Notes From Capitol Hill: Too long in between posts...

First off, I am very very sorry for the long time in between posts, but as I'm sure you are aware of, things have been crazy, all thanks to the Health Care debate and Spring Break. Work has been so tiring, and then when I get home I am just so exhausted that one of the last things I want to do is write about how tiring and crazy my day has been. But just to play catch up, since the first week of March, things have been snowballing, going downhill at 90 mph.

Abbie came in town and we enjoyed a really great weekend. Highlights included visiting the monuments and seeing THE Jamie Cullum live in concert, front row nonetheless, at the 9:30 club in D.C. Jamie Cullum is a phenomenal talent, and his live performance was one of those life experiences I will always remember. His voice is pure and smooth, and his piano chops are excellent. Add a great rhythm section and a wonderful sax/trumpet duo and you get a dynamite backup band. Jazz/pop/rock/fusion all in one night? Yes, please.

Tuesday, March 9 was a day I had been looking forward to for a while. The Houston Rockets, my hometown team that I have followed for 18+ years, came into town to steadily take care of business and beat up on the Washington Wizards. The entire 1st floor and many from the 3rd floor joined me in goin' to the game. We had a great time, and I proudly sported my custom Rockets jersey (pictures below).

The following weekend, a few of us on the first floor went to Philly! While my ultimate goal of licking the liberty bell wasn't fulfilled, and while it did downpour the entire time I was there, we still enjoyed a nice cheesesteak, some great historical sites, and a very humorous bus ride to and from (on one of the shady Chinatown bus companies). It's amazing the things you can learn simply eavesdropping on random conversation on a 2 hour bus ride, including the incredibly scientific similarities between George W. Bush and Darth Vader (haha), and why Disney is really just the puppet of the hidden Hollywood government.

And now we are on to this week. Health Care, my parents visiting, and spring break. Well first off, we don't get a spring break. I worked all week. But everyone else in Texas apparently did, so I was super super busy giving two or three 1 and 1/2 hour tours everyday. I have more random facts about the U.S. Capitol building memorized than the members of Congress themselves. Then of course there have been the phone calls, letters, faxes, and random drop in visits regarding the health care debate. I have heard every argument, on every side of the aisle, and have learned more about power politics this week than I ever thought I could know. I have read and re-read essays by libertarian, liberal, neo-conservative and statist think-tanks regarding their scholarly position on national health care.

Now my views are a bit skewed because I tend to lean pretty libertarian-conservative on all things, and I also work in an office that is very very GOP influenced, so I get to hear their arguments all the time. But the one thing I am certain of is that Nancy Pelosi is either completely oblivious or is very audacious. I really do think that Democrats will lose their majority in the House if they pass HC. But I believe Pelosi either doesn't believe that, or she doesn't really care and is just straight up Kamikaze-ing her party all in the name of "history making legislation". The great thing about America is that every single gov't official outside of the judicial branch is accountable to the American public every 2 to 6 years. So if you don't like something, you can vote to change it.

Lastly, my parents just left D.C. this morning after a nice 5 day stay here. They absolutely loved visiting me and hangin' out in the city. They have never been to D.C., but they let me know that if I ended up here, they wouldn't mind one bit coming to visit. I think they were really impressed by everything, and they loved all the history and culture.

Enjoy these photos, and until next time...