Ketching up is hard to do

Oh my gosh!!! So I’ve been super crazy busy and so many fun things are going on. I’m trying so hard to get it all on the blog, so bare with me as my journeys slowly trickle online for your viewing pleasure.

Pork anyone?

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time. ~ U.S. Constitution Article 1, Section 9


That’s where we come in. People submit requests, we prioritize, fill out forms, and submit them to the Appropriations Committee. It's a super long process, requiring tons of paperwork and long hours that really don't amount to much. The reason being, Congress hasn't approved a budget in a while. This is where you might spit out your drink all over the computer screen and say "WTF?!!!" I couldn't tell you when the last budget was approved, but I can tell you that we're running on a continuing resolution. This means that all agencies and programs are being funded at the level the last appropriations bill was approved. Word on the street is that FY 2009 will probably be another CR. That's just the word, but things can change...

We didn't put in as many long days as I had expected. I think we paced ourselves pretty well and had all hands on deck to split the load. It's quite the interesting process, and I can honestly say that it can be a very frustrating process. As staff members, we are at the mercy of the member, the various approps subcommittees, and the various organizations submitting requests.

We did a last minute request on Tuesday, the day before they were due, for the Financial Services subcommittee. We sought out the project because we rarely get any submissions for Financial Services. In fact, aside from this one, there were no other FS requests. We waited around the office for awhile because of technical difficulties. It was more like operational difficulties, but we finally got the request and it was submitted on Tuesday evening, signifying our successful attempt of submitting approps on time, and with a day to spare.

So where do we go from here? Not sure what happens when the Approps committee gets their hot little hands on our requests, but they'll probably mull over the mountains of paper for several months. Just think, we were a little overwhelmed by the stack of requests our office received. The Approps Committee has to deal with that times 435. That's a lot of requests. A LOT!!! Depending on if we get a budget or another CR determines the outcome for a lot of these programs. But we won't know until fall 08. Chalk this up to a very long and very daunting process. Thankfully, where approps are concerned, my work here is done.

P.S. Anyone, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of the budgeting process. The above summation is a recollection from a West Wing episode. Sad, but true.

Happy Easter!!!

This is my ackknowledgement of Easter until I can properly report on the day's festivities.

Hoo-Rah!!!

I’ve wanted to hang out with Sam (high school Sam) since I got to DC. She lives in Virginia Beach, which is 4 hours and $100 away, which isn’t bad, but timing is definitely everything. I was hoping to get out there my first week here before I started work, but it just didn’t work out. So when Sam called and said that her, Steve and my godson were headed to Quantico to visit the in-laws, I said count me in.

Quantico is pretty much the USMC stomping grounds out here and only 45 minutes from DC. A lot more doable than the 4 hours to VA Beach. So, two weekends ago I went. We didn’t have much planned, but I rarely get a chance to just chill out with Sam, so a low-key weekend was welcomed.

First of all, little David is soooooo freaking cute. Obviously I’m a little biased because he’s my godson, but he is really cute. He’ll be a year at the end of June and the little kid is already pulling himself up in a standing position and Sam said he actually started to try and crawl the other day. The little bugger is definitely going to be a handful, but he’s such a character. I love him!

Saturday, Sam, Steve, and I left little baby David with grandpa and went to the USMC museum. It was pretty sweet. I’m not a museum person because I need hands on/interaction type stuff to hold my interest. I can’t just walk around and stare at stuff. Weird, I know. But this museum kept me enthralled and was very well done. I approve.

This part is crazy. I went grocery shopping with Sam and Steve and it was ridiculous how much food they got, but to be fair, they stocked up for four people, a baby, and a dog. It was Cuh-RAZY! I think one of the carts (1 of 2) was dedicated to baby supplies alone. So note to all you thinking about having kids, make sure you can afford all those diapers and have room to put them all.

Sunday we went to my homestead and walked the mall. I hadn’t ever really been to the Washington Monument before, a travesty I know, and it’s been over a year since I’ve seen the other memorials up close so it was cool to do that. Sam and Steve came to my office on Monday and I took them on a tour of the Capitol. I felt so bad because they were my guinea pig tourists. I didn’t have my facts memorized so I had to shuffle through papers, and I couldn’t remember all the cool stuff that I had been told. But I did get to take them into the House gallery, and we watched as the lady called the House into session just to call recess until 2:00. Sigh….gotta love congress…

I hope Sam and Steve enjoyed themselves. I really was glad to be able to spend time with them. And I’m so appreciative to Steve’s folks for making me feel at home. I really wish I was better about sending out thank you notes. What’s that saying that starts “The best of intention are wrought with…” and then I forget the rest. So maybe the best of intentions are just wrought. Well, whatever. Sam and Steve are welcome to come back whenever and I’ll try and redeem my tour guide skills. I’ll be tested again on Tuesday when I give a tour to Michelle and her folks. Soooo not prepared…..but shhhh.

Side note on the whole USMC thing, I kept my eye open, but most of the guys seemed to be paired off or sporting a ring, but I was looking.

A visit with POTUS

So Mel, friend extraordinaire (see 'Ode to Mel') works for the President in a round about way – she's an assistant to the director of an executive branch agency. Every year, the President and Vice President hold a pep rally of sorts for the 'section C appointees' (I think that's what Mel told me they were). She asked me if I wanted to come. I said yes right away, but had to think twice when she told me it was Tuesday mid-afternoon and that I'd probably be away from work for three hours.

I was hesitant to ask our boss just because it would take so much time, but I really wanted to go so I sucked it up, asked, and got the okay. I plopped into a cab and rode over to the Daughters of the American Revolution Building. Never been there before, so I can now cross that off of places to see.

Taking the cab was smart because I would never have made it via metro/hoofing it before security shut down, plus it gave me some time to navigate the chaos and track down Mel to get my ticket. We got settled into our pretty awesome seats amongst hundreds of executive branch employees. A slide show from the President's Africa trip played across one of the screens. Apparently I was pretty tired because I definitely started drifting off to sleep. That's one thing about me, I never have problems sleeping – anywhere, anytime, any situation. Airplane, class, church, conference, President's pre-speech slide show, you name it and I've slept through it.

First up was the Vice President. He was pretty much just Dick Cheney being Dick Cheney with that little smirk that always seems to form on the corner of his mouth. This event was three weeks ago so I don’t remember what he said. I just remember that Dick Cheney is pretty cool for such an old dude. He can totally hang. However, it must have been awkward for the lady sitting next to him. What do you do when you sit next to the VP of the US? Is your arm accidentally allowed to brush against his or is that a breech of security? Can you make jokes w/ the veep while the president is speaking? It just seemed really awkward for the lady.

Next up was the President. Obviously, with a crowd full of Republicans, he was received rather well. A standing ovation, actually. With a friendly crowd, Bush is truly quite funny. He let his guard down and just kind of rolled with the punches. I laughed a lot. Everyone laughed a lot. It was a fun afternoon.

I can understand and appreciate that a lot of people don’t like his policies, but what I don’t understand is how people can hate him so much as a person. Brush politics aside, and you’ve got yourself a guy who’d probably be pretty cool to shoot the breeze with. Carter, I think, didn’t do a whole lot of good for the country and I’m not fond of his policies, but I don’t hate the guy. Anyways, that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

Surprise!!!

The heads of the family: (LtoR: Grandma, Aunt Patty, Uncle Paul, Aunt Sue, Aunt Rosslyn)

Happy 80th Grandma!!

So all the familia is pow-wowing in Vegas for Grandma Fuller's Surprise 80th Birthday Party today. She thinks it's for an Easter Celebration, but little does she know...

Guess who's not going to be there? Yeah, me. I'm quite bummed. I always love family gatherings, plus how often does your grandma's 80th come around? Not very often.

Minor consolation, I'll get to spend Easter Monday at the White House for the annual Easter Egg Roll. Should be good times. I'll send you an egg, Grandma.

In case this makes it to Grandma and the Birthday bash, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!! Sorry I couldn't make it. Hope the next 80 years are just as awesome as the first. :) To the rest of the family, miss you and love you guys. Come visit DC and I'll give you a tour of the Capitol.

Grandma (in the blue) surrounded by the family at last year's reunion.

I have arrived!

I received this in my email at work. Note the areas I've bolded.

Dear Chelsea,
Harris Interactive is currently conducting a unique bipartisan research initiative and we are in need of your insight to help develop an accurate view of the current attitudes and thoughts on issues of importance to constituents.

A select few senior staff members and aides such as yourself have been invited to participate. Your opinions and perspective will be of tremendous value to our effort. The interviews are for research purposes only, and the opinions expressed will be kept strictly confidential.

Participation is completely voluntary, and it goes without saying that we do not take research among individuals of your level of responsibility lightly. With that in mind, we have designed a short 10 minute survey that is engaging and thought provoking. We are only contacting a limited number of staff members and aides, and as a result your participation is critical to ensure the success of the study.


I didn't know I was sooo important! I must be hot stuff here on the Hill. Watch out DC cuz I have arrived!!!

2008 NCAA Final Four

I'm not one to follow basketball, but our office is doing a pool for the NCAA tournament. So I blindly filled out the form not knowing any stats or history of any of the teams. I did it all based on ranking and if I liked the school. Really, there was no rhyme or reason to my selections.

Maybe if I get ambitious, I'll post my entire bracket. But as an overview, I have UCLA beating Georgetown in the finals. I thought a DC school should at least have a shot at it. I imagine I'll be watching a lot more basketball these days.

It's Recess!!!

Two weeks of recess starting today! Heck yes!! Friday and Monday off. Shorter hours and casual jean days. I love my job!

I tell people we're on recess for the next two weeks and they ask, "so, what, are you in grade-school? Do you get to go out and play?" Why, yes we do! Aside from appropriations, some of the more pressing issues on our agenda were locking down details for the office trip to Atlantic City and filling out the NCAA Final Four Bracket.

Two of our guys are leaving Wednesday for a week stint in Germany. Our scheduler is at home in Minnesota for a week for her birthday. I think someone else is leaving at some point, so there's like four of us holding down the fort. And I'm the only girl. Oh the things I hear in this office.... And I'm in the middle of a paper war zone back here. Good times for sure!

So I'm hoping with this recess I'll have time to get caught up on the blog, get caught up on some sleep, get a little organized with all this new health care business I've got going on, and you know, just chill.

This is such a great office to be apart of during recess and really any other time as well. We're all going to Atlantic City in April (minus the Congressman obviously). What office do you know that goes to Atlantic City to hang out together? Our office. And every day at 1pm, everything stops for Family Fued. It's our lunch ritual.

Recess and this office - I love it!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

The moment you've all been waiting for! Well, probably only me. But after almost a month of waiting (wow! can't believe it's almost been a month), I have finally received....wait for it, wait for it....drum roll please......

My picture with super awesome and extremely Ah-MAZING American Soprano RENEE FLEMING!!!! (she's on the right:)

This was in the green room right after her Ah-MAZING and emotional performance in Otello. Renee (we're totally bff now. okay, not really, but I like to think so) was so gracious and super nice to Sam (CN Sam) and me. I probs freaked her out because I was super excited to meet and talk to her. I was totally shaking and I'm sure she felt my shakes when I took the pic with her. I hope to be able to meet her again. Gosh, I was just so awestruck when I met her I don't think my sentences were intelligible at all. She's super Ah-MAZING!!! And sooooooo nice.

I still don't believe that I actually met Renee Fleming. Don't believe it at all... Renee Fleming! Chelsea. The same room. Unbelievable......