Log of things that kept us awake for our 36 hour stint covering the

Sebi and Grace stayed up 36+ hours to hear President Bush fluff up the war like a Hallmark card. To stay awake we had to provide our own entertainment. Here is a log of the events as they unfolded. Surreal, surreal…

4:something p.m. Tuesday March 26th - Grace and Sebi wake up. Sebi goes to math class first then later joins Grace at work.

Sometime around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday ? The paper is send. We hang around the office for a while.

1:something a.m. Will calls and tells about fire on the golf corse. We check it out on the way home to change clothes and pick up gear.

University Police: Can I help you?

Sebi: Um… yeah… We are from The Oracle. Do you know what is going on? (points at huge flames)

UP: A bonfire.

Sebi: Excuse me?

UP: Some students are having a bonfire.

Sebi: Oh so it is nothing extrodinary? (looks at huge flames on golf corse at 1 in the morning on a weekday)

UP: Not really…

We leave and stop at Sebi’s to pick up some things then go to Grace’s for her to change.

2:20 a.m . - We head to Wal-Mart to buy sugary things that will keep us awake. Jellybeans very prevalent in things purchased. One hundred Advil?s should stop any headache cause by the things ahead.

2:30 a.m. Freaky woman outside Wal-Mart is obviously drunk and talking to herself. She switches from german to english, then to spanish. A well educated bum.

2:35 a.m. - We both pop an Advil and get some gas at a gas station.

2:45 a.m. We follow the Map Quest description to MacDill Air Force Base (AFB) and soon find ourselves in downtown Tampa, then on a toll road. Good job Map Quest. Somehow we doubt this is the most direct route.

3:00 a.m. ? Sebi gets a nosebleed.

3:02 a.m. ? Grace pulls over to find cotton from recently purchased Advil to absorb the bleeding.

3:30 a.m. ? Arrive at Air Force Base gates … not time to check in yet. We turn around to find a place to hang out until 4:30, the time we are supposed to be at the base to check in.

3:35 a.m. - Park in Circle K convenience store parking lot to play black jack using TIME magazine as a table. Baghdad is on this issue?s cover so it?s really a wage for war but with Starburst jellybeans. Risky bets.

3:50 a.m. ? Street sweeper pulls into parking lot.

3:55 a.m. Driver of sweeper writes something mysterious on a white notepad.
We think he wants to play Black Jack but are afraid to ask.

3:56 a.m. ? Nose bleed stops.

3:58 a.m. Man in orange shirt strolls across parking lot from behind TDY?s Pub and Deli. He is holding a beer, but the bar?s been closed since 1 a.m.

3:59 a.m. ? Street sweeper leaves lot to begin duty of cleaning up Bayshore Boulevard. I heard that road can get Dirrty.

4:01 a.m. ? Mysterious white van leaves the parking lot. We forgot to mention its entrance, but it came right before the street sweeper.

4:04 a.m. ? Moth crawls across windshield. Silence. Turn radio on. We hear Nickelback.

4:05 a.m. - Fox 4 heads toward MacDill. I wonder if Joe Millionaire is in the back. Black Jack continues and Sebi busts.

4:09 a.m. ? Bicyclist emerges from dark road strapped in heavy-duty reflector helmet and equipped with blinking lights.

4:12 a.m. ? Car arrives, guy drops off paper for Circle K then pulls up to gas pump and … pumps gas.

4:14 a.m. ? Another car arrives and delivers beer to TDY?s bar. Ah, good ole TDY?s.

4:15 a.m. ? Paper guy leaves. Grace gets out and steals two papers: Tampa Tribune and St. Pete Times, both got ripped.

4:17 a.m. - Storm water watch truck passes and glares.

4:18 a.m. ? Another street sweeper passes and starts job.

4:19 a.m. ? Engine starts and we leave.

4:22 a.m. ? Arrive at Air Force Base. We?re first in line … wonder if we should offer to troops on guard some jellybeans.

4:24 a.m. ? Turn around. We were at the wrong gate for MacDill

4:32 a.m. - Go back follow directions given to us by guard but go past the road we were supposed to take. Return to Circle K parking lot to turn around.

4:38 a.m. ? We pull up at the Dale Mabry gate. Wrong gate!

4:43 a.m. ? Finally at the right gate. Lots of press. Cars wait in front of gate in a very poor neighborhood. A woman is sitting outside of her mobile home drinking.

4:45 a.m. ? Black guy comes out and starts yelling something to the effect of ?what are all the people doing here?? Drunk lady says ?The president?s coming.? (giggles)

Marine gives a great quote on the day the commander and chief will be present at his base:
?If I didn?t have to be up at this ungodly hour I would be doing a whole lot better.?

4:47 a.m. ? We?re inside. Sorta. Still waiting for them to search our car and tell us where to go.

4:50 a.m. ? Sebi: ?Women in uniform.?

4:51 a.m. ? Grace finds the ?F? Saddam.? Quote in TIME magazine.

Car is checked for bombs. Marine after inspecting Grace?s car to her:
?If you?re looking for your checkbook, it?s under your driver?s seat.?

5:00 a.m. - we are told to park the car and board a bus with all the equipment we need to set up

5:18 a.m. ? On the bus with newly issued military press passes. From this point forward we will only be identified by numbers:
Sebi: 006
Grace: 010

5:22 a.m. ? Fox 13 cameraman gets on the bus. You can truly tell the quality of Fox by his ongoing impression of the Forrest Gump bus scene.
?This seat?s taken, this seat?s taken,? Fox 13 said.
?Shut your pie hole,? 010 said.

5:28 a.m. ? Little Debbie has a snack for you. No, seriously the bakery truck is rolling down Central Command?s lane. Our troops must eat healthy.

5:30 a.m ? we pass CentCom for the first time. No pictures allowed. This is the building in which pressing a wrong button might wipe out entire countries.

5:40 a.m get to hangar in which G.W. will speak. Admire the stylish decoration of camouflage nets. Sebi set?s up his oh-so-professional tripod on the press bleachers to claim a spot.

6:03 a.m. ? Waiting in hanger until secret service makes us leave. Bleachers look crowded and there is more press to come.

6:04 a.m. ? It is getting bright outside

6:05 a.m. ? A troop vacuums the stage. They will not tolerate any dust terrorists.

6:09 a.m. ? Vacuuming is completed. God-like voice comes on intercom. It?s the secret service telling us to leave for a secret sweep.

6:13 a.m. ? ?Little Pepe? has been found, it?s a golf cart parked outside the hangar with a sticker on the front proudly proclaiming its name.

6:23 a.m. ? Note to self: People in news never mature. They?re weird, crazy, and destructive ? it?s just the right place for me.

6:27 a.m. ? Back on the bus

6:28 a.m. ? Pass CentCom for the second time

6:30 a.m. ? Bus pulls out of AFB and then into a McDonald?s parking lot. A marine jumps out and runs for the restaurant. We are confused like the rest of the press but ignore it and wait.

6:40 a.m. ? Scrawny cameraman tells bullshit story about his days in the Marines.

6:50 a.m. ? A far too cheerful female marine officers hops on the bus and shouts, ?who here wants breakfast??
Then as we look back at here confused she asks: ?Didn?t anybody tell you??
Air Force takes us to McDonald?s; it is like an elementary school trip

7:10 a.m. - We get back on the bus. Cheerful marine: “Does everybody have their partner?”

7:20 a.m we are dropped of near our car and go sit in it for a while. Browsing newspapers. Did you know there is a war going on right now?

8:00 a.m. ? On the bus again heading for the hangar to see the president.
We are back to real names, Sebi and Grace.

8:03 a.m. ? Governor Jeb’s motorcade passes bus we are on. It includes a dozen motorcycles, half a dozen police vehicles and two paramedics.

8:05 a.m. ? Marine girl has been our bus guide and has a retainer; She is an SNL character waiting to happen.

8:07 a.m. ? Bus leaves for hangar. Unlike the Governor?s motorcade ours consists of all terrain vehicles chasing through the wet grass next to the bus

8:20 a.m ? pass CentCom for the third time

8:45 a.m. ? In the hangar and ready to go. Norah Jones is playing…good choice CentCom.

11:48 a.m. ? (Large time gap is due to that guy called president who talked about war and how much fun it is).
Shortly after Air Force One landed and just before the president takes the stage another God-like voice come on the intercom and announces that a kid has lost its father. Then George W. takes the stage. Where is Daddy Bush when you need him?
Bush is done. Talked about getting rid of terrorists and tyrants (irony?). We take some photos of us and Air Force One that is parked just outside the hangar.

11:56 a.m. ? Sitting in the shade waiting for bus ?Crap I?m so tired,? Grace said.

12:06 p.m. ? Miami Herald reporter tells us about a SUV he once rented.

12:08 - we?re back on the bus for the last time sitting right across from Univision. They have a heated discussion in spanish going.

12:20 p.m. ? we pass CentCom for the fourth time

5 p.m . ? Back at The Oracle. Ah, it?s good to be home. A paper is made.

2:30 a.m. Thursday morning. time to go to bed. Hybernation ensues.

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