Kimball Parker D.C.

Inauguration - Liz, Mom and Obama

2009-02-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

I arrived in DC the Friday of the first week in school, January 16. Immediately after arriving, Liz and I boarded a bus to New York where we spent the weekend. We ate great food, went to museums, ice-skated and saw two Broadway plays; The Lion King and Little Mermaid. We returned to DC on Sunday night. My Mother came in town on Tuesday, the day before inauguration, and together we picked up our tickets; three from Matheson and three from Bennett. My mother slept the night at Liz's. The day of Inauguration was Unbelievably cold. Gates opened at 9am. We left the house around 6:30am and walked from Liz's Dupont Circle apartment to our gate. We had a Blue ticket, the first standing section after the seats. We barely made it in and stood for the entire ceremony. The environment was indescribable. Everyone was so happy. Race, religion, gender and every other dividing line seemed to disappear. The actual swearing was anti-climactic but his speech was amazing. He put forth his new vision of America. It was inspiring.
I stayed in DC another 6 days after inauguration, departing on January 26th. It was an incredible trip; one I'll be telling my kids about.

San Jose - Costa Rica

2009-01-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

The morning after the Sugar Bowl, Saturday January 3rd, I flew down to San Jose Costa Rica for my last international trip as an advance man. The seven hours of flight time was significantly better than the 30 hour drive home from New Orleans that the rest of the group had to endure. The following day, Sunday, provided the agents and I with a down day, which we used to explore the Costa Rican rain forest. We signed up for a three hour zip line tour that took us along the canopy of the forest. It was incredible. We wore harnesses and helmets and flew through trees and other vegetation. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done. When the tour ended, we took the longest zip line in the world; stretching over a mile from one mountain to another. It was terrifying.

The advance work went smoothly. The purpose of the trip was to open an FDA office in the region, which ran almost exactly the same as the Guangzhou trip. Having successfully completed a similar trip made everything a lot easier. One interesting development that occurred involved the Costa Rican Health Minister. She wanted to meet with me in order to run through the events of the visit so on Tuesday, the day before the Secretary arrived, I drove with the Control Officer, Tim Lattimer, to the Health Ministry and met with the "Ministra." When the Secretary arrived the next day, the Ministra fell ill and could not attend any of the meetings, meaning that I was the only HHS employee to meet with her. The Vice Minister took her place.

The Secretary arrived at 4am on Wednesday January 7th, which caused me to sleep only one hour that night. The day of events went smoothly and by 6pm on Wednesday he and the delegation was gone. Early the next morning, sleep deprived and relieved, I flew back to Salt Lake. It was a great trip to end my Secretarial travel.

New Orleans - Sugar Bowl

2009-01-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

I returned home from DC on December 19th, just in time for the Beta Rho Mu Winter Formal. From there I had essentially ten days down time before what would become an epic friends trip; a journey to New Orleans for the Utah vs. Alabama game in the 75th Sugar Bowl. On Monday the 27th of December, Blake Henderson, Crismon Turner, Mark Ericson, Michael Henriod, Jonny and Jenny Spendlove, Scott and Jayne Swallow, my brother Braden and I rented two cars and started our drive into the Big Easy. The first day we drove nearly 12 hours, making our way down through Colorado, stopping in Durango, and into New Mexico; finally staying the night in Santa Fe. The next day, after walking through Santa Fe and visiting the Georgia O'Keefe museum, we drove another 10 hours through Texas, stopping at the Cadillac ranch and sleeping the night in Dallas. The final day of driving took us from Dallas into New Orleans. We arrived at 11:15 pm on New Year's Eve. We quickly dropped our stuff off at the hotel and bolted for Bourbon Street. The French Quarter was packed. We were probably the only sober people in the area. Beads were being thrown around and debauchery was everywhere. It was amazing and incredibly fun. We lingered until around 3 am and then called it a night. Without a doubt, it was the most fun New Years I have ever had.

The next few days before the game we spent most our time in the French quarter, participating in the bowl game festivities, listening to live music and gambling. When game time came, we walked from Bourbon Street to the Super Dome. The mile or so walk was packed with fans. The atmosphere was like nothing I've ever seen. We enter the stadium and found our seats, second tier twenty yard line. The game itself was unbelievable. Utah jumped out to an improbable twenty-one point lead in the first ten minutes. It was completely unexpected. Only Braden and Blake Henderson had the guts to pick Utah in the game. Everyone else, including myself, were "realists," hoping for a close game but not expecting a victory. In the end, the Utes won by a score of 31-17, initiating serious talk that Utah should be the national champs.

The trip without the game would have been worth it. The drive was enjoyable and we were able to see a large portion of America. Adding in the Utes' manhandling Alabama made the trip absolutely unforgettable. It was one of the most incredible trips of my life. On January 3rd, while the rest of the group started the long trip home, I boarded a plane to Costa Rica.

Roanoke and Virginia Tech

2009-01-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

On Friday December 12th, Elizabeth and I drove down to Roanoke Virginia. Liz signed up for the GRE late and consequently couldn't find a location to take the test in DC. Roanoke, a four hour drive, was the closest location. We rented a car, booked a hotel on my Marriott Hotel points and drove into southern Virginia after work. On Saturday I dropped Liz off at the testing center and then drove to Blacksburg, the home of Virginia Tech. I wanted to see the site and memorial of the student massacre. I was able to enter and walk around Norris Hall, where the shooter entered and did most of the damage. The memorial is small but touching. Each fallen student and teacher have a stone with etched writing stating their name and age.

After visiting Virginia Tech, I picked up Liz and we drove home. Regrettably, On the way home I got a "reckless driving" speeding ticket for 24 over the speed limit. One more mile over and I would have been arrested.

Guangzhou, China

2008-11-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

I left for Guangzhou around noon on Saturday November 15th. I first flew to Beijing where I connected on Air China to Guangzhou. One interesting note about the Dulles to Beijing leg, I watched our flight path from on the in-flight TV and noticed that we flew directly north, passing over the North Pole, to reach Beijing. My last two flights to Asia took me west over the Pacific Ocean but for some reason this one opted to fly north. I tried to look out the window as we passed over the North Pole but it was too dark to see anything.

Nearly 24 hours from the time I left my apartment for the airport in DC, I landed in Guangzhou. The city lies about 55 miles from Hong Kong in the south of China. The purpose of the visit was to open FDA shops in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. This is part of a larger plan to inspect imports in their country of origin rather than wait until the products reach our borders. In my opinion, the Secretary and Rich have been remarkable in their vision and negotiations with the Chinese. This is clearly a better system than the one we currently have to inspect imports. There were three basic events on the trip: a product safety round table with Chinese and American business leaders, the opening of the FDA shop, and a visit to a business that sends it’s product to the United States; in this case a fish factory. Guangzhou is the center of production for goods that enter the United States. When something says “Made in China” it most likely originates from Guangzhou. Because of Guangzhou’s central role in import production, CNN took particular interest in this portion of the trip. They sent a film crew and a field reporter from Hong Kong to cover the events. About midway through the day, the camera man told me that in addition to airing on CNN International, Lou Dobbs would run the story. Everyone seemed to think this was a bad thing as “Lou Dobbs hates the current administration.” I can’t imagine that the FDA openings could be spun in bad light. I see absolutely no drawbacks to the Secretary’s plan. Lou Dobbs is very angry though. Who knows? The day ran well and the delegation was off to Shanghai by Thursday night, November 20th. I left the following day, again connecting through Beijing. Before I left my hotel for the airport in Guangzhou I was able to see the story on CNN International. It was fulfilling to see the press shots I set up on TV. This is the first event I’ve done that’s been covered by any significant media outlet. The link to the piece is http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/11/20/yoon.china.fda.cnn?iref=videosearch . I’ve yet to see the Lou Dobbs piece. I’ll be interested to see how that turns out.

Boston #3

2008-11-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

On the night of Wednesday November 12th I flew to Boston. It was the start of a month long period of concentrated travel. The Secretary had a speech at Harvard Medical School on Personalize Healthcare, a concept I consider to be completely impractical. The most notable occurrence of the trip was my visit to BU. I was able to walk around campus and meet with a councilor. It’s a nice campus but every time I’m there I can’t stop thinking about Michigan. I think Ryan and Michigan Law’s cathedral like buildings have ruined my appreciation of university campuses. I returned to DC on November 14th, one day before my trip to Guangzhou.

Halloween, Philadelphia and New York

2008-11-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was the best I’ve had in years. I dressed up as Walt Whitman and Blake, in a self-made masterpiece, was Leaves of Grass. The picture above explains it all. We walked around Georgetown for a while, which was body to body, and then met up with Liz, who dressed up as a bushel of grapes.

On Friday November 8th, I traveled up to Philadelphia for a night to see Pete. He was interviewing at Penn Medical School. We visited the “Rocky Steps” and walked around downtown. We slept the night at Ryan and Camille’s. The next morning, I drove Pete to the airport and then boarded a bus to New York City, where I met up with Mitch, Mark and Blake. The purpose of the visit was the Jazz-Knicks game in Madison Square Garden. We scalped $40 tickets and sat in pretty good seats; mid-section behind the basket. The Jazz lost, their first of the season, but it was still worth it. After the game, we drove back to DC.

Additional Cairo Pictures

2008-10-24T14:00:00.001-07:00

These are some additional Cairo pictures. The photo where I'm pointing to the top of the pyramid was taken by an inebriated pyramid security guard. My finger is supposed to be touching the point of the pyramid. This is only one of a number of awkwardly posed pictures the guard made me do. After performing the "favor," he demanded payment. The kid who is kissing the camel was my camel tour guide. The camel ride was also a "favor" which ended up costing us.

Cairo, Egypt

2008-10-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

My time in Egypt has followed the same chaotic trend that has plagued the past couple months of travel. I arrived on the afternoon of October 21st, after a long night of travel. The agents and I dropped off our things and went directly to a meeting at the embassy. We reviewed the trip and plugged up any holes in the schedule. Everything was going according to plan until the nightly trip call. On the call, Allyson mentioned the possibility that the Secretary would leave a day early from Cairo and head back to DC. By the next morning I was warned that the entire Egypt portion was in danger of being canceled. At noon, the final word came in; The Secretary would not visit Egypt. We were ordered to find the soonest flight back to DC. Fortunately we were able to go to the pyramids. The site was really touristy but still incredible. We rode camels, took pictures and saw everything there is to see. It wasn’t quite as memorable as the Great Wall or Machu Pichu. It didn't have that sacred feel of the other two locations. I’m glad I got to see them before I left though.

Most of the pictures are self explanatory. The people in the pictures are the team I traveled with. The last picture was taken from my hotel window. My room overlooked the Nile.

Denver and Boston

2008-10-22T08:33:00.001-07:00

(Written in retrospect 4/7/09)
The most notable experience of these two trip was an outburst by the Secretary directed toward me. Denver and Boston were the first trips I advanced without a travel aid. Usually Cecil or Allyson accompany him on every trip. They keep him on time and make sure everything runs smoothly while I, or any other advance person, has jumped ahead to the next event. This did not cause a problem in Denver because all the events were in the same hotel. I picked him up from his room myself and brought him to the event. In Boston, however, there was an unfortunate occurrence. When the Secretary arrived in Boston the night before the events I informed him of a breakfast commitment in the morning and impressed upon him the importance that he leave that engagement at 8:15 am in order to make it in time for his speech at the electronic health records conference at 8:30 am; the purpose of his visit. The security agents and I had determined that the drive from the breakfast to the site of his speech would take approximately 8 minutes, leaving a 7 minute grace period if he left on time. I handed him a mini schedule and said goodbye until the next day. The next morning I arrived at the site of the speech early to make sure everything was set. Security protocol requires that whenever the Secretary leaves one site to another, all the agents are informed. Starting at 8:10 am I stood by the side of the agent in charge of that event and waited for the confirmation of his departure. 8:15 am arrived and no call. 8:20 arrived and still no call. Finally at 8:25, the Secretary left the breakfast. Knowing that he would likely arrive late I rushed upstairs and arranged for the previous speaker, CMS Administrator Kerry Weems, to prolong his remarks 5 minutes to accommodate the Secretary. Kerry had no problem doing so and the everything was back on schedule. As I ran back downstairs at around 8:28 am, the security agent I was with handed me his blackberry and told me the Secretary wanted to speak with me. The Secretary was noticeably rattled, but polite. He told me there was a fair amount of traffic that he didn't think I accounted for and that due to this he would be late. He told me to make the necessary adjustments for his tardiness and hung up the phone. As I had just accounted for the lost time, I remained by the side of the security agent and waited for his arrival. A few minutes later, the security guard got another call. He again handed the phone to me where, to my surprise, the Secretary was on the line. This time the Secretary was angry. He screamed at me, telling me the drive time I had from the breakfast to the speech was "way off" and that I "better make this right!" I then abruptly hung up the phone. Surprised by this, I asked the security agent how far away they were. He said the drive was taking less then expected and that they should in the next minute or so. At 8:31 am the Secretary arrived. He didn't say a word to me but was clearly agitated and upset. I explained that his tardiness had been arranged for and that he would be introduced by Kerry.

All in all, the drive took 6 minutes. Despite my debriefing the night before and the schedule I handed him, the Secretary left the breakfast ten minutes late, which adds up to him arriving one minute behind schedule. I was upset about the situation for months after I returned home. I thought, "Is the Secretary that helpless that he can't stay on time by himself. He had no right to treat me like that when it was him who lost track of time." Though I still resent that I became the scapegoat for his absentmindedness, I have become more sympathetic toward his helplessness. Since he enter office as Utah Governor, Leavitt has been driven everywhere by security. He has had advance people and travel aids usher him through every event he's attended. This has lasted for well over a decade. I'm sure, to a certain degree, he has become helpless. It's understandable. Also, this was the only unpleasant situation I had with the Secretary during my year of working for him. Other than this occurrence, he has treated me with nothing but respect, and indifference. I have had numerous people tell me how lucky I am to work for such an easy going person. Though this experience certainly does not paint him in that light, he was very easy going and patient in nearly every other circumstance. Everyone has bad moments. I just happened to receive the brunt of one of his.

Boston with Liz

2008-10-22T08:32:00.001-07:00

Liz and I had a weekend without travel or any significant commitments so we decided to take a road trip up to New England. We rented a car late Friday afternoon and made the 8 hour drive into Boston. We arrived late and stayed the night at the apartment of Liz’ sister, Katherine. The next morning we made our way to Beacon Hill where Liz and Katherine took me to their favorite breakfast place, Paramount. The food was incredible. I order, and finished, three separate plates of food. My favorites were the banana pancakes and the fried egg sandwich. After mulling around Beacon Hill, Liz, Katherine and I drove to Concord where we saw the homes and graves of Emerson, Hawthorn and Thoreau. We then visited nearby Walden Pond. The already bad weather turned into a downpour when we arrived at Walden. By the time we walked down and reached the water we were soaked. This made the decision to jump into the pond very easy. Liz and Katherine stayed on shore while I swam around a hundred yards out into the water. Swimming in Walden was, for me, the highlight of the trip.
We returned from Walden and met up with Matt Ward, his wife Sarah and Liz’s cousins for dinner. After dinner, we went candlepin bowling; a uniquely New England experience. The next day, Liz and I drove back to DC. On the way home we stopped by Ryan and Camille’s new home in Delaware where we ate Sunday dinner and spent time with Eliza and Bennett.

Houston - Hurrican Ike

2008-10-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

I arrived in San Antonio late on Sunday September 16th with a vague idea of what I would be doing. I had a skeleton schedule with the address of a general population center. I was told that I would receive a contact the next day during the conference call. According to the preliminary plans, the Secretary would fly down to Houston with the President on Air Force One. After surveying the damage in the Houston/Galveston area with Bush, he would board the FAA plane to San Antonio and then on to Austin. On the conference call the next morning, however, the schedule changed dramatically. The FAA withdrew their commitment to let the Secretary use their plane, which meant the only place he would be able to visit would be Houston. This created a problem because nobody from our office had been sent to Houston. The presidential advance takes care of anyone traveling with the President. With the Secretary assuming his own schedule now in Houston, someone from his staff was needed to form a visit. I was the closest to Houston at the time, a three hour drive, so they sent me. I checked out of my hotel, hopped in my rental car and left San Antonio on I-10. As before, I was only given an address; no contact. I was promised the phone number of a point person when I arrived. The address was for a hospital complex with over twenty different buildings. After the three hour drive, I arrived at the complex, still without a contact. I tried barging into one of the buildings and asking for help but that got me nowhere. The pubescent front desk clerk was of no help whatsoever. I waited for a an hour or so, emailing to try and figure out what to do, when I got a call telling me my services were no longer needed. The Secretary would only accompany the President and then head back to DC.

The soonest flight back to DC was the next morning. Luckily, I had been able to get in touch with my aunt Janice in time to arrange a place to sleep. Due to the disaster, there were no hotel rooms available. Janice and John saved me from sleeping in my car. When I arrived, I helped clear their backyard of debris and stand up a fallen fence. This was the first time that I had been able to give any manual relief to the areas hit by the storms.

Janice and John fed me and lent me my cousin Jake’s bed. The next morning I woke up early and flew back to DC.

France - Angers and Rouen

2008-09-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

According to the original schedule, I was to depart for France on September 2nd. That gave me time in both Angers and Rouen to advance the sites before the weekend. However, due to Hurricane Gustav, I didn't return from Baton Rouge until late on the 3rd. The soonest that I could leave for France without a significant charge was the afternoon of the following day, Thursday September 4th. This left me 24 hours downtime to do wash, repack and "rest." The lack of rest on the Michigan road trip and the Gustav travel left me extremely sleep deprived. Unfortunately, the situation only worsened. My flight into France was a red eye, putting into Paris at 6am on Friday. Due to the delay in my advance schedule, I had to start working right away. Jason Bell, the security advance assigned to my stops, picked me up from the airport and we started directly for Angers, a samll town in western France. We had to advance all the events in the city before the weekend. The French, not surprisingly, were inflexible about working Saturday or Sunday. Together with the French officials we looked over the district office, where the Secretary would hold a bilateral with Germany, and traveled to the Chateau Brissac, the site of the EU health conference. At the later, the Duke of Brissac gave us a personal tour of his chateau. The castle was amazing. It was, however, only a sampling of granduer of the actual event.

The next morning we drove north into Rouen. Eight years earlier my family and I visited Rouen with Ryan, who had just finished his mission. Jason and I saw a lot of the same things my family and I did in 2000. We visited Monet's favorite cathedral and stopped by the Joan of Arc museum (by far the most bizarre museum I've ever seen). The next day we advanced the SANOFI pastuer pharmaceudical plant. They were accomadating enough to work with us on a Sunday. After leaving the plant we rushed back to Angers.

The Secretary arrived Monday afternoon. The first event in Angers was the before mentioned Chateau. I arrived an hour before the Secretary to make sure everything was ready. While waiting I met the health ministers from almost every major country in Europe, including the EU Health Minister. When the Secretary arrived, a chior of hornsmen announced his arrival. The party that ensued was straight out of a 19th century novel. The castle was lit up. The ministers and their staff were treated to a 10 course meal. Two hot air balloons were inflated outside. I could hardly believe I was there to experience it.

The rest of the trip went as planned. After my events I had a couple days in Paris. I coverd all the major Paris sites. It was a blast.

Surprisingly, over the course of the trip I was able to improve my French. By the end, I could get around with the couple phrases I learned. It has wet my appetite to learn more. I've studied a few times since and hope to continue my improvement before a possible trip to Belgium in a few months.In addition to learning French, I fell in love Angers. The city was incredible. The streets were lined with little shops and everyone was friendly. I had the chance to walk around the city quite a bit while I was there. The hotels and sites were close enough that I didn't have to use the driver as much. Afte my time there, Angers vaulted to my premier spot for overseas residences. I really think I would love living there. I made pretty good contacts with the Prefe and his staff so if the inclination to move there grows I should have some options.

Baton Rouge - Hurricane Gustav

2008-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Blake, John and I returned from Michigan Sunday evening after a full day of driving. The trek out to Ann Arbor was tiring; Lot's of time on the road and very little sleep. Arriving Sunday provided me with Monday, Labor Day, to recover before my flight to France on Tuesday. Everything went according to plan for most of the morning on Labor Day. I slept in and was enjoying a bowl of Cheerios when my blackberry started to buzz. It continued buzzing for the next couple minutes. I tried to ignore it but after a while I realized I was receiving an inordinate amount of e-mails for a holiday. When I checked my messages I was immediately hit with the reality that I would not enjoy a leisurely Labor Day.

The emails explained that Hurricane Gustav hit Baton Rouge harder than expected and that the Secretary would be traveling down to Louisiana in the next couple days. I was asked to come into work and prepare to leave for Louisiana. After being in the office for a couple hours that afternoon, Adam Toronto and I boarded a plane for Jackson Mississippi, the nearest open airport to Baton Rouge. We arrived late and stayed the night in Jackson. Due to the amount of evacuees from the storm, there was only one available room in the city, which housed a single king size bed. Both Adam and I refused to sleep on the floor so there was no other option than to share the bed. Numerous jokes were made, and continue to be made, about the odd sleeping arrangement. Adam summed up with situation when he said "You're the last person I thought I would share a bed with tonight and this is the last city where I thought I would be sleeping."

We woke up at 4am the following morning and began a three and a half hour drive into Baton Rouge. As we neared the city the devastation became more and more apparent. Fallen trees and billboards became more frequent while cars on the road became less frequent. When we enter Baton Rouge, everything seemed array. Stoplights were pivoted by the wind, facing them in the wrong direction. Power lines were down. There was flooding and debris everywhere. The entire city was without power. We met up with the security agents in Baton Rouge and started shaping the Secretary's visit to the area. We visited the FEMA joint operation center where HHS, FAA, National Guard, Red Cross and every other agency involved in the relief effort housed their control centers. It was located in an old abandoned department store building. The building was running off generators, which only provided power for everyone's computers. This created a blue glow which somewhat lit the area. Everyone we met seemed exhausted. They talked about not sleeping for consecutive nights. The pace was frantic. FEMA establishes a similar joint operation center for every significant disaster.

After the joint operation center we visited the Pete Maravich Athletic Center; the home of the LSU basketball team. Due to the loss of power, local hospitals had to evacuate into the arena. There were doctors running around everywhere and at least 500 beds. As before with joint operation center, everyone seemed exhausted. The building was in okay shape, beside some leaks and a roof panel missing. The scene was how I imagined the Superdome in New Orleans, but to a much smaller and less serious scale.

Following the arena, I split off from Adam and traveled to Alexandria Louisiana to survey a general population center; A site where evacuees can receive a bed and food. I was able to meet with the head of the Red Cross for that area, Scott Graham, and the Public Health Service administrator for the center, Daren Daley. The two men were inspiring to work with. The Red Cross and the Public Health Services receive funding from different sources, which can create problems if resources have to be shared and consolidated. These two, however, worked incredibly together exchanging medical supplies, food, etc. When I asked them what led to their successful coexistence, Daren Daley said, "We're both former military. We have the attitude that things need to get done efficiently. Funding issues are secondary to the well being of the people here." Both men were volunteers.

I had to sleep the night in Lafayette because I couldn't get a hotel in Baton Rouge. The next morning plans changed dramatically. The President asked the Secretary to join him in a press conference in Baton Rouge which eliminated Alexandria and the general population center from the agenda. In it's place, I had to advance a hospital during an evacuation. They gave me thirty minutes notice and no contact. This forced me to barge in through the emergency entrance and explain the situation. I was eventually directed to the hospital CEO and together we formed a tour for the Secretary. The tour displayed, sick patients, a control center and fifty ambulances awaiting to take the hospital's patients away to a different location.

After the hospital I flew to Atlanta on the CDC jet with the Secretary where I boarded a flight to DC. I got home late on Tuesday night.

This was unlike any other trip I've taken. Adrenaline pushed me past my exhaustion point. This was the first time that I was able to realize the scope of a major natural disaster. I couldn't believe the wreckage caused by the storm. I don't know how people can recover from losing their homes, cars, etc in a storm like this. I was most impressed by the volunteers. They were the backbone of every operation we saw. The Red Cross in particular was incredible. Their willingness to leave everything for weeks at a time to work on hurricane relief amazed me. I don't think I've ever cared enough that I felt compelled to take action at a time like this. It made me realize the service aspect of my life is lacking. Most of the volunteers we worked with didn't particularly like me. I pulled them away from their work to worry about the Secretary. I nagged them about details and nuances. I admired them though. I've since joined the Red Cross as a volunteer.

Utah vs. Michigan

2008-09-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend Blake Henderson, John Pearson and I rented a car and drove out to Ann Arbor for the Utah - Michigan football game. We didn't leave DC until after the work day on Friday, which got us into Ann Arbor just before 4am. My Dad, Braden and Ryan and Camille also made to trip out to see the game. To make the trip as affordable as possible we crashed on the floor of my Dad's hotel.

The game was incredible. The Big House was electric, until the Utes jumped out to a three score lead. We drove back the next day, Sunday, which ended up being lucky because of Hurricane Gustav.

Ivory Coast Pictures

2008-08-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is footage I took of the tribal village event. It catches the very end of the singing and dancing. They started singing, dancing and drumming twenty minutes before the delegation arrived and they didn't stop until five minutes or so after everyone was seated. The footage ends with master of ceremonies speaking from a megaphone. Because the location was so remote, there was no way to use microphones and sound system. We thought about bringing in a generator but decided that megaphones would work fine.

These are three young women at the village event. Everyone from the tribe dressed in traditional African clothing.

A Tribal choir chants, drums and sings to the delegation as they take their seats the music was beautiful I have video footage that I'm going to try and upload.

This is either the tallest or largest cathedral in the world. We heard both but we couldn't decide which was true. The group consists of Ron Ray, John Poelman, Dennis Rude and I. Ron and Dennis are the security detail for the Secretary.

This is Dennis and I in front of the UN plane we took from Abidjan to Bouake with the delegation. One year earlier there was an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister on the same Bouake airstrip you see in the picture. Someone launched a rocket launcher and blew up the side of his plane. Six people were killed but the Prime Minister survived.

This is the UN airport in Abidjan. We flew on the plane nearest to me in the picture.

Bouake, Ivory Coast - Day Two

2008-08-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, Saturday August 9th, we arose early and made the five hour road trip to Bouake. It was interesting to see the Ivorian country side. It was very similar to Ecuador but with some unique trees and grass I do not remember seeing in South America. After the drive we settled ourselves into our hotel and advanced a couple of the events that are to take place in the town and the surrounding areas. The two sites we visited were incredible.

Our first stop was a a courtyard outside of a Muslim Mosque. The event there centers around an HIV prevention program run by the muslim cleric in the area. Interestingly enough, in northern Ivory Coast, Muslim churches address AIDS far more often and efficiently than do Christian churches. The pressures surrounding AIDS stigma effect Christian leaders much more than Muslim clerics. While discussing the event, a thunderstorm passed overhead, which forced us into the mosque for cover. We took off our shoes and stepped inside. I had never been inside a mosque before. It consisted of one large room. The floors were covered in layers of carpet and the walls and pillars were painted white. I asked if I could take a photo and one of the mosque staff offered to give me a tour. It was amazing. He showed me where they store the Koran and where the cleric reads the passages for the congregation. They were extremely friendly and excited at our interest.

Our next stop was a once in a lifetime experience. We drove a half an hour out of Bouake in order to visit a small, remote tribe. AIDS testing crews on motorcycles drive to these villages and test as many as will volunteer in the community. As before in Abidjan and Bouake, AIDS stigma is very powerful and prevents people from being tested. The Secretary will be tested for the second time on the trip in front of the tribe and national TV cameras and newspapers to combat this problem.

When we arrived, a crowd of villagers gathered to greet us. I must have shaken five hundred hands during the visit. The tribal children adored us. They swarmed and cheered as we took pictures and rubbed their heads. They loved seeing themselves on the camera screen after a photo was taken. They were so charismatic and happy.

After organizing the village event we went back to the hotel and rested. It was a long day.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Day One

2008-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am typing on a very strange keyboard right now. The letters are not arranged in the same way in the Ivory Coast as they are on American keyboards. As a result I will not be submitting a very long post.

My first day in the Ivory Coast was amazing. We flew in last night but because of night time restrictions in the country and our exhaustion from our flights we went directly to bed. This morning we met with the ambassador, who, in my opinion, is the most impressive ambassador I have seen so far. She is very involved in the trip and and clearly understands the country. I have come to learn that there are two types of ambassadors; those who are appointed and those who are career state department employees. She is of the second class. Due to the civil war in Ivory Coast, the country is what is called a high risk, hardship post. Only the best ambassadors are assigned to such difficult places.

After our meeting with the ambassador we did our site visits. We visited an AIDS clinic where the Secretary will tour the facilities and be tested. A major issue in the Ivory Coast is a stigma surrounding HIV tests. The Secretary will be tested in front of numerous TV film crews and newspaper cameras to help combat that problem. We also stopped by a chicken market where an Avian Flu outbreak was detected a few years ago.

Tomorrow we travel north into a small town named Bouake. Beginning in 2002 the country has been in a state of civil war. Bouake lies just inside rebel territory; the northern part of the country. There has not been fighting in a for over a year now and the government and rebel forces have even agreed to a fragile power sharing agreement. It will be interesting to see both sides of the country; the rebel north and the government run south. It is a five hour drive and we can only travel by day. We retrun Sunday before sundown. Hopefully I will be able to post something after I return.

So far I have loved my time here. The poverty is no worse than Guayaquil but I feel much safer. It has been interesting to see the common veins that run through economic poverty throughout the world. Poor neighborhoods in Ecuador, China, Nicaragua and Ivory Coast all have similar architecture, street vendors, etc. Bouake will be much more rural, which should change the type of poverty I will see. Sadly, I have become far too comfortable with poverty. After my time in Guayaquil, hardly anything shocks me anymore. I wish I were more impacted and sensitive.

Charlottesville - Emily, Liz and I / Asheville NC

2008-08-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Liz and I traveled down to Charlottesville for her friend Emily's triathlon. We drove down Saturday afternoon which left us time to visit the UVA campus and sample some local restaurants. The next day we got up early and watched Emily start and finished the race. After the race we visited Monticello.

The highlight of the trip without a doubt was the fulfillment of dare I posed to Liz while on the UVA campus. As we walked through "the green," a stretch of grass in the middle of series of buildings designed by Jefferson, we passed a photographer taking pictures of Jefferson's rotunda. I dared Liz, for an undisclosed amount of money, to ask the photographer if he would take a glamor shot of her in front of the rotunda. I stipulated that if he then then sent her the photos, she would receive an additional amount. Below is just one of the pictures taken. She received them via email a few days ago.
On Thursday of the following week, July 31st, I traveled to Asheville for an event involving the Secretary and a program called CVE; Chartered Value Exchange. It's his solution to the current health care crisis. The event went well and I flew home Friday. The following day Mitch arrived in town.

Alaska - Juneau and Yakutat

2008-07-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've now labored over the first sentence of this post for half an hour. I struggle because my time in Alaska was nothing short of extraordinary. I returned late last night and I'm still in awe of the whole experience. I hope I can give justice to how amazing it was.

Due to the complexity of the trip, Meredith Brown, a scheduler in my office, traveled with me to advance the events. We covered two stops in the Southeast portion of Alaska, Juneau and Yakutat. The plan was for me to help Meredith advance the events in Juneau and then jump ahead to Yakutat and cover the activities there. We flew out of DC on Wednesday July 16th, arriving in Juneau around three in the afternoon.

The airplane's descent into Juneau from my window seat point of view was breathtaking. Juneau is wedged in between the Gastineau Channel, a stretch of water from the Pacific Ocean, and steep lush mountains. Due to the two barriers, the city is long and thin. Cruise ships peppered the main port as we passed overhead. Just before landing, an enormous blue glacier came into view. It appeared to fill an entire canyon.

During our time off we drove to the glacier trailhead and hiked to the closest possible point to the ice. I was taken back at the size of the glacier. It fills a canyon the size of Little Cottonwood back in Utah. The first picture of the glacier was taken from at at least a mile and half away. Beside the glacier, huge waterfalls towered down from the mountains. The warm weather created loads of water streaming from the melting mass of ice. The Glacier, scenic mountains and thunderous waterfalls made the experience unforgettable.

In between walkthroughs and other work activities we also found time to hike on the the trails through the mountains and survey the channel. The mountains and forest surrounding Juneau are incredible. It's annual rainfall classifies it as a rain forest. Also, Bald Eagles are everywhere. The locals think of them more as a nuisance then anything special. One man told us he feels the same way toward bald eagles as he does toward ravens. All in all, I don't think I've seen a more beautiful city than Juneau. I had previously touted Portland as the most beautiful city in the U.S. but Juneau is in a whole different category. I realize that I experienced the city during its best time, the summer months, but the mix of society and unbridled nature was amazing to me. It vastly exceeded even my highest expectations.

Juneau, however, was only half of my trip. I visited Yakutat on Friday July 18th and again on Monday and Tuesday of July 21st and 22nd. I had to make two trips because Yakutat does not have cell phone service. I needed to be in contact with Washington over the weekend so I spent Saturday and Sunday in Juneau. Yakutat is the home of the Yakutat Tlingit tribe. When I arrived on Friday morning the tribal president, Victoria, picked me up from the airport. She was a beautiful older Yakutat native, probably near seventy years of age. We spent the entire day together. She showed me the clinic that the Secretary would visit, treated me to a delicious seafood lunch and introduced me to the numerous tribal authorities. Throughout the day she explained to me the history of Yakutat. She stated that when Raven created Yakutat, he made the area very difficult to find and very difficult to leave. She recounted the battle with the Russian settlers and the joining of the Tlingit and Yakutat tribes. She was very charismatic and kind. I left for Juneau later that afternoon.

As before mentioned, I returned the following Monday. I finished my final walkthroughs and stayed the night. They arranged a room for me in a "bed and breakfast" that consisted of a spare bedroom in the house of the one the locals. When the Secretary arrived on Tuesday they treated him like a king. After the clinic visit the tribe celebrated his arrival by performing traditional Yakutat dances in their cultural hall and showering him with gifts; feathers, shells and food. Before the dance, the tribal elders gathered and gave the Secretary a traditional welcome in their language. An elderly woman who could barely walk chanted the welcome and the tribe cheered. The dance followed and it was stunning. They retold the history of Yakutat and honored certain sacred animals such as ducks, bears and eagles. Thirty men and women of all ages participated. There was heavy drumming and everyone was in full dance regalia. At the conclusion of the event, the Secretary spoke and got a little emotional. I think he was taken back by the hospitality. I also had similar feelings. After my two and a half days with the tribe they accepted me like one of their own. The tribe took it upon themselves to make me feel comfortable, which I greatly appreciated. They were a hospitable and simple people. They displayed a level of acceptance and generosity that I haven't seen since my time in Ecuador.

The trip back to DC was long and tiring but it gave me time to reflect on the incredible, once in a lifetime experience it was to be spend time in Juneau and interact with the tribe. Overall, this was my favorite trip so far.

Fourth of July - Fireworks

2008-07-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

I watched the fourth of July fireworks on top of the HHS building with my co-workers. It was an unbelievable experience. The firework show lasted for at least twenty minutes and the finale lit up the entire city. Our view was unbeatable. We could also see a couple additional firework displays in Maryland and Virginia. The DC fireworks were easily the best though.

Nicaragua - Anal U.S. Scheduling vs. Laid Back Latins

2008-07-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

This past week has been unbelievable. I left for Nicaragua on Sunday June 22nd. My itinerary called for me to leave from Reagan, connect though Atlanta and arrive in Managua all on Sunday. This, unfortunately was not the case. Due to weather delays out of Reagan my flight was delayed an hour. Though definitely annoyed, I didn't think this posed
any significant threat to my arriving in Atlanta in time to reach my connection. I had a scheduled two hour lay over before my flight into Nicaragua. While on the runway, however, after the weather delay, a middle aged man about five rows back from my seat began to have a diabetic fit. His body clenched tight and began to spasm. The flight attendants called for a doctor and everyone in the plane panicked. To my dismay, being as selfish as I am, the flight was grounded an additional hour and a half. Paramedics treated the man on board and helped him off the flight. By the time we finally took off from Reagan, I knew I had missed my connection. As a result I spent the night in Atlanta at a Hampton Inn. The next day I took a 7 am flight into Miami in order to catch an 11 am flight into Managua. I arrived in Miami and found my connecting flight was delayed four hours. I didn't arrive in Nicaragua until 4:30 pm, leaving me a day and a half in the country before the Secretary's arrival. Little did I know that my crazy air travel over those two days was only a small omen of what was to come.

Usually, the schedules for these international trips are set two months ahead of time. An especially hectic trip would be considered one where the events don't jell together until a week or so before. China was off the charts chaotic because some aspects of the Secretary's time there were not set until one day before. When I arrived in Nicaragua, the Secretary's trip was in what I considered to be a manageable state. President Ortega, the former militant ruler turned elected president, had invited the Secretary to Nicaragua and the two were scheduled to appear at a couple events together. There were a few question marks but overall I felt like everything would come together. Eighteen hours before the Secretary's arrival however, President Ortega's staff called the Embassy and informed them that Ortega wanted to scratch the schedule and take a more hour by hour approach. They asked if the Secretary could meet with Ortega at 5 pm the day of delegation's arrival in order to discuss what events might be worth while.
Upon hearing this terrifying development, I called my boss, head of scheduling and advance Allyson Bell. Panic filled the air. She listened to me in unbelief. She decided to consult the Secretary as to what he wanted to do. Secretary Leavitt, in his customary easy going fashion, agreed to the meeting unafraid of the unknown schedule that would result.

The delegation arrived and I advanced the location of the meeting. Security and I entered the Presidential compound and viewed the conference room. The paint job in the room was outrageous. It looked like a blown up picture of a five year old's finger painting. Streaks and blotches ran across the walls in vibrant clashing colors. There didn't appear to be any discernible pattern or reason behind the chaos. The only recognizable image was an enormous hand painted behind President Ortega's seat. In the middle of the hand's palm was a large, painted, bloodshot eye ball. I'm sure there's some big brother meaning behind the painting but I was too stressed to really analyze it in depth.

To set the stage for what happened next, in all my time working for the Secretary I have never seen him wait for anyone. Part of my job is to ensure that everyone and everything is ready for his arrival so that he can get started right away. The Secretary's meeting with Ortega, as mentioned before, was scheduled for 5pm. At the stroke of 5pm, however, Ortega was nowhere to be found. Half an hour passed and no Ortega; An hour, and hour and a half. Finally, after an hour and forty five minutes, President Ortega arrived at his own meeting. He greeted everyone wearing an unbuttoned shirt revealing his entire chest and stomach. He had on a leather jacket over his shirt, kacki pants and open toed sandals. The Secretary, by contrast, was in a full suit.

At this point no one knew what we were doing next. Allyson entered the meeting with the Secretary with her blackberry ready to email me with any news. After about half an hour I received a message giving me the location of a hospital. Security and I raced to the designated hospital, busted into the directors office and took a whirl wind tour of it's facilities. Meanwhile, the meeting between the Secretary and the President Ortega ended. As they were walking toward their cars, Ortega asked the Secretary if he wanted to ride in his new Mercedes. Without any regard to security protocol, the Secretary accepted with President's invitation. As a result, President Ortega ended up behind the wheel with the Secretary sitting shotgun. This became the front page image on the following day's newspaper. As they made their way toward the hospital, Ortega supposedly ran stop signs, red lights, and totally defied the speed limit. One HHS security guard later commented, "If he would have been injured in some kind of accident, we would have all been fired." Security was furious that the Secretary ignored standard Security procedure.

So I waited by the front door for the Secretary with about seventy other people, including Nicaraguan police, hospital staff and about ten individuals with enormous tv cameras, which were undoubtedly manufactured in the 1950's or 60's. As we were waiting, we heard a scream, "They're at the back door!" Everyone panicked and ran toward the action. A seventy person stampede ensued, with the camera people knocking over everyone and security screaming for people to get out of the way. I finally found the Secretary with the President surrounded by tv cameras. They slowly, with the help of pushing police officers and security, entered the hospital. Room by room, the President guided the Secretary through the hospital with the cameras following every move. In Nicaragua, patient privacy apparently does not exist. On ten different national tv stations, the President asked patient after patient about their diseases and the treatments they were receiving. One patient confessed to having ciphelous (spelling?) while seven others in the AIDS clinic were publicly outed for being HIV positive. For the naturally open latin patients, doctors and politicians, this invasion of privacy didn't seem like such a big deal. I, on the other hand, was stunned.

After the hospital visit, the delegation returned to the hotel to decompress and plan for the next day. During the Secretary's meeting with the President, they arranged to take a boat tour of Lake Nicaragua the following morning. The scheduled meeting time was 10am at the dock in Granada, a nearby city on the lake. Upon informing the embassy of the meeting they replied that Ortega would not arrive until 11:30am. When I asked why, they stated that the President has "never been seen in public before 11:30am." Sure enough, we arrived at 10am and Ortega was not there. We waited an a half hour, an hour, and again, finally, after an hour and a half, he arrived. This time the entrance was much more dramatic. Ortega arrived in a 1960's Soviet Helicopter. He landed a short distance away and drove into the dock.

The boat ride was our last event with the President. The rest of the the Secretary's stay in Nicaragua involved meetings and speeches. When the delegation finally left, it was an gigantic relief. Though stressful, Nicaragua was probably the most exciting trip of my life.

The pictures include me at the dock, in front of the boat and in Granada. There are also a couple Ortega, a picture of one of his billboards and a photo of the Secretary being mobbed by reporters after a speech. I also included a picture taken from my hotel window.

Floating the Shenandoah and Birthday Dinner

2008-06-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of May a bunch of Liz's friends rented rafts and floated down the Shenandoah. Liz was nice enough to invite me and I had a great time. Last week, Liz also brought me to her friend's birthday dinner. Her friends are hilarious. We all had a good time making fun of Liz. The first picture is of Liz, her friend Emily and I. The last three are of the dinner.

Chile! No wait... Sioux Falls

2008-06-14T14:19:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I was all set for a week long trip to Chile to pick up Braden from his mission. I had asked permission from both my both supervisors and the forecast looked good. The deputy of advance sounded unsure but when I asked the staff division head she said it wouldn't be a problem. She stated that there was a trip for the electronic health records campaign but that Nahigian Strategies, an event planning contracting company, would cover it. I informed my family and emailed Braden ecstatically telling him that I would get to see his mission. Three years ago Braden picked me up from my mission in Ecuador. During the past two years he has made it very clear that he wants the favor returned. For nearly his whole mission Braden has been pressing me to travel down to Chile when his time ended. As for me, I can honestly say that I have never looked forward to a trip as much as this. I nearly bought my ticket but decided to wait until I could get final confirmation on the exact dates I could miss.

The next week brought bad news. My supervisors told me I had to travel to Sioux Falls South Dakota during the week of my trip to cover the eletronic health records event in that city. With the usual two day advance drop in date I would need to arrive on a Wednesday, shortening my time in Chile to three days including travel. This, needless to say, canceled my trip. I'm not sure what changed exactly. Sioux Falls was on the schedule when my trip was approved. I guess this is a downfall of an otherwise perfect job; an unstable schedule.

As a result, this past week I travel to beautiful Sioux Falls. It is far more interesting a city than I expected. It has a charming down town with a nearby river which runs through the city. The winters are supposed to be brutal but what I saw of the summer was enjoyable.
The first picture is of me infront of a bronze replica of the David. The second is the most prominent feature of the Sioux Falls skyline, the Saint Joseph's Cathedral. The third is of me holding the electronic health reords flag. I nearly forgot the flag at my office but recovered it just before my flight with the help of an especially skilled taxi driver. The fourth is the same flag being held by the Secretary, Senetor Thune and the Govenor Rounds.

New China Pictures

2008-06-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

One of the agents from China just sent me these. Two of the pictures show me in front of the "Birds Nest," the principle stadium for the Beijing Olympics. The opening and closing ceremonies, track and field as well as numerous other events will be held there. It is, without a doubt, the largest stadium I have ever seen. The actual seating is encased in that bird's nest web of steal. This will undoubtedly become one of the hallmark Chinese landmarks after the Olympics. The other pictures is Scott Harris and I walking the wall together. Everyone else turned back after about a quarter mile but we ventured near the limits of the walking limits of the section.

Blake Henderson Band - Adams Morgan

2008-06-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

The night I arrived from China, I received news that the second half of the Blake Henderson Band, Joel Welch, was in town. Along with Bobby Harrington and Frank we scoured the town for venues to play. Finally we were able to perform in Adams Morgan. There's a youtube video but I'm not sure it's appropriate for everyone. This was the Blake Henderson Band's first live performance.

Salt Lake City

2008-05-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

I traveled home for Memorial Day weekend. It was fun to see everybody, especially the Beta Rho Mu brethren.

Beijing, China - Final Day

2008-05-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

This has been an extremely stressful trip. For the past week I have been working fifteen hour days with little sleep (I know someone who works these hours regularly and never complains. I, however, will indulge). It was the perfect storm created by my inexperience, a fluid schedule, a difficult control officer and a number of high maintenance guests brought by the Secretary (not including the Hammers. They were great). The day before Leavitt arrived I had my doubts whether his events would pull through. Fortunately everything ran smoothly. Writing now after he departed, I am glad I experienced what I did. The intensity was exhausting but at the same time thrilling.

The first picture was taken in Tiananmen Square with Mao's tomb in the background. was raining which made everything really beautiful. The next couple pictures are at and around Tiananmen Square. There's one of the enterance to the Forbidden
City where Mao used to address the masses. The last picture was taken in the new Beijing International terminal. It's absolutely enormous.

Nacho Gets His Ties (Seventy)

2008-05-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

The Great Wall - Day Four

2008-05-11T04:17:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the repetitiveness of the pictures but I’m actually only displaying about a fifth of the photos I took. The Great Wall was amazing! There are about seven places within driving distance from Beijing where you can experience the Great Wall. We chose one that was a little farther away and a little less touristy. It was a good decision. The drive to the Great Wall was beautiful. Having only been in Beijing, I hadn’t had the chance to see the Chinese countryside. The land surrounding the Chinese capitol is lush and very green. We drove alongside an ancient canal that was especially breathtaking. It was lined with trees and over grown. Lilies covered the surface of the water. It was the China that I had anticipated seeing.

In order to reach the wall we had to take a gondola that carried us to the top of a mountain ridge. I didn’t envision the wall scaling mountains but that is exactly what it does. The stretch of the wall that was available for us to walk probably only spanned a mile and a half or so. Beyond that the Great Wall topped every peak on the horizon. From the picture it’s hard to tell but the wall follows the peaks in the picture of the mountains. I would say the overall experience rivaled Machu Pichu. The Great Wall is not as secluded as Machu Pichu but the overall awe of human achievement is the same.

Overall it was a great break from a very hectic working schedule. This trip has been particularly challenging due to some holdups with the Chinese approval for several events. The schedule for the visit is not even completely firmed down and they arrive in two days. This makes it very difficult to do advance work. Hopefully everything will work out fine but I’m nervous.

Chinese Markets and the Lab - Day Two

2008-05-09T12:44:00.001-07:00

Forbidden City - Day One Pictures

2008-05-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

After an extremely stressful stretch that involved visa problems and missing a flight, I departed for China a day late on Wednesday the 7th of May. The flight was a mere fourteen hours, which I spent crammed next to an overweight couple who cuddled and fondled each other nonstop from take-off to landing. I arrived in the newly expanded Beijing Airport. The terminal was incredible, though a little confusing. The athletes and guests during the Olympic Games will use terminal I flew into.

After arrival, a co-worker and I visited the Forbidden City, a ten minute walk from our hotel. On the way we saw Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall of the People though we did not visit these sites. We only entered the first two gates of the Forbidden City because of time restraints but what we saw was remarkable. Behind each gate is an enormous courtyard surrounded on every side by large stone walls. While in the second courtyard, a group of twenty somethings dressed in military uniform entered holding fold-up desks. They marched to a small restricted area, organized themselves into little groups and started what my former Beijing resident co-worker described as “communist party school.” They recited something and then started a discussion. It reminded me of the MTC actually. The rest of my day was meetings and conference calls.

The first picture is of me in the first courtyard. The next three were taken as we walked around the outer wall of the Forbidden City from the outside. The Last picture is the view from my hotel room at four in the morning. You can see the mixture of old and new architecture.

Chicago + Cavs vs. Wizards

2008-05-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

I left for Chicago on the 29th of April for an a series of speeches given by the Secretary regarding Medicare. The first speech took place on the top floor of the AON building, some eighty stories above Chicago. The second was in the historic architectural district and the third took place at Northwestern Medical School. On the day of the event, I was forced to entertain the Northwest Medical School Dean and other hospital executives because the Secretary was running late for his meeting with them. I chatted with them about Law School and the details of my job. They were extremely nice and very interested in my future plans. I met the Georgetown Law School Dean a few weeks ago and the difference between the two was night and day. I've really come to appreciate people of high rank who treat less accomplished individuals with respect.

On the night of the 29th, I took the metro out to Wrigley Field to watch a Cubs game. It was like nothing I expected. The stadium seemed to be built by the same architect as the white roller coaster at lagoon. Everything was old and worn down, except for the fans who, as game progressed, became more and more inebriated and belligerent. I decided that I am officially a cubs fan. They are now on a slightly lower plain than my first true baseball love, the Rockies.

This past weekend, Liz and I went to the Wizards/Cavs game 6 in the Verizon Center. During the course of the series I have come to hate the Wizards. They cheap shotted Lebron game after game and then talked smack about it. I openly cheered against the home team, which directed a fair amount of hatred my way initially, but paid off in the end.

Bennett and Eliza

2008-04-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I took the train up to Delaware to see Ryan, Camille, Bennett and Eliza. When I arrived I couldn't believe what I saw and heard. Bennett looks like he weighs 100 pounds and Eliza is talking in complete, well organized paragraphs. Both have changed so much since I last saw them. I had such a great time. I was really tired from my trip to Singapore but the weekend ended up being exactly what I needed.

Singapore - Entry Two

2008-04-15T00:18:00.000-07:00

I returned home from Singapore on the 16th of April. It was an incredible trip. Singapore went from a third world country to a first world country in thirty years. Basically the same person has run the country during that entire time. Through strict regulations, he has cleaned up the city and attracted massive amounts of foreign investments. There are over sixty thousand millionaires in a populations of just over four million. Everyone speaks English and there are more malls per square mile than I have ever seen. Luckily, every morning I was able to walk around and experience the local markets and common areas. The country is like nothing I've ever seen.

The Secretary's visit went really well. He arrived late Monday night, April 14th, and the next morning visited the Health Ministry and a medical research complex named Biopolis. Before I left, I made sure to ask everyone I met if they knew Mark. Most did and I received lots of free stuff. Thanks Mark.

The first picture is of me in front of the Health Ministry. It used to be a command center during the British occupation. The second is of the agents and I. The agents are drinking a Singaporean Sling, a famous cocktail served a famous hotel named Raffles. The third is the Singaporean skyline. The whole island has high rises so this is only a portion of the overall view. The fourth is me at a hackerstall, a food court with cheap local seafood. The barbecue crabs and the prongs were incredible. The took the fifth picture at the zoo. While waiting in line for the "night safari" they had a fire breathing show. The last picture is my favorite. This is a transvestite lead singer at a local bar. She/he actually was pretty talented.

Singapore - First Entry

2008-04-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

ASIA! Me love you long time! (Peter Guyon)

I left for Singapore midday on Wednesday the 9th. I flew direct to Tokyo from Dulles, a thirteen and a half hour flight, and then transfered to Singapore, a seven and a half hour flight. While in Tokyo during the lay over I made sure I ordered sushi and ate massive amounts of hi chew. I also watched a Japanese soap opera while waiting in the terminal. What more is there to do in Japan? I think that just about covers it.

We arrived at around midnight on Thursday and went straight to our rooms. This, however, does not mean that I slept. I didn't doze off until 4:30 am. I woke up two hours later and, frustrated that I couldn't sleep, decided to get breakfast. The hotel restaurant was amazing. It was among the best breakfasts I can remember. The price : $65 singaporean, or roughly $50 american. Luckily my per diem is absurd.

The agents and I started working later that morning. We met with the embassy, visited the Singaporean Ministry of Health and checked out the tropical disease center. I held up pretty well all day until about 11pm. I was out with the agents at a bar and I couldn't keep my eyes open. I got a good night sleep last night though and I am feeling refreshed and energetic this morning.

My first appointment today was at noon so I was able to walk around all morning. I found a grocery store with incredible sushi, checked out suit prices and got a haircut. While with the hair stylist, a torrential downpore started. I have never seen rain come down like that before. There was around three inches of water streaming down the streets. Everyone seemed just fine with it so I assume huge downpores are a regular occurance.

The first picture is a sample of my twenty-four hours of travel. The second is the view of Singapore from my hotel room. The third is a brief stop at a local hospital with the agents and the final is self-taken picture at the club last night.

New Part - It's the only way I can keep my long hair

2008-04-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

Boston and the National Kite Festival

2008-03-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

This past week was especially eventful. A couple weeks ago I saw that the Secretary scheduled a visit to Boston on a four city swing from March 25th to 27th. As my family and friends know, I have applied to two Boston law school, Boston University and Boston College. I knew that a business trip to Boston would allow me enough time to visit both campuses between my working hours. I dropped hints to my supervisor, Cecil Wallace, stating publicly that I had never been to Boston and that I might eventually end up there for law school. Though this passive approach had failed in the past, a desired but unattained trip to Detroit two weeks ago being a prime example, to my delight Cecil granted me responsibility over Boston. I called both law schools and scheduled times to visit. I flew into Boston early on the 25th and immediately made my way toward Boston University. I interviewed with an admissions adviser and attended a contracts class. Interestingly enough, in a piece about graduate schools, NPR featured the professor whose class I attended. The radio story talks about his unconventional teaching style and includes him singing in class. I found this while browsing around the BU website a couple days ago. The link can be found on the Boston University Law School page under faculty and Professor Pettit. After class, I worked my way over to Boston College's law school. I spent the afternoon there enjoying the beautiful campus and college atmosphere. I was impressed by both schools. The Secretary's event took place on the 27th and I flew home later that night.
Yesterday, Saturday the 29th, was the National Kite festival. I was not expecting much going into the festival. I pictured around fifty kites spread throughout the mall being navigated by nerds, like Ryan or Dad. What I saw, however, was amazing. There were at least two thousand kites of all shapes and sizes and all altitudes flying in a relatively small area around the Washington Monument. To top it off, below the kites on the horizon were rows of cherry blossoms. Unfortunately my camera was out of batteries. The above photo was taken on Sarah's camera and frames Sarah, John Poleman and I against the Washington Monument and the thousands of kites.

Easter

2008-03-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

I have had a great Easter. Last night I slept at Sarah's so that we could wake up early and attend the early morning Easter service at the National Cathedral. The ceremony was really elaborate with sections of repetition and standing. The bishop gave a great sermon and the choir and organ played music I had studied in my music history class. I later slept through all of sacrament meeting because of the early start to the day. Allyson Bell, my boss, hosted an Easter dinner at her apartment in the evening. Rich and Barb Mckeown ate with us and gave me an easter basket. Some of my office came as well. Being surrounded by people I enjoy was the perfect way to celebrate this year's Easter. The pictures are in front of the National Cathedral.

ALbuquerque, New York and Seattle

2008-03-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday March 11th I flew down to Albuquerque on my first solo trip. I have done a few events on my own but this was my first independent event on the road. Everything ran really smoothly so that was a relief. Albuquerque was interesting. The old route 66 makes Albuquerque worth visiting. Along route 66 I ate typical New Mexican food, with red or green chili of course, and enjoyed the shops, with their colorful store fronts. I flew back from Albuquerque on my birthday. It was also Mike Nelson's birthday so we celebrated on the flight home. Luckily, we flew in the charter and not commercially. The next day, Friday, I left work early and met all the "Family Friends" females in New York. I took the China Town bus, a horrible experience I hope never to endure again, and arrived just in time to see "Wicked." We ate really well, shopped and saw two Broadway productions. It was great to see everyone. I returned on Sunday and left for Seattle on the following Tuesday. Seattle was beautiful. I stayed at the Marriott Waterfront right on dock. The event was located in the flagship REI in the United States. We met with REI management, all of which arrived in jeans, plaid shirts and marmot vests, and took a tour through the building. I even got a free Patagonia coat ( just joking but I did buy one ). Unfortunately, I lost my camera charger so I didn't take any pictures of this string of trips. Erin sent me a picture from New York and Mike Nelson should be sending me a picture from Albuquerque. Next stop: Boston

McAllen, Texas

2008-03-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

I just arrived home from McAllen, Texas. The place so dull that I would almost rather live in the ghettos of Guayaquil. At least I would be entertained. The Border Control Conference went well. The Mexican Secretary of Health attended and it was all love and kind words between the United States and Mexico.
The most exciting event of the trip happened on the plane ride home. I had finished the book I brought to read during the flight so I started to look out the airplane window out of boredom. What I saw was incredible. We were flying above a thunderstorm. Lightning lit up the cloud cover below like flashing light bulbs every few seconds. The flashes stretched as far as I could see out my window. I nudged a co-worker in front of me and we watched the storm for around a half an hour. After the thirty minutes of awe, I noticed that we were descending right into the thunderstorm. The plane dipped right into the clouds and began to shake violently. We descended, the plane's movement becoming more and more erratic, until we were about 100 yards above the runway. At that point, the shaking reaching a sickening peak, the pilot pulled the plane upwards and abandoned the landing. He announced that we might have to land in Baltimore. He said he would try one more time before giving up on Reagan. Luckily for us the second attempt, though still frightening, ended up just fine.
I know that I am a bad picture taker, but the above is a blurry photo of the two Secretaries, Leavitt and Cordova, at the Border Control Event

Comedians and Atheletes

2008-03-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

Since I've been traveling I've seen a number of celebrities and athletes at the airport. Two weeks ago, I boarded a plane from Las Vegas to Houston with the 2006 #1 NFL draft pick Mario Williams. Last week coming home from Orlando I waited at baggage claim with Redskins running back Clinton Portis. Today I went through security with comedian Dave Chapelle. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of any of them. Sorry.

Orlando

2008-02-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

I returned from Orlando late on the 26th of February. It ended a week and a half stretch away from the office. I returned home from Las Vegas on Friday the 22nd and left for Orlando two days later on the 24th. Orlando was undoubtedly the largest event I've been involved in so far. He arrived the night of the 25th which meant that we had to prepare his room and get him situated. The events took place on the 26th. It was basically four events in one. He spoke at an enormous conference, walked through an electronic health records demo at a nearby conference center. He then moved to a different building where he had two other meetings. The two photos are of the large speech and the walk through. I don't have any pictures of Orlando because there isn't much to see. The city is really spread out. I never even saw the downtown. I was near Universal Studios though, which looked pretty cool.

Atlanta and Las Vegas

2008-02-22T20:24:00.001-08:00

My latest trip started on Monday Feburary 18th when I boarded a plane to Atlanta. We traveled to help prepare for an event on February 20th at Georgia Tech. Everything ran relatively smoothly, except for the event planner at Georgia Tech who was extremely hard to work with. While in Atlanta I found time to visit Coke World and the CNN center. After the event on the 20th, I flew to Las Vegas for another affair. Mom and Dad drove down from Salt Lake and we spent the evening of the 20th and the morning of the 21st together. Unfortunately I did not have my camera so there are no pictures of Mom, Dad and I. After the Vegas event, which took place on the UNLV campus, I met up with Blake and Crismon, who also drove down from Salt Lake. Mike Nelson, a coworker and fellow East High alumn, joined in and together we partook of the various attractions that Vegas has to offer, including gambling, an incredible buffet at the Mirage and the rollercoasters on top of the Stratusphere. The first picture is of the CNN center in Atlanta. The second is of Mike Nelson, Blake, Crismon and I just prior to entering the elevator to the top of the Stratusphere. The third photo is of me and the Coke Polar Bear in Atlanta. The fourth is of the event in Atlanta. If you look closely, Sec. Leavitt is speaking in the middle of the picure. The fifth is Blake, Crismon and I with our Mexican waiter at the Mirage. The final photo is a picture of vegas on top of the Stratusphere at midnight.

Dupont Circle

2008-02-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

Besides finding an apartment and settling in, I've been able to enjoy D.C. with some friends living here. The person I know the best and who I've spent the most time with is Sarah Crookston, Mitch's girlfriend. She is working in Sen. Hatch's office as an intern. I've also spent time with other acquaintances from Salt Lake. We usually spend at least one weekend night in Dupont Cirlce enjoying the food and Krammer's bookstore. There are two really good Thai restaurants in the area. Dupont has traditionally been known as a gay neighborhood. Now it's just an upscale area full of cool shops and restaurants. The first picture is of a giant dalmation-looking mastiff at near Dupont Cirlce. The second is of Sarah and I at the Museum of Natural History. Third is of Sarah, her two roommates, Megan and Allyson, and I.

Housing Search

2008-02-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

Before I begin I want to preface what I am about to say by stating that I have loved my time here. I love my job, I love who I work with and I love my friends who are out here. My experience in D.C. has been perfect so far, except for housing. As a foreigner to the District I maintained my Salt Lake City price scale for apartments. My room on 33rd south in Salt Lake lightened my bank account $225 a month, including utilities. When I arrived in D.C., I expected similar pricing. My low priced expectations led me into trouble. On my second day in townI heard about housing in a basement for $350 per month. Upon finding this opening, I made a number of amateur mistakes. I assumed the living conditions were fair, based on the "high price." I immediately committed to sublet the apartment without visiting it beforehand. I left the comfortable confines of the McKeown residence near and drove all my bags to what I thought would be my new home. When I arrived I encountered an unfinished basement with sheets separating my living space from the next very messy individual. There was no ceiling, only the floorboards of the upstairs. When I asked where my closet space was they replied that I would have to somehow hang a pcp pipe across my room for my suits and dress shirts. The worst attribute of the basement, however, was the cement floors, which the owners failed to seal. This produced an continual film of white dust over almost everything. I decided then and there that I would have to find another place. I left my bags in the basement, taking a days supplies of clothes, and immediately called Sarah Crookston.
For the next four nights I stayed with Sarah while returning to the dusty basement every few days for a fresh supply of clothes. During this time I continued my search for a suitable apartment.
In no time I got in touch with a latin real estate agent named Payam. He said he had apartments near Union Station for $575 a month. He wanted to meet up so he gave me directions to the first housing option and we set a time. At the predetermined time, I got off the metro on route to meet up with Payam and began following his directions. I soon realized I was walking farther and farther into a very rough neighborhood. After walking for some terrifying ten minutes, I finally met him at the address and he ushered me inside. The place was disgusting. He showed me the bedroom first and then the bathroom. Spread out across the bathroom floor were three playboys and a maxim. After walking through the apartment I told him bluntly that I was looking for a better neighborhood. This did not sit well with Payam as he told me that he lived right next door. He called me "too paranoid" and coldly gave me directions back to the metro.
Soon after I received an email from a single Mormon, Tim Adams, looking to rent out his apartment near the Petagon City mall. The e-mail said I could move in immediately, which was a relief. When I called him, however, he told me that I would actually have to wait until Tuesday. I stopped by the apartment later that night and when we spoke, he changed the time again, delaying it until Saturday. Tim felt bad for misleading me and offered a place to sleep in his living room on an inflatable mattress until the apartment was available. Though annoyed, I decided to take his offer. For the next four nights I slept in his living room on a blow-up mattress that managed to completely deflate within half an hour. Finally, on Saturday I moved in. I did stumble upon a small bit of luck and found a free bed from someone living a couple miles from my new house. I picked up on Sunday night and, for the first time in two weeks, was able to unpack, settle in, and sleep on a bed. The pictures above are of my new house and my new room.

Richmond, Virginia

2008-02-07T11:40:00.001-08:00

I just arrived home from Richmond, Virginia. The trip was incredible. We spent of a lot of time in the Virginia state capitol. Thomas Jefferson designed the building and it looks very similar to the white house. The Governor's office is the smallest in the building. Thomas Jefferson designed it that way to remind the state head that he is a servant to the people. They had just finished construction on a new underground wing in the capitol and so we had the pleasure of touring and working in the new area. I'm still training and will be for the next couple weeks, which means I will be traveling with other advance personnel. After a couple accompanied trips, I will be on my own.
The pictures I've posted are of Virginia's state capital at sunrise and of the entrance to Governor Tim Kaine's office.

Flight and first few days

2008-02-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

The last few days of my life have been unbelievable. I flew out of Salt Lake City on Saturday, February2nd, with Secretary Leavitt on a chartered presidential jet. The flight took all of three hours and forty five minutes and I basically walked on and off the the plane without waiting for baggage or security. I stayed the night at Rich and Barb McKeown's downtown apartment, located two blocks off the mall. I started on Monday and now I'm on the road traveling ahead of Secretary Leavitt in Richmond, Virginia. I still can't believe I'm here.