Snoverkill in the Capital

I lived in Minnesota for exactly 12 months and saw lots of cold days and fishing houses perched on frozen lakes (even in downtown Minneapolis). But, despite my purchase of cross-country skis and lessons, the one thing that I didn't see during my stint in the Midwest was a whole lot of snow. As luck would have it, my year there was an oddly dry one, with just a few small storms that didn't leave the ground covered for more than a couple of weeks total.

I guess that winter of lost Minnesota weather has finally caught up with me here south of the Mason-Dixon, as I sit confined to my cozy little apartment for the fifth day in a row. I walked around for a little bit yesterday, between this past weekend's dump of snow and last night's very real blizzard. There were a few people wandering around, looking a little dazed, but generally delighted by the sight. Mostly they were heading to the few bars that were open, clad in boots and thick coats, completely removed from the usual business attire that dominates the DC bar culture.

Feet upon feet of snow was piled, shoved, or just compacted by pedestrians, turning cars into pillows resting along side the human-made paths over sidewalks and streets. Just venturing outside at this point feels like an accomplishment, and those are able to do so with a smile on their face feel a bond with their fellow citizens. Today I would usually be at work, but the Federal Government has wisely called a snow day for the third straight day, with tomorrow looking likely to be number four. I'm not going complain about a paid vacation at home, with plenty of food, warmth, and internet, but getting back to my routine will be a relief. Enjoy the video below as proof that even bureaucrats can have fun when work and routine are disrupted:

How government works

This week has been a very busy week with a excessively dramatic ending:

Monday -  I watched the Secretary of the Interior present the 2011 Department of the Interior Budget Request in front of a live audience of Interior employees and members of the press. Went to a Happy Hour hosted by the President of Pacific Lutheran University. Caught up with  him and met some fellow Lute alums who have also made their way out here to DC.

Tuesday - Went to a small lunch gathering in the Assistant Secretary's office and talked to her about recognizing the artistic talents of DOI employees. She thought it was a good idea, so I think they will be having a photo contest which I fully intend to enter.  Went to the dentist and found out I needed a crown on a back molar.

Wednesday - Worked hard and played hard. Went to PMF Happy Hour after work and smoozed with coworkers and friends at other agencies.  Kind of like Cheers, only everyone never remembers your name.  But that's okay, because they can just get your card and promise to do lunch sometime.

Thursday - I watched the President and family pull out of their house (the big White one) and drive to the National Prayer Breakfast, it was the first time I have gotten to glimpse the First Family through the windows of the motorcade (did you know that the windows are not tinted?), very exciting. I also got the temporary crown on my tooth, not so exciting.  Stocked up on a few supplies before the storm arrived.

Friday - Mentally prepared for a crippling snow storm, still went to work, though government employees had a 4-hour early dismissal. I ended up staying a little later to finish up our major Economic paper (look for press release next week) and then went to volunteer at Miriam's Kitchen to help prepare and serve food. The snow began Friday evening, causing DC and life as we know it here to come to a complete halt.

Importance

(Main Interior Building - where I work - Circa 1936)

I work in a big bureaucratic Department in a big bureaucratic Government, and I'm usually fine with that. Sure, applying for a job, getting your HR paperwork processed, and trying to do anything new is difficult, but what most people don't realize is that there was a purpose for compartmentalizing the government. When you are managing a workforce of 70,000, like Interior, it makes sense that there are rigid divisions and rules for what every piece has to do in order to make the whole things work. Even the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service are called bureaus. But all this protocol and procedure can make doing actual work within the Government seem a little removed from what you really think you should be doing, which in my case is somehow making our planet and land a little better.

But sometimes a crack breaks through that big bureaucracy, and the most lucky and diligent employees can see the light, where abstract policy papers meet the real world. This week I got to take a peak through that crack and it was cool. Eventually I am sure I will get used to the idea that something that I produced might make a small difference, but for now it is new and fun. In this case it was a few words on a page that were based on a paper that I played a minor role in writing, but those words ended up being filtered up through Interior's chains of communication and were spit out the other side into the world of media, ending up in the New York Times. My small contribution in the form of a list of talking points on Oil and Gas Leasing at Interior showed up in THE major newspaper in the United States, of course after being packaged and refined by the actual communications experts, but still amazing and humbling. And this entire process took 2.5 days.

So I had a good week, where my little effort might have shed some light on how readers of that article view a very important issue. While not all of what I write on the variety things that Interior does to manage public lands, protect endangered species, and address climate change will make it outside of the well-intentioned bureaucracy, just knowing that it is possible, and I can be involved, is enough.

2010 and Resolutions

It's a new year and instead of giving up something or trying to better my health, I've decided to pick up some old habits and get back into reading and writing. The reading is going so-so. I've read a few books, with a couple more waiting for me at the library card - which I will be able to pick up as soon as I actually get my library card. I've also joined a book club, which I am told will meet soon.

Part two of my resolution is to start this whole journaling thing again. I guess I thought that my life in DC would not be as full of stories and encounters as my life in Belize, but in many ways it is. My original goal was to work this particular site around service, and I will often bring it up, but I think I am going to stick to my traditional free form and goal of keeping it short.

So, in this my new and foster city, a big thing happened one year and 3 days ago. But it was a big day for me too. On the same day that my now boss's, boss's, boss was sworn into his new job, I was sitting in the Seattle Federal Building filling in little bubbles on a test sheet. Distracted by the knowledge that I was missing out on watching an amazing piece of our Nation's History on TV, I had no idea what that test would mean. For it was the outcome of that one test that places me right here, right now, in the thick of it. And I must remind myself everyday at my good forture (and my ability to put words in the right order on a page), because life really is amazing.

This week I was sent out to the National Conservation Training Center, managed by the Fish & Wildlife Service, for a Workshop on Ocean Policy. Yes, Interior does work with Oceans, and now I know all about it. What I didn't realize before I went out there is that this meeting would be attended by some very important people who do some very important things, and I was quickly humbled by the level of expertise and political power. Nothing like having to do group activities with the person reasonable for managing all the offshore oil and gas activities in this country. In any case, during this workshop/retreat at this amazing facility out in West Virginia, I had a chance to meet people who had been working their whole lives on issues that I am only beginning to understand, from protecting the Dry Tortugas National Park off of Key West to developing offshore wind energy. From these interactions I gained a real understanding of what service in the Federal Government can be, a devotion to what you are passionate about, what you know is right for the public and the environment, despite the ebb and flow of political will. Very inspiring and I can only hope that I can have that same energy how ever many years from now.