Wow. What an eventful day out here in DC. As some of you know I started work today, and while I am excited to fill you in on how it went, it was obviously completely overshadowed by the news that circulated around the office at about 5:30, that two Red Line trains had collided head on in the DC Metro system by the Fort Totten Station. Later we would all find out that six people had died. Truly a sad day out here in DC.

Now, on to the day, which will include some references to the crash. I woke up at 6 am, not sure when I needed to be in the office. Now, it's so hot here that unless you have a window and can open the door in the bathroom, showering is pointless. My cousin has no window and since he's here I can't exactly leave the door open. So, showered, but still wet, I left at about 645, walking down to the nearby shopping center Starbucks for some coffee. From there I made my way to the Red Line station at Silver Spring, two stops north of Fort Totten. I arrived at my office, after making a second Starbucks run, at about 745. Turns out I was 15 minutes early for the building to even open and about 90 early for my office to open. So after sitting at yet another Starbucks in the sun (it was 80 degrees at 8 am), I finally made my way into the office. (An aside: I have never been in a city quite like DC. At 730, when I first got downtown, the place was bustling. People were all over the place. At 730 am! Some of you aren't even alive at that time). Anyway, after getting an orientation to the office, twice, I sat in on the Monday staff meeting. It was in a pretty large conference room with a square table for regular staff and chairs on the periphery for interns. There was a conference phone as well. After that meeting I tried to leave, got all the way back to my desk, and someone came running to find me because I was supposed to be in another meeting. Following the second meeting we did Activate calling, something I did in the campaign last summer, which is always funny. It's a system where you just sit there with an active phone and a script and the program calls people for you. So you'll be in mid-sentence with a co-worker and bam, someone will say hello and you immediately go to the script. Like I said, funny moments.

Twice I found myself walking around DC to do some things and I also spent a bunch of time at my desk. Also, I spent some time preparing for what is a huge day tomorrow, Community Lobby Day on the hill. We've got a bunch of groups coming in to lobby for our bill, including some priests and some hunters. To lobby for a global warming bill. Crazy stuff goin' on.

Finally at around 5 an email circulated informing the staff about the accident. Had I left anytime between 430 and 5 I would've walked over to farrugut north and caught the red line in the direction of silver spring, through fort totten. Instead I caught a jam packed bus at 630. And as I told a friend, there was no chaos or anything of the like. Mostly people just seemed inconvenienced. However, I made it home. And I hope you all join me in praying for everyone involved in the crash, including the two people who are still in critical condition.

Other notes: I'm still working on the apartment deal, but it looks like getting a lot closer. When that happens I'll try to get some more pictures of here of me at places in DC.

Stay Classy Y'all.