Max completely aced it. He got back to the hotel at 2am last night, having not only written his colour piece (click here), but he also had to write an analysis of the exit polls at the last minute, too (click here). A correspondent had been commissioned to do the analysis but then didn't/couldn't, so Max stepped into the breach and knocked it off!
The evil Blackberry informed us at 8am this morning that his London boss thinks both articles are 'impressive'! Hooray! It's such a weight off Maxy's shoulders that he's got this whole trip over and done with and managed to produce such well-received work. While also really enjoying it, I think.
And I got to drive back across country, which I enjoy, too. Leaving Philadelphia was a bit of a nightmare, because there were lots of diversions, but I realised that the policemen directing us must be Keystone Cops, cos Pennsylvania is the Keystone State! It's been really sunny and we went much closer to Baltimore this time, so saw the docks and signs to Annapolis, all of which got us very excited about 'The Wire'. We also went through Delaware, so our state tally is slowly building.
We stopped off at an out-of-town K Mart on our way back to DC, to get some food, and it was easily one of the bleakest experiences I've had. Everyone there just looked really miserable and I swear I detected a sad look in the eyes of the many many babies being wheeled around. It was an emporium o' tat too far for me, and we laid down some rubber getting away.
I was sad to say goodbye to my roadtrip buddy as Max went into the Bureau this afternoon, but fun to pootle around the flat arranging all our Ikea things. We now have many fairy lights and nice bedding and lamps and a coffee table and stuff, which are the finishing touches the flat needed to look lovely and homely. It now ROCKS!
I caught a clip of an extraordinary show on the TV as I was a-pootlin'. The show is based on the lie detector revelations of programmes like 'Jerry Springer' and 'Trisha'. Basically, contestants get paid for telling the truth, but the contestants are invariably people with terrible secrets of infidelity and stuff. So in order to win the money, they have to destroy their relationship. The clip I saw was of a woman admitting that she'd had extra-marital sex and wished she was married to someone else, all while her husband was just sitting there, but her money total was racking up. So, after destroying this poor chap's life and revealing herself to be a bad 'un, all in pursuit of $200,000, she was asked one final question: 'do you think you're a good person?', to which she said, 'yes'. And it was a lie! She lost the money! By lying to herself. Awesome.
Hey, and a weather lady described the upcoming temperatures this week as being 'snazzy'. Take note, Sian Lloyd! Good lingo!
All the sorting out and marvelling at the TV took it out of me, so we ate out for supper. We finally checked out the Belgian cafe at the end of our street and had extremely tasty crepes and saucisson sec. It was amazing, to be eating outside at 10pm on an April evening and the place was packed, so felt all very European and cafe culture-y. We made friends with the owner, who's a flamboyant fellow called Bob and whose brother (who we also met) is now going to suggest calling his impending daughter Sophie (but who doesn't like his own name of Gary. Poor Gary).
We feel very much as though DC life has started in earnest, now Max has proved himself with the PA trip and I don't have to spend anymore time feathering our nest. Woohoo!
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