February 26, 2003

Ah, the beautiful Washington weather. Reminds me of the days I spent wistfully on the Santa Monica beaches under the blazing sun...without the beach, or the sun.

The new year has started off with quite a bang for me out here. I'm riding a roller coaster that made me sick back on the first dip, but seemingly never ends.

In this report:

• Blizzard of 2003, Nothing Like the "Freezing" Winter Nights in LA
• First Annual Groundhog Day Party Turns Sour As Phil Predicts 6 More Weeks of Winter
• Philadelphia is Good for Cheese Steaks, Bad for Photographing National Security
• West Virginia Meets all my Low Expectations
• PICnet's Continued Encroachment in my Life
• Agricultural Exhibit at the US History Smithsonian Puts me to Sleep
• Recommended Futures Buy: Pasta

(Check out new pictures at http://www.ozimek.com/ryan/pictures)

Blizzard of 2003, Nothing Like the "Freezing" Winter Nights in LA

The winter has been ridiculous. We went about two weeks with the high reaching a blistering 25 degrees. My walks to work went from 20 minutes to 12. I began wearing what people in these parts call "sweaters" and "wool". Very strange. Somewhere deep in my closet my sandals are crying for attention.

When the blizzard came into town last week, I really wasn't expecting it to dump the 26 inches of snow they forecasted. People here are so desperate for snow, sleet, any excuse to avoid work that I think there is a collective bribery of local meteorologists to forecast ridiculous storms. Normally, it snows about two inches, and barely stays on the ground long enough to collect and throw at unsuspecting strangers.

This time was different. The city shut down, completely. My local CVS (Rite Aid) looked like it belonged in a Soviet nation. Luckily, I have trained my body to deal with such situations through a constant intake of pasta. My favorite bar, Buffalo Billiards, was open throughout the storm, and even went put up a little sign that said, "Yes, We're Open".

Stuck in my apartment for three days, I reminisced about the horrible LA winters, full of 65 degree weather and torrential 1 inch accumulations of rain. There were periods of time, up to 3 days, where I didn't see the sun in an LA winter. Man, that really sucked.

To make the best of it, my friends and I decided to go sledding in Rock Creek Park near my apartment. We had more fun than the new 8 year-old friends we made there. Being from California, we had no sled. Instead, we "acquired" an old ironing board and converted it into a pseudo snowboard/scooter. I walked down the snow-filled streets with my shortboard under my arm and thought about the waves I used to catch in LA. Man, this was pathetic. When we arrived at the hill, people pretty much laughed at us outright at the sight of me and my ironing board. But they always laugh at the innovators. So I began riding the ironing board down the slope, and the laughter stopped. So did the riding, after I let a passerby try out my hip-cool snowboard/scooter who quickly broke off the legs of the upside-down board.

My friends and I then decided to befriend the 8 year-olds on those ridiculous saucers that have no point except to injure those older than 10.

First Annual Groundhog Day Party Turns Sour As Phil Predicts 6 More Weeks of Winter

A bunch of friends and co-workers came to my building to celebrate our furry friend Phil. Okay, honestly, when it's 20 degrees outside, it's not hard to find an excuse to party and drink. Though we were disappointed by Phil's prediction of six more weeks of unbearable winter, the cheap vodka and Natty Lite made it a little easier to survive.

Philadelphia is Good for Cheese Steaks, Bad for Photographing National Security

The park rangers didn't think I was funny, and threatened to confiscate my camera because they thought I had filmed something, which I hadn't, because my camera was simply in the "camera filming" position, which showed a live shot. Took about 5 minutes and four park rangers to figure out how it worked.

West Virginia Meets all my Low Expectations

PICnet's Continued Encroachment in my Life

Of course, this all comes at a price. Sleep has taken a back seat to emails, as has eating, vacationing, and (God help me) partying. Even with all the stress and work, I'm really enjoying myself. After meeting with some business consultants, we came up with our finalized mission statement: "To empower the missions of non-profit, government, and international organizations through technology". Simple, right to the point.

I'll keep you all posted on the IPO, but until then, keep checking out http://www.picnet.net to find out what we're up to.

Agricultural Exhibit at the American History Smithsonian Puts me to Sleep

Recommended Futures Buy: Pasta

Alright, that's all from here. Hope all is going well in your neck of the woods. Drop me a line, let me know you're alive.

RWO

December 14, 2002

It's been forever since I last wrote you all with an update, so I thought I'd give you all an idea of what's happened over the past month. In general, it's been quite a blur. I really can't remember most of it in a haze of work, but the biggest points are listed below.

In this report:

• White Stuff Starts Falling From the Sky
• Where 'Da Party At?
• Stealing the Cheese in the Rat Race
• High-Rise Living
• My Struggle Against The Man

White Stuff Starts Falling From the Sky

It was funny watching the news before the snow hit. Most of the businesses in DC tell their employees to follow the federal government's work status to determine whether or not they should come in for the day. When the stations broke with the news that the feds were deeming it a "liberal leave day" (read: if you're smart, you won't come in) you could hear the cheers of adult men and women from Georgetown to Dupont Circle.

As the tourist that I am, I took a half day at work and snapped photos across the city. I'll have some of them posted on my website soon at http://www.ozimek.com/ryan/dc.html. The snowed stayed for around a week and a half, until it rained yesterday. My flag football team got to play a game against Colorado in 6 inches of snow in front of the Washington monument, which I believe was completely unfair since Colorado residents live in snow 3 months of the year while Californians consider it an act of God. Yeah, that's why we lost the game.

In shock, absolute shock, that my car has snow on it.

My fearsome UCLA Alumni football team lines up against Colorado in front of the Washington Monument.

Where 'Da Party At?

Stealing the Cheese in the Rat Race

In the past two months, we've really begun to take off. We're finishing our official sales/press kit, which essentially tells the world how cool we are and how everyone needs a PICnet solution. Just yesterday I had the opportunity to meet our direct competition, CITI, at their office on U St. It was straight out of the movie Startup.com, with the tour around the offices, awkward introductions, and capped of by a round of veiled taunting between myself and their CEO. It was actually pretty fun, and got me fired up because I know we can succeed, just as they have, in the marketplace.

PICnet headquarters, top floor of the Colorado Building, two blocks from the White House.

My partner in crime, Grey, doing his presidential work.

High-Rise Living

To make things worse, my Playstation 2, the center of my world in Westwood, no longer is in working order. It seems that when I shipped it across country on Greyhound, a box that contained its power cord, TV adapter, 10 games, 2 controllers, and a memory card were "lost" or "inadvertently thrown from the bus over the Rio Grande" as Greyhound tells me. So all I have is the game console itself, sitting there in misery, taunting me with the one game I still have: SSX Tricky. If anyone knows a place to buy cheap PS2 stuff, please pass it on. I can no longer look at my dismembered PS2 without coming to tears.

My Struggle Against The Man

So, how do I get around this totalitarian rule? I call my plight the "Parking Loophole". Ever two weeks, I go down to one of the two police departments near my apartment. It's a little known fact that police departments offer temporary permits for free if you have just moved to the city or have guests in town. So, I go to the police stations and bring a copy of my lease to show that I am a resident and I'm granted a two week carte blanche, able to park wherever I want for as long as I want.

Well, it seems that the police aren't that dumb, and have begun to catch on. Even with my amazing ingenuity to switch off between stations each time, go at different times, and wear hats, scarves, and sometimes pajamas, they caught on. The last time the woman looked at my lease carefully, for once, and said, "you moved here almost three months ago", to which I responded, "oh really?" She only gave me a two day extension. Since then, I've been brewing an elaborate scheme involving a presidential pardon to get me free parking, but for the meantime I'm on the lamb, and the tickets pour in.

Well, I know that wasn't too exciting, but I figured you all wanted to at least know that I was well and alive. I'll try to add some pizzaz in the next one, and maybe throw in a protest arrest or two for my more liberal friends.

Enjoy the holiday season! I'll be in the Bay Area and Modesto for the holidays, and then in New York City for New Year's, so if you're in my neck of the woods over the next few weeks, please email me or give me a call.

Hope to hear from you all soon,

RWO

September 30, 2002

I can't believe a full month has passed since I left the sunny, golden land of California for the humid, mosquito-infested swamps of Washington, DC.

In this report:

• I avoid arrest during the IMF protests
• Pimp pad is set, status as preppy white boy remains
• My continuing defiance of a 9-5 job
• PICnet set to make money, Ryan's creditors rejoice
• Three college friends avoid killing each other on cross-country road trip
• Neighborhood hooligans enjoy defacing my car
• UCLA football sucks, but our alumni team rules

Three College Friends Avoid Killing Each Other on Cross-Country Road Trip

Our trip led us through some of the most remote cities in the West, including Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, and Rapid City. I could spend pages writing about the scenery and the arguments, but it's much better to see it at http://photos.yahoo.com/rwozimek under the "DC roadtrip" album. Here's some advice for fellow travelers:

1. When staying in Jackson Hole, avoid the touristy downtown area and head for the outskirts to a bar called the Wagontrain. Of course, when playing pool there, make sure to wipe off the hundreds of dead bugs on the table that have died since the start of the last game.
2. When photographing giant 1500 pound bison on the side of the road, don't have the driver take the photo. The driver should always be ready to peel out, not as though that matters, because the bison always seem to win.
3. Make sure to use the helpful orange flags when crossing the streets of Salt Lake City. Sure, they look stupid, but you'll be happy when you don't get hit by the horse-drawn carriages.

Pimp Pad

Now, no pimp pad is complete without two things: dead plants and 20" x 30" hole in the bathroom wall. Mine came with both, so I guess I have achieved full pimpness. Seems that the landlord decided to take out the last medicine cabinet in the bathroom, and leave me to install a new one. I've become Bob Vila.

Other than the above, my place rocks. Nice big pool on the roof of the 10 story building, complete with patio chairs and tables, lawn chairs, and a perfect view of sunsets over Georgetown. I'm about one block from the nearest Metro stop, which takes me to my office just two stops down. My favorite bar, Buffalo Billiards, is only 57 steps/stumbles from my doorstep. The bartenders have begun to recognize me, but I don't know if that is depressing or good.

180 degree view from my roof (click here for a closer look)

The view down my short hallway.

My "living room".

More shots of my room.

The closet that leads to the bathroom.

Rooftop pool with view of Georgetown.

My Continuing Defiance of a 9-5 Job

Last year, I wrote policy reports, attended congressional hearings on behalf of tech coalitions, and generally tried to look 5-10 years old by wearing suits. Now with a master's degree in public policy under my belt, I work the phones as an interim secretary and admin gopher. Ah, so is the life of the poor entrepreneur. I must say, I don't mind the work, especially at only 3 days a week, but it's a funny conversation when people ask where I came from.

So in the mornings, and all day on Thursday and Friday, I run PICnet out of my apartment. This is extremely boring and tiresome. I wake up, turn on Howard Stern, and work for the next 8-10 hours. No one comes over to bug me for a coffee break, play Mini-Putt, or describe the ever-present scandalous affairs with interns. However, I don't have a boss bugging me, I work in my pajamas, and catch-up on all the Ohpra and Dr. Phil shows I used to miss.

PICnet Set to Make Money, Ryan's Creditors Rejoice

Neighborhood Hooligans Enjoy Defacing My Car

I've been told they use them to break into other cars. I assume they avoided mine with the bright red Club on the steering wheel. That or they just wanted to tick me off so much, that the best they could do was limit me to two stations: DC 101 rock and Radio CSPAN. Little did I know how invigorating Congressional hearings could be...on the radio.

I Avoid Arrest During the IMF Protests

I have some good photos of Robocop-like officers wearing (I swear) baseball catcher's gear, including shin guards and chestpads. The closest to a protester beating I saw was a police officer instructing a dazed protester that he was wandering from the pack, and that he should march with the rest of his gang if he wanted to look good. Gosh, it made me miss the good police horse kickings of UCLA.

Protesters get ready to rumble in Dupont Circle, a half block from my apartment.

The police lead the way for the marchers down Massachusetts Ave. to the Vice President's house.

UCLA Football Sucks, But Our Alumni Team Rules

I got drafted to be the QB, which means: A) UCLA alumni aren't as smart as I assumed they were, and B) my dreams of making the Canadian Football League are one step closer to becoming a reality. We play our games on the Mall, in the shadows of the Washington Monument and the capitol. It's a co-ed league, which has allowed me to instruct all the girls on the team how to throw chop blocks and trips. Should make for some good video.

That's the story from here. I'll try to write more frequently and in more depth, because there's a lot going on here, and it's the minutae, not the big picture, that's the most interesting.

Until next time....

RWO

September 2, 2001

My time here in DC has come to a close. On Tuesday, September 4, I'll be heading back to the Golden State, getting ready to work until school starts sometime at the end of the month. Just as the weather becomes more bearable and the city streets become less crowded, I leave. Nice timing.

My last week at work felt very much like my first week. During the days, I felt like I really didn't have much to, so I spent my time going from one meeting to another, trying to learn as much as possible from those who helped me through my fellowship. I hopped across town from company to company, asking each person how I should take my next steps in life.

The answer I agreed with most came only 20 steps from my office.

Many of the people I spoke with gave me similar responses: work on the Hill, work in the Administration, stay in school till you retire. All this sounded interesting (especially the latter) until I spoke with John Kenny, President of Infotech, the company with which I worked this summer. During our lunch at Old Ebbett we went through the same general discussion as above. Once I told him about PICnet, however, his eyes lit up.

He told me about his passion for entrepreneurship, and we spent the next hour discussing starting a business in the Washington, DC area. He hit on the things I enjoy most about business: working for yourself, controlling your salary, investing in a business you own. It was like everything that I had scrambled in my mind, he wove into a perfect story. After I told him what Grey and I were making PICnet become, he agreed to give us a consultation.

A few days later, Grey, John, and I met at Infotech to discuss how to start PICnet as a true business. He spent more than an hour and half giving us detailed advice, from building a revenue-based budget to marketing in DC. Once the meeting was over, Grey and I looked at each other and smiled. Not a word needed to be said. We were getting serious about making PICnet a business reality.

What did we come up with? We have a nine-month plan to open a fully functioning Washington DC office by July 1, 2002.

Once I graduate from public policy school, that will become my full-time job.

Though I'm not 100% sure I'll be moving back out to Washington DC next year, I believe the non-profit market here is unquenchable, and I can't imagine not starting a business that targets this market anywhere else.

So there it is. Feels good to write that down. It puts a pressure on me to continue to strive towards our goals and to not lose track. School will continue to be my number one priority while in LA, but I will continue to follow the nurturing process for PICnet.

In other news....

My friends Jeff and Andrew came into town for a week. We hit all the major DC sights, New York, Philadelphia, the uglier parts of the Delaware and New Jersey Turnpikes, etc. Too much to cover here, but when we splice the videos together, you all won't believe it!

Meredith is fully moved into her new apartment in Rockville, Maryland. It's a hefty Metro trip into the city, but I figure that it will give her a good chance to read. The building looks more like a Vegas hotel than an apartment complex. Her sixth floor apartment overlooks the swimming pool and has a nice westerly view of thick nature surrounding her building.

I'm going to miss my summer apartment. It's location was unbeatable, and the rooftop pool may miss my company more than I miss it! I've made great friends with the doormen, who always tell Meredith, "he's running late, he'll be here soon," for me!

Most of all, I'm going to miss the people I've met here. I said it in my first e-mail this summer, but it's worth saying again: DC is a city full of vagabonds. Very few people call DC home for more than a few years, which lends to a rather outgoing group of people. I haven't met one person this summer who gave me that "I'm-so-cool-I-should-be-on-a-runway-instead-of-talking-to-you" LA style look. And with people under 30 far outnumbering those over 30 during the summertime, the city is a perfect home for people like me.

Well, that's it. It's been an adventure, but then again, when isn't life an adventure. I'm looking forward to warm LA nights, surfing, and seeing my family. I've got a lot to do in the next nine months, but my mind is clear, my eyes wide-open, and my adrenaline is pumping. Full steam ahead.

RWO

August 15, 2001

Tonight I had a chance to go to the Legg Mason Tennis Tournament in Rock Creek Park. IBM gave CSPP some tickets to join them in their luxury suite with a full wet bar and snacks. My friend Nate and I took full advantage! Here's some photos that I took while there. We got to watch Agassi and Chang play on the center court while sipping Heinikens!

Here I am at center court watching the Agassi match.

Nate and I in front of our the Big Blue banner in the suite.

One of my coworkers, Jennifer, with her friend.

My boss at Infotech, Phil, and Anne.

Agassi getting ready to return a serve.

Another Agassi shot.

Chang during his match.

RWO

August 14, 2001

DC is finally in its summer element: hot and humid. As temperatures soared to 95 degrees, the humidity, not to be outdone, raced up to about 80% over the past week. They said it felt like 110 degrees, I thought it was more like wearing a parka in a steam room. Oh yeah, manhole covers are exploding across the city.

Luckily, Congress has been out of session, keeping any added hot air out of this swamp. You know how the saying goes, "when the cat's away, the mice will play." This week I've seen unfamiliar smiles on people's faces. Occassionally I hear a "thank you" or "you're welcome". I took a double take at the local drug store when my cashier told me to "have a nice day". Almost reflexively I clenched my fist, until I realized he'd paid me a compliment.

Where there's heat and humidity, there's also rain and thunder. On Saturday I went to play basketball with some of my "gang/thugs" at a nearby blacktop court. Just after I slam-dunked to win the game in front of the capacity crowd, the clouds burst open. Well, maybe I mislead you...buckets of water poured from the sky. Instantly it was like I had jumped in a pool with my clothes on. Claps of thunder sounded more like sonic booms as lighting struck nearby. We decided it might be best to wait under a nearby overhang to wait it out. An hour later, nothing had changed, except the color of my lips from red to blue. So I decided to make a run for it. Five blocks later, I walked into my building, dripping wet, but luckily not electricuted.

As for those pesky exploding manhole covers, it seems that the Pepco, the local utility company, just can't seem to figure out why the streets begin spewing gas. They haven't seemed to take it too seriously, as this is the sixth time a manhole cover has blown into the air this month. Residents take it in stride as power goes out for days at a time during 95 degree heat. My friend Grey spent the night at my place one night during the outage when his air conditioner wouldn't work. The heat in his fourth story room may have been comfortable for a desert snake, but not necessarily for a human.

Somewhere a school bell rings. All the interns that came here with sparkles in their eyes, and a wardrobe full of blues and blacks, are leaving faster than they came. You notice it everywhere. At the bars, where you can buy a drink without overhearing conversations of how people sneaked in. At the subway, where interns run like crazed monkees from one missed train to another. At cheap restaurants, where you can look around and not feel like an 18 year-old living off bread crumbs and your friends unlimited soda.

As for work, I spent most of the week working on my broadband and wireless policy paper. I found out that the paper will be published in a nice, glossy, picture filled booklet. Great news! But I also found out that it will need to be revised by each of the nine coalition companies we work with, and likely not see the light of day till 2002. Bummer.

You may have noticed I've been lacking recently in my e-mail writings. Well, my Mac has been down for almost two weeks now. I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't sleep, eat, or drink (well, I got over the last one real quick). Actually, I should have it up and running by the end of this week, so you can expect to get more ridiculous e-mail from me in the weeks to come.

Next week, I'll be hosting a slew of visitors. My friends Jeff and Andrew will join me in my attempt to play Washington, DC tour guide from Aug. 23-29. In just a few days, Meredith will make her Washington debut as she shortly begins public health school at George Washington. We're all planning to head up to NYC for a couple days, creating havoc in the Big Apple.

My time here is quickly coming to a close. I finish my fellowship this Friday. I'll be looking forward to a some time off and hanging out with my fellow hoodlums, but I'll miss the Infotech office family. This Sunday, two people from work have invited me to join them in Annapolis, Maryland to eat crab. I've been told not to expect Alaskan King crab, but rather some sort of east coast delicacy. We'll also do a little fishing, during which I expect to catch a 15 inch Chesepeake Bay boot.

Most importantly, however, I only have 16 more nights to spend at Buffalo Billiards. I think I'll make out okay though, so long as I avoid those pesky exploding manhole covers.

RWO

August 3, 2001

My tiredness has slipped away, and I'm back in greenlight mode. Of course, how my sleepiness went away is quite an interesting story.

My dad came into town for work last Friday. We decided that we should make a tee time for golf at Virginia's best semi-private golf course: Raspberry Falls Hunt and Golf Club. Immediately the place conjures up images of old men with fat wallets and big cigars.

On our way to the golf course early Saturday morning, we made our way through Georgetown in the Iszuzu Trooper that my dad had rented from National. We made our way through the sleepy part of town at 7am, when we crossed the intersection of Wisconsin Ave. and M St. All the sudden, my dad yells, "look out!"

Wham!

Next thing I know we're spinning like the teacups at an amusement park. We'd been hit at 35mph from our left side. A woman (who we found out later was under the influence of some drug) didn't even hit her brakes as she sped through a red light. As we're spinning, I'm thinking, "will we still make our tee time?"

After we finally come to rest facing the wrong way up Wisconsin, I quickly looked over to my dad. He was fine, but I couldn't see his legs clearly, so I jumped out of the SUV and went to his side. There happened to be a police officer sitting at that red light who saw everything. "I've never seen someone jump out of a car that quickly after such a violent accident," he told us later.

Once I saw that my dad was okay, and we could walk without much discomfort, I picked up the cell phone and called the golf course to cancel our tee time. Then I got my camera out of the car and started taking candid photos of the scene (photos up on my website soon) with four police cars, a firetruck, and an ambulence. Then I went to speak with a police officer and the paramedics.

I obviously had my priorities straight.

National brought us a new SUV, just like the old one (except its body was still over its frame) about an hour after the accident. Luckily, I could still swing a golf club without pain, so we made another tee time, and by 1pm that same afternoon we were playing golf!

Aside from the accident, things have picked up around the office and social scene. I've been busy working on a policy position paper on broadband and wireless technologies for the coalitions I work with and Congress. I should be done with it by next week, at which time they'll publish it in full, glossy, colorful book, which will hit the recycling bin as fast as it hits a congressman's desk. Ah, the great pleasure you get off policy work in DC.

On the social scene, two guys from my fraternity, Josh and Matt, stopped by my place on their two month roadtrip across the US in a '83 Chevy van. I gave them shelter, food, and a full introduction to the DC nightlife at no charge. We spent nights at Buffalo Billiards playing darts and by the rooftop pool drinking margaritas. They were excellent guests: didn't leave a mess, didn't tear through my kitchen like they hadn't eaten in weeks, and provided me with the joy that can only be acquired by hearing the laughs and horrors of a cross-country drive.

Now, for the big news....Meredith is moving out to DC! Hooray! Wait, I'm going back to LA.

It's true, Meredith was accepted to the School of Public Health at George Washington University in DC. The school meets her needs exactly: a focus on policy, not medicine. DC will be the perfect place for her to start beating up on the pharmacueticals, FDA and women's health, and HMOs. It's going to be tough being 3,000 miles apart, but Southwest Airlines promises that they'll ALWAYS accept my Visa card. Cha-ching!

The weather has been unbelievably beautiful this summer. I watch some of the DC veterans wandering around aimless, wondering if they're really in the relics of a swamp still. I'm not complaining.

That's all for this week. Only four more weeks left, and each week seems to fly by faster.

RWO

July 27, 2001

I guess I haven't posted my e-mail about this, but I went to a Bowie Baysox AA baseball game in Maryland with everyone from work. I pulled along two friends of mine, Grey and Todd, and we managed to eat and drink everything in sight! We also started a small gambling ring to keep the game (really a little league game) interesting. We placed bets on advertisements on the homerun wall. If the ball hit your ad, you won the pot. We got the pot brewing up to a whole $19! I didn't win, but no matter...the chance to watch a free baseball game, complete with food, drinks, and good friends was a great getaway from DC.

Below are some pictures we just got back.

Grey, Ryan, and Chan kicking back at the Baysox game.

Todd, Julie, and Grey (obviously disturbed) at the Baysox game.

July 25, 2001

Hi everyone,

Each week I feel increasingly tired out here. Maybe it's because I get five hours of sleep each night. Maybe it's because I tend to ocassionally (read: every day) go to happy hours. I dunno why, but I'm really tired.

This week has crawled by at a snail's pace. Most of my co-workers are out of town, and I'm left "working" alone. Not that I'm complaining, it's nice not to have five different people assume that the only work you do is for them. I guess it just adds to my feeling of sleepiness.

On Sunday, my friend Grey and I made a monumental discovery: the Brickskellar. It's a basement-level bar/restaurant under a hotel near my place in Dupont Circle. After we walked deep into the abyss, we were greeted with a beer menu with more than 300 different beers from around the world. I wept.

Their menu contains beers from 50+ countries. At first, Grey and I were determined to try every beer. After that dillusion quickly washed away, we've put ourselves on track to try one beer from every country, as a team. So far I've had some great Polish beer while Grey a German lager. It should all be good till we get to places like Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, neither on my list of top beer producers.

Drinking at the Brickskellar is more like a wine tasting than a bar scene. The waiter comes, corrects your poor pronounciation of your order, then return with the bottles and a short overview. Even pouring the beer into the specialized glasses was made an artwork. You quickly find yourself sipping the beer, smacking your lips, and unimpressively trying to explain the different tastes.

Aside from the Brickskellar, I've found I'm too old to hangout at some of my old favorites. Tequila Grill used to be my resting place after a hard day's work. Now it seems to team with underage drinkers and cheap clear beers. Man have I gotten old!

I've befriended the pool on my roof again. If I'm not at the happy hours, I enjoy watching the sunsets from my roof while reading the Washington Post. Ocassionally, I'll consider throwing pennies off the roof to see if they really do sink into the cement 11 floors below, but so far I've contained myself.

That's about it for now. Everything seems to be in slow motion, but my summer seems to be flying by...very strange. Everyone in California, tell her that I miss her and will be back on my native soil soon! I need a beach and a cool evening sunset...stat! Below are two pictures of my fellowship class (I prefer the 2nd one).

RWO

July 17, 2001

Hey everyone,

It's been a while since I last wrote, and so much has happened over the past two weeks that it has all turned into a blur. I remember some of the most interesting points, but the rest has been destroyed in my short-term memory due to late nights at my favorite happy hour hangout, Buffalo Billiards.

Last week, one of the partners in my firm invited me to join him at a fundraiser dinner for Montana Senator Max Baucus (D). The dinner was held at Tony Podesta's house, a name that might ring familiar as Tony's brother is John Podesta, former chief of staff for President Clinton. I was told before I went to "prepare yourself for the house". No one had ever told me to prepare for a house before, so I figured, whatever. To be put simply, the house was a living art gallery, with one small caveat: much of it was "soft-pornography". Yes, a 40 something, big-wig professional in DC still seems to act like a teenager. You walk into the place, and first thing you see is a 10'x6' photograph of a naked man lying on his back in bed. After seeing that, dinner became an afterthought.

The dinner was nothing like I expected. Only 10 guests showed up, I met all of them personally with the thanks of my boss. There was no smoke filled haze, talks with the Senator about changing his stance on a bill, nothing that I had conjured up in my mind about DC fundraiser dinners. Instead, it seemed just like old friends, talking about old stories over wine and cheese. I was introduced to the Senator after being introduced to all the other guests, so at that point I didn't know who he was. "Ryan, I want you to meet Max," said my boss. "Hey, what's up Max, I'm Ryan," I said. After a few exchanges, I left to finish fill my plate. Little did I know that I had just met the Senator!

Meetings, meetings, meetings. That's the name of the game out here. I go to about 10-15 Congressional hearings a week, with a couple of think tank meetings splashed on the side. Often I just sit there, and take the time to feel the cool air conditioning roll over my face while drifting away to phrases like, "export controls on the supercomputer industries......zzzzz". Every once in a while I get to go to a "good" meeting. "Good" means that they serve food. But that's not the norm.

My happy hour/nightlife has been stymied only by the limited amount of alcohol I can take in per hour. I have found a bar called Buffalo Billiards right down the street from me that has become my hangout. It's in the basement of an office building, and has about 25 pool tables, three dart boards, some antlers, and my new favorite beer: Pete's Summer Blonde. My friend Grey and I went there four nights in a row last week (no wonder I was sick this weekend), hustling unsuspecting patrons on a game of darts. We've become experts at darts. I guess it helps when you make up the rules as you go along, but nonetheless, we seem to win quite often.

On the weekends, I've been taking it easy. The last summer I was in DC, I went everywhere, probably because I had my Civic. This year, I lounge on the roof, inviting as many of my friends over and sipping margaritas poolside while overlooking Georgetown and complaining about how the water temperature is only 75 rather than 83 like UCLA has. Very tough life.

Which brings me to my final thought. Life here has been pretty easy for me this summer. I had all these plans to take over the city, study for multiple grad school tests, read 10 books, etc. I've accomplished none. Instead I made a shorter list: relax. This list is new and improved, and amazingly seems addictive.

I've had a chance to meet a lot of people, over cigars at the ritzy Mayflower hotel, the Adams Morgan nightlife, and at the multiple hearings and meetings I attend. Everyone here seems to have the same goal I do: network. I like that. Unlike Los Angeles, a stranger will come up to you at a bar, introduce themselves, and start discussing something other than fashion or their last waitering stint while waiting for their "big break". No one here I've met is a native of DC, which makes us all transplants, which forces you, if you want to have any life, to meet people.

Well, that's all for now. I'll try to get back on track and give some updates more regularly. Until then, back to the keg...er, work.

RWO

July 6, 2001

For a moment, conjure up scenes of your favorite Wild West movie (except Will Smith's recent flop). Now, add highrises, the occasional national monument, and empty streets. That's been DC this week.

You could have sworn the city's 700,000+ workers had all quit their jobs. Even the liquor stores closed early this week. I guess that's what happens when the 4th of July falls on a Wednesday. The city shuts down.

So, in essence, I really didn't do anything that spectacular, outside of the 4th, that is. Meredith and I scrambled across the Mall on the 4th, hitting the American History museum and the Air and Space museum.

Ryan tries to fit into a Cessna at the Air and Space Museum.

We were going to find a spot on the capitol steps around 5pm to get a good view of the fireworks, but the rains came, and we decided to go home and get some dinner.

Ryan and a $20 soda at the American History Smithsonian

Meredith stands, still dry, in front of the Capitol

Ryan stands, still dry, in front of the Capitol

We came back to the capitol around 8pm, happy to see that there were still spaces, and that the rain had stopped. Ten minutes later, the skies opened up. Sheets of water...no, buckets of water poured out of the clouds. I expected everyone to scramble for shelter, but I was surprised to see that most everyone stayed put. As the rain poured harder, the people cheered louder. The singers on stage must have thought they were doing a great job. Little did they know.

A couple next to us had been sitting on the steps since 4pm. They both were wearing tank tops, without an umbrella. By the time we sat down next to them, they were wet. By 8:30 they looked like they had gone for a swim.

Another gentleman standing behind us was shivvering uncontrollably, soaked from head to toe, without an umbrella. Another man went through 5 cigarettes, in a downpour, to no avail. The scene was as chaotic as it was funny.

Ryan and Meredith try to stay dry under a leaky umbrella.

Amazingly, though, everyone stayed. As did we. Just as the fireworks were about to begin, the rain magically stopped. When the last firework fizzled out, the sprinkles soon followed.

But like I said, other than the 4th, this week was a dud. Not that I'm complaining, but it was funny to see this bustling city crawl to a halt.

The weather has been cooperating with us today, so I'm going home and having a margarita and a pizza poolside. "Ozzy's Cantina", Dana.

RWO

July 3, 2001

Tomorrow, I and the country grow another year older. Yeah, we're both showing some signs of aging. I bought my first suit yesterday. That seems to be the epitome of getting older (read: trying desperately to mature). Of course, I'll still be wearing my pooka shell necklace underneath!

The weather has become much nicer, just in time for Meredith's arrival. All this time I've been complaining about how hot and humid it is out here. So far, Meredith's only seen sunshine and cool, dry weather. Tomorrow there's a chance of a thunderstorm. Nice timing.

Grey, Doug, and Meredith hang out poolside on my roof.

We're planning on hitting the National Mall and seeing all the Smithsonians we can possibly see in one day. The National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are held, is closing for two years after tomorrow, so we're going to get there early to get a glance at them before they hibernate.

Otherwise, some of my friends and I are planning to paint the town red tonight and tomorrow night. Adams Morgan, Dupont, Georgetown, the works. I'm going to buy some firecrackers, but avoiding sparklers. My friend Ben once held one too close to me and scarred my foot (keep looking over your shoulder Ben), so now I'm scared of them and clowns (no connection).

Have a great 4th of July. Remember how cool our country's forefathers were, and if anyone tells you different, remember this headline from yesterday's Washington Post:

"My forefathers could kick your forefathers' butt!"

RWO

June 28, 2001

Just when you thought it was bad in LA...

As I awoke to the 70 degree heat this morning, I felt the muggy feeling that can only be associated with DC summer weather. I got up, ran to the gym for a quick workout, and when I came home, I decided to watch some local news before I went to work.

"We urge residents of the metropolitan DC area not to exercise or engage in outdoor activities today as the city braces for a Red-Level smog day" - read: if you want to die, breath.

Surprisingly enough though, the smog didn't kill me. Of course, this had to be the day I had meetings across the capitol city....running from our office near the White House, across town to a business meeting, then over to the Senate buildings for a hearing.

Breathing the air became a conscious effort. Each breath felt like I was cutting through the thick air with my teeth. Oodles of fun.

The high reached 95 today. The Humidity Index told us felt like 105.

Oh, and I almost got hit by a car that ran through an intersection and crashed into a Bank of America ATM I frequent just a minute before I got there.

What a day.

RWO

June 27, 2001

Thought you all might find this funny.

Today, our fellows group and another program got to sit on the floor of the House of Representatives to hear different congressmen speak about their experiences on the Hill.

Afterward, we had a big photo on the steps of the Capitol with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, I some other ended up in the front of the photo, and when he started speaking to us, he said he was a surfer, and asked who else was. I raised my hand, he recognized me, then asked if I had a pooka shell necklace, at which time he pulled his out from under his shirt and tie. I pulled mine out too, he laughed, and we took a photo together, holding the necklaces out over our ties!

Ryan and Rep. Dana Rhorbacher show off their pooka necklaces in front of the Capitol.

Seems like my kind ARE accepted in DC!

He was a real conservative...he said that Jacque Cousteau (or however you spell that famous diver's name) once told him face to face that the ocean would soon be polluted with thick black oil everywhere, and no one would be able to swim in it in 10 years (1990). The Congressman told us, "yeah, right. I went surfing this weekend, and Jacque Cousteau is DEAD."

Shiver, shiver...

RWO

June 24, 2001

I just finished my first day of work here at Infotech Strategies, and I thought I'd finally clue you all in to what I'm doing this summer.

I received the Eben Tisdale Fellowship for High Tech Policy in April. This fellowship pays me to stay in DC and work with Infotech Strategies, a high-tech consulting firm. ITS has a public policy division, in which they house two corporate CEO organizations: Computer Systems Policy Project (CSPP) and Computer Coalition for Responsible Exports (CCRE). Essentially, both these groups are high-level lobbying groups.

My job here is to help them work in a new arena: broadband technology. There is a big push on the Hill to create legislation friendly to opening up ventures in broadband, and we here at ITS like that. Our clients like it too. So my jobs will take on many forms, most importantly, creating a white paper (policy paper) on broadband technology policy which will be presented to Congress via the CSPP and CEOs from such companies as IBM, Agilent, Apple, etc.

My office quarters are great. We are a block from the White House and Metro, and on the top floor of one of the most beautiful buildings in DC. The view is spectacular, and the rooftop patio is open for lunches and dinners.

So, in essence, I'm doing pretty darn well. I'm heading off to a happy hour now.

PS - I'm getting good feedback from ICCAN. The CEO and President supposedly wants me to do some research for them, via good word from a professor. Check out what they do at http://www.icann.org

RWO

June 24, 2001

Well, I've finally made it to Washington, DC. After failing to make it out here by car, I successfully flew out here on a Southwest flight and moved into my new apartment at 1330 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Apt. 817.

Ryan standing out in front of the Virgin Valley Cliffs in Arizona.

DC really hasn't changed that much. I spent my first night here wandering around Dupont Circle, remembering my old hangouts, and recognizing new guys on the block.

My apartement is a "junior one bedroom", essentially a large studio, with large bay windows extending across one side. I overlook Georgetown, and last night I arrived just in time to watch the sunset over Maryland. The complex has a 24 hour doorman and an extensive pool and lounge area on the roof. We're above all the other neighboring apartments, so the view is unsurpassed and beautiful.

Today I just got a membership to Bally's gym. Everything here is so close to my apartment. The grocery store, Bank of America, Metro, restaurants, bars, etc., all within 1 BLOCK!

I'm off to get myself a little more settled in. Look forward to hearing from you all soon!

RWO