life by candlelight

So, today the sun is shining and the temperature is near 70 degrees here in Colorado. The weather makes me feel good. It was a beautiful day at the state capitol yesterday as well. I had such a good time. We started the day with breakfast at the Colorado History Museum where we listened to a lobbyist speak. Then, they showed us the perennial favorite "I'm just a Bill on Capitol Hill" from Schoolhouse Rock. We walked over to the capitol building and my group headed to the House gallery. The whole thing was so interesting. It was like watching a good sporting event to me. I was literally on the edge of my seat. Would this resolution pass? Would that one be defeated? After awhile, we had a mini-tour of the capitol and then split up to go to committee meetings. I attened the Senate committee meeting on education and the House committee meeting on education. It was really interesting but very frustrating. I had a strong opinion on one of the issues and I had to sit there quietly while the four Republican senators on the committee passed the resolution 4-2. Of course, it could still die when it gets to the Senate or the House but it is very sobering to realize that so few people make the big decisions that affect our lives. I didn't want to leave and come back to the library. I wanted to stay there and work on those issues. Maybe someday I will. At the event, I met a young female lawyer who invited me to join the Young Fund which is a group of young professionals supporting the Children's Hospital. Because I am a JOINER, I said sure. Anything to meet new people, get involved, network and maybe find a new job in the nonprofit sector.

Since I am half-Irish, I stopped in at the Celtic tavern to have a beer with some hashers. The crowd was too much though so I headed home after one beer to relax at home with a few DVDs. A pretty quiet but productive St. Patrick's Day. I hope I make it to a job in the Capitol someday.