I just got back from a trip to Spain, and I thought I'd share a few of the things that made it hard to come back. Or rather things that, were they also in America, it would have been much easier to come back.

• Fast Trains Spain has very fast trains. Seems like the benefits are pretty self-explanatory, but I just thought I'd mention that being on an extremely fast train is really fun, all practicality aside.
• Holidays

Following the flurry of initial appropriations activity in the House this week, the Senate will swing into action next week. [Note: the House and Senate 302(b) allocations for FY 2008 are identical.] The current mark-up schedule in the Senate Appropriations Committee is as follows:

• Tuesday, June 12:
  • Military Construction-VA ($65 billion; $4 billion over the president's request) -- subcommittee mark-up
  • Homeland Security ($36 billion; $2 billion over) -- subcommittee committee mark-up

• Thursday, June 14:

There's nothing unusual about a 56-0 vote committee vote to approve the FY 2008 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending bill, as occurred yesterday when the House Appropriations Committee OK'ed the $109 billion measure, $4 billion above the president's request -- $2.5 billion of which goes to politically unassailable funding for veterans' health care. Only a little more unusual is holding a roll call vote where the bill has unanimous support.

New Hampshire government officials are worried that proposed federal budget cuts to programs for the elderly might hinder their efforts to provide low-cost meals and other programs. The Bush budget proposed to cut those types of programs under the Older Americans Act by 6 percent this year. The Seacoast Online reports: Health officials say cuts to meal services would be particularly troubling for seniors in New Hampshire. Last year, more than 1 million meals were delivered to needy seniors in their homes. About 400,000 more lunches, plus the occasional breakfast, were served at senior centers throughout the state.