North Maple Rag

I had lunch this afternoon with a former Senate co-worker who is now working in New York. I rarely get to see co-workers and friends from DC, so it was a nice surprise when he emailed to let me know that he's now working in my neighborhood. Lunch was fun -- it was nice to talk about people and places that I don't often think about anymore.

Our conversation got me thinking about all the little things I miss about the Senate. It's a fascinating place to work. Even when I was terrified and overwhelmed by my job (and by Congress generally), I had an extra spring in my step because I believed (and still do) that the Senate's a special place. It has all these unique rules, traditions, and protocol and learning them often leads staffers to believe that they are also special. For me, a big part of the fun of my job came from working in the Capitol. Granted, my desk was actually in one of the office buildings, but I often spent a significant part of my day in the Capitol and I love that building more than any other in DC.

During my two years there, I managed to locate a few special spots in the Capitol and on its grounds:

• The Summer House -- Often called the "most romantic" part of the Capitol complex. I think I even know someone who got married there. Anyway, I unexpectedly stumbled upon it during a lunch hour walk my first summer.
• The Peace Monument -- My favorite monument on the Capitol grounds. It's particularly dramatic during a blizzard. Each morning, my commute included a loop around it.
• The Brumidi Corridors -- Let's face it, the Senate side of the Capitol is way prettier than the House side and it's all because of Constantino Brumidi. The murals on the House side look like cartoons (see here) compared to this stuff. The first time I walked through them, I remember thinking, "Wow, they let people like me work here?"
• The Frieze -- There are so many great stories about the Frieze! People falling off scaffolding and angry artists abound. If you look here, you can kind of see one of its coolest features; one of the artists painted his face into the trunk of the tree on the far right.
• Mountains and Clouds -- Baffling to visitors and beloved by, well, me. The sculpture may not be the world's prettiest piece of art, but it does sufficiently fill what is a pretty huge atrium. So, there's that.

Well, that concludes my tour. Thanks for sticking with me. This is probably boring, but a complete tour would also include my favorite staircase, my favorite committee room, and the Senate subway. We'd finish with a Beekman Place sandwich from Cups & Company in the Russell Building and some bulk candy from the little store in Dirksen.

Sniff, sniff, cough. What a great place.

* I ♥ the Senate as an institution; there are currently about 55 members I don't ♥ so much.