After work today, there was another one of those seemingly endless civic meetings, this time concerned residents getting together to discuss a zoning change requested by an apartment complex. Their plan (the developers, not the residents) is to build some high-end apartment towers, virtually doubling the local population. The neighborhoods are aghast, as the traffic clogged roads are already loaded beyond their capacity.

Everyone was very reasonable, calm, and measured. I was honestly quite proud of my neighbors to handle a potentially emotional issue so maturely and intelligently. We were also able to craft a fair and innovative compromise, which we're taking back to the developers.

But it was a long day for me. I worked a full day at the new office, including two meetings with two new clients, and was able to drive home with just enough time to feed the cat and then drive to the meeting. The meeting lasted several hours and required more concentration, focus, and attention, and I wound up getting home just in time to go straight to bed. And I have to get up early in the morning to go to City Hall for one of my new clients to determine which permits the City will require for a proposed construction project in a public right-of-way.

Long days, public service, temperatures still freezing. How in the world did I ever get so lucky?