Back from Vacation

This has been my life for the last three weeks:

July 6-11th: Surviving a short-staffed Applebees Inspection

July 12-21st: Vacation in the Southwest

July 22nd & 23rd: Doubles at the 'Bees

Today: First day back at the Democratic Office

But before I could come in today, I had to deal with a lost debit card and orientation for an ESL conversation class I'm teaching in August. So instead of 10:00, I didn't get here until 12:00.

A lot of what I've been doing today is office operations related. Doing a lot of cleaning, moving some of our new Obama computers around. I also helped Bro' with a mailing, talked with JKR, was going to send out a absentee ballot request (but the dems changed my password, so I don't know how to log into the VAN (voter database) anymore, and can't do that until I see D), and now I'm working on my senior outreach stuff. I've decided Iowa has too many senior homes/apartments.

I still haven't been able to sit down with D. since I got back, so I'm not sure what all I'll need to work on in the coming days, but some things include creating a "Front Desk 101" handout - telling volunteers how to man the front desk when I'm not here - and also updating the HQ Phone List to reflect all the new Obama numbers.

Today has been a hard day. I've been working on this project so long that it is really hard to keep going on the senior outreach database. I've also been without my computer and/or internet for almost two weeks, so there was a truck-load of email and other things to go through that also provided distractions. I think I might spend my evening at the coffee shop, with my computer and my work... just kind of plow through more of it all at once. See if that helps at all.

Goals and Plans

I have three goals I am working to accomplish during my internship experience:

1. Gain an understanding of campaign and party functioning

2. Increase my speed on data entry, without sacrificing accuracy

3. Better develop my prioritizing and time management skills

It's this last goal that I'm most concerned about.  Deadlines and I have never really gotten along, and I'm worried this will get in my way later in life.  I feel like if I get better at prioritizing and focusing on one thing at a time, step by step approaches, I'll get better.  D is helping a lot with this too.  Whenever he gives me a list of things to do, he usually puts it in some type of priority order as well as giving deadlines.  

I'm already well on my way to accomplishing the first goal as well.  Last night I attended the Linn County Central Committee meeting.  It was mildly reminiscent of a student senate meeting.  The whole "Robert's Rules of Order" thing.  But interesting still.  It was an abbreviated meeting, because they had a candidate forum first, so I don't know that I really understand a whole lot, but it seemed interesting and I'd like to go again.  The CC is LARGE.  That's really all I got from it. 

Today I've been doing more computer setup, more data entry.  It's kinda data entry crunch time because theres a bunch of stuff we need done before the FOs (M and JR) start on the 3rd.  D also got me information on  the GLBT/Stonewall Caucus - an organization for GLBT rights within the Democratic party.  I think I'm going to join, or at least go to some meetings and learn about it.  I'm trying to come up with a nickname for D that means benevolent boss-man, because he's great. SP (aka Pottsie) is back today.  It's been so much louder and social around here as a result.  Love it!  Pottsie's such a flirt.  Man... :)  Oh, and if anyone wants to help him fundraise, he's looking for help (an intern).

One of the candidates brought us a big bag of popcorn this morning.  Also amazing.  S's candidate is getting in trouble for not working hard enough.  S has been talking all day about how other candidates and current elected peeps are calling the IDP to talk about her candidate.  Hopefully, this is effective, 'cause we want him to do well... but he's gotta work for it.