Question of the Day

"Where, oh where have you been? he asks.



"I'm hungry!

Well, little friend, I haven't been eating regularly myself.

If this was Hell Week in the State House, then yesterday was Hell Day at the end of Hell Week.

My morning started with my testimony before the Senate Finance Committee in favor of an appropriation that would enable a FEMA buyout of some constituents' repeatedly river-flooded homes...and found out late last night that the bill was unanimously approved and moves on to the full Senate for consideration.



And when I returned to Reps Hall, I listened to nearly 3 hours of debate on a significant change in social policy.



I listened to people say things I firmly believe, and things I found utterly appalling. For instance, it was implied--more than implied--that my childless marriage is not a true marriage simply because I could not procreate. (In my exhausted state, I was in the grip of my emotions--the honorable gentleman's assertion sent me fleeing from the Hall, teary-eyed. I didn't stay to hear any other words of wisdom from him.)

On the first vote taken, the marriage bill lost by a single vote. We then had a vote to lay the bill on the table--that failed big time. Next we voted on a motion to kill the bill outright. That failed. So a motion was made to reconsider the bill--i.e. to do a re-vote, which passed by 15 votes. This permitted us to vote on the bill again. It passed by just 7 votes, 186 to 179. Now it moves on to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain...and possibly to the Governor's desk.

During lunch break, the House Majority Office fed us pizza. I ate 2 slices and a lot of cookies!

We returned to the chamber having spent half a day on exactly one bill. There was other controversial stuff on the calendar and much debate. Another afternoon of marathon legislating, but we finished by the deadline to report second committee bills. Darkness was falling by the time I left the State House...got home a few minutes past 8.

Oh, here's what else I did this week:



That's a big chunk of the chapter-in-progress. Now I've got to type it into readable form.

I'm having a quiet morning before a trip to the DMV and a cookbook meeting this afternoon. On a quick stroll through my garden, I found these:



My chipmunk's bowl is now well-filled.