Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Pay Day

For some mystical reason, I get my paycheck direct deposited a couple of days before everybody else I know. I got mine on Tuesday. I'm already down a good chunk before even starting the new month. Where does my money go? Well, I spend $295 for rent, which is all bills paid. I got REALLY lucky here in Austin. I also paid my mobile phone bill last night. That includes my phone and my wife's. OK, I splurged. I bought another year of Flickr Pro. Our intern, Alex, also bought me lunch this month, so I bought lunch for both of us yesterday. I sent my wife some money even though she gets paid Friday. I have a student loan payment to send out. Of course, there is auto insurance. I'm averaging about $20/wk of gas in the van. So I'll budget about $80 for the month.

At the rate I'm spending money, I've still got a hefty chunk left over. I can save on gas as soon as the cold weather passes. Furthermore, if I'm not driving, I can save on insurance. When I can do that, I'll be saving quite a bit.

I don't want you to think that Rep. Peña isn't paying me enough. I still have a lot of money left over. I'm not cheap either. I like buying good stuff and will pay for something I want. What I want now is to show a profit each month. Mrs. Mata and I have money left over from last month, our profit. We will make a bigger profit this month due to some strategic decisions. Once the session is over and I go home, that's an extra $295/month we get to keep. I think that if we'd started earning so much early in our lives, we'd have spent it all. We are much more conscious about where we spend our money now as a result of our early struggles. On the downside, we don't buy into status so much. Many people who look successful are struggling even though they earn twice what we do. Thank God for age and wisdom; that is what will move us ahead.

You may have noticed...

I don't know if you've noticed, but Rep. Peña's blog has been updated to the new Blogger. He decided to get it overwith before the session really got underway. This doesn't mean any major changes, yet. Those are in store for later. One thing you will notice, however, is that his address changes to www.acapitolblog.com instead of the temporary acapitolblog2.blogspot.com that he had. For now, the temporary address redirects to the new version. Later on, we'll move things to the old address, acapitolblog.blogspot.com, which Google has freed up again. You'll be able to access the blog under both the old address and the www host address.

I also took the opportunity to change my other blogs to the new Blogger. The big benefit for me is that it consolidates all my blogs on the same account. The downside is that after session, I will go back and tag all my old posts. We are talking about hours of labor.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Jurisprudence Committee

After work, we took a trip down to the House Committees offices on the E2 level. Our Chief of Staff James, who has had experience setting up committees thought that Alex, our MALC intern, and I would benefit from knowing our way around the Committee Offices. Well, the office has been vacated by the former Chairman and his staff. We checked out what was left behind to get an idea what we need to do to prepare for the work ahead. I think we're off to a good start. The only thing we need to customize is the letterhead. Other than that, everything necessary to run a committee is there, except the people. We'll address that shortly.
 
Personally, I know that working for a Rep. is supposed to be a lot of work. I would not know one way or the other with this being my first session. Working for a Chairman should be a LOT MORE work, which I look forward to doing. I would like to, if given the opportunity, to work at the office of Criminal Jurisprudence whenever the opportunity comes up. I think both experiences as a Legislative Aide and as a committee staffer would be great. I love opportunities to stretch my abilities and capacity. I like the feeling of looking back and thinking, "damn, did I do that?" This goes back to the days when I worked in the fields with my parents. It just amazes you that you can work your way from one end of the field of backbreaking labor to the other. Mexicans call it, "puro lomo". My Chinese friend calls it, "chingaism". He speaks spanish, so ask your Mexican friends to explain it.

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The Majesty

The Majesty
The Majesty,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I'm on the way back from a reception with the Texas Association of Interior Designers. It was a well done event held at the Driskill Hotel. I had a good time with the people there.



I learned that the program at the University of North Texas has 300 students enter their interior design program. By the end, it comes down to 30 students who graduate from the program. That tells me that they have some damn good designers coming out of that school.



As usual, I come back to the office from these events and marvel at the majesty of the Capitol. It just humbles you to have access to such a beautiful structure any time of day (or night).

Monday, January 29, 2007

Reps. Lucio, Peña, and Guillen

Reps. Lucio, Peña, and Guillen
Reps. Lucio, Peña, and Guillen,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I had an opportunity to capture all three Representatives during a casual encounter. It would be nice to include other Rio Grande Valley Reps, but it's tough to get them all together at the same time when they're not on the floor. I hope other opportunities present themselves when everybody is not in a rush to go somewhere.

In any case, this photo is somewhat representative of the lower Rio Grande Valley. Rep. Lucio represents some of Cameron County. Rep. Peña represents most of Hidalgo County (in terms of physical area), and Rep. Guillen represents Starr County and other areas up to a portion of Laredo.

Missing here are Reps. Oliveira, Martinez, Gonzalez, Flores, and others in neighboring districts. If I can get any combination of RGV Reps together, I'll be sure to take a snapshot for historical purposes. I'm sure I'll have pics with different combinations of Reps.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Getting Down to Business

Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives,
originally uploaded by rustyrabbit.
I arrived in Austin on January 2, 2007 to start looking for a place to live. The legislative session began January 9. It's my understanding that the House gets to work after the first week, usually. This has been an unusual year with the Speaker's race and delays in the committee assignments. Now, the committees have to staff up and get things ready to start processing bills. But that's coming right up.

What have I done in this time? Well, I've been scheduling things for my Rep. I've been attending staff briefings and classes. I've attended receptions. I've met many people who have stopped by the office. I've made a ton of phone calls. Of course, we also have to shoehorn reading the news into all of this. The news and blogs have certainly been plentiful this session.

One very useful thing I have done is meet with a scheduling master. I won't mention her name because I don't want her deluged with requests for help. In any case, she showed me what works for her office in scheduling meeting requests and informing her boss about time-sensitive information. I was surprised that she has a partnership with her boss to handle scheduling where he is an active participant in the process. I am so glad that she helped me out. I can't wait to implement the system in our office.

I've also invested some time in outside training on juggling multiple projects. I can already see areas where I can make improvements in my workflow.

I think that many of the interns and other new staff are excited about the chance to work on legislation and "change the lives of millions of Texans". Somehow, that's just not exciting to me. It's not as glamorous as I was led to believe. We could be selling widgets for all I care. What I look forward to, and get excited about, is tackling a crushing workload, putting in long hours, networking, and hopefully making it all look easy. Forgive my French, but I want to kick some ass. That's what gets me juiced. I've been waiting three weeks for this and it's finally around the bend. I'm dying to be challenged for once in my life. Let's get down to business.

972 Minutes

T-Mobile Dash
T-Mobile Dash,
originally uploaded by daverebelxt.
My billing cycle at T-Mobile doesn't end until Feb 10, but I checked my minute usage and was curious how it all breaks down. Specifically, I wanted to know how many minutes were mobile-to-mobile, how many were nights, how many were weekend, and how many were daytime sans mtm.

The Breakdown
Thus far I have used 972 minutes
542 of those are mobile-to-mobile, most likely to Mrs. Mata and the little Matas
245 weekend minutes
112 nights
651 peak, of which roughly 300 are mtm.

This means that thus far, I would have used about 300 minutes not including weekends, nights, and mobile to mobile. Of course, these numbers will change as I approach the end of the current billing cycle. I suspect my usage should fit in around the 600 minute plan with the nts/wknd and mtm free.

Another thing you should know about your rate plan is that if you are getting close to going over, you can ask to upgrade your plan immediately rather than at the end of the cycle. Say you are jumping up from 300 to 600 minutes and have 5 days left until the end of the cycle. You will receive all 600 minutes for those 5 days. They can prorate the charge, but not the minute bucket. Be aware, however, that you extend your contract when you do that.

Most people don't know that you can ask for call breakdowns like that. In fact, you can have them filter your calls in almost any configuration that makes sense to you. I used to work for T-Mobile, which helps in making decisions for my rate plans. For now, I have 2,000 minutes remaining, a ridiculous quantity for me.

The phone I got for this venture into the Texas Capitol is the T-Mobile Dash. It was NOT my first choice. I wanted a Crackberry, but they sold out of the cheap ones. The Dash was available at a discount, so I went with it. I've been surprised by it's functionality. The battery has a long life, except when I go crazy taking pics and emailing them out. That drains the battery pretty quickly, unless I hook up to a HotSpot.

Another cool thing is that I bought a 1 GB memory card for it. This allows me to store music and listen on headphones. This battery drain for playing MP3 music is pretty minimal. It goes for hours. Even making long calls doesn't make big dents in the battery. I love the camera. It's not super-clear, but good enough for the web. I can post to my blog using my G-Mail account. More importantly, my phone uses Push Technology like the Blackberry does, so I can access my Outlook calendar, to do list, email, and address book anywhere. Of course, there's wireless web using WiFi or the new EDGE technology for GSM.

My only peeve is that programs have not been written for download and use on this phone. You'll find some that will install and run, but they cause the Dash to crash from their memory consumption. Something I installed has a memory leak.

I have to admit that I was not expecting much from this phone, but have been pleasantly surprised. Plus, it's much smaller than the Blackberrys. The phone nearest to this one's size and functionality is the Motorola Q, which lacks a couple of features. I look forward to exceeding the 1,000 minute mark now that I've gotten to know my phone so well. I think I am now comfortable with the prospect of buying a bluetooth headset to complement the phone.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Cleaning out the Inbox

I've spent the last couple of hours cleaning out my Outlook Inbox. It bothers me to have a billion emails in my inbox. You won't believe how many emails come to me every day. It's around 1 jillion or so. I was nearly done when my connection died right before midnight. I'm sure the IT Dept. Took the Exchange server offline for a daily backup. I will have to resume my inbox cleansing in the morning. It's probably a good thing, I'm beginning to doze off sitting here.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Rep Peña is Chair of Criminal Jurisprudence

Finally, the suspense is over. Rep. Peña is Chairman of the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. The announcement came by email. It's not on the house website yet. The Rep also got appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Congratulations to Rep. Guillen for his assignments as well. He is Vice Chair of Appropriations. Guillen will also sit on Calendars and Natural Resources.

This is cool stuff. No, wait. It means more work.

Ethics Training

Ethics Training
Ethics Training,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Cheap day

Cheap day
Cheap day,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I had a taco for breakfast this morning. I saw that they have oatmeal back there, so I may have that next time around. Today has got to be my cheapest day at work. I spent $1.62 on that taco.



AEP had a staff luncheon at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin. That was both interesting and satisfying. Things got busier after lunch despite the delay in House Committee assignments.



After work, I went to a staff draft event. There was no fancy dinner, just sausage on a stick and beer. I met some pretty nice people there, though it took me a while to warm up to them. I'm not naturally good at meeting people. Once I have somebody's ear, we can usually chat well. It's just getting a conversation started that's difficult for me. After a beer, things get easier too. I'm starting to run into familiar faces now. This makes it easier to meet other people.



Despite my success at meeting others, I have to admit that there is a bit of a caste system. Staffers don't merit the level of attention or respect that the Reps do. I'm with Rodney Dangerfield, I don't get no respect. In this sense, it's good that my Rep wanders off with his friends without us. His presence would overshadow us and limit our ability to form acquaintances because everybody would be focused on him. I started off attending these events with friends and now I'm going alone. Everybody agrees that meeting people is important, but they've bailed out on me, the socially awkward guy. It just drips with irony.



It was a great $1.62 day.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Going Back to the Office

Going Back to the Office
Going Back to the Office,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I just finished talking to some great people from Laredo at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin. They were there for the Laredo Day at the Capitol reception. That was one of the best ones yet. I got a couple of souvenirs that I'm dropping off at the office. Although I'm already becoming jaded with some aspects of working at the Capitol, walking up to the structure at night is still impressive.

Session 80 Audio

Direct audio reports by Shaine Mata. Who has time to read a blog entry? Just click and listen.




MP3 File

Meeting with City of Laredo

Meeting with City of Laredo
Meeting with City of Laredo,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
Rep. Peña meeting with leaders from the City of Laredo.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Doctor, Doctor

I was just setting up my bed with real bedding. I've been sleeping in a sleeping bag on the bed since I moved in. This is the same sleeping bag I used when I stayed in a tent while looking for an apartment in Austin. During my trip home this past weekend, I brought a couple of sets for the bed. Getting to the point, I bumped my elbow and felt the sharp pain that I've had since last Tuesday when I fell on the ice.

Yesterday, I went to the Doctor of the Day at the Capitol for some help. During the legislative session, there is a nurse practitioner and a Doctor of the Day to help deal with the more common maladies and injuries for the staff. They make it difficult to miss a day of work that way. You can't call in sick because there is a doctor who can write you a prescription free of charge on the job site. After some twisting and bending of my arm, it's unlikely that I broke anything. We could feel something abnormal, so the doc prescribed high quantities of ibuprofen to reduce swelling more than releive pain. She thinks I may have damaged a ligament. Other than that, there is not much that can be done except take pills and wait.

The President's State of the Union

The President's State of the Union I got the opportunity to catch the President's State of the Union Speech at UT tonight. One of the MALC interns, Laura, invited me to join her at a class event for her Media Effects in Politics class by Prof. Talia Stroud. I even took a quiz on what we think the President will mention during the speech.

We left a reception, after eating of course, to come to the event. We did not know there would be pizza and drinks, the staples of a college diet.

It turns out that there was a reporter and a photographer from The Daily Texan, the campus newspaper, covering the event.

On some level, it's fascinating that the class is about the media and politics, and it's being covered by media (and a blogger) about a political event. Only in Austin.

Monday, January 22, 2007

First night back

I was a bit bummed out today. More than likely because I'm away from my family after a couple of days with them. Soon, after the committee assignments come out, I'll hopefully be busier and can stay focused on the work at hand. For now, everybody is on a sort of standby, just waiting to see where the chips will fall. We can speculate about what the future has in store for us; but in the end we won't know until it actually does or doesn't happen. Either way, I hope the work is fast and furious. Otherwise I'll be disappointed with all the hype.

Pepper Spray Training

The Department of Public Safety Officers Association is offering a brief seminar as a public service to female employees of the Texas House of Representatives. Each woman attending will receive individual training and a canister of pepper spray.
The training will be held Friday, January 26 at 11:30 and 12:30 at the House Members Lounge E2.1002. RSVP 451-0571. Sandwiches and refreshments will be served.

I'm back

I've just returned to Austin from the Rio Grande Valley. The trip was uneventful. I did have some concern about a wheel bearing that is going bad on the van. After tonight, I'll drive it sparingly until I can find a shop that won't charge an arm and a leg to fix it. If that's not possible, then I'll have to get my hands dirty on a weekend and take care of it.
I don't have another trip planned for the RGV for a long time. There is one project that may require a trip down, but it's for a computer client of mine that's not related to my work here. People still call me from my former life as a computer tech/handyman.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Session 80 Audio

Direct audio reports by Shaine Mata. Who has time to read a blog entry? Just click and listen.




MP3 File

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Iced up van

Iced up van
Iced up van,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
My hands are freezing, so typing is not easy. This is my rust bucket covered in ice.

Ghost Town

Ghost Town
Ghost Town,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
On any normal day of the week, MLK Blvd is full of traffic. Today, it is empty for the most part. The City is pretty much shut down due to the weather. Everybody at the Capitol has left early. I'm headed home too.

Snowing at the Capitol

Snowing at the Capitol
Snowing at the Capitol,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
We discovered, while going out to an inaugural reception, that it's snowing in Austin.

Governor Rick Perry Sworn In

Governor Rick Perry Sworn In
Governor Rick Perry Sworn In,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
He is now the longest-serving Governor in Texas history. After swearing in, you could hear cannons firing outside.

Lt Governor David Dewhurst Sworn In


Rep. Peña Ready for Work

Rep. Peña Ready for Work
Rep. Peña Ready for Work,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
We are getting ready for the Governor's Inauguration.

I made it.

I made it.
I made it.,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
Yes, I made it walking to work this morning. There was not a lot of traffic. The roads and sidewalks were icy. On my way, I thought I would stop at a Whataburger for a taco and a coffee. It was closed! There were a couple of guys standing at the door, but it was locked.

I just kept going. It was cold, but not too bad. Once I saw I-35 up ahead, I knew I'd made it. My wife called and I chatted with her. That's when I stopped paying attention and hit an icy patch on the corner. There is no dignified way for a grown man to fall. Lucky for me, I packed a change of clothes in my bag. I landed on that and my elbow. I lost a little skin.



I got up and picked up the pieces of my phone on the ground. Surprisingly, my wife was still chatting. So I slowly made my way across I-35 over the bridge. There were news vans parked on the bridge filming traffic. I guess they are expecting some wrecks today. The whole bridge was iced over. I got down to the Frank Erwin Special Events Center when I realized that I'd dropped my keys when I fell. So, I had to walk back to the site of my shameful fall. I carefully made my way across the icy bridge again and saw my keys lying there on the corner. After making sure no cars were coming, I walked over and grabbed my keys. I was so happy that I stopped paying attention again and slipped on the other corner as I stepped on the bridge. That was so funny. This time, I did not land on my bag, but the concrete was curved. Somehow it softened the fall.

Here I am now at the capitol with two sore elbows and a story to tell. I'm going to change into my froofy clothes and shoes. It seems most of the Capitol is running late. I know my van was iced up this morning. Even the door handle was frozen. The ice crust was what convinced me I should walk this morning. I am now going to enjoy a hot cup of coffee.

The homestretch

The homestretch
The homestretch,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
Once I got to the Frank Erwin Center, I knew I'd made it.

Frozen bus stop

Frozen bus stop
Frozen bus stop,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I had the choice of either waiting for the bus or forging ahead. Good thing I kept going. I did not see one bus on MLK.

Start of my trek

Start of my trek
Start of my trek,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Monday, January 15, 2007

It's going to be cold

Temperatures are going to be below freezing tonight and tomorrow. The Governor's Inaugural Parade was cancelled. I can deal with that. What causes problems for me is that parking assignments will be waived. That means that parking will be a free for all. I can't decide whether I ought to wake up extra early to drive over to win my parking space or if I should walk over.
I was in Austin when it snowed back in 1995-1996. All we heard the entire day was sirens. The whole town essentially shut down. As I type this up, the local station is scrolling a list of schools that are shut down tomorrow. If I drive, I risk hitting an ice patch. I can deal with that on a flat surface. It's another thing entirely to do it on a hill. As we all know, Austin is all hills. I'm considering walking to work. That would eliminate the parking AND the driving problems. It would also help with the exercise problem.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Making it on a budget

Making it on a budget
Making it on a budget,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
My experience may be more or less similar to that of other staffers during this session. This came to mind today while the House discussed the issue of salary caps. If you are making the cap, you may live fairly well in Austin. You'd have enough to rent a decent apartment and maybe even go out to eat. Chances are that if you are earning less than the cap, it's much less than the cap. Chances are that you are either making the max or are not even close to it. That's human nature; and the Reps are human.



If you are in the latter, you can't afford to eat out. In fact, you can't afford to eat at the Capitol Grill either. Let me do the numbers for you. If you spend $6 per meal, that means your cost for lunch and dinner is $12 per day. Let's assume you skip breakfast. You will spend $48 a week working 4 days a week. $60 per week in a 5 day week. That's $240 per month, not including weekends.



Housing in Austin should cost roughly $500 per month. Utilities another $200, maybe. We are up to $940 per month. If you have a car, without payments, you can expect to pay about $80/mo on insurance. If you have car payments, may God bless you, because you still have to eat on weekends. Cell phone? $60/month or more.



We are up to roughly $1200 per month. Let's eat on the weekends and skip breakfast. That's $144. We are up to $1344. Gas? $1424.



We are talking basic survival. There is no shopping for clothes. There is no going out for a few drinks. Haircuts are not included. Toiletries are not included. If you think you'll walk away from this job in better shape than you started, you are kidding yourself. After this session, you'll be broke. The ONLY place you can cut corners is in eating. Shop at HEB and find out where all the receptions are that welcome staff. Whatever you do, do NOT get caught up in the illusion that you are all powerful. The almighty laws of Economics will kick your ass. Make your own lunch. Buy food you make for yourself. Do your best to walk away from this experience making a profit. You should have money left over at the end of the month. That's profit.

Visit with Rep. Ryan Guillen

Visit with Rep. Ryan Guillen
Visit with Rep. Ryan Guillen,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
Yesterday, I had some spare time to visit other offices after work. I did not realize that so many people take off as soon as 5 o'clock comes around. I'm still trying to meet people and make friends.



I stopped by Rep. Guillen's office and met his staff. They are a good bunch. Their boss was there too. We talked shortly. He's a funny guy. He's not funny in the sense that he jokes around; rather, he has funny stories.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Governor Rick Perry Speaks to the House


Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Craddick Sworn In

Craddick Sworn In
Craddick Sworn In,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Craddick Wins

Craddick Wins
Craddick Wins,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Standing Applause

Standing Applause
Standing Applause,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Pitts withdraws!

Wow! Pitts is withdrawing from the race. I was expecting a vote. Mr. Pitts is certainly a gentleman with his concern for his supporters. Classy guy. He got standing applause.

The end in sight

It's been a long day waiting for the House to come to an agreement on how to vote for the Speaker of the House. I've been in the office most of the day answering calls and greeting visitors. The proceedings have taken a really long time. With the House being at ease for a while, I took a break to eat and take care of other needs.

As occasion would have it, I have the opportunity to sit in the gallery with Miss Peña, taking photos of her dad. Amendment 35 was just passed. We are getting ready for the real business of the day. Based on the majority rejecting "secret ballot" measures, I think we can tell which way the election will go.

Shiner and Strawberries

If the House gets through this Speaker's race, Lon Burnam will have a start of Legislation Session open house at GW-8. It will be on while supplies last. I had never tried such a combination. Thanks to the coordinator for such a good idea.

Events for 1/9/2007

9 - Tacos with TXU at the Capitol Grill
9:30 Dem. Caucus Meeting 3N.4
10:00 Tamales with Rep Delisi and staff. 1W.5
12:00 Legislature convenes
2:00 Valley Delegation Reception
9:00 Rep. Truitt Celebration at the Broken Spoke
My legislative friends, you shall not go hungry today.

Monday, January 08, 2007

It Still Amazes Me

It Still Amazes Me
It Still Amazes Me,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I went out for a walk down Congress tonight to see if I could find any dead birds (just kidding). I went to see if I could find any affordable places to eat or maybe run into a blogger or two. I had no luck on either task. I'm just going to have to hit HEB on the way home. It's cheaper to buy healthy food there than at restaurants. I can't figure out why healthy costs more when you dine out. Watch me run into a blogger at HEB.



As mentioned in the audio post, I have to start early tomorrow. As I approach the Capitol, it still amazes me that I have unlimited access to the place. As a kid, I used to go down to the Capitol to hang out in Madison, Wisconsin. I would just walk around for hours. Now here I am working in one. Wow.



People tell me that I have a hand in shaping the lives of people and that I wield all kinds of insane power and influence. Even here, I don't see it. I get more satisfaction from helping the lady from housekeeping empty our trash. It helps her and she appreciates it. Relationships carry more weight with me than abstract concepts. Perhaps I'll get brainwashed in the process and start believing during session. It begins tomorrow. Good luck to all.

More than a dozen

As more news comes in, it turns out that more than a dozen birds were found dead last night. According to Capitol Letters, it's between 40 and 60.

Congress Shut Down

Congress Shut Down
Congress Shut Down,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I heard from our intern, Alex, that Congress was closed this morning. Between two and one dozen birds were found dead. The street is shut down pending investigation of their cause of death.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Going Back to the Capitol

Going Back to the Capitol
Going Back to the Capitol,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
I've done enough walking for today. I'm going back to the office to prep for tomorrow. I'll be posting pics I took to my Flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/shainemata).

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Speech,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
This area next to the Main Building at UT often serves as a location for people to speak about whatever cause they support. One of the best programs I saw was "Ask Cliff". Cliff made it a point to explain that most bible, and by the same token, academic misinterpretation results from reading out of context.

Save the Forests?

Save the Forests?
Save the Forests?,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Funny Story

Funny Story
Funny Story,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
My freshman year at UT, my roommate was curious whether he could climb up the side of the Simkins dorm to the roof. He did it. Then he could not get down. He stomped on the roof to get our attention so we could help him get down. We called the fire department and they got him down. Just in case, he was referred to a counselor to make sure he wasn't depressed.

Friends and Networking

A while ago, I got a call from a friend. She woke me up. Only a few people are welcome to do it, so don't feel free to call me late at night. In any case, she once worked as a Legislative Aide and she called to tell me how excited she is for me. In the same breath, she tells me that, if I survive, things will be great afterward. She suggested I visit a friend of hers who is working this session.

Friday, a High School friend dropped by the office to say hi. He is working the session at a Senator's office. I was going to go with him for a drink, but I failed to write down the name of the place and to get his mobile number. I drove around 1st street searching for a place whose name I could not remember. I'll have to call him up on Monday and apologize for not showing (and get his number).

I also began making calls to people to let them know that I'm in Austin now. In business, this is called maintaining your network. This is a major reason why I got a phone plan with a ridiculous amount of minutes. Since this is a work function, I could use the office phone to make calls. The drawback to that is that nobody likes talking to "the office". Most people like knowing somebody. This way, they have a direct line to somebody, me.

Of course, I'm always glad to meet new people. Except for Tuesday, when I'll be glued to the feed from House Chamber, feel free to stop by and say a quick hello. I'm at Rep. Peña's office at E1.512. I'm neither powerful nor charismatic. I'm just worried about the unknown that is coming up in the next five months as many of you are. I figure we can lend support to each other in a sea of strangers. Hopefully, when this is all over, we will be working in a sea of friends.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Listen to today's audio post. My day includes work at a preschool and blogging at RGV Life, and home. See my regular blog at Yahoo 360.


MP3 File

South to the Twin Staircases

South to the Twin Staircases
South to the Twin Staircases,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Capitol from Employee Entrance

Capitol from Employee Entrance
Capitol from Employee Entrance,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Capitol Dome from Center of Extension


Capitol Extension Lights

Capitol Extension Lights
Capitol Extension Lights,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Side Hall

Side Hall
Side Hall,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Skylight Space Looking Up from E2

Skylight Space Looking Up from E2
Skylight Space Looking Up from E2,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Skylight Space from E2

Skylight Space from E2
Skylight Space from E2,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Capitol Dome Through E2

Capitol Dome Through E2
Capitol Dome Through E2,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

E2 South

E2 South
E2 South,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

E2 Further North

E2 Further North
E2 Further North,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

E2 North

E2 North
E2 North,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

The Tunnel

The Tunnel
The Tunnel,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
E1 and E2 have tunnels like this that connect the Capitol to the Extension. You lose mobile phone signal in there.

Great Chamber from the Top

Great Chamber from the Top
Great Chamber from the Top,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Great Chamber

Great Chamber
Great Chamber,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Six Flags

Six Flags
Six Flags,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Again, Facing South fro E1

Again, Facing South fro E1
Again, Facing South fro E1,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

E1 Facing South

E1 Facing South
E1 Facing South,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Capitol Dome Through the Skylight

Capitol Dome Through the Skylight
Capitol Dome Through the Skylight,
originally uploaded by shainelee.

Cafeteria Hall

Cafeteria Hall
Cafeteria Hall,
originally uploaded by shainelee.
This is the hall that takes us to the Capitol Grill. I've never seen a steak or other grilled item there. To me, it's a cafeteria.