After spending the last four days in our nation's capitol, I've come to the conclusion that Washington, DC isn't for me!!! Several years ago, I might be telling you a different story. Oh, don't get me wrong. Washington has lots to offer. There are countless historical buildings, monuments, sights and wonderful restaurants. But there are two things that made this trip very difficult, well three things.

One was the fact that the area was experiencing record heat. No, what they say about the difference in dry heat and wet humid heat is true. It is very humid here and I sweat enough without any help, but I could walk out the door and immediately breaking into a wringing sweat. Add walking a few blocks to a train station and I could wilt a freshly starched shirt in about 10 minutes. Add to that the fact that with parking at a premium, I either walked or rode a train or took a taxi to get everywhere. That means I was constantly trying to figure that system out on the fly. Finally...... the people. There were people everywhere.

On the Metro, which is probably one of the best subway systems in the country, road construction was forcing more and more riders to take the Metro. That means very crowded cars, both coming and going from almost everywere. And when you cram that many bodies into a single car and then force them to stand close to one another (or sit if you were lucky enough to get on before the crowd started building) the already hot conditions got hotter.

I have been in Washington for training on a new computer system. That system installs next week and we train the rest of the staff the following week. It was even hot in the training room. Most buildings have air conditioning, but it didn't seem like it always worked like we're used to in Wichita Falls.

Training was finished on Wednesday and we dragged our baggage to the Associated Press facility in downton DC, only to find out that whole exercise was an effort in futility. That's because I got a frantic call from the station back home from Jim Allen, my chief photographer. He said he had just received an automated message from American Airlines saying my flight later in the day was cancelled. No reason or explanation why, just cancelled and I had been booked for a flight the next day.

So I was forced to stay another day. That meant re-booking a room we'd just checked out of, and dragging all of that baggage back to the hotel. Fortunately, there was a room available to go baAs I sit in Reagan National Airport I am hoping no one from American Airlines finds this blog and figures out some way to cause another delay.

With any luck, I'll be back in Wichita Falls, sleeping in my own bed later tonight.

I usually shy away from saying "NEVER" but I'm going to bet I never come here to live or work. This place is not for me!!!!!!!

Now, I've got to go catch the plane back to Dallas, so I can sleep in my own bed tonight.