Army Cannon and Christmas Tree Decorations

We haven’t seen the sun for days and it was even warm out this morning for our routine walk. What was different is that the streets leading to the Capitol were all blocked off in preparation for President Bush’s funeral. So we walked through where the cars couldn’t pass over to the Senate Office side and around to the east front of the Capitol building. At that time the police sirens were blaring and an army convoy rolled up to the front of the Capitol reflecting pond. Attached to each of the four large supply trucks was a cannon that will be used for the funeral salute. We ambled around to watch it all get set up with precision. A bus pulled up with twenty or more cadets from the Naval Academy in Annapolis. And as all this preparation was going on the Capitol Christmas Tree was getting decked out for the tree lighting ceremony that was postponed to Thursday from Wednesday due to the funeral. When we walked home the Red Cross Disaster vehicles parked near the House Office Buildings. It’s always a little more inconvenient when things happen in Washington. We usually decide to check it all out regardless of the event. 

Army cannon

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq7yOChBvIS/

Christmas tree

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq7ymBzhfzx/

Cannon House Office Building Mail and Keys One Last Time

There are only three more working days to go before I officially retire. Yesterday was the first day back to work after the horrible bizarrd that is still creating a mess around here. Our car is still stuck behind a pile of dirty slush and ice that will be around for awhile. Our patio key broke off while my husband was putting sandbags in front of the door to avert a potential flood from entering the house from the melting snow. Since I had to mail a small package anyway, I remembered there was also a shoe shine stand and a key maker in the Cannon House Office Building. So I traveled through the tunnel from the Library of Congress to my destination. The post office was busy from several days of backed up service, and the key guy was just finishing up with a customer when I passed by. He was extremely charming and we struck up a conversation. If you talk long enough, something invariably comes up to remind me of the seven degrees of separation. It started out with families being okay after the storm, to he being from Wisconsin - the same place we lived for thirty years. But not just that, but from the same city. Plus his father retired from an industrial plant that was just down the street from us, and he knew where our address was. Aside from that, he is also retiring and moving to Texas in three months. He said to stop by next week before my last day. I'm. It sure he really meant it, but it sounded so sincere. Strange things happen in the basement of a house office building! And what a nice way to have ended my last trip there - as a working stiff. 

Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn House Office Building Afternoon Walk

I decided to take a different route for my afternoon walk. Usually I only go there because the Post Office is convenient for the rare package mailing, and most recently I had my passport processed there. The tunnel that connects the Library of Congress to the Cannon House Office Building is usually filled with pedestrians of all kinds. Now the entrance is restricted to staff only, so the once in a while lunch with outside friends has stopped. But rather than head to any of the aforementioned places, I decided to walk to the end of the Rayburn building - the furthest one away - and back. It was relatively empty of furniture and visitors. The one thing in common is the grey and boring hallways. I heard someone on a tour say this looks worse than a crummy high school in Michigan when they passed by me going in the opposite direction. The little train station is located at the Rayburn building - an alternate route to the Capitol building if you don't feel like maneuvering the maze of halls. I didn't recognize anyone as I made my rounds, but I don't pay any attention either. The goal is to get away from my desk for awhile and it is an interesting place to walk - or is it?