A Weekend in Washington, DC

This last weekend, we spent three days in Washington, DC. The first day, we went on what I’ve dubbed as The Second Coolest Tour Ever of the Capitol building. I’ve given it the second coolest status because I’m thinking that people like spouses of congressional leaders and other world leaders and hey, maybe even Obama himself probably get to see a bit more than we did, but, thanks to a DC connection who very graciously arranged The Second Coolest Tour Ever, we got to see some things that the average tourist does not.

 

We got to see, for instance, the balcony with incredible views of the Washington Monument where Boehner steps out to take a smoke when the stresses of the House call for a nicotine break. Hey, I’ve never been a smoker, but if I had his job, I think I’d be driven to smoke too. (If any of you have seen this stuff too, particularly in a tour for the masses, do not contact me. I don’t want to know. Do not burst my fragile bubble here. I have so few of them.)

They put Boehner’s name in gold above his office door. I think if I ever got to that point in political office, I’d have the words “Utility Closet” painted above my door, to divert any nosy tourists such as myself elsewhere. Seriously, politicians have to be in the public eye so much as it is, don’t they just need a few minutes of peace to well, think??? I imagine leading the free world might require a moment or two, now and then.

 

Speaking of being in the public eye, we also saw the room where Boehner (notice how I refer to him by just his last name, like we’re two high school kids on the same football team or something, accustomed to fist-bumping each other in the halls between classes) had just recorded a TV interview for a major Sunday news show.

After much consideration, I have decided not to reveal all that we saw at the Capitol, as I feel doing so will allow me to retain a slight air of mystery.

Is it working?

In terms of what the commoner can see, it was pretty noteworthy as well. Check out the ceilings in this place.

 

I feel the need to have a similar ceiling in my bedroom, so that I can wake up and fall asleep looking at art. This will never happen, and I’ll clearly always be confined to a life of waking up to drywall. Hey, you win some, you lose some.

 

Here are the small people’s feet, standing in what is reportedly the very center of Washington, DC. I’m starting to doubt my hearing on this one, as I in fact do have slight hearing loss (have I ever mentioned that my loquacious half is also loud?) but it’s a lovely thought nonetheless.

Stay tuned for the riveting Part Two tomorrow, when the Island small people venture into the DC world of taxis.