Health Care reform that would make sense?

I just read an excellent article in the Wall Street Journal with some suggestions about how to reform health care, and I think it has some actual ideas that could be implemented, would be fiscally reasonable, and could help everyone out.

Anyway, this article has some really good ideas that if enacted, I think would really make for a better system. I would want something like this.

Huge DC recap

So I've driven back to Texas - it took a few days, and was a very enjoyable trip. I spent a day with my Grandmother in St. Louis, had lunch with my friends T-Rav* and Kel in Memphis, spent a day with my family in Dallas, and almost hit a crane. As in the bird, not the machine. It had a 6' wingspan, and frankly I was tempted to hit it to add to my list of weird things I've hit. I restrained myself.

I also discovered a 'shortcut' for the drive between St. Louis and DC that saved me about 45 minutes and allowed me to see the first leaves of fall. Overall it was a very nice trip back. I definitely knew I was back when I saw this huge dust devil on my way back yesterday.
Of course, it's a little bittersweet leaving D.C. - on the one hand I really enjoyed it. Work was great, I was interviewing with patent attorneys before I left, dating seemed to flow easier. On the other hand, it was time to get back to Lubbock, to my stuff, to be out of the nasty townhome I was in out there.

I'm grateful I had the opportunity to work out there and learn some stuff. I'm VERY grateful I decided to drive out there. One might be able to get around DC via public transportation, but it would be a huge pain. Having my truck I could go to church, shopping, see friends, camping, and on dates without a second thought. I got to go to the Iwo Jima memorial at night and do lots of things I wouldn't have been able to.
I've decided my favorite museum is the National Portrait Gallery. Why? It's easily accessible - right across the street from the Chinatown metro stop. It's practically empty, and holds some amazing history.

Least favorite - Native American history museum. Why? BORING and misleading. If I wanted to know what modern indian life is like, I'd drive to Shiprock. Trust me, it ain't nearly as nice as they portrayed it in the museum.

Now back to life in Lubbock.

Nice Jump

You should check this video out.

Assateague Island

So this weekend I went out to Assateague Island, out on the Atlantic Ocean. It was pretty sweet. We arrived late Friday night, camped out and had a small campfire on the beach, then Saturday we just enjoyed the beach. Now I'm nice and sunburnt.

There are wild horses on the island, left over from when a Spanish Galleon shipwrecked back in the 1600's. A small herd of them were next to our beach campfire Friday night, and some of them were pretty dang big. Also saw a fox in the moonlight, a sea turtle, a pod of dolphins, and a billion 'skeeters.

During my time out here in DC I've been trying to get to know the city and see all the sites, making my outdoor adventures rare, so I really enjoyed the chance to get out and do something different. It was exactly 3 hours away from my place, and the weather was beautiful, so it made for a great getaway.

Tomorrow's my last day at my internship, then Tuesday I go in for training at my new job. I'll probably stick around a few days after that, but my thinking right now is that I'll head back on Saturday.

1 goal accomplished

Of the many 'mini-goals' I had for myself in coming out to DC, one was to find some part-time patent work I could do via the internet throughout the upcoming school year. I thought patent-searching could be an excellent way to go about that: flexible hours, the databases are all online, and I have some experience already. I also thought it would be excellent prep work for my upcoming career as a patent attorney.

So I started sending out emails to patent searching companies located here in Northern Virginia, and a company called Express Search wrote back that they were interested in meeting me for lunch. Well, lunch was today - and we signed the paperwork today too! I have some training and stuff I have to do, but I'm pumped about it.

I get paid, I get to look at patents, and I can work anytime I have internet access. My boss and his wife were both very real with me and are willing to coach me in this, and understand my goal of working at a law firm upon graduation, so it's really exactly what I was hoping for.

It's nice when things work out.

Chicago

So I went to Chicago on Thursday and came back on Friday - it was a quick trip. But just like my trip last year, the weather was perfect. It was ~75-80 degrees, a slight breeze, and super pleasant.

Rather than renting a car and trying to find an elusive parking spot in Chicago, or paying $40 for parking, I just took the EL in from O'hare - worked great. Got to my hotel late, but they gave me some warm cookies, and I figured that despite my cookie fast I deserved them.

Woke up on Friday and explored Chicago a little before going to the career fair - I checked out Navy Pier, then went to the John Hancock building and went up to the observatory. It was pretty sweet, with amazing views of the city like this one.
Found a sweet place to eat - Billy Goat Tavern. If you're wandering around downtown Chicago I highly recommend this place. Very good burger.
Went to the career fair, went back to the airport, sustained a flight replete with crying babies, and made it back.

So while I haven't experienced Chicago during the winter, and I'm sure that they have plenty of days in the summer that are hot and humid, I think downtown Chicago is actually the nicest big city I've been to. Wide streets, clean (compared to New York), usually a nice breeze blowing through. I don't know how the suburbs compare, but downtown Chicago in the summer is a sweet place to be.