Ben McDonald, 1996 Pinnacle #120

The last time the U. S. Government shut down was 1996. The idea of a government shutdown as a negotiating tactic has aged about as well as these gray Oriole hats.

This time, I am one of the scores of federal employees who has been furloughed. The House of Representatives can't get their act together, so they've sent me home to think about what they did. I don't know how long I'll be barred from working, but I hope to make the best of it by doing some of the organizing and cleaning that this house so desperately needs. If I should happen to catch up on my sleep as well...so be it.