My trip to Washington DC for the inauguration of Barrack Obama

Day 1: Landed in Washington DC, and caught a cab to my boyfriend's cousin's house in Bethesda. We spent the afternoon chilling out, and had a few beers. Later that night, we went out to downtown Bethesda, where we had a half pitcher of white sangria at a nice Mexican restaurant. We walked to the Hyatt, and had one more drink at a great little martini bar there, and then headed back.

Day 2: Breakfast at the Congressional Country Club with a couple friends, and then headed in to DC to pick up our inauguration tickets from the DNC headquarters. On the way there, we saw Obama's motorcade go by (cool!). We got to the DNC headquarters, and were invited up to the office of Howard Dean.
Later, we went up to Georgetown, and visited the Georgetown University campus. Then out for a couple of brews and lunch at Toombs. After lunch, we headed back to downtown DC, the Sofitel, where we stayed for the rest of the trip. We met up with my boyfriend's sister, and went to the bar in the sofitel, "le bar", for a drink and dinner. To bed early, big day tomorrow!

Day 3: Inauguration day. left the hotel about 8:00 am for the trek to the mall, where we got trapped in a huge crowd of people, and it became apparent we were not going to make it through the gates in time. To make a long story short, we did NOT make it in to see the swearing in, but instead, watched it on a huge jumbo tron, within the masses of people, and it was the coolest thing ever. People were crying, and hugging complete strangers, and it was a feeling of pure joy! It took us a couple hours after that to make it back to our hotel. It has NEVER felt so good to sit down! We had a couple beers and lunch at "le bar" and headed up to the room for a nap.
Later that night, we were invited by some friends of to the Western Ball. We got all ready for that, and caught a cab to meet them at the Hyatt Garden hotel. We had one drink there, then headed for the convention center. There was SO MUCH traffic, we ended up walking about 4 blocks in the freezing cold (I was wearing a dress and sandals!). The ball was neat, good music, including a live performance from Jennifer Lopez. The best part was that Vice President Joe Biden showed up, gave a little speech, had a dance... and about 15 minutes later, President Obama showed up with Michelle! We were probably 50 yards away... very cool.
After the ball, we ran in the freezing cold across the street to the Renaissance hotel. There were SO many people, and not enough cabs. We sat and had a couple more drinks there at the bar at the Renaissance, and finally, got a car back to the hotel, where we went to bed about 3 AM.

Day 4: We got up and just did a little walking around DC. I was amazed how CLOSE everything actually was... and at how far we had to walk the previous day to get the same place that was really only a couple of blocks away! We had lunch with a friend, then caught a car to the BWI airport!

Overall, it was an AMAZING trip. It was so cool to be a part of it all, a part of what will surely go down as one of the most important inaugurations in history!

Go Green this Thanksgiving!

Here are five ways you can lower your impact on the environment this thanksgiving!
1) Buy locally and regionally produced food! Most farmers markets will carry locally and organically grown sweet potatoes, carrots, home made jams, cheeses, breads, and much much more! If you're family tradition includes a turkey, look for an organic, free-range turkey. Yes, it does cost a few bucks more, but it's also much healthier!
2) Minimize your use of Plastics! Use re-usable leftover containers instead of disposable plastic wrap, and even tin foil wrap! Try to avoid using plastic plates, silverware, etc. Plastic never fully breaks down, so if you MUST use plastic, make sure it gets recycled.
3) Celebrate at home! Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel weekends of the whole year! Why not help to reduce global warming? Skip the stressful holiday travel, and celebrate an eco-friendly Thanksgiving at home. If you MUST travel, be conscious about the environment. Drive as little as possible, and take your most fuel efficient vehicle. Carpool whenever possible. If you're flying, consider purchasing carbon credits to help offset your portion of the carbon dioxide emissions.
4) Don't OVER Cook. While Thanksgiving leftovers are great, most people end up THROWING OUT over half of their leftovers Spend a few extra minutes planning, and try to cook only what you and your family will be able to eat.
5) Here's a great way to give back on Thanksgiving. Consider donating to a local charity or food bank, or give a donation to The United Way. Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for everything we have - why not help by giving back to those who need it most?
Please comment on my BLOG if you have any questions, or ideas I can share with others!

Finally, a health plan that makes SENSE!!

I have just finished reading in detail the Obama/Biden health plan... and what do you know - it makes SENSE!! Finally, self employed individuals, such as Realtors, will have access to health coverage at a decent price... and here's the best part! Insurance companies will NO LONGER BE ALLOWED to exclude people for pre-existing conditions!!!

This is issue #1 to me this time around... It has gotten absolutely outrageous! I am a 26 year old, very healthy, active, non-smoking female, who can NOT get health insurance coverage because of a small spot of Melanoma that I had removed from my back over 3 years ago. It's considered an "uninsurable condition", and I've been declined numberous times.

My ONLY option in the state of Utah is a state insurance pool called HIPUTAH. They have to accept anyone, but they are still allowed to exclude coverage for a period of time on whatever the "pre-existing" condition is/was. And for me, a single, 26 year old, non smoker, coverage is a WHOPPING $400 PER MONTH, for CRAPPY coverage. I mean crappy, it has high deductibles (you can opt for lower ones, but a LOT more $$), it does not cover chiropractic, and physical therapy, and does not cover most preventative treatments.

It is absolutey outrageous that the United States is still the only civilized nation that does not provide health care for all of it's citizens. This plan is definitely a huge step in the right direction!

For more information, and to download a full pdf of the Obama/Biden health plan, visit http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

Yes... "that one" definitely has my vote!

Tip to save energy! Use your AC LESS! Use Fans!

Here in Utah, Summer temperatures are still hot!! But the nights are starting to cool off, so instead of cranking your AC all ay, instead try opening windows at night, and using a fan to help bring in some of the cool night air! Then, in the morning, close your windows and the house will stay cool most of the day! You'll save energy, and $$!

As always, feel free to comment with questions or if you have anything to add!

How's the market?

How's the market in your state?

Here in Utah, as is true with Most places I think, the residential market has slowed down significantly in volume. Prices haven't plummeted here in Utah the way they have in some areas, but we are seeing more and more REO properties, and short sales. I think it's a great time for people to make a lateral move in our market, or for people who want to upgrade a bit. The next few months, between now and a year from now, It will be a great opportunity for buyers to get some real 'deals'.

As always, feel free to comment if you have anything to add, or with any questions!

Dispose of hazardous waste PROPERLY! Tip of the day to help save the earth!

This one is pretty obvious, but still you see some people who just dump out old oil, antifreeze, etc without thinking about it's impact on the earth.

Nearly every household has some kind of hazardous waste: old paint cans, used motor oil, unused pesticides and weed killers. If you dump these things down the drain, you'll end up polluting the water supply. Old Batteries, CFL Light bulbs, and other hazardous solids should be considered as well. They should be disposed of in a site specially designed for hazardous or toxic wastes. Some cities and counties have monthly or annual pickups. Other areas have special drop-off sites. Call your city or county government to find out the proper way to dispose of such trash in your area. Try organizing a hazardous-waste-collection day in your neighborhood or at your school, encouraging others to dispose of materials properly.

As always, feel free to comment with questions, or if you have anything to add

Elect Green! Tip of the day to help save the earth!

During this heated election season, this is a great one, and it can REALLY make a difference, especially at the local level! During election campaigns, ask candidates about their position on the environment. Try to ask specific questions that relate to situations in your community-- whether they support a mandatory recycling program, for example, or whether they plan to get tough on polluting companies.

A little can go a long ways here, if you have a little time, work as a volunteer on a "green" candidate's campaign. As a volunteer, you can canvas neighborhoods in your local community, make phone calls, and help with fund-raisers! This is also a great opportunity to meet some like-minded individuals to network with, perhaps you will even get some business!

As always, feel free to comment with any questions or if you have anything to add!