I just saw a note that you'll speak to us -- the Washington office -- later this morning.  Quite independent from that, I actually wrote this email in my head last night as I experienced yet another sleepless early morning ...

You know this intuitively, I suspect, but I just wanted to underscore that the staff here in DC have experienced a rather stressful period.  First was the 11th, when several of us (Linda, John, Pat, Chris, Allison, Jeff Keeler and I) were all up on the Hill -- literally each of us was within a hundred yards of the Capitol building.  Our phones began ringing as wives and colleagues told us to quickly walk as far away from the Hill as we could since there were reports of more planes in the air.

Then yesterday we all piled into the ER for anthrax testing since we've been up on the Hill in the last few days.  A very long shot on that score, since none of us was in the Hart building on Monday, for cause for concern nonetheless.

I look around me and see small but discernible signs of stress.  I know I experience them at home at night.

But I just wanted to pass this on.  We're doing our jobs, but somehow it just happens that we inadvertently stumble into harm's way at precisely those moments -- when we're doing our jobs!

I grew up overseas, son of diplomats.  We we were in a country for only two years, not the usual three or four year tour -- and when we saw strained families and marriages, and increased alcohol consumption and other ways of dealing with stress ... it was simply because we lived in what they call "hardship posts."  The government understood that, and kept a special watch on you on those countries.  

So, from this hardship post ...  hope this isn't out of line, but wanted to pass on my thoughts directly to you.  Maybe tonight I'll get a full night's sleep now.

Best,
Steve