Today has been a satisfying day. I covered the front desk for an hour this morning with Elisabeth and took a couple calls into the office. Some lady who wasn’t from WY called me about who knows what but was so thankful that I was being more polite than many people in other offices had been. I’m still not sure what she was saying, but for out-of-staters, we are just there to let them rant because we can’t pass their comments long like we usually can. I also brought my lit text book and have been reading short stories and about plot elements and characterization and the like. Writing good literary stories is harder than I thought it would be! There’s so much involved. I wish I had a better imagination and better creativity.
I had to type up a list of Wyoming teachers who are eating dinner with the senator tomorrow for amber. Then I had lunch with the boys. We decided to go to the capitol and take some good pictures. That was so much fun! We were all over the place in there. That building is a freaking maze. It really is beautiful, though. There are great big marble staircases with big paintings over them. Colorful tiles and carpets. There are paintings on the walls. It is beautiful. There’s also these random stairs all over the place to random nooks in the building, little tiny doors on the floors painted over and no longer used. I think they are maybe old unused trash shoots, or places for old-school-style heating. I have no idea. There are majestic sculptures everywhere; it’s just a fun old building! I’m so glad to have this opportunity to explore places in the capitol that I would have never been able to see otherwise. It’s beautiful. It reminds me of some old French buildings which makes me very happy. Anyways, Jon led us up to where senators give press releases and we took pictures there. Then he led us to the Fox studio in the upper levels of the Capitol. Finally, we all took pictures in front of the building so that I can hopefully make my blog about the experience. There’s already so much I need to put in there!
Fox Studio in the Capitol
Where Senators make press announcements.
Random corridor in the Capitol.
Welchie!
I finally met the senator today. He and his wife, Bobbi came up to me and he stuck out his hand to me after coming back from the capitol and I said “hello, I’m Hanna” and he welcomed me warmly. “I hope you enjoy your time with us and learn a lot. Now, you aren’t related to doctor are you? His name is spelled the same as yours” and I asked “Jay?” he gave me a nod and is said “that’s my father.” And he acted so pleased to have a doctor connection. I explained how we live in Cody and dad goes back and forth between Cody and Powell. Bobbi said she wasn’t sure because Dad had served. Anyways, it was just fun. Welchie met him with me, too. It’s nice to be able to joke around with the other workers in the office about Welchie and Jon, now. Especially since I can with Kelsey. Bobbi invited us to go watch a vote in the senate chamber. I’m waiting to see if we’ll actually go.
Yesterday was that huge snow storm. I was hoping to wake up and look out the window to see like ten feet of snow so I wouldn’t have to go to work. I was sorely disappointed. I also have to wake up wicked early to head to Target. I need to buy a cheap pair of willies and an umbrella. I’m not used to such wet weather! I also need to return that other stuff. I also need to buy food, still! Man, chores pile up when you work 8 hours and you don’t have a car. Also, just a warning, but I hear packages here get stolen off of people’s front porches. How disgusting is that? So I would be careful if I were you if you are going to send me anything. People in the office said that thieves follow UPS trucks and take whatever they drop off. I hope the boys downstairs are nice enough to get those inside.
My art piece i did during the snowstorm and i had nothing better to do at the office. We have lots of free time...
Speaking of the guys downstairs, I finally met them. They’re interns also. And one of them is actually an intern for Enzi! Three Wyomingites in one building! Imagine that. Anyways, Jon and I went down there after the Wizards game to see if they were taking all the mail inside. They had taken some in because it was so full. They were nice, though. It’s good to know that there are nice people in the building. I love having so many Wyomingites around, too.
I was almost made to be a press intern. I’m really glad I avoided that. I much prefer to be a leg intern. I get to give tours, and do all the fun stuff. But I’m not quite as busy as Jon. Also, sometimes I have to do kind of hard things like research old grazing laws and all Jon has to do so far is put pictures online and mail out other pictures.
Jan 28, 2010
Yesterday, I did, in fact, end up going to the vote with Bobbi and the other interns! She is so nice! She took us up to the gallery and was telling me about all the important Senators and pointing them out to me. I saw John Kerry, Ran Paul, Mitch McConnell, and other notable folks. It was funny, all the senators just stood around chatting while they were voting. The presiding president had to continually knock is hammer thing to get everyone to settle down! It was really amusing to me to just see them all talking down there like high schoolers between class. The poor secretaries who were running everything had to speak above everyone else. Bobbi explained to me who all the people sitting at the desks were. Senator Barrasso saw us sitting up there and waved up at us. Next thing I know, there’s a hand on my shoulder and a man saying “hey guys!” and I turned around to find that the Senator had come up to say hi to us! We talked a little bit about my schooling and the like. I think they like me… But anyways, he said when it was his turn to vote, he would look at me and I was to give him a thumbs up or down and would vote that way. Thankfully he didn’t do so. :)
One vote was on the Filibuster rule. He voted once yes, and once no so I don’t know which way he voted on the filibuster one. All I know is I got a lot of calls from people who wanted him to vote no on it, but I feel like a lot of constituents who call are crazy. For instance, one lady called today to rant about Muslims and didn’t even pause enough to tell me the information I need to actually get the comments through to Barrasso. I don’t know what they’re thinking, but ranting to the desk girl and not allowing her to pass the information along is not doing anything for themselves. But one man called and he knew just what to do! “I’m a constituent and I would like to leave a comment. My name is..” it was very helpful. In fact, I couldn’t find his name anywhere in the database but he was being patient and respelling it for me and saying “I’ve called before, I know I’m in there. Keep looking.” What a pro. He was telling ME what to do. I guess he must call fairly often.
Some lady just called. Here’s how the conversation went. And imagine the lady with the most contemptuous voice you have ever heard.
“senator Barrasso’s office, this is Hanna”
“excuse me?”
“This is Senator Barrasso’s office. My name is Hanna.”
“I can’t hear you”
“Can you hear me now?”
“it’s not the phone, it’s your voice.”
“excuse me?”
“it sounds like you’re speaking through a voice box”
“yes, I have a really high voice”
“No, that’s not it. There’s something wrong with your voice. You should call yourself or have someone call you so you or record your voice so you can figure out what’s wrong with i….”
*click*
Well… I actually slammed the phone (I wanted it to sound like I was deliberately hanging up on her). Maybe I shouldn’t but I can’t figure out why someone would call the office of a senator and say stupid stuff like that. I prob should have said anything like “sorry to interrupt, but what is the reason for your call?” but I was pretty mad. Who knew! I didn’t think I would ever get so ruffled by a stranger calling like I just did. I’m in fact still trying not to be offended. I know she’s a stranger, but it’s not like she was throwing out random insults about my appearance or something like that that she wouldn’t know anything about. Oh well, what a beezy. Sometimes I like confrontation like that. Well, I mean that I more like the feeling that an elevated heart rate gives me. I’m actually really curious now what else she was going to say. It’s prob best that I hung up on her. An odd little thought entered my mind, and that was what if that was some sort of training or test call? But I think that would be silly. I tried to be nice by going on to explain how my voice is really high and everything before giving up. Nasal
Ok, the sweetest man just called. Here’s how the Conversation went… Roughly
“Senator Barrasso’s office, this is Hanna”
“Yes, hi, I’d like to complain about some crap”
“Can I take your name, sir?”
“Well actually, I don’t feel so mad anymore… just hearing your beautiful voice made my anger melt away.”
“(in the midst of laughing after a pause of shock and comprehending) Would you like me to pass your comments along sir?”
“Yes (I’m a little bit fuzzy on this part) I would like to tell your senator to hire more girls with pretty voices like yours. In fact, they should make that legislation!”
“Thank you sir. I will pass your comments along…(whispering)I love you! I better go… Bye”
“love ya too. Bye”
Well, I had texted Dan about that lady and how upset I was. Dan found the office phone number and called in! I was laughing so hard. It def made my day, and that lady no longer is bothering me. Thankfully the whole office is in a staff meeting right now, so I wouldn’t get in trouble. :) and thankfully Elisabeth wasn’t here to answer on the other phone, and Welchie was out doing something else. I have an amazing boyfriend. He made my day.
Let’s see. What else has happened today. At ten, I had to run to a sexual harassment class. Jon was saying, loudly I might add, how stupid it was going to be while we were sitting there. Again, I was thinking that that prob wasn’t the best place to be saying things like that. It is a little silly sometimes, but I guess it’s also fairly important. I was glad to have the boys sitting in, too, because as very conservative, very hick, very politically incorrect so I was glad for a class that would tell them that maybe they shouldn’t discuss Mexicans like they do. Especially since a lot of the servers in the cafeteria are Latino/a. Max joined us at the sexual harassment class. I really wish I could see him more around this office. I will have to see if he wants to hang out with me some other weekend. Also, Enzi’s interns sat by us and the boys in that office are pretty chill. One of them, of course, lives under me. I joked that some of my friends were going to come over tonight to practice tap dancing. But it looks like he wants us Wyoming kids to get together to do something. Should be fun!
I’m getting really comfortable with everyone in the office. It’s good. We can all chat and have a good time :) I’m also getting used to all my responsibilities. I was in charge of the front desk while everyone else was in a staff lecture. Bobbi felt bad that I couldn’t go in so she brought out the guest lecturer outside to talk with me. :) Bobbi also said I should meet Mitch McConnell’s chief of staff, who is, apparently, a very powerful , young, successful woman. Being surrounded by power is suddenly getting fun. Wow… that sounded evil. But as I was saying, I’m not really intimidated by powerful people, so all in all, this has been really fun for me! And I also love being in a Wyoming office. Macy was saying that if you worked in say, John Kerry’s office, the interns there almost never get to meet their senator, and his wife most definitely doesn’t take them to votes. There’s yet another reason to love Wyoming!
So the Wyoming interns from Enzi's and Lummis' office joined us and we went to the capitol club which is a republican club, and i guess it was happy hour. I just got a sprite and they were all amazed that i've never had a drink. they were talking about how i'm from Wyoming's hated rival, BYU but then i teased them how BYU doesn't even care about UW cause we trample them. it was a sore spot for them, lol. but they all got drinks and the three of us that live in my building came home. it was really fun. :) i got a free dinner out of it.
The Lummis intern lives in a giant townhouse and there are guys living in there. it hasn't occurred to me until today just how lucky i am that i ended up in my housing. I would have been in big trouble with BYU if i was sharing housing with boys! Seriously, i'm being watched over. I could have ended up in a bad spot. I didn't even think to request being in an all girl place. I'm blessed.
Kyra and i were talking about our beliefs. she's really similar to me. she is really traditional and i told her how i love how we have similar views on things. She's very traditional. we were talking about how we miss the west where it is just fine and even expected to just get married after college and start a family. here, people look down on that. we just are kind of having strange views of the east coast. we're not liking it. Kyra and i just miss the good ol' west. And I miss you.
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