Breaking News: I've dipped my toe into the murky wading pool of Nevada state politics and I'm proud to report I survived covering my first major event - a meeting of the Republican State Central Committee.

You see, I'm working hard to get myself up to speed on the issues and the players in the hopes that a major news outlet might begin turning to me for stories and reports.

 I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and Reno is the closest market. The resignation of John Ensign created an opening in the Senate that Congressman Dean Heller was appointed to fill … and now there’s a special congressional election coming up in September which is causing quite a stir. Not to mention the fact that state leaders are determined not to waste their opportunity as an early caucus state in 2012 this time around. I’m all over it.

My first foray took me to, where else, a casino – namely John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks. Sparks is a somewhat soul-less hamlet straddling I-80 just east of Reno, and casinos are where you hold any gathering for more than 20 people in Nevada.

I made my way through the dinging slot machines and early morning boozers and sprinted up to the 2^nd floor ballroom heading straight for the check-in table. I was supposed to be on the press list but my name wasn't there. Big surprise. Fortunately, I'd made up some business cards with my new title as the "Reno Political Buzz Reporter” for Examiner.com and next thing I knew I had my pass! I tried to ignore the fact that next to my name was scribbled the word "NONE." Was that demarcation meant to imply I was reporting for an unknown entity or that I wouldn't get free chicken for lunch? No matter -  I soldiered on.

I felt out of place for so many reasons when I finally entered the meeting room. Here’s why:

1) I’ve never been to a major Republican gathering anywhere, ever. 

2) I’ve never covered any major political party event as a reporter, ever.

3) I brought my laptop but realized I had forgotten my computer cable – only thing more useless than a loaded gun is a dead PC.

4) Even bigger rookie mistake – I had left all my writing implements in the car. Seriously.

As I entered the room I wondered … would I be immediately outed as a former green Mayor, progressive liberal, Obama supporter before I even found a chair? And could they tell just by looking at me that I was completely out of my element as a journalist? That I didn’t even have a pen? 

I tried to be stealthy but there was nowhere to sit.

As if to keep me from scaring the guests, the communications director spotted me and immediately took me aside, “Don’t you want to sit in the media section?” Media section? “Yes, of course,” I said, pretending I not only knew there was a media section, but I also knew exactly where it was located.

I guess the giant mirrored pillar had totally obscured my view but suddenly (cue the trumpets) there they were…the biggest names in Nevada journalism sitting up above the crowd at the exact mid-point in the room on their own special raised dais, complete with white linen tablecloths and personal hi-speed internet hook-ups! (If the Nevada GOP shares Palin's views about the lamestream media, they sure have a funny way of showing it!)

There was Las Vegas Sun journalist Jon Ralston, who has his own political talk show "Face to Face with Jon Ralston."

And looking quite lovely and supremely confident, there was Anjeanette Damon, also from the Sun, a political analyst for KRNV in Reno and host of her own show as well. There were about seven other grizzled looking wonks at the table as well who all looked like people I should know, if I knew what I was looking for. 

But, there wasn’t an empty seat to be had at the grown up media table, and it was pretty clear that none of these folks were going to scoot over and make room for an unknown quantity like me. Could they tell I was a newbie statewide wannabe working for free for an internet content mill? It sure felt like it.

The nice communications lady brought me a chair and set it right smack in front of, and what felt like 10 feet below, the media dais. And if I didn’t stick out enough like a sore thumb already, she said they would bring me my own table soon.

Great. I could pretend to use my cheap laptop that had 5 minutes of battery left, in between the times I took poor quality photos with my aging point and click camera. But first I had to go out to the lobby and steal a pen!

I'll be documenting my ongoing adventure of morphing into a full-fledged Nevada political wonkette here on Open Salon.