Where to find me

FYI, these days I post exclusively to friendshipisnonpartisan.blogspot.com

Doing it for the story

****CROSS-POSTED from the friendshipisnonpartisan blog****

So I've been, like, beyond neglectful in my contributions to this blog. In my defense, life has been a steady whirlwind of interviewing, picture-taking, littering the internet with cross-posted video to draw attention to McCain's OPPOSITION to "Buy American" provisions (because why should the Secret Service ride around on American-made motorcycles??), preparing for a visit from the boss, deciding which impromptu press conferences are worth my time and which events might get me into legal trouble, occasionally drinking with various local politicos ("C didn't ask me to go drinking with you guys when he called earlier." My coworker's response was instantaneous: "That's because C doesn't like you." "Good," I said, "I don't like him either."), dragging myself out of bed at 4am for the unique union event that is the worksite leaflet ("You know, you learn a lot about a person at a 5am worksite leaflet." "I bet you do...") and getting asked out by scruffy union guys and having to tactfully yet forcefully decline.

Which reminds me, a new staffer arrived last week from national, and we instantly hit it off. "So have you dated since you've been in Wisconsin?" she asked.

"Well," I replied. "I went on one godawful boring date with a vegan, I was hooking up for a minute with this guy but now that's done, and I guess I pretty much have my pick of the building trades."

In summary, I'm still pretty much doing it all for the story.

Still alive

Still alive. Still in Wisconsin. I'm getting into a nice little weekend routine of spending my afternoons at the pool, soaking up the Midwestern sunshine and trying to forget everything that consumes me during the week. I try and catch up with phone calls to family and friends, and not miss everyone so much I want to cry. But I'm starting to make some friends here (I'm headed into my seventh week here in Wisco, and I can hardly believe it), so the loneliness is less pressing than it was at first.

I still really miss my amazing Plaza hotel bed, though.

I have a plan for tonight, and it involves meeting new people socially who have absolutely nothing to do with politics or unions, and drinking lots of beer and listening to live music. Yes. A plan. I love it.

The weather here in Wisconsin is lovely, except when it's been flooding and tornadoing (see: first week in state) but the loneliness is a bit much, and I wake up almost every morning wondering if this is, perhaps, the craziest, most impulsive decision I've ever made, and will I actually survive until November? But hey, I've already been here a month(!!) and accomplished so much and managed to do things I've never done before (like, um, buy a car in one day) and, here's the key: it's only temporary. This has been my philosophy of life for the past couple years and it seems to serve me well. Punter even told me the other day on the phone that my "it's only temporary" outlook on life has helped her out, too, so I'm sharing it now in the hopes that it might, maybe, help you too.

Let me tell you this, also: They've never seen anything like me before in Wisconsin. Even in the big city of Milwaukee. Also, Everyone's Favorite DC Rollergirl and I came to the conclusion a few weekends back when she was in town visiting that Milwaukee is to Chicago as B-more is to DC. Which, if you're not familiar with either part of the country, can be explained this way: Milwaukee & B-more are the smaller, scruffier one-hour drive away step-sisters of the bigger cities of Chicago and DC.

Off to start my night!

Oh yeah...I have a blog...

Oh yeah, I have a personal blog. If it's any comfort, I think about it all the time, and all the funny things I want to write about, but by the time I have "personal time" at the end of the day my brain tends to be shot from all the work writing I do. (What else is new?) So...someday (like, in November) when I'm unemployed again I'll devote myself to this casetheplace blog. Until then, expect the occasional sporadic update.

Holla.

Bemused

Today I bought a car.

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The sound of cracking

I think I've almost got this great big oyster open. By DC standards, I have definitely arrived: I have an employer-issued Blackberry and a brand new stack of business cards ready to be pressed into the palms of potentially useful persons. I don't have a car yet (hopefully will have one before the weekend is through) or a place to live, and I won't even get properly trained until Sunday, but I've already jumped right in and started meeting people and working on projects and trying to learn all I can about the million and one things I don't know anything about. My life is beyond hectic and I'm loving every minute of it.

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