I was in Springfield yesterday to cover the impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. I showed up around 8:15 to get my stuff situated and get my credentials for the Senate gallery. For anyone who doesn't know, the gallery is the second floor balcony... not a bad view, but it gets limiting with the amount of cameras and people up there. I was smashed in between a pair of tripods for network video cameras and the iron railing. Once I sat down I was stuck there until there was a break.

Apparently I could have had a press box credential so I could shoot stuff from the floor, but there is a dress code that requires tie and jacket. That would have been nice to know before I came in my standard work wear -- jeans, dress shoes and a polo shirt. Oh well... now I know.

I took my spot in the gallery and waited.

The day started with closing arguments from the House prosecutor, David Ellis.

Several people sat in the gallery to watch the day's events...

I liked watching some of the reactions on the Senate floor that I could see from my spot...

Gov. Blagojevich followed with his own closing remarks... an hour-long unprepared speech with a few notes scribbled out on plain paper. I realized in the middle of his speech that I haven't photographed him at all during his time in office. Weird.

The Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice, Thomas Fitzgerald, listened from his seat during Blagojevich's closing remarks.

I watched him as he left the room and smiled when he turned around to wave at someone over on the Democratic side of the Senate floor. I'm still curious if he waved at someone in particular or just to the democrats in general. Heck, for all I know he could have been waving at the lamp on the wall... Come on, would it really surprise you if it was true?

After closing remarks the Senate took a break. I hear they like to do that. Media crews swarmed any lawmaker that would talk on the way out...

I tried to transmit some photos during the lunch break but my computer wasn't cooperating at all. Surprise surprise. I only got a few sent before things started back up. I quickly got back in my spot just in time for the senators to request another hour-long recess. Sweet. More editing time.

The big networks all had their stuff set up in various locations in and out of the Capitol Building. I liked the empty feeling in front of the governor's office.

I sat in the Senate gallery for a little while after the recess and listened to some of the senators talk before casting their vote. Each senator was given five minutes, and if there's one thing I learned yesterday -- lawmakers will take every minute of speaking they are allowed. The view from the gallery is mostly the backs of the politician's heads, so most of the photographers wer reading or playing games on their iphones. It looked kind of funny.

Word started to spread that people were setting up in the House gallery for the swearing-in ceremony for Lt. Gov. Quinn if Blagojevich was impeached. I went over to get credentials for that and was told I had to go to the Secretary of State Security office and fill out some paperwork and get a yellow card before I could get the House pass.

I thought it was interesting I could be in the same room as the Governor, Chief Justice and all the state senators without any forms but I couldn't be in the House? Oh well. I learned there is a pretty big system of tunnels that go underneath the Capitol Building and take you to different buildings in the capitol complex. After walking down the longest tunnel known to man I got to the office I needed and realized I left my wallet in my computer bag back in the press room at the Capitol. Ugh. Hiked back and returned to find out my paperwork hadn't come through yet... some problem with the fax machine.

I waited and waited and finally got the clearance I needed. Sweet.

I got back to the Capitol and saw that the senators were still talking and hadn't voted. Picked up my House pass. Still no vote. Got a drink of water. Still no vote.

My time was running short... I still had to drive back to Decatur and shoot a couple basketball games. I was getting ready to call it a day when I heard there was some commotion over around the Lt. Governor's office. I camped out there for a while. Saw the treasurer come in and out a few times...

I was one of two photographers that started the crowd in front of the office. The video crews scrambled over a few minutes later and made the crowd a little crazy. I kneeled down to try to be nice to them... the treasurer came out and I got pushed forward and ended up in a spot where my face was approximately four inches from his groin. He seems like a nice enough guy, but I hope that I never get any closer to him. No offense, Alexi.

One of Lt. Gov. Quinn's nieces seemed to be pretty interested in all of the commotion outside of the office.

And then Jesse White, the Secretary of State, came out and answered some questions. And I'm pretty sure that the TV reporter on the right is not Sarah Palin. I heard her talk and there was no discussion of killing moose or drilling for oil.

We kept waiting and waiting for Patrick Quinn to come out and then were told he already left through a back hallway. Frustrating.

And that ended my day at the capitol. I barely made it for the fourth quarter of one of my games back in Decatur. The paper only used one photo from the whole day because all of the good stuff happened afterwards.

I'm still frustrated by the whole thing, but there's nothing I can do about it now. Oh well... I learned quite a bit about politics, working at the Capitol and that I need to get a suit jacket.

• Blagojevich's fate sealed by senators' unanimous vote (Herald & Review)