I ended up getting to go to two briefings today. One was about the Congressional Art Competition, where highschool kids from each district compete. The winner from each district gets their art displayed in the Capitol tunnels, where hundreds of people walk by every day. It's pretty cool. I'm surprised they don't make such a big deal out of it back home. The winning kids even get flown to the Capitol by Southwest airlines for a reception. It's pretty sweet.
The second briefing I went to was about energy. It was about oil drilling and the RPSEA Statute 999. At first, I thought I was in the wrong place, because all the staffers there were 50+, and for a while I was the only girl, AND the only girl under 50 at that. So there I am, sitting there for 10 minutes in my hot pink sweater with the big flower on it, waiting for a briefing to start with a bunch of men whol looked like they just walked off Wall Street. Finally, some other young'uns got in there though. At the briefing they talked about unconventional drilling etc., and a lot of it was over my head. The part that interested me though was when they talked about different places in Texas. Apparently they want to start drilling in PA, and this briefing was about how people would be concerned about that. I almost laughed out loud when they talked about how people might be disconcerted by having an oil rig in the lot next to their house. There's one in every neighborhood back home! It cracked me up.

Tonight, I went for a run with Al around the Capitol and down the Mall a little ways... it was so crisp and chilled outside that it was great! It was a good run, and it felt amazing. And of course, it was an awesome view the entire time. It was super nice seeing a couple hundred police the whole time too... it felt super safe.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna see if I can go to a briefing about the Fort Hood shooting. That should be interesting!