There he is!

Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!!! This is what was going through my head when I saw Nick Clegg for the first time in person today!!! (By the way you should all be very proud that I did not start jumping up and down hitting the person next to me saying "there he is!") But let me back up a bit...I arrived in plenty of time for the Committee meeting. It has gotten to the point that not only do the security officers know me, they didn't even bother to pat me down today (but of course I went through the metal detector). :) So I went up to wait outside the room where the meeting was going to take place. There was a private section of the meeting from 9:45 until 10 when the public were allowed in. A police officer came up and I started getting excited. Then all of a sudden, he was there!! Just down the hallway talking to some advisors was Clegg!! When it was time for the witnesses to go in (just before the advisors, media, and "other interested parties", i.e. me) he walked right in front of me less than a foot away!! The meeting itself was rather boring. Everyone seems keen to put the referendum behind them and they were talking a lot about Lords reform (interesting) and other stuff (not interesting). But I was so close to Clegg. There was only one row of chairs between us so I was effectively one chair away. Then when the meeting was over we both got up and he looked right at me and I nodded!!!!! Sooo cool!!! Before you ask, yes I did chicken out when I had the momentary opportunity to shake his hand (well, offer mine), but let's face it, we all knew I would! He had to run off somewhere anyway. For the record, Sam, we are counting this as meeting my goal of meeting Clegg within two years and I still have a year to spare! It was like seeing a movie star except better!!

After that I had some lunch and prepared for my next meeting at 2pm. This went well although it was odd because this was not a politician so he didn't want to answer all of my questions. He also didn't want to be quoted, but said I could use what he said otherwise. Then I went back to my hotel and took a nap-seeing Clegg is tiring work! Oh, I bought a book today about the coalition (I couldn't resist). It is called The Coalition and the Constitution (constitutions!). I consider it an investment for my research! I think I will go back and get another one called The Cameron-Clegg Government: Coalition Politics in the Age of Austerity. For those concerned (Dad) I looked it up on Amazon and it won't be any cheaper and it hasn't been released on there yet and won't be until June. I need something to read on the plane! So I kind of geeked-out on British Politics today (okay, all week)!

Oh I forgot, I have been checking the news and already what Clegg said in the meeting today is coming out and it's so excited to be able to say "I was there when he said that! I wrote that down too!" There was also a picture of him at the meeting in the evening paper and although you can't see me, I'm totally just over his left shoulder!

By the way, I tried to upload some pictures but it is just too slow to be feasible. I also realized with dismay that my settings on my camera were accidently changed so all the pictures look blue. :( Oh well, I am going sightseeing tomorrow and will take more properly-colored photographs. Still that was a bummer.

Tomorrow I am going to take one of those bus tours (no research work as MPs are all in their constituencies on Fridays) where you can hop on and off. I plan to go into the Tower of London which I have never done. Also, I will get off at all of those locations where I want pictures that are the proper color! Should be a fun day to just relax and be a tourist! I fly home on Saturday. In some ways the trip hasn't been long enough. It reminds me of being in Bath-it isn't that I want to leave, but I want all of my family and friends to be here with me!

Cheers!