looks like we're not the only ones headed to DC!

Hopefully I'll have something more exciting to blog about tomorrow, and I promise I will post a video! Tomorrow is when the grunt work begins; I know it's going to be exhausting, but SO MUCH FUN!

Shasta says a quick hello and goodnight!

Also, if you missed the superb report on KFVS by Kathy Sweeney that aired at 6pm CST, you can find it on their homepage, www.kfvs12.com

Testing, testing!

Just thought I'd write a quick post today before I leave the office. Shasta will be back soon so that we can pack up all of our equipment to load in the morning! I just looked at the clock and realized that we'll be leaving in 12 hours! Oh man!

This morning, KFVS 12 from Cape Girardeau came to do an interview with Shasta and me that will air tomorrow (Friday) during their 5 pm newscast. Be sure to catch us!

We'll be driving all day tomorrow and arriving in Winchester, VA in the evening, where we'll stay until Saturday!