I love my Pug

Okay, TheOnion is known to go a bit overboard with their fake news - but the pug slide show had me in tears. I love the names they give the dogs.

Dog Breeders Issue Massive Recall Of '07 Pugs

BTW, Jenkins doesn't suffer from any of these defects - he IS the perfect dog!

Corn

So every morning on my way to work I drive past this new 'statue' of corn. .... Seriously? The town's parks and rec paid $18,000 for this. Now, I don't have a problem with public art or even funding for art BUT, its next to a freeway offramp, across the street from a gas station in a warehouse area of town. It just seems out of place. (I really don't know where it wouldn't seem out of place, perhaps next to a farm, a farm that grows corn.) The picture speaks for itself.

UPDATE: This morning, the corn was being watered. Apparently, the $18,000 was for a sprinkler system too! My question is, how long until the corn rusts?

That's not how you talk on the phone!

I caught Jenkins trying to make calls today....with my cell phone.

Jenkins' New Pastime

I noticed the other day that Jenkins likes to watch his poop flush down the toilet. Any time we find a 'present' in his litter box, we pick it up with toilet paper and flush it - Jenkins always seems to be on our heels, excited to see what happens. It is pretty amusing to watch (Jenkins that is, not the poop.) Now if we could only train him to just use the toilet himself!

I didn't get the chance to wink at the Queen...

What a trip. On Monday we met for meetings all day with governmental agencies - not very exciting, but beneficial none the less. I don't want to bore anyone too much so I will move on.... Tuesday we went to the hill to meet with Congressmen and/or their staff from Washington State. Since there were four of us, we had to split up for a few of the meetings, but all in all, together we met with at least a staff member of each district and both Senators.

I have to mention that when I found out that I was going to meet with Congressman Rick Larson, I immediately told the others that would be in the meeting that I wanted to ask him about his experience on the Colbert Report's 'Better Know a District'. Due to others in the meeting trying to cram in as much information into our 20 minute meeting as possible, I didn't really see mentioning it to have good timing. However, the president of the association I was with brought it up as we were leaving Larson's office. Larson said that he continuously hears comments on it since it aired last July. I mumbled that he did a great job. What a knob I am! If I was on my game I would have left his office with cheering, "The fightin 2nd!"

The last meeting on the hill was with Senator Cantwell and a few of her staff members. After sitting through so many meetings I was over my nervousness and was more comfortable with chiming in throughout the meeting. Senator Cantwell was only in the meeting for a portion of the time. Her staff was quite attentive and requested that I contact them with additional information. To have the ability to sit down with members of Congress, or at least members of their staff improves my attitude towards our government. Name a country that has such a direct access for the people to reach their government. Granted, a few of the meetings were not as positive as one would wish, BUT we can walk into a congressman's office and talk with them about what we want changed in our district. After making this trip two years in a row I can say that when we only met with the staff of a congressman they remembered us when we returned.

Yes, there is a lot that goes on on the Hill that ticks me off, but a trip to D.C. will remind anyone some of the bright ideas that our country was built on - along with some of the not so bright.

During our last night we rented a bus, bought some beer and toured around the momuments. Along with snapping shots of where the Queen stayed while she visited, we saw the Lincoln Memoriable and the statue of Albert Einstein (my two favorites), walked through the Vietnam and Korean War Memorial , World War II Memorial and visited the National Cathedral.

So that prety much covers my trip to D.C. not too wild and crazy, but eh, at least I didn't wink at the Queen.

Pennsylvania Ave

I write this from Washington DC. I flew in last night and this morning at 90 am I ran a 5k for Race for Hope...I had to get up at 7 for this (4am my time) and am paying for it tonight. I have never been so tired at 10pm! (not because it was 5k, but because it was so early in the morning!)
I love Washington D.C. I have been here two years in a row lobbying Congress for my industry, we also meet with the governmental industries in our agency. Opportunities like this is why I love what I do. Sure, the day to day gets a bit mundain, but the opportunity to talk to my state's Congressmen give me the hope that my voice can actually be heard.
Last year was my first time to the east coast and I brought my parents with me, because my mom has been telling me my whole life that if I was ever to go to DC she was to go with me to show me all the sights. I won't be doing too much sightseeing this trip (although we do have a limo night tour planned) but I am going to New York City after to this to visit one of my good

friends.