Today was probably the day most jam-packed with action so far. I woke up at 6:30 to make it to the White House by 8:15. I actually ended up leaving late, and got there at 8:30. Once I was there and Gabe arrived, the man told us we could enter anytime between 8:30 and 11:30. I may have caught a few more hours of sleep if I had known that was the case. Gabe and I entered, with policemen and tourguides watching our every move, for a quiet 45 minute self-guided tour. Compared to the homes of dignitaries in other countries, the White House isn't much. Don't get me wrong, it's a great place to tour and understand the history of what has happened there, but people with asthma are in no danger of getting exhausted from this tour. The tour basically brings you into the main level, up a set of stairs, past a library, two large dining rooms and three smaller living rooms, and out the back. It does take 45 minutes, just because you stop so long to look at all the intricate detail that goes into the paintings, tables, chairs, and statues that furnish the rooms, but if I had to guess I think I could walk it in 7 minutes with no stopping. It's hard to describe what I saw there, as no pictures are allowed, but there are many paintings of Presidents as well as one of Hillary Clinton.
After the tour Gabe and I trekked back through the mall to be only an hour late for work. I again began working on my project from yesterday, but now I had to write descriptions of each section that I had pulled out of the 2002 Farm Bill. I had not gotten far (and realized that fish and shellfish fell under the jurisdiction of the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry subcommittee, thus having to pull out a few more chapters) when 1:30 came around for my Capitol building tour class.
We arrived at the South visitor's entrance and were scooted up to the front of the line, ah, the power of the staff badge. We then were put into a room that can hold 15 people and got an interesting history lesson, along with Public Speaking and How to Not Offend People: 1001. This is of course not the class title, but the feeling I had as the teacher took me back through the past 10 years of my life, the most boring parts at least. She told us what we can and cannot do as staff including our clearance to be able to look at George Washington's tomb, but not being able to bring "normal citizens" with us. I learned a two more things I thought were very interesting:
1. Tours of the rotunda can only be given to a party with a Member of Congress, and he/she must be present on the tour.
2. There are a lot of myths that have been passed down from year to year (such as John Adams putting his head on his desk to hear his opponents talking on the other side of the old House chamber, where there are spots where you can whisper and someone will hear you on the other side of the room) that the Capitol curators and tour guide staff are now trying to debunk. Most of which I had heard at one time and thought they were true.
I finished my project at 6:30 tonight, and decided to sit in the House Gallery (which was the first time I had ever done that) to watch the debate, which wasn't really substantial. But, it was amazing to sit in a room that powerful, with paintings on the walls of some of the greatest human beings of all time, a place of such respect and honor. I just like the look of the place, and I wish I could take a picture, but they have the most sensitive metal detectors in all of the Capitol Hill area in front of the House and Senate Chambers.
I then decided to try to get lost in the Capitol basement to try and find places I had never been, which I did not succeed at, and ended up on my usual path home.
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