So last week was the election but as the title of this post suggests I don’t remember a large portion of it.  I think there’s some thing where people block out unpleasant events to protect their sanity.  I’m just going to assume that’s what happened, and not that I was drugged.

So here’s the short version of the rest of GOTV and Election Day.

Sunday, October 31st was our Philadelphia GOTV Trick or Vote event.  We bussed in about 30 students from the Washington Center to help out.  Other organizations like Democracia and Splash Life also contributed volunteers.  In short, the people we actually recruited to help out showed up in force and did an awesome job.  However, the 30 or so actual Philadelphia residents I had reached out to and convinced to come out fell incredibly flat.  We had a 90% flake rate, aka 3 of them showed up.  Not okay.  Sorry, Philadelphia, we are no longer friends.  However, I can’t really blame these people, as most of them signed up to volunteer over the summer and then were either never activated or were flaked out on by the previous RTV organizer in Philly.  So I get the discontent.

The view from my hotel room

Regardless, we covered the ground we needed to cover.  Our volunteers knocked 488 doors and talked to 237 voters, which is the important thing.

Most of my day was spent running through the city trying to buy Halloween decorations and candy.  Tip: Do not try to buy Halloween decorations on Halloween; October 31st is now the day stores start putting out their Christmas merchandise.  I thought that’s what Black Friday was for?  As soon as we got to the event venue we realized we didn’t actually have any sort of Halloween themed stuff for our Halloween event.  PROBLEM.  I was charged with the task of finding stuff.  Fact: I can now tell you the location of every dollar store and CVS in Center City, Philadelphia.  I was lectured by ladies at two of the dollar stores about the appropriate time to buy decorations for Halloween parties.  I was also told by both of them to “have a blessed day,” which I found ironic considering it was the devil’s holiday.

Caesar and Astronaut Thomas, aka my bosses

Luckily, I was allowed to go back to DC with the Washington Center students on their bus (which surprisingly showed up) to spend Election Day in the DC office aiding one of the other staffers in running the massive E-day phone bank.

My metro stop at dawn on E-Day

Monday, November 1st was spent mainly just making phone calls into our target states to remind people about the election and to help them find their polling location if they didn’t know already.  Tuesday was more of the same + massive amounts of coffe, Chipotle, and Dominos.  We had lots and lots of volunteers show up to help us with calls.  They were total troopers, going so far as to use their own minutes and park it on the floor when we ran out of chairs and phones.  I think some other important things probably happened, but I’m pretty sure I blocked them out.

 

The view from my desk

 

My desk!

The night wrapped up around 10 for field (but certainly not for comms) and I went home and did some partisan OFA calls into California to help out my girl Nancy.  I gave in around 11 when CA polls closed and apparently got into bed, though I have no memory of doing so.

The Remains of the E-day

And that, my friends, is GOTV 2010.  In the wise words of Laura Dowling, “…it’s a lot like giving birth– when it’s happening it’s horrid and you swear you’ll never do it again.  But once it’s over, you think ‘That wasn’t so bad’ and you think doing it again would probably be a good idea.”

Dow’s Descent into Insanity, Part 2, 10/30

8:15 – Wake up, remember how no one ever confirmed that a bus is actually going to show up to pick up our TWC volunteers tomorrow.  Not that anyone from the bus company ever told me it was cancelled.  But no one ever told me is wasn’t cancelled.  Want to vom.

8:20 – Realize the dream I had the night before that 20 people signed up for Trick or Vote on-line was just a dream as there are no sign ups in my inbox.

8:30 – Shower time.

8:50 – Call around to make sure I can go pick up the free stuff various sponsors promised us to raffle off.

10:00 – Pick up Chick-fil-A free stuff coupons!

11:08 – After walking 2+ miles to the movie theatre in east Philly (since I was told they open at 11 am) I find the theatre closed.  Crazy person outside tells me they open at noon.  My hotel is miles away and there’s no place to really chill for an hour.

11:25 – Wander around east Philly.  Pretty cool area.

11:45 – Get really, really tired.  I’ve been walking around all morning morning with a bag full of stuff.  The area is really residential and there aren’t really coffee shops or places where you can just sit.  Legs give out as I plop down on a stoop.

12:05 – I’ve accidentally taken a power nap on this person’s stoop.  True Life: I’m a Semi-Homeless Field Organizer.

12:20 – Pick up free movie passes to raffle off.

1:30 – Get back to RTV’s Philly Office.  Really have to pee.  Find that all of the bathrooms are locked and I don’t have a key to open them.

1:32 – Google map the route I walked today.  I walked just under seven miles.

1:35 – My boss calls to tell me he’s on his way and that I shouldn’t leave the building since I have to be there to let him in.

1:45 – Shit I have to pee so bad.

1:46 – Peace out to the Starbucks across the street to grab lunch and pee.

1:47 – Boss calls, come let him in.

2:00 – Zillionth round of confirmation calls.  All of these people hate me for calling them so many times.

3:46 – Is it bedtime yet?

4:45 – I have no recollection I’ve what I’ve done for the past hour, apart from let RTV’s VP into the office.  I think he said something about more confirmation calls and some kind of bar crawl.

5:00 – Leave office.  My boss promises he will try to get me out of this GOTV bar crawl.  Apparently it’s no secret I am an incoherent zombie right now.

5:15 – Embarrassed to say tonight is Five Guys night 2 of 2.  Spring for cajun fries this time.

7:00 – Vh1 is the only TV my brain can process right now.

7:30 – Shower to try and wash some of the ickiness of today off.

7:45 – ohmygodwehaveabusthankyoujeebus

8:00 – Helping with FL Trick or Vote confirmation calls.  The entire state is drunk right now.

Thus, here’s a quick recap of the past week and various thoughts and reactions to THE BLITZ, aka 2010 Midterm Election GOTV (get out the vote, for those not down with the nerd lingo).

The past week has consisted mostly of hardcore volunteer recruitment for Rock the Vote’s big GOTV events, Trick or Vote.  In each of the five states currently being organized, at least one Trick or Vote event is being held.  These events consist of giant 100-person door-to-door canvasses followed by big Halloween parties.  The logic behind these events is that most people are expecting to get a knock on their door on Halloween night from small costumed children begging for food.  Rock the Vote canvassers will, instead, remind the unsuspecting candy-eating enablers answering the door about the election on Tuesday and give them literature with their polling location information in it.  Anyone who has canvassed knows a solid contact rate is from 10-20%; thus, these events are quite clever in their timing.

After the canvass, volunteers meet back up for a big Halloween party.  Philly’s event will have lots of free food, drinks, and prize give-aways.  Other events include concert tickets, meeting the bands (like Passion Pit and OK Go) and other awesome stuff.  As you can imagine, putting an event like this together is no easy feat, especially considering I’ve been trying to organize a cool event in a city I have visited once.  RTV’s lack of a Philly-based organizer has also makes it challenging for me to recruit volunteers.  I am positive the city of Philadelphia collectively knows me now as That Girl Who Calls And/Or Emails Me 20 Times Every Day.

When I’m not harassing the fine youth citizenry of the greater Philly area, I am cutting turf (aka, playing god and chopping up the city into walkable chunks for canvassing), assembling walk packets, and stickering door hangers.  For 12 hours a day.  And when 6 pm rolls around, it’s time to put on the perk (despite the fact that I’ve already worked 60 hours in a week) because that’s when the DC volunteers show up to aid me in my plight.  And you don’t want to be cranky with your vols, because then they never come back and you have to sticker 3,000 door hangers yourself.  Not a good time.

Even though it’s been crazy, GOTV is an exciting time.  Only people who have really done field can understand the love-hate relationship most people have with it.  You want to pull your hair out, you want to cry, you want to strangle your co-workers, and you want to tell the vol sign-up you just called who hung up on you what a bitch he or she is.  But you don’t.  You keep plugging away because for some reason you still believe DEMOCRACY depends on your not having a total meltdown.  Meltdowns are for that magical Wednesday post E-day, and not a day sooner.  2008 is the only time in my life I’ve worked this hard, but it will be worth it.  I hope.

Live Blog of Friday, October 29th

10:30 – Realize I have 45 minutes to kill before the Megabus rolls to Phila.  Secretly pretend to be a guest of the Grand Hyatt DC in order to procure a pumpkin latte from Starbucks and use the facilities.

10:35 – Pumpkin spice lattes are so awesome.

10:45 – Realize there is a crazy TV screen embedded into the Hyatt’s bathroom mirror.  Think how cool it is before realizing HLN is reporting that planes at the Philadelphia airport are being evacuated due to terrorist threats.  Hooray!

10:46 – Hope that Laura (aka my mother) does not hear about this.

11:00 – Get in line for the 11:15 bus to Philly.

11:10 – Guy in NYC line busts out juggling balls and proceeds to juggle, albeit poorly.

11:15 – Where is the bus?

11:17 – Man in harem pants and Ugg boots gets in the NYC line.

11:20 – Best joke I’ve heard in a long time in the New York bus line.

Guy 1 walks up to Guy 2, who is clearly his friend: Ohhhhh Myyyy Goddddd, with all the gays over here I don’t even have to ask if this is the NYC line!

Guy 2: But the real question is: Are you a top or a bottom kind of guy!?

Guy 1: Whattttt!?!?!!

Guy 2: Noooo, sillyyyy! Top or bottom level of the busssssssss!

11:21 – Try not to LOL too loudly.

11:22 – Consider ditching the boring Philly line for the awesome NYC line.

11:30 – Where is the bus?

11:35 – Dude in a jester costume zings by on a bike. I love Halloween.

11:45 – Here is the bus!  Also, some students from Galludet University are doing the Thriller dance in the NYC line. Why am I going to Philly again?

11:45 – Here is the bus! (good job being half an hour late, Megabus) I am on my way to Philly.

11:46 – Make a mental note to never park in the 10^th & H St. NW parking lot. The bus has already come within inches of crushing multiple cars.

11:49 – I am in an old one-level Megabus without interwebs. Ughh.

11:50 Secretly pilfer internet off of some stranger’s Android phone near me.  Creepy!

11:51 – Inventory today’s tasks, including breaking into RTV’s Philly office, as the former Philly organizer never returned his key prior to bouncing to the West Coast; I will also need to do mad confirmation calls for Sunday’s Trick or Vote event.  Also, I plan on eating some Five Guys in my hotel room while watching Say Yes to the Dress on Netflix tonight.  Also, please note the use of “hotel room.”  Yes, that is right, I get a real live hotel room all to myself.  I am a real life business traveler now; I am a baller.  I really love adding that term, along with “expense it” to my active vocabulary.

12:21 – Realize whomever I was creeping internet off of has kicked me off. Whoops.

12:22 – wtf am I going to do for the next two hours?

12:23 – Nap time.

1:17 – The sky is looking ominously dark. Obviously, I did not bring a rain coat or umbrella. Weather.com FAIL.

2:30 – Get a call from the bus company that is supposed to be transporting TWC vols from DC to Philly for GOTV. If I don’t fax back the Mystery Form they never sent me within half an hour our reservation will be cancelled.

2:35 – Now I am The Girl on the Bus on the Phone Whom Everyone Hates while I go back and forth with Bus Woman and DC office to get the form in on time.

2:45 – Crisis averted.

3:01 – Arrive in Philly. Remember Philly is ridiculous and that you can’t buy tokens with credit cards, except at the Amtrak station. Spend half hour trying to buy tokens and get back to the subway.

3:35 – Subway is PACKED and every car has a cop on it…perhaps because of that pesky terrorist threat at the airport? No one knows.

3:45 – Arrive at the RTV office. Go up to clean out old organizer’s cubicle. Realize there is a large event tent, dolly, 50 lb box of supporter cards, umbrella (score!), pillow, voter reg forms (blank, thank jeebus), and other random junk. Immediately realize I am not going to be able to empty all of this out by 5 on my own. Finagle deal to be able to get into building over the weekend when more people arrive from DC.

4:15 – Get to my hotel, completely delirious.

4:25 – Room is decent but smells overwhelmingly of bleach. Tonight is as good a time as ever to get high off fumes, I guess.

4:40 – Spot a Five Guys from my window. Target located.

5:00 – Begin burger binge in PJ’s.

5:29 – Probably shouldn’t have eaten so many french fries.

Yes, I know I am terrible at blogging.  The past couple (few, many?) weeks have been relatively insane.  Regardless, here’s an update on my life in DC now that I am more acclimated to my new, albeit temporary, home.  I think it will be most fun to recount my typical life in a “DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE DOW, INTERN EXTRAORDINAIRE” Wonkette live blog fashion.

7:00 am – Alarm goes off, I groggily check to see if My Dear Roommate, Brittany, is out of the shower.  Crawl out of bed, grunt something that is supposed to sound like “good morning” and fall into the shower.

7:20 am – Stare longingly at my massive collection of suiting dresses and fondly recall the days when I thought I would get to wear business professional clothes at my internship.

7:22 am – Throw on jeans and a cardigan instead.

7:45 am – NYT, HuffPo, WaPo, Jezebel, and Life cereal.

8:20 am – Fight my way onto the TWC-Union Station shuttle bus and wonder why I don’t just walk two blocks to the NY Ave Metro stop.

8:22 am – Roll my eyes as the misogynist bus driver asks, “Gentlemen, I do not let ladies stand on my bus! Who is going to give up their seat for this fine lady!?”  Please, chivalry, hurry up and die.

8:25 am – Awkwardly try to explain to the inquisitive stranger sitting next to me why my travel mug says “Off Message, Dramatic, No Need, Totes, Obvi, X” and die a little inside.

8:30 am – Arrive at Union and hop on the train to Dupont.  Get dirty looks when I forget about the no drinking on the Metro rule and take a sip of delish Trader Joe’s white pomegranate tea.  If they knew how good it is, they wouldn’t be so ornery!

9:00 am – Arrive at Rock the Vote’s office in Dupont Circle.  Facebook stalk randoms for the next half hour.

9:30 am – Morning conference call with our State Coordinators.  RTV has field operations in five states, each with its own state coordinator, kind of like an FO and an RFD rolled into one.  Discuss what’s on the agenda for the day and review how voter reg/GOTV efforts went in each state the day before.

10:00 am – Real work starts.  Currently, we are working on big Get Out the Vote events in each of our states, mine being Pennsylvania (aka just Philly, aka just UPenn and Drexel).  These events, known as Trick or Vote, consist of giant Halloween afternoon canvasses (with canvassers dressed up in Halloween costumes, obvi) followed by happy hours and after parties with lots of prizes, music, drinks, and eats.  As you can imagine, our budget is small, expectations are high, and DEMOCRACY is on the line.  I.e., the Dow spends the morning on the phone calling various Philly-area haunts and asks for free things.  So far, I’ve realized event planning is not my strong suit, though I am getting very good at begging for free things in the name of DEMOCRACY.

12:00 pm – LUNCH. omnomnomnom.  Advice to future interns: Bring your lunch.  Yes, Chipotle is awesome; no, you cannot afford it on an intern’s meager salary of zero dollars.  Pop a can of soup in your purse, save that $8 for happy hour.

1:00 pm – Email my state coordinator and ask for some volunteer recruitment calls to make in a couple of hours.  The afternoons usually consist of some type of community outreach.  RTV needs as many people working with us to ensure that we meet our lofty registration and election day turnout goals.  We work with non-profits, schools, and businesses to use our online voter registration tools on their websites; we reach out to university student orgs and Greek life to work on campuses; we even ask professors and high school teachers if we can go into their classrooms and register voters and talk about voting in the midterms.  Basically, I spend my afternoons on the phone and writing e-mails in an attempt to give the gift of AMURKAH to our nation’s fine young 18 to 29 year olds.

3:30 pm – Hopefully I’ve gotten a list of vols to call by now.  Until about 5 or 6 pm I’ll be calling through our list of sign ups asking them to come out and help with events in the Philly area — anything from tabling at a university to registering people waiting in line for WWE Smackdown (true life).

5:00ish pm – Peace out, RTV! It’s time for happy hour!  Ok, this doesn’t happen every day, but if you are going to come to DC you must experience happy hour.  You wouldn’t go to DC and not see the Capitol, same deal with happy hour.  Nearly every restaurant/bar has a specific menu for the hours of 5-7 pm, usually cheap drinks and half price or $5 appetizers/small plates.

Good deals so far:

Big Hunt in Dupont.  The happy hour specials here aren’t that great, but there are $3 Rolling Rock pints after 7 pm, so head over here post-boozing elsewhere.  Also, the men are hot, bespectacled, nerdy.  It kind of looks like if the Friendly Toast had a dirty alcoholic cousin.

Kabob place next to Big Hunt – I don’t remember what it’s called, but it looks kind of fancy.  $3 hibiscus champagne cocktails; $3 arak daquiris (traditional Labanese drink made of fermented dates); and $3 cucumber martinis.  Go here for haps hour and then go for Rolling Rocks at The Hunt.  Text Christine Snively while at the Big Hunt to excitedly tell her you are drinking Rolling Rocks.

Georgia Brown – Gourmet southern comfort food and delish cocktails.  Happy hour specials include $4 beer, $5 wine, and $6 specialty cocktails that are usually $12.  Get the Bees Knees; you won’t regret it.  Small plates are also $5 with the purchase of any cocktail — the fried catfish is AMAZING.  Ask for hot sauce and you will earn the bartender’s respect.  Also, he will give you extra fried corn bread and peach butter.  Clogging your arteries has never been more fun.

8:00 pm – Stumble back on the Metro, laugh at how everyone is drunk at 8 pm on a Tuesday.  Welcome to DC!

8:30 pm – Get back to the apartment, eat a lot of peanut butter crackers while watching Jersey Shore reruns on MTV.

11:00 – Bed time, because I am an old lady.

sights

Everything on the National Mall: The Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and my personal favorite the Jefferson Memorial.  Almost all of the Smithsonians are also located here so check those out as well.  The east and west wings of the National Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and sculpture garden are the best galleries in the city.  The American History Museum is also fun, even for old folk like Yours Truly.  Highlight of the trip: seeing Michelle’s ball gown.  drool.  Words to the wise: The Mall is a solid mile long end-to-end.  Plan on lots of walking.  Also of note, there is nowhere to eat around there.  Literally, nothing.  And chances are good that if it’s a weekend any place you might stumble upon will be closed, as fooderies in the area cater to the Monday-ta-Friday nine-ta-fivers.  Plan on going elsewhere to eat.

Lincoln Memorial

Eastern Market: Awesome farmer’s market and craftypalooza on Capitol Hill.  Delish and cheap veggies and fruits from local farmers who love to talk about their foodstuffs.  Excellent things: $2 giant spaghetti squash, $2.50 juicy cantaloupe, 3 for $2 crunchy bell peppers, and a cute little $.50 zucchini.   Verdict: Go here to buy your vegetable things.

spaghetti squash, peppers, and zucchini all from Eastern Market

nom nom nom

eats

Five Guys: I have now officially had my first Five Guys experience.  For those unaware of the magic, Five Guys is a fast food burger heaven establishment catering to those with discerning tastes in ground beef and deep fried potatoes.  I do not usually eat red meat, but I made an exception and now I’m sad that I might have to partake in cow eating more often.  The menu is short and sweet: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and bacon burgers in one or two patty varieties.  There are about ten topping choices, all of which are free no matter how many you choose.  There are also hot dogs, but no thank you to any hot dog not cooked on a charcoal grill.  French fries flow plentifully and come in standard and cajun seasoning varieties.  Excellent and special thing: the fries are cooked in peanut oil mmmm  Also, if you’re going to eat fries and burgers, go whole hog and spring for a Cherry Coke.  You won’t be disappointed.  Verdict: Restore Honor to your arteries and go get some Five Guys.

Bagels, Etc.:  Bagel sandwich creation hole in the wall in Dupont near the Rock the Vote office (near P and 22nd Sts NW).  Bagels of many varieties, including chocolate chip.  I got a bagel cheese tomato sprout melt for the low, low price of just $3.  Delicious-looking other menu item: avacado turkey bagel yum sandwich.  Only cons: bagels are kind of mini sized and the dude making the sandwiches minorly hit on us.  Verdict: Eat lunch here when you are too lazy to make lunch to bring to work.

Saigon Bistro:  Legit-looking eat-in or take out Thai place in Dupont, across the street from Bagels, Etc.  Despite excellent reviews on Yelp, this place kind of sucked.  I got standard chicken Pad Thai and it was ehhh.  Not bad, but not good either.  The service was slow, they messed up the check, and it was expensive ($13 including tax and tip for an average portion of pad).  Verdict: Bad Thai.

Famous Luigi’s: Italian sit down restaurant oasis.  Everyone ordered some form of pizza, all of which were DELICIOUS.  I personally ordered a zucchini pizza for one, which could have easily served two.  Gooey cheese, plentiful toppings, sweet sauce, thick-but-not-too-thick crust.  The waiter was a cutie who didn’t really understand the difference between please and thank you, which was minorly endearing.  Pizza for one with tax and tip, $11.  Verdict: More expensive than Domino’s but won’t make you hate your life post-ingestion.

drinks

The Brickskeller: 22nd St. NW right next to the Rock the Vote office.  Cool, kind of dingy dive bar-looking place which boasts a selection of more than 1,000 beers from all over the United States and countries the world over.  Unfortunately, this exotic collection is difficult to maintain and not every beer on the extensive menu is actually in stock at any given time.  Apparently, it takes time to import beer from places like Tahiti.  Very reasonably priced, and I was excited I could order a delish Redhook Long Hammer IPA ($4).  Can’t speak to the food, as we concentrated mostly on imbibing large quantities of beer, in the name of science.  Con: My legs were too long to effectively sit on the toilet. wtf, bathroom?  Verdict: Cool beers, knowledgeable staff, reasonable prices, bad bathroom.

Lauriol Plaza: 18th St NW, Dupont-ish.  On the hunt for excellent margaritas, The Roommates and I were directed to Lauriol’s.  The margs were offensively bad, albeit strong.  Legit, Island Oasis smoothie mix + tequila + giant blender contraption.  No real bar area and they wouldn’t let us sit outside on the patio with them.  Verdict: I want my marg in a marg glass, not a beer glass, kthxbyeee.

Ibiza – Nasty ass, sketchy club on 1st and M St. NE.  For the love all things things holy do not go there.  We were told TWC was hosting an “intern night” here so we got in free (which was actually a lie, TWC had nothing to do with the mad sketch event), but the cover is usually $25.  Absurd.  The well drinks are weak and $10 a pop.  The cheapest drink available is Bud Light (vom!) for $7.  Absolutely obscene.  Also weird and discomfiting is the fact that the club is wickedly segregated.  There is a hip-hop room, which was exclusively black; a Latin room, which was exclusively Latino; and a “VIP” roof deck, which was exclusively white and Asian (I do not know what makes it VIP…anyone can just go up there).  The music sucked all around, especially on the roof deck.  House music?  That shit does not make me want to dance.  Begging for some Gaga only got us a weird remix of Just Dance and a creepy DJ posse stalker who only left after I told him he was ugly (he then proceeded to call me a grenade.  Thanks, creepy DJ friend man!)  Lastly, TWC man interns [generally] seem to be a creepy, poorly dressed, Axe deodorant wearing crowd.  No, I don’t want your free vistaprint.com business card, I want to pretend there is more than a tablespoon of vodka in my cranberry juice and try to dance to this terrible technocrap.  Verdict: Gag me with a spoon.

Apex: Awesome gay bar in Dupont (obvs).  The Roommates and I originally set out to witness the much hyped Girls of Glamour drag show, which happens every Saturday night around 11 pm.  The drag show was awesome, go ready with some dolla dolla bills to tips the ladies as they work the crowd.  After the drag show finishes the lights go down, the strobe lights go on and it’s a nonstop dance party.  Literally, there is no closing time– you can dance until you fall down at 6 am if you so desire.  If you just want to dance without getting creeped on, this is the place to be.  Drinks were cheap ($5 well drinks) and strong.  Make friends with the bartender and he might also slip you a secret free shot.  The cover is $10, which is well worth it when you factor in getting to see a sweet hour long drag show for no extra money.  Verdict: Just dance, it’ll be okay da doop doop da doop just dance.

just dance

Drag show at Apex - so wonderful

I’m using this post as a tour of the new digs for those who are curious and for those who are applying/are thinking about applying to The Washington Center (TWC).  TWC doesn’t provide a ton of information concerning housing amenities so you are getting the inside scoop.  I’m living at TWC’s brand new Residential and Academic Facility (RAF).  Previous to this building being finished, TWC rented out apartments in complexes in Virginia and Maryland.  Due to the hot mess housing market, TWC was able to buy up land and build their own apartments, offices, and classrooms right in the city.  Now, most students are placed in the RAF but some are living at the Merridian at Braddock Station in Alexandria, VA.  If at first you are assigned to a complex other than the RAF, politely ask to be relocated.  This is what I did, and it worked out beautifully.

Location:

The RAF is located at K and 3rd St. NE on the Red Line.  The building is walking distance to both Union Station and the New York Ave. Metro stops.  However, TWC provides a private shuttle to and from Union Station which leaves every 20 minutes during commuting hours and at other times during the day and on weekends.  This shuttle also provides service to the L St. Safeway and runs the same hours as the Metro.  The neighborhood, overall, is a minorly sketch.  The area of NE D.C. is still in the process of turning over.  There is a ton of new development and construction, but there are still areas of urban decay.  I certainly don’t feel unsafe living here, but one should always use common sense in any part of a large city.

The Common Area:

Each apartment is set up a little differently, but all have the same amenities.  We have a large closet for storage of a vacuum, mop, broom, iron, and ironing board (all provided by TWC) right next to our stacked washer and dryer (you don’t have to pay to do laundry!).  The common area consists of an entrance area, kitchen, living room, and small dining area.  The kitchen includes a dish washer, sink with disposal, fridge/freezer (with auto ice maker…score!), oven, microwave, trash can, toaster, coffee maker, plenty of dishes, silverware, pots, pans, kettle and mashers, stir-ers, flippers, choppers.  Unless you are an Iron Chef you will not be wanting for anything in the kitchen.

The living room has a chair, couch, TV, coffee table, and end table.  We have what appears to be standard cable plus some other random channels, but no HBO/Showtime, etc.  I can’t tell if we have HD or not because I am not that skilled at discerning the comparative wrinkliness of those on screen.  The apartment also comes with a land line phone with local service, and somewhat finicky wireless internet.  We also have a balcony, which would be baller if it didn’t look out onto an abandoned lot.

Beautiful view from the balcony

Living room and balcony

View of the kitchen and living room

Beds, Baths, and Beyond:

The apartment has two bedrooms that house two students each.  The “master” bedroom (aka my room) has two beds, two dressers, two (large) separate closets, a small slice of a window, and an attached bathroom not accessible from the common area.  The master bathroom has a single sink vanity, toilet, large walk in shower, and a linen/hygiene stuffs closet.  The “second” bedroom has two beds, two dressers, a smaller walk in closet, large window, and bathroom that is accessible from the bedroom and common area.  The bathroom has a double sink vanity separated by a door from the toilet and bathtub/shower.  Both bathrooms come with a shower curtain and small trashcan.

My side of the bedroom

My very own, very large closet

Words to the Wise:

There are some very useful things that the apartment does not come with.  Bring or plan on buying a bath mat.  Yes, there are shower curtains.  No, they do not work.  The stall shower is especially skilled at flooding the bathroom because it’s a walk in situation and the shower curtain is about half an inch too short.  Also, if you are like me and have a lot of delicate clothes that can’t go in the dryer plan on buying or bringing a drying rack.  Your roommates will thank you for not hanging your wet clothes all about the apartment.  Lastly, there is no DVD player which is kind of sad considering the TV is a fancy wall-mounted flat screen.

Overall, the apartment is AWESOME.  When else will I have an apartment with granite counters, my own washer, and a flat screen TV all within walking distance of the National Mall?  Answer: Never.  Seriously, I feel incredibly spoiled.

There’s lots more to tell but right now I am tired and sore from dancing my buns off until 2 in the morning.  More to come concerning cheap local veggies, sequined clothing I can’t afford, inane orientation, drag queens, my fierce inner Latina, and– the reason I am actually in DC– getting the kiddos registered to vote!

1. “I Want to Love You Madly” by Cake

2. Various bon voyage parties

3. Arriving in Virginia and finally getting to see the lovely Ms. Lauren Egbert!

That’s right!  We are officially down to single digit days until I am all moved into The District.  I arrived in DC last night and am staying with family in Virginia until the big move next week.

This morning I headed into the city to meet up with my dear friend Lauren, whom I hadn’t spent quality time with in more than two years.  We had a lovely day of gallivanting about the city.  We went to the National Botanical Gardens, the East Wing of the National Gallery, and ended the day in Georgetown for a late lunch at Zed’s Ethiopian.

I didn’t get a picture of the Ethiopian food, but it was AMAZING.  If you ever find yourself in Georgetown head over to 28th and M St. NW.  A giant plate of Ethiopian bread, red lentils, string beans, carrots, rice, and spinach came to $14 including tax and tip.  Also, you can eat a lot without feeling nasty afterwards which is always a plus.

More updates to come as things get more exciting.  Tomorrow’s planned activities include sleeping, as I am exhausted.

Things I will miss greatly about New England: Bluegrass Nights at The Stone Church

Things I will miss greatly about New England: The Hong Kong in Harvard Square

Gorgeous orchids at the Botanical Gardens, also Lauren's finger.

1. This song, “Myriad Harbour” by The New Pornographers

2. New glasses!

3. Packing

Just kidding, packing makes me absolutely crazy.  I’m always afraid I’m going to forget something, or take too much, or take all of the things I don’t end up needing and none of the things I do need.  I also don’t want my roommates to think I’m That Girl With All of the Shoes.  Which, in reality, I probably am That Girl.  But I’m only bringing half my shoes, so…

New specs

But I digress.  There are only 14 days left until I move into the new apartment, and I’ve just found out that I will be living in The Washington Center’s new residential and academic facility in Washington, D.C. (as opposed to other apartments TWC rents outside of the city).  This is wonderful for several reasons, the most important of which is that it is much, much closer to Rock the Vote’s office in Dupont.  Also, the apartments/entire building are/is badass.

I’ve finally finished rounding out my District wardrobe and I think I’ve made it uh, younger and less, well, WASPy/DARy.  I’m thinking I might post some of my better work outfits on here, in the proud tradition of Tavi.  And if you understand that blog reference you are my new best friend.  Or your name is E. Thesing.  Either way.

These are my confessions: I have too many sheath dresses.

1. This song by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
2. Orange popsicles
3. Amazing art exhibitions that will coincide with my time in DC!

I thought I would take this blog post to update you on some of the things that I am looking forward to seeing and doing during my time in The District– artsy fartsy things in particular. Back in another life I planned on attending art school and spending my days holed up in a sparse studio making dazzling art while drinking a lot of chai. Clearly, that did not pan out, as I am now entering my fourth year of studying politics. Regardless, I have retained an intense passion for the arts and love to visit galleries and keep on top of new exhibits in my area.

van Gogh's Starry Night -- even better in real life

Earlier this summer I had the chance to go to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City to see Marina Abramovic’s newest exhibit, “The Artist is Present.” Abramovic’s performance was simple, yet stunning to see. She sat in a straight back chair, staring into the face of museum visitors sitting opposite her. It sounds weird, but was quite the experience. Seeing Abramovic and the seminal works of van Gogh, Picasso, Rauschenberg, and many others got me psyched up to be in DC, surrounded by some of the best galleries in the world.

Abramovic and a MoMA visitor

I thought this Pollock matched my MoMA outfit quite nicely!

One of the great things about Washington, D.C. is that there are always new (and free) things to do, even if you’ve visited the city before. The Smithsonian Institution and other museums host fantastic exhibitions in addition to their permanent collections. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the Yves Klein exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and the Mark Rothko exhibition at the National Gallery of Art.

Yves Klein, Untitled Anthropometry, Image credit Smithsonian Institution Hirshhorn Museum

The Klein exhibition, “With the Void, Full Powers” will showcase his full career as an artist, including his iconic IKB works– monochromes using his own specific shade of blue, which he went so far as to patent. You can see one of his whackier bits of performance art here.  ”Symphonie Monotone” consists of a single note followed by twenty minutes of silence, during which time a group of women paint themselves blue.  Yes, it is certainly odd, but intriguing nonetheless.

The works of better-known Mark Rothko will also be on exhibit at the National Gallery of Art through January 2011.  ”In the Tower: Mark Rothko” will focus on Rothko’s rarely seen black-on-black works.

One of the many Rothko works I had the chance to see at MoMA

As you can probably tell, I have a bit of a flare for the odd and avant-garde when it comes to art. Thankfully, D.C. will provide lots of opportunities to sate my appetite for modern art.  With less than one month until I move into my new apartment, the countdown is on.

1. This song by Mumford and Sons
2. Mudslides and Will & Grace with The Men of Five Academy Street
3. Officially accepting a fall internship with Rock the Vote!

Yes, Dear Readers, that is correct. I no longer have to keep the  identity of my internship under wraps. Previously, I was thinking I would be Working For The Government and that if I-told-you-what-I-was-doing-I’d-have-to-kill-you. Instead, I will be working with state field directors in advance of the midterm elections to get young people registered and out to the polls this November. This is much less messy than having to be secretive and/or having to commit stealthy murders. Not that I have any doubts as to my stealth abilities. I just don’t like having to bleach my clothes.

So now my number one conundrum is figuring out how to dress down the thousands of sheath dresses I bought, as I don’t believe sheath dresses are what assistant field directors wear. My wardrobe needs to fall more along the lines of power skinny jeans and blazers, I think. This wardrobe twist will need to be accomplished by August 24^th, the date of my departure for The District.  Below is Your Valiant Blogger being giddy about a really quite anticlimactic ticket print out from Jet Blue.  Fairly exciting, nonetheless.