Category Archives: Government

2025, Government, Uncategorized

Testimony

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I never imagined when I was in High School speech that it would come in handy when I was in my late 60’s and had to talk to a bunch of State senators. Serious Dramatic Interpretation actually came in pretty handy last week.

I was pretty anxious on the drive to Bismarck, mainly because of the cold weather and the fear that my sciatica, which leads my left leg to unexpectedly give out on me, would cause me to not only take the floor when I had to speak, but also put me on the floor. I was also anxious about the lack of parking at the Capitol and how far I would have to walk to get into the building. Just in case, I brought along a hiking stick we had at home to give me some stability. I was lucky to find a parking spot in a parking lot just outside the front door, and I used the walking stick for support on the way into and when I walked the long corridors to the conference room the committee I was speaking to met.

The committee was made up of about six senators, and there were various technical assistants in the room as well. There were about ten public members along with our board attorney and office manager. The senator who sponsored the bill we were opposed to presented the bill to the committee. Then the committee chair asked for those public attendees who were in support of the bill to speak. There were none. Then the chair asked for those opposed to speak. I jumped up at once took the podium.

There are strict rules of addressing the committee. You have to start out with “Chairman_______ and members of the committee”. If you are asked a question by a committee member you have to start out by saying “Chairman________. Senator_________, and members of the committee” before you answer the Senator who asked the question.

I had five pages of testimony written by a fellow board member. It had been sent to the committee the day before, and the testimony was live broadcasted on the internet and also recorded. I spoke confidently, but I know I spoke too quickly. Only one Senator asked me a question. I was able to have some witty and friendly repartee with the committee chair who has an even odder Dutch name than I have. It went well, overall. We will have to see how it goes.

Were you in speech or debate in high school? How do you feel you do at public speaking? What is the largest group you ever spoke to?

2025, animals, Family, Food, Government, Uncategorized

Cooking To Cope

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I apologize for two food related posts in a row, but the current obscenely cold weather and the even more obscene political news have caused me and Husband to stay home, insulate ourselves, and cook.

We are typically very busy in the kitchen, but since December we have gone pretty wild. Two weekends ago we made a number entrees including Hungarian pot roast, baked salmon, sheet pan gnocchi with peppers and sausages, a baked risotto, and red beans and rice. The latter recipe came from a New Orleans native with the wonderful name of Pableaux Johnson. None of it has gone to waste, I should add.

We usually cook most things from scratch, and now that includes beans. I have ordered a number of dried beans from Rancho Gordo. Husband notes he is feeling better since we started with the beans, and misses it when we don’t have beans on the menu. We have also dived deep into traditional foods of northern Spain. Supper last night was leftover Fabada, a Spanish white bean stew with chorizo, ham hock, and blood sausage. It is delicious.

I realize that we turn to cooking like this to feel safe and to have some sense of control. I find the extreme cold to be terribly frightening. A couple of nights ago the wind chill was -43. Kyrill our terrier ran off the deck in pursuit of a bunny and didn’t come right back as he usually does. Husband went out to get him, and found him paralyzed with cold in the snow on the side of the house. He had only been out a minute or less. He got some left over pot roast in his kibble that night.

How are you coping with the weather and the political mess we are in? What are some of your favorite world cuisines? Thoughts on dried beans?

2025, Business, Government, Uncategorized, work

Legislative Attire

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I recently found out that this Thursday I have to testify in person in Bismarck at a Labor committee hearing regarding a proposed bill that my regulatory board opposes. Our ND legislature is in session right now. The proposed bill involves lumping all the mental health regulatory boards, now independent, self funding, and self sustaining volunteer boards, into one board run by the state.

I have never done testimony like this before. One of my board colleagues is writing the testimony. He has done this many times before. It will be no longer than three pages, because if you go on too long the legislators start looking at their phones and stop paying attention. We have a good strategy and have had several emergency board meetings to plan.

I have two major concerns regarding this experience: What should I wear, and will the sciatica in my left leg cause some problems (problems as in giving out from underneath me and causing me to collapse on the State Capitol floor). My colleague who is writing the testimony works for an agency that provides long term residential services to developmentally disabled individuals. Rather tongue in cheek, he told me he has access to lots of wheel chairs and could bring one to Bismarck. He thought me being wheeled in would elicit sympathy for our cause. I told him it wasn’t THAT bad, thank you, and I would bring a walking stick if I thought I needed one. I told him I could also it to club legislators who were difficult.

Regarding attire, it used to be a rule that that women legislators had to wear dresses to the Capitol when the legislature was in session, and I was worried because if that extended to people testifying, it would be a problem for me. I haven’t worn a dress in ages, I have no workable stockings, and I really didn’t want to drive to Bismarck in this cold in a dress and heels. I was relieved to hear that I just need to dress in “Business Casual”. I have yet to decide what that means for me. Whatever I decide, I will dress in warm clothes, given how drafty the Capitol can get.

Any cleaver Baboon suggestions regarding attire or costuming that I should consider? What would be your considerations if you had to give public testimony to a legislative body or commission?

2024, Government, Uncategorized, Words

The New Normal

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Well, today is my last day of full time work. I will be off for a month, and then start part time work at my agency doing evaluations after March 1. I am quite happy about this. I have no unfinished  paperwork, and my therapy clients have been transferred to other therapists. Husband will keep on with his part time work. He is housed at my agency but is employed by the Human Service Center in Bismarck.

The past several months have been stressful because of getting all the necessary paperwork in to the the State Retirement office, applying for Medicare B and Social Security, and tying up loose ends. I had to formally apply for the part time position that was only advertised at my agency. I was the only applicant, as expected, and I had to dredge up my old resume, something that I haven’t had to use for a couple of decades. My colleagues are upset, and I find myself comforting them and reassuring them that I will only be gone for a month and then I will be back. That is getting tiresome. I feel  like a parent having to reassure anxious children. They also kept asking if I wanted a retirement party, but I said that since I was returning in a month that would be sort of silly. 

Everyone keeps asking me what I am going to do when I retire. My stock answer is “Clean the house”.  I have discovered that at my age I can either have a clean house or work full time. I can’t do both. People seem to expect that I will do exotic travel. My new normal will be to have more time to sort through our things preparatory to moving and feel less stressed.

How do you handle life transitions? What do you miss the most from your longest held job? What don’t you miss at all?

 

2025, Government, Technology, Uncategorized, Weather

Jury Duty – Big Bust

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My guess is that I’ve thought more about jury duty than most folks.  With my dad being a trail lawyer and our shared love of Perry Mason, I’ve known about juries from childhood. 

About 35 years ago I got a summons for jury duty but despite sitting patiently in the basement of the Government Center every day for a week, I didn’t get impaneled.  On Friday afternoon they released me and said I didn’t need to return.

Right before Christmas I got the Summons in the mail.  Things have changed somewhat in 35 years (doh!).  The biggest change is that you don’t have to show up on Monday morning and sit all week.  You get assigned a group number and twice a day you check online (or call in) to see if your group needs to go in.  One thing that hasn’t changed much is the stipend.  It’s not enough to pay for parking downtown (which is just outrageous) so if you are on a fixed income, if you drive and park, it’s like you’re paying to get on a jury.  I took the bus.

My group didn’t get called in until mid-day on Thursday (12:15 notice that you have to be at the Government Center at 1:30).  The waiting area is now on the 24th floor and is referred to as “The Jar”.  Hmmmm.   There were 33 of us in the room; orientation took 15 minutes and at 2 p.m.  they pulled the first group of 22.  That left 11 of us, not enough for a jury. I assumed at some point 10 folks would come back and then there would be enough of us if they needed to call a new group.  Nope, at 2:15, the 11 of us left in the room were sent home and told we didn’t need to come back in the morning or the following week.  Our service is complete – we won’t be eligible again for 4 years.  (This puts me above the required age limit so I can decline with no reason if I get called again.)

45 minutes of jury duty.  I spent more time on the bus than doing my civic duty.  And if you add all the time I spent researching how it works these days, rates at downtown parking ramps, bus routes and senior discounts not to mention the weather….. way more prep time than jury time. 

I’m not begrudging the time – I do actually think of it as my civic duty.  I know I wouldn’t want to be on trial and have it go wrong because you couldn’t find enough folks for a jury.  Although I do think it would have been more fun to actually get impaneled and see a real trial!

Any good jury duty stories?