Another snow storm .... another ice headache ....

Another winter storm is set to hit tomorrow, 90% chance, and will likely stretch into Tuesday: rain, snow, sleet, and ice. This comes on the heels of one of the best days we've experienced in a long time as it was almost 40 degrees and sunny!

The dogs loved it, too! In fact, Farley and Jake went and played with my mom's dogs (Scruffy, Regis, and Laddie). And by played, I mean, ate their food. At the end of the day, Farley kept frolicking in the snow and decided to eat a little bit a little too fast, giving him what looked like an ice cream headache. Don't worry, it didn't last long, and for those of you that are going to ask, no it wasn't yellow snow!

Even More D.C. ....

While walking about the capitol, gripping my coat to keep warm, these two gentleman came into view as we passed one of the most revered icons within the American culture (see photo above :) ). The cold wasn't a bother for either one of them as they stood above the grates where the hot air blew out of the building. They were both singing and dancing, to what, who knows, but whatever it was, they could both hear it .... and they were both happy for a small time.

Happy Happy Birthday!!!!

Today began Jake's birthday week! Only eleven short years ago, "Jake the Snake" (AKC registry name) was whelped on a small farm in Iowa. Since then, he has been a little angel in our lives. Throughout that time, Jake has been a trooper, surviving a near fatal car versus dog (I don't think anyone really won that fight), (2) operations for urinary bladder stones, an operation for a fatty tumor removal, castration (yes, that was a tough one), and (23) stitches received from a foster dog who wanted to prove herself (Jake decided not to fight back on that one). Last but not least, his biggest challenge has been as a mentor to the young rising jedi (aka Wild Spirit) known as Farley. He has snarled his way into our family and many other lives along the way. He got his annual favorite treat of Dairy Queen today, but expects more to come throughout the week!

D.C. - Some more images ....

More in D.C. ....

First of all, credit goes to Bob for photographing me in the Member's Only Room at the Library of Congress. The lighting was excellent and the decor was phenomenal; subject matter, of course, was something that needed a little bit of work! So how did we get into the Member's Only Room? Well, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin invited us! Well, not just us, but the entire Illinois Community College Trustees Association to discuss Pell and Perkins grant funding as well as the proposed education bill pending within Congress (update -- he did speak about loan forgiveness to prosecutors and public defenders -- it's still being considered). Prior to that, we spent the morning visiting the various Senate and House offices speaking to legislative assistants regarding pending bills. The business day ended on the top floor of the Hart building for a brief reception thrown by the South Carolina Senators for all representatives of community colleges. The view over the capitol was great!

Washington, D.C. -- Exciting Times ....

I thought that by leaving the -25 degree weather behind in Chicago, I would find warmer weather. Well, it's somewhat warmer, but it's still VERY COLD and WINDY here in D.C. Still below zero with the wind chill, but I guess not as cold as it is at home.

The plane ride was somewhat eventful, in fact, I've never experienced turbulence like it before (FYI, neither had the stewardess who had been working for over thirty-five years). During the trip, we dropped three times, only later to find out it was about 50-100 feet each time. It felt kind of like a ride at Great America and I was having a blast, but it was short-lived when I remembered that my ticket didn't include the "added experience."

The educational seminars have been informative, as usual, and tomorrow, we will talk with Senator Durbin to lobby support for community colleges.

It is such an amazing time to be in Washington at this of the year! The Potomac Primaries are tomorrow, so all the buzz in D.C. is about who is going to win. Today, out of mere chance and a little ingenuity, we ended up at the University of Maryland for the Barak Obama rally. The line was over a mile long, stretching and bending clear across the campus. Amazingly, with over 17,000 people crammed inside of the stadium, Barak was fortunate enough to end up speaking only twenty feet away from me! (Side note -- not the closest we've been. In 2006, he used the urinal right next to me down in the tunnels under the Congressional buildings -- I'm pretty sure he remembered me today).

What was awe inspiring about today was the fact that there were so many young people that wanted to be involved in the process of electing the next President of the United States! This is so refreshing in a society that appears to have become complacent and distant from becoming involved within their own government. While talking with some of the people who attended, they said they didn't know who they were going to vote for this coming election, but they wanted to be informed.

This Democratic rally came on the heels of attending the local Republican rally at the Brandywine in Dixon. That place was packed, too, but not quite as much as this Presidential primary. It's been very refreshing to see everyone becoming actively involved within their own governments and looking to make a change.

Each and every generation has a time when it must meet its calling, perhaps that time is now. Change is good, yet active participation is necessary for that change to take place. I'm really excited to see what the rest of the week has to bring. Stay tuned!