Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Washington, D.C. is an exciting place for a Massillon boy. I was accepted into Congressman Regula's intern program following my senior year at Kent State. I planned on taking my last 3 credits in Madrid Spain that summer so I had to cram it in before that trip and after my finals, a feat I managed by taking all five exams in a two day period. Not fun.
Mom and dad drove me to D.C. It was exciting, my adult life seemed to be starting. My apartment was way up 16th Street and a I had a roommate from Canada. While I didn't see him much, I did see the cockroaches appear the same day they sprayed for them.
I took the bus then the subway to Capitol Hill every day. Working on Capitol Hill was a rush for me. While there was the usual copying and opening mail, Regula's office also made sure that you could do some real work. The two things I remember working on was a development near the Manassas Battlefield (Bull Run for us Yankees) and drilling in ANWR, the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. Editorial: We have to drill for oil in more locations. Cheap oil and gas has already been extracted. If you don't want us to drill for oil and gas in Alaska, off the coasts or in your neck of the woods, that's fine. But don't complain about $3 gasoline. Amazing that ANWR is still being debated today, nearly twenty years later.
It was fun going to work every day. Special access in the Capitol Building was a power trip. Eating lunch on the steps on a beautiful May afternoon was special. Writing constituent letters seemed important. Maybe this is what I was meant to do? I thought my career path would veer down the intelligence path, toward the CIA or DIA. I had taken the Foreign Service exams and knew that was a long shot. Congressman Regula took a couple interns to lunch in the Congressional Dining Room and I remember telling him I would likely be back after the summer looking for a job with the CIA. My neighbors back home actually hooked me up with a guy for an interview with the Defense Intelligence Agency while I was in D.C. and I started down that path. I had Potomac Fever and I probably wasn't heading back to Massillon.
The Carnation Queen from Alliance Ohio visited us when I was an intern. Angie was beautiful and a fun girl and her internship with Regula started after mine ended. But, I did get to accompany her to the top of the Rotunda. A Member of Congress has to take you up there, its a harrowing walk up rickety old stairs but well worth it when you get outside and see a view few people get to see.
I didn't have any nice clothes for my internship. Mom took me to an Akron mall and bought me a blue blazer, a bad gray/white sportcoat and some pants. I was excited when new interns would start work in the office. I had been the only one for a couple weeks and didn't know anyone else my age there. One day I was opening my mail, wearing my new sport coat, when in came a new intern from Akron. Wearing the same gray/white sportcoat I was, probably from the same store. Great. But Tom Reubel and I became friends and he lives a few miles from me today. I was in his wedding and he was the best man in mine two years ago.
There are a lot of receptions for members of Congress. Every day the schedule for the Congressman would be sent around and I was always amazed at how busy he was. He didn't do too many evening events so the staff would attend them if they wanted. Tom and I were given the green light for one and attended the National Coalition for Sheep Shearing and Dog Racing (or something similar, who can remember?) reception in the Rayburn Building. I'm not sure what the issue was but I do remember the spread: shrimp, wings, crab cakes, veggies, desserts and all the beer and liquor you could drink. For free. Now remember that we were college students and although I was being paid a nominal amount, I was saving it for Spain and Europe. What a night. What a perk. We ended up at some dive bar and I spent most of the money in my wallet. I'll take the time now to publicly thank that cab driver for taking me home even when I told him I didn't have enough money to get there.
Tom and I also went to Ocean City Maryland over Memorial Day. We got there late and got a room over the Brass Balls Saloon and Bad Ass Cafe. I think they added Bad Ass Cafe after our trip but it wasn't much of a place and I don't remember a lot of details about the short vacation.
My month internship flew by. But I was staring at my trip to Spain and a little more education so I was okay with it. Mom and dad came back down to see me off. I put them up at the Vista Hotel, a place Marion Barry would make famous a few years later when he bought cocaine off a hooker there. It was very nice although mom and dad thought the little bottles of liquor in the fridge were part of the room rate. I'm still not sure whether we were ever charged for those but I know all the Chivas was gone. I also took mom and dad on a grand tour of D.C. My Congressional ID allowed us to drive around Arlington Cemetary and got us down to the crypt in the Capitol Building. We hit as many places as we could before they dropped me off at National Airport and my adventure continued.
Mom and dad drove me to D.C. It was exciting, my adult life seemed to be starting. My apartment was way up 16th Street and a I had a roommate from Canada. While I didn't see him much, I did see the cockroaches appear the same day they sprayed for them.
I took the bus then the subway to Capitol Hill every day. Working on Capitol Hill was a rush for me. While there was the usual copying and opening mail, Regula's office also made sure that you could do some real work. The two things I remember working on was a development near the Manassas Battlefield (Bull Run for us Yankees) and drilling in ANWR, the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. Editorial: We have to drill for oil in more locations. Cheap oil and gas has already been extracted. If you don't want us to drill for oil and gas in Alaska, off the coasts or in your neck of the woods, that's fine. But don't complain about $3 gasoline. Amazing that ANWR is still being debated today, nearly twenty years later.
It was fun going to work every day. Special access in the Capitol Building was a power trip. Eating lunch on the steps on a beautiful May afternoon was special. Writing constituent letters seemed important. Maybe this is what I was meant to do? I thought my career path would veer down the intelligence path, toward the CIA or DIA. I had taken the Foreign Service exams and knew that was a long shot. Congressman Regula took a couple interns to lunch in the Congressional Dining Room and I remember telling him I would likely be back after the summer looking for a job with the CIA. My neighbors back home actually hooked me up with a guy for an interview with the Defense Intelligence Agency while I was in D.C. and I started down that path. I had Potomac Fever and I probably wasn't heading back to Massillon.
The Carnation Queen from Alliance Ohio visited us when I was an intern. Angie was beautiful and a fun girl and her internship with Regula started after mine ended. But, I did get to accompany her to the top of the Rotunda. A Member of Congress has to take you up there, its a harrowing walk up rickety old stairs but well worth it when you get outside and see a view few people get to see.
I didn't have any nice clothes for my internship. Mom took me to an Akron mall and bought me a blue blazer, a bad gray/white sportcoat and some pants. I was excited when new interns would start work in the office. I had been the only one for a couple weeks and didn't know anyone else my age there. One day I was opening my mail, wearing my new sport coat, when in came a new intern from Akron. Wearing the same gray/white sportcoat I was, probably from the same store. Great. But Tom Reubel and I became friends and he lives a few miles from me today. I was in his wedding and he was the best man in mine two years ago.
There are a lot of receptions for members of Congress. Every day the schedule for the Congressman would be sent around and I was always amazed at how busy he was. He didn't do too many evening events so the staff would attend them if they wanted. Tom and I were given the green light for one and attended the National Coalition for Sheep Shearing and Dog Racing (or something similar, who can remember?) reception in the Rayburn Building. I'm not sure what the issue was but I do remember the spread: shrimp, wings, crab cakes, veggies, desserts and all the beer and liquor you could drink. For free. Now remember that we were college students and although I was being paid a nominal amount, I was saving it for Spain and Europe. What a night. What a perk. We ended up at some dive bar and I spent most of the money in my wallet. I'll take the time now to publicly thank that cab driver for taking me home even when I told him I didn't have enough money to get there.
Tom and I also went to Ocean City Maryland over Memorial Day. We got there late and got a room over the Brass Balls Saloon and Bad Ass Cafe. I think they added Bad Ass Cafe after our trip but it wasn't much of a place and I don't remember a lot of details about the short vacation.
My month internship flew by. But I was staring at my trip to Spain and a little more education so I was okay with it. Mom and dad came back down to see me off. I put them up at the Vista Hotel, a place Marion Barry would make famous a few years later when he bought cocaine off a hooker there. It was very nice although mom and dad thought the little bottles of liquor in the fridge were part of the room rate. I'm still not sure whether we were ever charged for those but I know all the Chivas was gone. I also took mom and dad on a grand tour of D.C. My Congressional ID allowed us to drive around Arlington Cemetary and got us down to the crypt in the Capitol Building. We hit as many places as we could before they dropped me off at National Airport and my adventure continued.
