So my car got some work done today and today was just the beginning. I need four new tires, new front brake pads and rotors, and my rear struts MIGHT be leaking. If they are, I will send the meanest letter to Nissan. It would be completely ridiculous for them to be leaking this early. And my warranty just ran out last month! sigh.

My rotors are rusty and warped. Too rusty to be able to be turned, so they need to be replaced. It's something I can't hold off on until I get to Seattle, I need to do it before I leave. Same with the tires. With the drive home costing so much in gas and tolls, I'll be broke by the time I reach Seattle. In case you are wondering, yes I got two opinions. I might go to a third place and see if my rotors can be turned, just because I want to be absolutely sure they can't be before I fork out $400+ dollars for new rotors and brake pads, especially since my brake pads are only 40% worn.

My car has been a champ up until now and I do feel lucky there isn't more needing to be done.

For the last several months, I've tracked Republican presidential candidates. The campaign I was on would disburse the videos to various blogs (Crooks and Liars) and websites (Brave New Films) as well as members of the press. One of my videos that I got at a private town hall at Rice University was used to alert the folks at Countdown with Keith Olbermann that McCain had goofed on the Shiite-Iran connection on yet another instance. Olbermann ran a segment with that video of McCain screwing up. Thanks to me.

My videos and audio I got from videos was also used in commercials for the campaign I was on, Campaign to Defend America (go here for one where multiple videos I shot were used), and a commercial Moveon.org did, which you can view here. I never got credit outside of the campaign, but I want to give myself credit now. My videos are still being used and dammit, I'm gonna take credit each time they pop up. You can go to this link for the youtube page of the campaign I was on and view hundreds of videos, a majority of which are mine.

If you watch a video under the last link to the IssueAlliance youtube page and want to know if I shot it, click on the "more info" link in the video description box and look for a label. If the label contains "JC", which stands for my name, then I shot the video. Here is one example you can see where "JC" is listed under the "label."

The last few days I've really been thinking about moving back to Seattle and the drive. On one hand, I'm super excited about the drive. On the other, I'm nervous and impatient that I even have to make the drive. I'm really thinking I'll aim for 7-10 hours each day.

The places I'd like to stop and smell the roses, so to speak are Chicago, Billings (my friend's parents live there), Coeur d'Alene, Wisconsin, and maybe Minnesota. I'm sure the Dakota's will be a bore, but it will still be exciting because I've never been to those two states. When I get to Minneapolis, I'll have to get off I-90 and take a different highway if I want to go through South Dakota. I'm not sure if this other highway (not sure which one it is) takes me near Mt. Rushmore, but if so, I'm definitely stopping there. I could stay on I-90 and make a little detour and hit the corner of S. Dakota, but I'm not sure if I can do that and if it would be efficient.

I'm pretty nervous about fitting everything into my car. I bought a little refrigerator I'll have to sell and a tv, which I am NOT selling, as well as acquiring some clothes since I've moved here, but I'll most likely have to ship some boxes home. I was thinking it would be fun to buy a tent that is super easy to setup and then camping my way back to Seattle, but I'm not sure that's doable.

I emailed my dad to see if he could mail me a small gun that I could have on the way back for protection. I have a bb gun and some knives (swiss army types) but I'd feel better if I had a gun as well, especially since I'll most likely need some naps in the car to keep me going. Thoughts?

Ok, before you do anything else, read the post I just made below. Now you can read this. I've decided to add a donation button to my blog (look to the right) in case anyone feels so inclined and would like to donate to my journey back to Seattle. If I don't decide to go back, any donations will be returned, but I highly doubt I'll stay out here. If you do donate and have a special request tied to the donation (pictures, a post, a public thank you, etc), let me know. With gas prices, I'm anticipating paying around $600 in gas and tolls. A few motel nights thrown in there, buying food and snacks for the road, and the trip could easily reach $1000.

Life in Bush's America and this Bush economy is frighteningly expensive.

So I've continued mulling over whether I want to step up my job search and return to Seattle. I've felt very torn over the decision, but I feel that my growing desire to settle down somewhere will only increase as the weeks and months pass by. I'm in a financial position where I can afford to drive back to Seattle (with gas prices this will be an expensive drive) and take a little bit longer to get back, unless I get a job offer relatively soon.

It's a 41+ hour drive, and I'll be driving through 2 states I've never been to (North Dakota and Wisconsin) and I would like to hit South Dakota, if it's not too far out of the way (leaving only Alaska and Oklahoma as the only two states I haven't seen). I am hoping to do about 8-10 hours a day, making it a 4 day trip, but also take some time to smell the roses so maybe another day or two? I will also be going through Billings, Montana, and one of my good friends is from there and I would love to see her parents and the remodeling they've done to their house. I would also love to spend some time in Coeur d'Alene.

Call me tacky, but I kinda want to put a donation form on this blog in case anyone is inclined to donate a bit of money for me if I do make the drive. I can reward said donations with lots of pretty pics of the journey and updates along the way!

When I drove from Vegas to New Hampshire, I slept in my car, except one night when I was in Nebraska and my friend Noah let me stay at his place and I got his big king sized bed all to myself!!! Thanks, Noah! So, I really want to treat myself and stay in motels on the way.

The way things are looking is that I will stay in DC for the next few weeks as I've already paid the rent for this month and I can continue applying for jobs in Seattle and do some of the touristy things I've never had time for.

Today I'm taking my car to get everything checked over, fluids replaced, maybe new tires, whatever is needed to make her run good. Fingers crossed for a small bill. She was a champ on my first cross-country trip and I'm hoping she continues if I make the drive back.

Lastly, I'm thinking of heading to the national mall for fireworks on the 4th. I'll be alone, but that's ok.

Wordle is a website I discovered through Rosie O'Donnell's website. Go there and have some fun! Here is what I created using some of my favorite quotes!

I've been dead set on staying out in Washington D.C. ever since I lost my job. I just didn't think I was ready to leave, until the other day. I can't quite pinpoint what triggered it, maybe feeling the full extent of the nothingness D.C. represents now, but I felt this sudden and strong desire to move back to Seattle. I felt like I was ready. I had ventured out on my own at the age of 18 and seldom returned home for extended periods of time. Three times for a few months at a time in the last nine years, if I recall correctly.

I think my last trip helped me realize what I miss out on when I choose to see the world and grow up, on my own. I miss familar faces, home cooked meals, extended family, my pets, familiarity of surroundings, memories, my dog sleeping under the covers to keep warm, puppies and kittens, and the realization that I am not completely alone.

I go into the storage area where all of my stuff is in Washington and get so excited at what I have collected over the years. I cannot wait until I settle down somewhere and I can hang my diploma's up on my wall in their beautiful frames my dad bought for me for the last three of my four degrees. I cannot wait to have my stuff back. I cannot wait to have my winter, summer, fall, and spring wardrobes all together!

So I texted my mom a few days ago and told her I was ready to come back. Not necessarily move back into the family home, but move back to the area. The sad reality now has been the foundation of why I wanted to stay; there are just more jobs here. More professional opportunities to grow. My professional ties are here. A job I might get is most likely here and to start applying to jobs in Seattle would be a time consuming and potentially fruitless effort.

This job I might get would last thru November. I couldn't drive across the country in December. The time is now, or next year when I am most likely broke. I can't make the decision now, nor a week from now. I need time. I need things to sort themselves out and then everything will become clear again and the road will unfold before me. Until then I bask in the nothingness of Washington D.C.

One of my former bosses, who I adore, has passed my name along to someone in the political consulting industry. I was able to have a phone coversation with them and met with them today to talk about getting a position with the consulting firm. The problem is that I am lacking in some of the qualifications they desire. They asked me to have two of my references call them and gave me a homework assignment. The assignment is a writing project, but the project is a type of project I've never done before. Yikes.

The pay would be about a $500/month cut in pay, but the experience I would get would hopefully trump the cut in pay. They actually told me when they mentioned the pay that it would probably be more than what I was making at my last job...not quite. I got a promotion and raise in February.

My main concern, aside from the homework, is approaching my boss about these medical issues I am having with that damn car accident. I really should be getting physical therapy 2x/week. The appointments are only about 30 minutes, and I can walk there in about 10-15 minutes from work. So I only need a few hours a week. However, if I do get this job and start right away, I will still need to schedule time to go see a Neurologist and go get that MRI.

The most unfortunate thing about campaign work, and this job would essentially be a campaign job, is not just the pay, but the hours really kick you in the ass. You don't work 8 hours a day, and scheduling needed appointments around a campaign schedule can be exceptionally difficult.

So any advice on approaching my potential boss if I get the job about appointments would be greatly appreciated. I figure as soon as she opens the door to accepting the job would be my time to ask her if it's "possible" to go see my physical therapist twice a week. Frankly, I'm content holding off on the MRI until I get more physical therapy.

On June 30th, my health insurance coverage will end, unless I elect to use COBRA and spend 25% of my unemployment $$$ on the coverage. So, I wanted to go see my doctor one last time. I was assuming she'd give me some muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories because I'm still having pain from my car accident that happened a few months ago when I was rear-ended on I-5.

Well, I was wrong. She ordered bloodwork to see if I have any vitamin deficiencies (I bet I do), then wanted a urine sample, then ordered an MRI, and said I need more physical therapy, and last but not least, referred me to a Neurologist. I'm thinking my doctor didn't quite get that I won't have insurance to cover all of the aforementioned after Monday, and there is no way I can squeeze all of that in by Monday, unless I use my COBRA to continue my coverage, which I kinda feel I need to now. Did I mention how I despise needles?

The last time I had blood drawn, I nearly passed out. It wasn't just because they took 9 vials, it was just the fact that I am scared to death of those damn needles and if you've seen my arms, you know getting a vein can be quite the challenge. And they use the baby needles, so it takes forever.

So I was somewhat relieved when the Phlebotomist acted pretty confident in her ability to get a vein. Yet, she picked the right arm. RED FLAG #1. Red Flag #2, #3, and #4 were the successive attempts in that arm she tried to get a vein. Finally, finally, she moved to the other arm, the arm that has been used for iv sites and bloodwork the last several times, all successfully. Yet, it took her a few more tries to finally get a vein. She then asked, "does your blood move slowly?" I don't freaking know, but clearly it does since it's taking 2 hours to get 4 vials. The vein she got finally gave out and she couldn't even fill the last vial. Thankfully the torture was over and I thought that a day that was supposed to be hopeful has turned out pretty freaking shitty until I checked my Facebook and saw I had a message.

To be continued...

So I had two phone interviews today. The first was for a Senatorial campaign in a southern state. Pretty major race. I would be so much more interested if it meant I didn't have to move. I thought for sure they were calling and wanting to guage my interest in field work, but it was actually for a research position, which I found so much more interesting. What's really great is they approached me! I sent them some of my research work earlier tonight. I just have no interest in moving to this particular state. DC or bust!

Then I interviewed with a group who does staffing for a lot of campaigns and organizations, such as the DNC, Moveon.org, etc...You do work on behalf of the groups but are paid through this other group. A lot of campaigns contract out some, or all, of their staffing. I have a feeling that the pay will not be great and the hours (80-100/week) is really tough to maintain. I pulled hours like that for two months last summer, then dropped down to 60-80 hours for a few more months, and have been at around 50-80 hours since then and it is killer. I just don't think I can maintain that and this position includes a lot of door-to-door work, which can be physically and mentally exhausting.

Later on I received a call from a political temp agency. Only in DC. I'm gonna go see them next week. Figure it's worth a shot, ya know? I'd love to work in a PR Firm or Ad Firm, or something like that. I find advertising so interesting.

So that's the status. Meanwhile, I'm plugging away at cover letters. Ugh.

"Someday soon, very soon in America, we will have a woman as president. And you know what that woman will say? 'I would not be here had it not been for Hillary Rodham Clinton."' Joel Klein

Despite being a total bleeding heart liberal, I'm not the biggest fan of "big government." Besides being, often times, inefficient and ineffective, it costs a lot of money to run a "big government." This is where my libertarian streak really manifests itself. With that said, we still need government. But we don't just need government. We need an effective and efficient government. A government which limits the bureaucratic nightmare it has made so famous.

This is why.

And when you click on the link and read it, this next sentence will make sense. No, California officials, bureaucracy didn't fail the little boy, YOU did.

The Little Ship

I stood watching as the little ship sailed out to sea. The setting sun tinted his white sails with a golden light, and as he disappeared from sight a voice at my side whispered, "He is gone".

But the sea was a narrow one. On the farther shore a little band of friends had gathered to watch and wait in happy expectation. Suddenly they caught sight of the tiny sail and, at the very moment when my companion had whispered, "He is gone" a glad shout went up in joyous welcome, "Here he comes!"

Maria Shriver read this at Russert's funeral. Pretty touching.