12:20 pm - I’m on my way to DC this weekend for the big anti-war protest.

I was supposed to take a bus, but UCF’s Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) were in charge of that, and well, they mean well.

Then the bus was replaced by a carpool; but again, SDS was in charge, so I’m on plane.

Air travel has become so utilitarian, flying domestically is not so different from taking a commuter train – except you bring whatever you like on a train, with or without a Ziploc bag.

Speaking of which, can someone explain to me how taking the toothpaste out of someone’s carry-on bag, putting it inside a ziploc bag, and then returning it to the carry-on is keeping us all safe?

I’m sure the procedure didn’t start out that way, so what was the original intent?

2:45 pm - It’s 40º and raining in DC. Awesome. I’m staying at the Hotel Harrington, which is an old school city hotel, complete with those old-fashioned mail drops with the glass panels and the bathtub is three feet deep.

There also appears to be an Irish place called Harry’s in the hotel. It’s pretty packed with NCAA fans right now, so I’ll have to check it out later.

4:20 pm - The weather conitnues to be miserable, so I’m sticking close to the hotel.
I went to Ford’s Theatre and the house where Lincoln died.
I never knew that the house they took Lincoln to after he was shot wasn’t significant in any way, it just happened to be across the street. I had it in my head that it was a doctor’s residence/office, but the owner was a tailor and the residence was a boarding house of sorts.

Since the President couldn’t be moved – not even the five blocks to the White House – Secretary of State Seward held cabinet meetings, launched an investigation, and basically ran the country right from the guy’s living room.

Imagine Condi, Rove, Gates, etc. all sitting arond your kitchen table, running the show.

I also went to St. Patrick’s Church. The St. Patrick’s Day mass is apparently celebrated on the day before, which is funny when you think about it. St. Patrick’s Day has become such a distraction to Saint Patrick’s day, that he has to honored the day before the holiday in his honor. Those crazy Catholics!

5:30 pm - Harry’s isn’t an Irish place after all, but still fun and lively. I headed over to the Elephant & Castle. It’s a lovely place, pours a nice Guinness and is packed to the brim with DC yuppies.

There’s a total lack of buzz about tomorrow that I find interesting. I guess having tens of thousands of people descend on the city for one protest or another is nothing new.

There’s also a total lack of Wi-Fi access. My hotel was supposed to have access throughout, but they are having some equipment troubles. I thought it would be easy-breezy to find a free signal in downtown Washington, but alas, this is a city that loves its secrets.

8:13 pm - The weather has rapidly deteriorated. First it was raining, then it was sleeting and now there is an ice storm blowing. Most of this transition happened as I walked down Pennsylvania Ave., towards the White House.
I thought it was just me. I had just left a bar, and thought maybe I was experiencing a fading numbness of sorts.

Then ice started pelting me in the face.

I started setting up my tripod to take a twilight photo when a polite and friendly Capitol Police officer told me that you could only use a tripod from across the street. Of course, everything is blocked off with concrete barricades, so it’s a half-mile walk to get to the spot that’s 30 ft further from the Oval Office.

I feel safer. In fact, it warmed me as I walked through the ice storm.

Back to the hotel and Harry’s. It’s a lively crowd. It seems like most of the people here are locals. Everyone knows your name. I feel safer.