Highlights of a long week!

Sorry it's been several days since I've updated my blog. I don't really have a good reason except that I've actually had to work for five days in a row and they have all been extremely busy days! I wanted to pass along some of the highlights of this week, some happier than others, in somewhat chronological order.

1) GETTING TO SPEND TIME WITH LYRA!!
I spent last weekend with Lyra and her mom and dad, Catherine and Jason. Catherine and I have been great friends for 16 years. I had been meaning to get down to Raleigh to visit a long time ago but my schedule, travel, etc. prevented me from doing so. My goal was to make it down there before Lyra turned one and I achieved my goal with several weeks to spare! We had a great time playing and hanging out even if Lyra was slightly under the weather! Lyra is absolutely adorable and I think I'm officially on her friends list. She now knows how to give me five!! Right back at ya, Lyra!

2) SUCCESSFUL BABYSITTING GIG
I watched Ella the other afternoon for a couple of hours. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous but it was good! It's not hard when she is such a precious beautiful baby! I fed her a bottle and then we sat around and played. She was all smiles and coos for almost the entire time. Of course about ten minutes before Katie got home, it became necessary to change her diaper. I don't normally have a problem changing diapers but I was just ever so slightly concerned I wouldn't do it right. And apparently I didn't because she screamed when I had snapped the cloth diaper into place. Luckily Katie came a few minutes later and did it. For the record, Katie did exactly what I had done and Ella still cried a lot so I didn't feel so bad. And Ella smiled at me so I think that was her way of apologizing for screaming. I'm back on her friends list now.

3) REMEMBERING AN ANNIVERSARY
This one was not so happy but it was a good experience. I was travel pool on Tuesday, the anniversary of 9/11 so I spent the morning with the President in church and then on the South Lawn remembering that day six years ago. While I was not personally at the WH or with the Pres six years ago, several of the people I was with have much different memories. Since my network was pool, that meant for a lot of extra logistics to deal with for the coverage for all the networks. I went to the church service at St. John's across the street from the WH and it was pretty moving. Then on the lawn of the WH, the Bushes and Cheneys walked out and bowed their heads for a moment of silence. I did have a chance to stop and reflect for a couple of seconds. I was standing at the exact location that had been a target six years earlier and it kind of gave me chills. I also thought about all those feelings that we all had in 2001. I remembered trying to get to work when the plane hit the Pentagon and then feeling the vibrations of the wall of the Pentagon collapse a little later. I remembered all the emotions of watching the coverage for 24 hours a day at work and being completely sleep deprived. I remembered the patriotic feeling that came across America in the days that followed and on Tuesday, I had that same patriotic feeling standing on the South Lawn.

4) WORKING A LONG DAY
On Thursday, I had to work until about 11pm. POTUS was giving a speech and I had to work the late shift. It was such a busy day planning liveshots, helping my correspondent with scripts, etc. so at least the time went by quickly. Even though he was about 50 yards away from me, I never saw the President and watched it on TV just like the rest of America.

5) BAD HAIR DAY
I knew when I woke up this morning that it was going to be a bad hair day. I looked at POTUS's sked and saw that there were three Marine One departures and arrivals (two of which I had to go to.) So I knew there was no point in actually trying to have a good hair day because it's all down the tubes once the blades of the helicopter start spinning. Everything on the ground is picked up and thrown directly at you due to the force of the wind. I've been to quite a few departures/arrivals so I now can critique the pilots' performance. Today's pilot was not the best because he came in at a different angle and hovered for a lot longer than normal. Both times I was there. I give him a 4 out of 10 on the first one and maybe a 5 on the second one. Maybe the Marines will give me a try! I think I can do it!