Views From The Library of Congress Windows

I worked at the Library of Congress for almost ten years. It was the main reason we moved from the Midwest to DC. The Madison Building was where my office was located, but I loved walking over to the Jefferson Building in the afternoon or for programs. I retired two years ago and haven’t been inside any of the buildings for a few months. What’s nice is that even if the weather is bad, we just have to walk two blocks from our house, enter the Madison Building, and take the underground tunnels over to where the program was being held in the African/Middle Eastern section. We were a little early so we meandered around the main level looking out at the views from the windows. To the south were the house office buildings; across the street to the west was the Capitol; and on the north side was the Supreme Court. There’s something about the Library that is magical. And it’s even more so because I’m not working there anymore! 

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. 

Fireworks by the House Office Building

It was such an ugly day yesterday that we didn't think we would even see the fireworks. But by 8:30 the rain finally stopped. Instead of walking over to the Capitol Concert on the Mall to hear Barry Manilow (!) we decided to walk to the park right next to the House Office Building. In the distance we could see the Washington Monument. This is the spot for the neighbors - a few steps from your house and far enough away from the crowds among the locals. It was a very different experience because the helicopter was making a constant noise overhead and the oohs and ahhs were much quieter. But we saw a lot of our grandson's old classmates. So I took a few pictures and sent them to him for old times. He and his parents used to come to this place when they lived down the street from us. They moved to Virginia last year. You know you're getting older every time we see him or his friends that are almost as tall as us now. Holidays bring back a lot of memories. That's a good thing. 

 

A Passport Pick Up at the House Office Building & a Friendly Face

A few weeks ago I decided to have my almost expired passport processed through the State Department rather than mail it to the generic processing center. The only reason was because I thought it would be more convenient because I could hand carry the required paperwork to the House Office building. Since I work at the Library of Congress it only requires a walk through the Cannon Building over to the Longworth Building. I didn't realize I would also need a referral letter from my congress person so I also had to travel to the Rayburn Building to get it. They told me it would take about four weeks and they would call my office when it was ready. One week earlier than expected I got the call, and I made my way back through the tunnel over to the Longworth Building. This time it was a much easier trip compared to the last one - it was congress' first day back after the long holiday and the hallways were filled with furniture, family members, and lost people trying to find their way around. As I was passing by the very elaborate shoe shine stand near the visitor entrance to the Capitol, a well dressed gentleman said hello with a great deal of enthusiasm. He asked me if I had moved because he had not seen me for several weeks. It was the shoe shine guy who had a little business in front of Bullfeathers - a friendly face I saw every day walking to and from work. Apparently he is now the official shoe shiner at the House Office Buildings. It was nice to see him again and he was thrilled with his new space. It's funny how you see some people all the time, don't know their names, but they feel like old friends. That reminds me of the Midwest and it made my day.