My week!

This week was very interesting and busy at work. I got to do a lot of different activities with different members of our staff and another Congressman’s office. I am getting the hang of things around the office, and the hill. The voting process that the congressmen/women participate in is still very confusing but I am determined to figure it out!
My favorite part of my job has become the constituent phone calls that we receive and getting to talk to all the different people from around the district. I had a man call me this week who was a farmer in Big Spring, and he was calling regarding crop insurance subsidies. I love when farmers call because I can always strike up a friendly conversation because I mention that my dad is a farmer and then we get in to where I’m from and everything that goes with it. My favorite part of this conversation was when I told the man that I was from a small town around Lubbock and he asked as if I was a “Red Raider”, so I responded with “Yes sir I am” and I have never encountered a more ecstatic alumni; we went on to talk about Texas Tech and how much it has changed since he had been there, and he closed out the conversation with a quote that I will remember forever, he said; “Now Angie, thank you for your time and you keep that University in tip top shape, and remember, everyone loves those Red Raider girls!” This made my day and made me so proud to be a Red Raider all over again! The crop insurance issue has been huge in our office and I have logged many calls from constituents that are genuinely concerned about the future of agriculture in our area.
Also, Congressman Neugebauer hosts a dinner every month after the first round of votes at 6:30pm and I was asked to help with this. I got to spend some time with our Legislative Director out and about in DC one afternoon getting food and groceries for the event. After riding the metro underground all the time and not getting to see things you pass as you ride, it was nice to be in a car and have someone explain what everything was. She was very nice, and it was a great day to get out of the office and get to be a part of that event. Yesterday (Thursday Jan. 21) I was asked my Congressman Mike Connoway’s office to help with the Texas delegation lunch. I quickly accepted and assisted his Scheduler in getting the food from a local restaurant “Tortilla Coast,” and deliver it to a meeting room in the Capitol. I got to meet many of the Congressmen that represent Texas, along with Senator John Cornyn, needless to say I was very excited and I really enjoyed getting to meet all of them. The remainder of the day I logged constituent mail in to our IQ computer system so our new Legislative Correspondent could write letters regarding their concerns. Again, it is so interesting to read and hear what people in our district are concerned about.
The Tech house has been good this week, although I did make things quite interesting Wednesday night. I fell asleep around 10pm eastern time because I was completely exhausted. I received a phone call around 11:30pm eastern time from a friend in Lubbock (because they still don’t understand we are an hour ahead) and I woke up thinking that I was late for work. I sprung out of bed so fast and was freaking out on the phone with my friend and at the time I didn’t realize how confused she was. So, as I was getting out of bed I noticed neither of my roommates was in their bed so I thought that they didn’t wake me up in time for work, at this point I am in complete panic mode! As I was running towards the shower I heard one of my roommates ask me if I was ok, so I stopped and asked what time it was and she informed me that I had only been asleep for an hour and it was still night time! I could NOT believe that this happened so I called my friend back and I think she thought I had completely lost my mind, and we laughed for about 30 minutes! I think I must have been extremely tired, and needless to say it took me a little while to fall back asleep and I double checked my phone when my alarm went off at 7am!
Yesterday, I found out that my parents are making their first visit to DC February 11 and I absolutely can not wait to see them! We are planning on staying in DC for a few nights and then taking a train to New York City and watching a Broadway play and sight seeing for a few days before I have to return to work! They are going to love it here, and I can not wait to see a Broadway production again! This weekend my goal is to take a day trip out to Mt. Vernon and experience all that I can of that, and catch up on some much needed sleep!
Everything is still wonderful, and I am growing fonder of the city every day!

Just a day on the Hill

Today was a fun day...busy...but fun! I am really getting the hang of how things run in the office now and it's really cool to see how the Congressman that Represents the best district (in my mind) makes things work!
Today I recognized a clock in our office that kept buzzing and lighting up all of the time so of course I asked what it was for! A lady in my office informed me that it buzzed in correspondence to the bell system that is located in the house. This system lets all the congressmen know that it is time to congregate on the floor and voting is about to begin! This blew my mind that on top of everything else that these men/women do, they have time to recognize a bell system and make their way to the floor!
One of my tasks today was to find the "Flag Office" in the Capitol (which has more tunnels than millions of buildings combined) and get a certificate for a flag that was flown over the Capitol in honor of a person from the 19th District! After finding out that you could do this I have a few plans of my own to get done regarding this before I leave Washington DC! The certificates are really cool and it is definitely something that people will remember for the rest of their lives! This was tons of walking so I was SO glad that I was wearing flats! OHHHH and when I was making my way through the tunnels I saw all the Congressmen coming off of the floor and they were definitely on a mission that I was not a part of, but I still felt really important with my BRIGHT RED INTERN BADGE...that's right...I have a badge! haha
I had a very good day and I am really excited about the long weekend we have coming up! It will be fun to get out and see more of this amazing city!
Still missing you all! :)

First days of work!

Hi everyone!
My first few days were interesting to say the least! The first day was definitely NOT what I expected, but then again I did set the bar pretty high! I watched a few TV shows lol and sorted a lot of mail and then stared at a computer for the remainder of the day...not a very plush first day! I had a rough night and really wasn't sure what it was exactly that I was doing here, but then I remembered that God placed me in this position for a reason and I need to have faith that everything will get better and I have a purpose in my office. So, I went to work with a better attitude today and had a GREAT day! I also emailed the staffers in the back to offer my assistance for whatever they need so now I have PLENTY to do!
I love everyone in my office! My staff assistant (who trains me) just graduated from Texas Tech University in December and is really close to my age! We are the only two Texans in our office minus the Congressman and his wife so we catch a lot of slack! The Congressman recently went on an African Safari and shot a water buffalo and had it delivered to be mounted on his wall in his office! Needless to say this caused TONS of attention and we are the talk of the Longworth building and people stop by all day to see the "head"! HAHA
It is still REALLY cold here and I am now getting the hang of "city life" and have about convinced myself that a country girl from Hale Center Texas can do just about anything if I just set out and go do it! I love where I am right now and I am very excited for what this semester has in store for me! If this much has happened and it's only the second day who knows what all could happen!
After work we all met up for Happy Hour and .75 cent Tacos at a place called Tortilla Coast and for .75 cents the tacos weren't too bad! LOL I definitely think I could make a killing here opening up a REAL "Tex Mex" restaurant because these people have NO idea what good mexican food is! Also this week is "Washington Restaurant Week" and it is where DC's top restaurants have half price dinner and lunch for a week! We are definitely going to hit some of these spots because any other time none of us could afford it!
All in All life is good for me in DC! I miss my family and friends so much, but I know I will be home before I know it! Oh and it was pretty nice getting to tell my friends to have a good first day back at school knowing that I would not be in attendance!
Love you all and may you have a VERY blessed week!

Here Lately

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days! We have been really busy trying to get settled in and getting used to the city! I am finally getting the hang of city life and the way things work around here! We are definitely not in Texas anymore, but I still have fallen in LOVE with Washington DC!

Yesterday, we went to Target and it was absolutely unreal! It was a two story building and it had it's own escalator for your SHOPPING CART!!! Technology is unreal and I think people thought we were idiots taking pictures of our shopping cart going up the escalator!! LOL After our trip to target we went out to a local bar called bullfeathers! It was so much fun and all the people loved/made fun of our accents!

Today we had a mandatory meeting with our "house mom" to get the basic rules and regulations down for our stay in DC! She is so nice and takes really good care of us! Afterwards we went to a grocery store called "Harris Teeter" and it reminded me a lot of Market Street and it was insanely crowded! I asked a person at the checkout counter if it was normal for this many people to be at the store and he said it was because it was the weekend and everyone finally has time to make the trip to the store! The way of living is so much different here and it's been really interesting to see how so many people get around such a huge city. I bought ingredients for spaghetti tonight to feed everyone on my floor "Momma Sims' Spaghetti" and it was a hit! Everyone loved it and we were all really excited that we got to eat for under $11.00. We are now all in the living area watching the Cowboys game, we all get a long so well and have so much fun together!

Before dinner a few of us went sight seeing and saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the reflection pool (which Madelon and I stood on because it was frozen), thank goodness no security guards were on duty! We walked A LOT and it was absolutely freezing, but so worth every minute of it! We also are getting used to the Metro system which is such an easy way of travel around the city and it is really cheap! I have learned to keep my purse in front of me because people will pick your pockets faster than you can blink! Crazy DC people!

One of my favorite parts of West Texas is the amazing sunsets that are a nightly occurance, but tonight getting to watch the sun set over the washington monument was definitely something I will never forget, it was honestly breathtaking!

I start work on Monday and I can not wait to get started in the office! I went by the Longworth building (where my office is located) and met everyone in my office already and they are all so sweet and I really think I will enjoy getting to work with them! I am the only intern in the office, so I am going to have a lot to do, but that is ok because the more I do the more I will learn! Above all else, I get a really cool badge that marks me as an intern! LOL OHHHH and I got my business cards today and it made me feel really important! haha

I miss everyone a lot but I know that this experience will be one I will keep with me forever!

A day in a tourists shoes!

So today was interesting to say the least! Washington DC made a first impression on me that I will never forget!

Madelon (the roomie) woke up and made our way around the big city around noon today! First thing was first so we went and found a local place to eat that was really close to our house! It was called "Good Stuff eatery" and it was way overpriced and not much food like everything else around here! I am used to my TEXAS cheeseburgers and this definitely could not compete! First of all it was the size of my fist and second the MIDDLE WAS RAW...sick...so thanks to my well done upbringing I ate the outside of the burger and left the mooing middle for the trash!

After lunch, we decided it would be a good idea to walk around the Capital and find out where we would be working! I saw the supreme court, the capitol itself, and topped it off with the Longworth building where I will be working! My office building is just a block away from the capitol and the view is absolutely amazing! I sent Dad, Lauren, Mom, and all the best friends a picture and everyone thought it was beautiful as well, but my dad's response was my favorite. Instead of texting me back he called and said "Wow Ang, with you working in a place like that you are going to forget about all of us dirt farmers!" LOL I love that man and I know that I wouldn't be able to experience what I am right now without that "dirt farmer" working so hard to get me here! I can not wait to start work! I wanted to take a picture infront of my office but Madelon told me not to be "that person", so I just took one outside!! LOL

Following our office finding, we decided to stop by a local gym to see how much a membership would be for the few months we will be here. This might have been my favorite part of my day!! So, we walk in and obviously with my thick accent they immediately asked where I was from, so I told them Texas and they were not surprised! A lady then walked out and I asked How the was and she replied with "I'm peachez" and Madelon followed with "oh good" because she thought she said she was "peachy" and didn't believe that was really her name!! Needless to say this was a really awkward/funny moment and I could not contain my laughter! We left shortly after she told us it would be $79 a month, I don't want to work out that bad LOL!

After that our feet were sooo tired so we came home for a minute before venturing out to see more of the city and find a grocery store! When we got home so did the rest of the other interns and we met the rest of the people who are living on our floor! I LOVE everyone so far and I could not be more thankful for the instant friends I have already made! We all decided to go to the grocery store called "Safeway" because everyone realized we can't afford to eat out all the time! This adventure was one I will never forget! Reason number one: This was my first trip on the Metro and there are definitely some characters in this city! Reason 2: I had to carry a suitcase to fit all of our groceries in (embarrassing) and reason 3: I thought we were going to get mugged on the way back because there are some incredibly SKETCHY people in this city. One thing I learned is you always keep your purse in front of you so that in a large group of people you don't get your pocket picked, oh and people look like they hate their lives when they walk around the metro station! LOL NOT MEEEE I loooooove it here!

Finally we made it home and a group of us went to dinner at "bullfeathers" which is a really fun bar/restaurant full of other interns! I am now back at the house watching the Kansas game in my sweats! Life is SOOOO good and I can not wait to see what else this city has in store for me!

Love you all and I will blog again tomorrow!!

Arriving in Washington DC

Hi everyone!

I made it to DC safe and sound! Although I know I am going to miss my family, I am SO EXCITED about the journey I am about to embark on! DC is beautiful and when we flew in over the Washington Monument and the Capital the realization definitely set in!

The house I am living in is just two blocks from the Capital so it will be easy access to work every day! I am going to enjoy my last few days of sleeping in early and touring the city all day long before I start work on Monday!

I will try to keep up with this all the time so you can know what is going on! Thank you all so much for the good luck wishes! Love you all :)