Apparently actually showing him in the chair took a bit of doing.
I went to go hang out with Jenny and see some people on a quick trip to Washington, DC from May 15-18 2008. It was all in all a pretty awesome time. I walked for a fair bit along the National Mall, from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and then back via the Roosevelt and Jefferson Memorials. Clint also gave me the “standard” I guess tour of the Senate, which also involved a fair bit of walking. The Senate was actually in session, so I got to stare down at little people in their little box. The House only had a few people in the chamber so was much less amusing.
The next day I went out to visit Arlington Cemetery, and then met up with Jenny in Georgetown, after which we went to the Kennedy Center to see the free music there. The following day we went out to Antietam National Battlefield and also a brief sojourn to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. It was quite the nice drive out and back, and I absolutely got my NPS fix in. Yay!
On my last day there, I ran around doing the Post Hunt with Roger, Jen (different one!) and Clint. That was actually quite a bit of fun!
I went out to go visit Clint at at the Senate. I dressed like a reasonable adult and also got to see him in *his* nice work attire. Always fun. I was surprised at how easy it was to just get into the building. I mean, security and an x-ray machine + metal detector like at an airport, but all pretty low key and mellow. And anyone can go in. Our public dollars at work! I went up and found Senator Enzi’s office, and there did manage to have Clint summonsed over to me. We walked around a bit on what I assume is the more or less standard tour. We took the train over to the actual Capitol building, and went through the two chambers, or at least the visitor’s gallery of each. We also walked around and saw the paintings under the rotunda, and looked at the national statuary hall. I also posed outside my congressman’s door. (David Dreier). I…am not a fan, but figured I’d at least get the shot!
Clint looks just like the king!
Clint and I looking like adults.
I went out to Arlington the next day and walked around a bit. I’d been there before, but at a much younger age. Walking around cemeteries always makes me a bit thoughtful, and of course this one even a bit more so. I took the opportunity while I was there to go to the Arlington House (Robert E. Lee Memorial) as part of my ongoing NPS “gotta catch ’em all” quest. It is located within the cemetery, as the property used to belong to Lee’s wife, and then was used first during the Civil War to bury some soldiers, and then went through back and forth between his heirs and the federal government before ending up as it is today. Robert E. Lee has always been an interesting figure to me, which his conflicted stance during the Civil War, his superb generalship, his personal integrity, and some of the reflections on current issues of states rights inherent in his actions. Anyway, walking around there was nice, and I enjoyed the tour of the house. Afterwards, I walked around the cemetery a bit more, and did see a caisson being used for a funeral, with caparisoned horse with reversed boots following. Traditions are powerful, and moving. Here, however, I provide two photos which entertained me enormously, rather than anything of a more serious import.
I…laughed a lot at this sign. Behind the Arlington House.
Badger…badger…badger. Seriously. Hee.
And here is some other photo miscellany:
Inside L’Enfant Station, with a train passing through. The ceiling and the colors and the train and everything were pretty crazy after I was totally cracked out after my plane flight, but I think they were pretty awesome.
Like I’ve said, go NPS. Also, the whole period of US history where canals were important is kind of cool, just thinking about how these water channels were, no pun intended, the lifeblood of a young country. Then, we got trains.
