Midweek

Although I've been telling my housemates that the past few days of work have been relatively uneventful for me, that isn't completely accurate. Highlights include...showing Joe something (quite a change), finishing our first big research project, taking an official tour of the Capitol (finally!), watching some action on the senate floor from the gallery, literally racing through the halls of the senate buildings in order to meet a deadline, eating delicious goodies at a Czech reception, defending my red shoes to my supervisor, and continuing my chummy relationship with our chief of staff.

Though these things may seem relatively important in the larger scheme of things, they were too few and far between. Somehow I manage to keep myself occupied for 8 hours a day, but I don't feel as though I have a whole lot to show for it this week.

***CHANGING GEARS***

Yesterday would have been my dad's 58th birthday. Tomorrow will mark the ten-year anniversary of his death. Every year, this is a very tough week for me. This year is especially hard, as I wish he could be here to spend time with his granddaughter Lexi and offer me some support while I'm doing my thing in DC. I'm ashamed to say that I've gotten so caught up in my world out here this past month, that I struggled to remember what day Dad's birthday even was. I panicked. Mom said it was okay because it's been so long and I wasn't very old, but that's no excuse.

Although I visited his grave just before leaving for DC, it's troubling that I can't physically be in his presence now. But in honor of his life and in memory of his death, I am flying a flag over the nation's Capitol tomorrow. As Merv Jacobsen served in the Vietnam War, you, too, can honor him as the great man he truly was and be proud that his flag will represent our nation's freedom tomorrow.