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Come read about my third trip to Washington, D.C., and my competition in the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

T+3 days: Tuesday - Part 1

Elli and I beside the judges' table at the Bee's stage
Unofficial Round 1 (written) results: I got 17 points out of a possible 25, so I could, at maximum, have 23 points total after the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

Today was another hot day! We did do a lot of exploring and walking around the east end of the Mall, though. At 7:30 this morning, we went to the Maryland Ballroom in the Gaylord National for Round 1 of the Scripps National Spelling Bee! (Insert applause here.) 25 words were pronounced to us, all of which count, and we had to write them down. Later the correct spellings were posted on a screen in the room, hence the unofficial results. (Official results coming tomorrow night.)
It's a little blurry, but this is me at my Round 1 table
We then taxied to the Senate building to meet U.S. Senator Richard Lugar before he flew to Indiana during Memorial Day recess.
Me, Senator Lugar, Addison Hughes (#85), and Gina Solomito (#79)
After a shortish (but hot!) walk, we went to the National Air and Space Museum.
The Spirit of St. Louis

Gene Kranz's Apollo 13 Vest

An actual moon lander built for the Apollo program but never used

A Japanese Mitsubishi Zero from WWII
Then we walked back to the Capitol for a tour by one of Senator Lugar's interns. We took a lot of really neat photos of the ornate Capitol, inside and out. Here are some of them.
The Capitol from the Mall

The "Crypt" of the Capitol, under the dome

Something on the richly painted wall commemorating the Apollo 11 moon landing

A Capitol hallway

The Capitol rotunda
It's getting kind of late, so there'll be more tomorrow. Happy June, and au revoir!

Monday, May 30, 2011

T+2 days: Monday

A view in the hotel's atrium
Today was a hot day, anywhere from 88 to 95 degrees (supposedly; I think it was hotter) while we were out on the picnic. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Today, we didn't have to be anywhere (and weren't) until 11:00. We were scheduled to go to Gunston Hall, the colonial home of George Mason (who I'm possibly related to), for a picnic and general fun day in preparation for the actual spelling, which starts tomorrow. (BTW, here is a link to the Scripps National Spelling Bee's Flickr page, already with 48 pages of photos!  See one of me--well, my back--here.) There were hot dogs, chicken, and ribs, bounce houses (we didn't go in those), mini golf (I think), crafts (such as decorated visors and necklaces), and, of course, the actual Gunston Hall historic site.
Me at the area of the hotel the Spelling Bee will be held in

The very long line waiting to get on the buses to Gunston Hall

Elli and I eating at the picnic

Elli and I in front of Gunston Hall
I also took part in a Spelling Bee tradition. Everyone is given a little bound book with everyone's name and picture in it; a Bee Keeper. Traditionally, you go around during the week, asking people to sign their page in your book.
Me signing a Bee Keeper
(Something weird I found - there were "EXIT" signs posted all over the edge of the tent that was clearly open. ????)
EXIT signs (on the bottom edge of the tent)
We took a parting picture of Gunston Hall and were bused home (correction: back to the hotel). Elli is currently out swimming, and I (as you may have guessed) am writing my blog post. Au revoir!
Gunston Hall

Sunday, May 29, 2011

T+1 Day: Sunday

Our plane to D.C.
How do you like my new blog design? Today was my first day (well, at least this year) in our nation's capital. We flew into Reagan National Airport at about 12:30pm today and took a taxi to our hotel. (The taxi driver, an Afghan-American man, even wished me luck in the Bee!)

We were originally given a room that was not clean and ready, but after a little wait, we were given another. (As reimbursement for our trouble, we were given a room with a balcony looking in onto the hotel's atrium.)
The Gaylord National's Atrium
We registered for the Bee and then left for the Grand Hyatt Washington (last year's hotel) in the hopes that we could go to a restaurant that was in there last year. It was still there, but the fabled dish I had told stories of (a plate of macaroni and cheese covered by some chili) was not served anymore. *sigh* So we went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner. Then we took Elli to the International Spy Museum.
The International Spy Museum (and the book Elli bought there)

The trip back to the hotel marked Elli's first Metro subway and bus ride. When we arrived, we found that the hotel staff, as if more apology was needed, had brought us a tray of cookies. And that brings us to now, when I am writing this blog post. Au revoir!

Friday, May 27, 2011

T-40 Hours

There is only just over one day until I leave for Washington, D.C., to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. (Their website is at www.spellingbee.com.) Yes, I am nervous! (As I sometimes say, you have to be crazy not to be!) This year is a little different from last year...

Elli and I in our Spelling Bee T-Shirts
For one thing, my twin sister, Elli, is accompanying me and my dad to D.C. She will want to, of course, go to different places than I would, but since I've already had a week, that's okay. This will vary our itinerary a little, and she will get to see some of her stuff. Not telling you what, though. :)


This year, the Bee will be held at a slightly different place than last year's location, the Grand Hyatt Washington. This year's Bee will be at the Gaylord National, a hotel just outside of the Capital Beltway by the National Harbor.


This year, there are only 51 two-year repeaters (including someone named Joe Kirkpatrick? Who's he?) and only 7 spellers have a twin. There is only one third-grader (from Locust Grove, Virginia) and 117 eighth-graders. Who will win? Only time will tell...

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Anticipation, again









First off, I would like to thank everyone who got me here, going to the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the second year in a row!  Thanks to my family--Dad, Mom, sisters Elli and Meghan, and Grandma Susan, who helped me study for the Regional Bee.  Thanks also to my English/Language Arts teacher, Mr. Pike, who has been using the National Spelling Bee list to supplement my spelling words at school.

This was my first year at Anderson's East Side Intermediate School.  Congratulations to everyone who competed there!  The Regional Bee this year was a lot harder than last year (I even missed a word--but so did everyone else in that round!), so congratulations to everyone who competed that night as well.  Here is a link to the story in the Herald Bulletin, who sponsored the Regional Bee.

Last year I went to DC to compete in the National Spelling Bee, and I kept a blog at the Herald Bulletin site.  I was eliminated after the preliminary rounds, tying for 49th (along with 223 other spellers!) out of 273.  I'm hoping to do a little better this year--maybe even get on TV.  The semifinals (10:00 a.m.) and finals (8:30 p.m.) will be broadcast live on ESPN, Thursday, June 2.