The Fun Begins!

A beautiful vase of tulips arrived to my hotel room today. Thank you, ING and CCSSO!

I arrived in Washington, D.C. yesterday (since it's close enough to North Carolina to drive in a few hours,) but I didn't feel quite like the festivities were underway until it was time for the other three finalists to arrive today. Well, tonight, Jon Quam, the Director of the National Teacher of the Year Program, met us in the lobby of our hotel so that we could walk to dinner, and it was then that Tony, Alex, and I found out that Susan was stranded in the airport in Chicago and wouldn't be joining us. We missed her cheerful presence, but luckily, her sign language interpreter, Cheri, was with us.

First Jon took us for a tour of the Council of Chief State School Officers building where our interviews and press conference will take place.

Tony and Alex test the chairs in the press conference room.

Next we entered the historic Union Station for dinner at BSmith's, a restaurant specializing in Southern cuisine and soul food...right up my alley! We all had a wonderful time and now are ready for our videotapings tomorrow and then dinner with the selection committee. Oh, and we're also waiting for Susan to get here! Can't wait to see her!

Here, Tony and Alex and I stand in the regal Union Station, a historic train station built in 1907.