H-E-L-L-O!
hello :O)

Today was a pretty fun day. I got to go to a hearing for the energy committee. It was super cool. Let me paint a picture for you. The room was a decent size with stadium seating and continuous desks on one side. The other side had about 6 rows of chairs and cameras for CNN. The members of the Energy Committee sat at in the "desk stands" with a name plate and a microphone where they were supposed to sit. The microphone was the long bendy type attached to a box. To speak you press the red button on the box and get permission from the chairman. People pushed those buttons a lot. The witnesses sat on a raised platform facing the congressmen. They had their backs to the rows of chairs. The chairman sat in the middle.

Well, my congressman is a member of the afore mentioned committee so I got to tag along... in addition to the energy staff person. There were lots and lots of people there. I stood on the wall right next to where my congressman sat. I took lots of notes and think I'll write an article about it - just for fun :O)

Each member had 3 min. speak time, but they almost all went over. The chairman tapped his gavel to try to quiet them down, but it didn't normally work. Oh! One guy (who I will not name or provide the state for) interrupted the chairman after he called the displaced residents of Louisiana and Mississippi "refugees." He wanted there to be a unanimous decision to only call them "evacuees." He didn't get what he wanted :O).

They were all pretty fired up about the gas price gouging. Umm, yes, pretty fired up is a good way to describe them. I think if they were debating back in the days of George Washington up to the early 1900s, someone might have shaken their cane or threatened to tar and feather the rascal gas companies. But, I guess we've progressed down the P.C. road a little since then. Now we just file lawsuits and sue :O) For political arguments... tomato, tomatoe I suppose.

I ordered my fightin' Texas Aggie ring today. I faxed that baby in at 4:45 pm.. it is due tomorrow. One day early. That's just how I roll. I am so excited to have that hunk of gold, that symbol of success, that item that I have dreamed about for 2006 (WHOOP) days. Yes, yes. You could definitely say that I am ready for November 3 to come... and come fast!