My New Job!

I'm fulfilling a lifelong dream of working construction - basically building porches. So now I'll be able to fulfill another dream of mine - build my own house someday - or at least in theory I'll be able to build the deck.

The work is physically hard and the days are long, but it's great to be outside and using my hands. I work in a crew with 2 others - George and Greg - and I think we'll get along just fine.

I'll try to post some pictures to this post in the near future - toolbelt and all - but I feel like I've got to get to know my co-workers a little better before I start clicking photos of them on the job

A Monumental Tour

Yesterday my friend, Tobi, and I toured the monuments of DC. We stopped by to see Lincoln, WWII, good ol' TJ (Thomas Jefferson), FDR, Korea, Vietnam, and saw - but did not go up - the Washington. We also poked our heads in to the EPA to visit a friend, the Holocaust Museum, and strolled past the White House and where the sold out US Mint tours begin.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a day. I was very impressed by all the monuments and thought them extremely well done.

It makes one wonder about our world leaders today. Though some do indeed seem "great," none really compare to the FDRs or Lincolns of old. Do we just fail to see the greatness in our current leaders because they are in our midst and haven't had the benefit of time to immortalize them? Or is there something lacking in our leaders of today that the great ones had?

And as a side note, the Dept. of Agriculture is HUGE!!! What exactly goes on there I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure each American farmer must have his own personal representative there.

To Be(ard) or Not to Be(ard)?

Since returning to the States, I've gone and grown a beard. The question, however, is was this a wise move? Few things so alter a man's appearance, and frankly I'm just not certain as to whether this provides an improvement or not. In any case, I enjoy not shaving, so for the time being I'm going to keep it.

Penny for your thoughts?