To continue my explanation of why last Thursday was just frantic and absurd.

It was the day of the appropriations deadline. For those of you who are not impressed by the sound of this so-called deadline (as I would not have been before I worked here, it's not a very imposing-sounding event, is it?) I will explain. Basically, any requests for funding for programs for the coming year had to be in to the Appropriations Committee by 5 o'clock. Anything and everything each Congressperson wanted to advocate for had to be given to the correct subcommittee on Appropriations. Being a member of Appropriations must be a power trip, because everyone essentially has to beg you to get money for their favorite programs, but it must also be a curse. This is the part of being an Appropriations member I came to fully appreciate on Thursday.

All day long, intern after intern staggered into the office, eyes bloodshot, limping and haggard, thrusting a Dear Colleague letter at me for the Congresswoman's signature (Dear Colleage letter = a letter requesting funding for a program that members will sign on to if they support the program and want to speak up on its behalf). This is the United States Congress, and why finish these things ahead of time when you can suck down coffee at lightening speed while answering the phone with your foot and writing emails with your elbow on the very last day of this "Appropriations season" as my clever Legislative Director puts it? Details aside, I promise you I've never been so frazzled before.

Best moment of the day, however, occurred at exactly 5 minutes to 5 o'clock. This is the point at which The LD comes up to me grinning mischievously, as she tends do because she is one tough chick and therefore rules and everyone knows it.

"Run," she says.

"Excuse me?" I say, with a half-hearted attempt at innocence. I don't really want to know what she's talking about, though I sort of already do.

"Actually run. Not like 'don't dally because there's lots to do' but like 'oh damn the committee will lock the door in 5 minutes and a year's worth of funding will go down the drain if you're not there in time.' Like that. By the way, are you fast?"

At this point I'm already yanking the folder from her hand and giving her the dirty look she knows she's going to get in response to the devilish smirk I know I'm going to get.

I looked very silly running. Luckily, so did the other 200 people running through the hallways with the same envelopes. I made it there in record time, might I add. I even had enough time to return to the office, boast about my athletic prowess, and saunter into the hallway with the LD to chuckle at/help other lost interns doing the same thing.

Not exactly the kind of task that demonstrates piercing intellect, but no one will ever say I don't do my job well.