Week 1...What A Ride!

Week 1…What A Ride!

I do not recall ever having as rough a start as we had this year trying to get the session underway. Okay, maybe it was me. As a matter of a fact, I know it was me. I was really having a lot of heartburn leaving my family with a generator running and a low wood pile and no electricity. I left on day 5 of no juice, worried the whole time, and of course, I missed my Monday morning meetings and got there at noon just in time for the State of the State. Not knowing how long it would be before power was restored was really unnerving for me, knowing that I would be coming to Oklahoma City where the electricity flowed like water. Plenty of heat, plenty of light, hot showers and the whole works. Things rocked along pretty well on Monday, but of course it was weighing on me very heavily. As I found out Tuesday morning, the generator had quit about midnight. One thing I had learned through that ordeal was that the generator started much more easily while it was warm. While I was at home, I made sure to shut it down just long enough to check the oil and fill the gas tank because I wanted to start it warm. So, when the generator quit Monday night, it sat in the cold from about midnight to daylight and then it was almost impossible to crank Tuesday morning. Thank goodness for friends and neighbors. Dede called Tom Horschler and he came down and got the power going again because grandpa was about to collapse trying to get it started. A big thanks also goes out to my neighbor Steve Robinson who saved the day with some firewood. I had been restocking the wood pile every single day but just could not keep up. So, as it goes in the country, neighbors helped neighbors and we made it through.

There is nothing like starting the first week of session feeling like the world is not in order. But, start we did and week one is now in the rearview mirror. We ran lots of appropriation shell bills and did what we could to prepare for what I hope this week will be a supplemental appropriation so that we can at least make state agencies breathe a little easier. One big positive, as far as I am concerned, was that we did pass HB 3202 out of the House Ag Committee, which is the equine dentistry bill. And, another positive, is that most of my constituents and neighbors have their electricity back on. So, by the time you read this, week two will be winding down. Monday morning brought a blanket of snow to the Oklahoma City area. So, we are still dealing with winter weather. My prayer is that the snow will help the wheat crop, and that we will not have more ice. I spent the entire day Saturday cleaning up huge limbs. I still have a long way to go but we at least got cleaned up around my dad’s house and got the hackberry limbs cleaned up around our gate. As you might imagine, I am really angry with the groundhog. Looks like we have got more winter but I bet we will make it. We will keep ya posted as things develop here at the capitol and we will spend the rest of February getting used to mud. And, oh yeah, one more positive, we are not in a burn ban. Come on Spring!

If you would like to contact me while I am at the Capitol, please do not hesitate to call
1-800-522-8502 or send an e-mail to donarmes@okhouse.gov.

And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:

“Every mile is two in winter.” -George Herbert