Another 7.2 from a family member… my sister April. She gives you a quick inside view of some stuff at the Capitol. Now, I only have one sister… but for all I know she’s the best sister, EVER! Anytime I’m crazy busy or have a huge project going, I know she’ll always there to help. And she has this 6th sense to bring a pack of smokes to the office for me, because she figures I’m too busy to head to the store… that’s solid. So here’s a very special 7.2 from my awesome sister April! (yes, that's Ted Danson in the photo with her)
1. Tell us your daily routine… what's the play by play?
I get up around 7:00, make coffee, do hair, make-up and clothes for the day. I try to be at the Capitol by 8:00. Sometimes I'm successful.
I'm a clerk in the Senate. First thing I do is check how many emails we've gotten since the day before (it usually hovers around 100). Check the debate calendar and pull bills for debate that day.
The rest of my schedule usually hovers around the Senator's. My job is to get him what he needs and where he needs to be. Once he's there I take the time to catch up on the websites I visit daily and check my own email.
Noon rolls around and I check to see if there's a free lunch. A major perk of working at the Cap is free lunches thanks to the gift law that prohibits any one group giving more than $2.99 to any one legislator during session. It's the kindergarten rule: if you bring it for one person, you gotta bring it for everyone.
I spend the afternoon wading through emails: filtering out the spam, deciding which ones to file and which ones to point out to the Senator. I file bills from the stack we get everyday. I help the Senator put out press releases and newsletters. Then, if I get everything done and there are no major catastrophes, I try to get out by 4:00 – 4:30.
One or two nights a week, I work at Barnes and Noble as a bookseller. I help customers find books, order something if we didn't find it in-store, check customers out at the register and put books away. We close at 11:00, after which I head home and immediately crash.
If I don't work at B&N I usually go home, eat something and settle in to a rigorous schedule of TV and talking with my family on the phone. Sometimes I meet up with friends or have something going on at church but most of my evenings are uneventful and pretty lethargic. I rarely make it through the news before heading to bed.
2. What's the most rewarding part of your gig?
In all honesty, everyday I get to help "fight the good fight." The Senator I work for shares a lot of my personal opinions and values. He's also Catholic (like me) and in a way I feel like we're on the same team. Everyday I am doing what I can to make Iowa a better place than it already is. I also work right next to the Senator who represents me in the Iowa Senate so whenever an issue comes up all I have to do is lean to my right and tell him how I feel about it.
That being said, I'd take the Majority over leaving at 4:00 any day.
3. Give me a big prediction – ala Chris Mathew's "Tell me something I don't know."
My prediction: I've been saying it for about a month now: McCain/Huckabee 2008.
Something you don't know: the key to a lot of legislators' hearts is popcorn from the Capitol cafeteria.
4. What are you listening to right now? What's in your mp3 or CD player right now?
A Fine Frenzy's "One Cell in the Sea." The soundtrack from the movie Once is amazing, as is the movie – I highly recommend both. I always have Carrie Underwood and Britney Spears in my car (Brit may be crazy, but her hits are still crazy good!).
5. What's your favorite hangout (bar, restaurant, etc.)?
I actually like to hang out at B&N when I'm not working. I get the employee discount on a grande non-fat vanilla latte and I get to actually skim books for something I might like to read. I really like a lot of the folks I work with and I can chat it up without getting the evil eye from one of the managers.
I also love Jimmy's American Café. I've been a fan for years. The chicken fingers are incredible and the drinks aren't usually too expensive. The atmosphere is classic and relaxed and the patio is huge for when the weather gets warmer.
6. What's the last ball game you went to?
I went to a little league football game with my sister-in-law in Kansas City. Their little league football is FAR more organized than anything I'd ever seen. These kids were 8 and 9 and they had cheerleaders! And the cheerleaders had uniforms!! It was a fun game and pretty cute. Their helmets were all still pretty big so it looked like 22 bobble heads running up and down the field.
7. If you were not in this current gig or career, what would you be doing?
If I could quit my job now and make money at it I would be a full-time writer. I've kept a journal and a passion for the written word since I was 10. Plus, there are a lot of liberal writers out there. I would be an anomaly!
7.2 What's with?
1. Tell us your daily routine… what's the play by play?
I get up around 7:00, make coffee, do hair, make-up and clothes for the day. I try to be at the Capitol by 8:00. Sometimes I'm successful.
I'm a clerk in the Senate. First thing I do is check how many emails we've gotten since the day before (it usually hovers around 100). Check the debate calendar and pull bills for debate that day.
The rest of my schedule usually hovers around the Senator's. My job is to get him what he needs and where he needs to be. Once he's there I take the time to catch up on the websites I visit daily and check my own email.
Noon rolls around and I check to see if there's a free lunch. A major perk of working at the Cap is free lunches thanks to the gift law that prohibits any one group giving more than $2.99 to any one legislator during session. It's the kindergarten rule: if you bring it for one person, you gotta bring it for everyone.
I spend the afternoon wading through emails: filtering out the spam, deciding which ones to file and which ones to point out to the Senator. I file bills from the stack we get everyday. I help the Senator put out press releases and newsletters. Then, if I get everything done and there are no major catastrophes, I try to get out by 4:00 – 4:30.
One or two nights a week, I work at Barnes and Noble as a bookseller. I help customers find books, order something if we didn't find it in-store, check customers out at the register and put books away. We close at 11:00, after which I head home and immediately crash.
If I don't work at B&N I usually go home, eat something and settle in to a rigorous schedule of TV and talking with my family on the phone. Sometimes I meet up with friends or have something going on at church but most of my evenings are uneventful and pretty lethargic. I rarely make it through the news before heading to bed.
2. What's the most rewarding part of your gig?
In all honesty, everyday I get to help "fight the good fight." The Senator I work for shares a lot of my personal opinions and values. He's also Catholic (like me) and in a way I feel like we're on the same team. Everyday I am doing what I can to make Iowa a better place than it already is. I also work right next to the Senator who represents me in the Iowa Senate so whenever an issue comes up all I have to do is lean to my right and tell him how I feel about it.
That being said, I'd take the Majority over leaving at 4:00 any day.
3. Give me a big prediction – ala Chris Mathew's "Tell me something I don't know."
My prediction: I've been saying it for about a month now: McCain/Huckabee 2008.
Something you don't know: the key to a lot of legislators' hearts is popcorn from the Capitol cafeteria.
4. What are you listening to right now? What's in your mp3 or CD player right now?
A Fine Frenzy's "One Cell in the Sea." The soundtrack from the movie Once is amazing, as is the movie – I highly recommend both. I always have Carrie Underwood and Britney Spears in my car (Brit may be crazy, but her hits are still crazy good!).
5. What's your favorite hangout (bar, restaurant, etc.)?
I actually like to hang out at B&N when I'm not working. I get the employee discount on a grande non-fat vanilla latte and I get to actually skim books for something I might like to read. I really like a lot of the folks I work with and I can chat it up without getting the evil eye from one of the managers.
I also love Jimmy's American Café. I've been a fan for years. The chicken fingers are incredible and the drinks aren't usually too expensive. The atmosphere is classic and relaxed and the patio is huge for when the weather gets warmer.
6. What's the last ball game you went to?
I went to a little league football game with my sister-in-law in Kansas City. Their little league football is FAR more organized than anything I'd ever seen. These kids were 8 and 9 and they had cheerleaders! And the cheerleaders had uniforms!! It was a fun game and pretty cute. Their helmets were all still pretty big so it looked like 22 bobble heads running up and down the field.
7. If you were not in this current gig or career, what would you be doing?
If I could quit my job now and make money at it I would be a full-time writer. I've kept a journal and a passion for the written word since I was 10. Plus, there are a lot of liberal writers out there. I would be an anomaly!
7.2 What's with?
…all the negativity? Apparently "The News" is only bad news. In case you need something to smile about in your daily journey through the world wide web, visit: http://www.cuteoverload.com/ and you can thank me later.
