Benghazi Hearings - Just Another Day in the Neighborhood

It was my day off and there was something going on in the neighborhood. After having lunch at Pete's, we walked over to the Longworth House Office Building and made our way to the Benghazi hearings room. We arrived around one in the afternoon and stood in line for an hour. We knew it might be less busy during the afternoon and were hoping to get in after the break. The front entryway and lobby were filled with press and spectators, Capitol police, and all sorts of interesting people who could spend this amount of time waiting. We always go to events around town and there is always something to see. When Mrs. Clinton came in after the afternoon break, I had an opportunity to snap a few photos at very close range. She was getting and giving a hug to someone - perhaps her brother? To our right was Maureen Dowd, and Dana Bash was sitting further upstream. All the people typically seen on all the news channels were there - obviously. It's a great opportunity to observe and spend time. Unfortunately I couldn't stop coughing around 5:30 so we had to leave and it was still quite crowded. Then we walked back home on a beautiful fall afternoon, had dinner, and watched a bit more on TV. I could never do this sort of thing in Milwaukee. But here, it's just another day in the neighborhood.  

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.