the theatricality of politics

you spin me round
round baby
round round
like a record player
round round
round round

ah, the politicking on the hill ... i will certainly state on the record that i enjoyed watching the political theatrics that went on while i was in dc. watching the state of the union tonight reminded me of it. watching the right side of the house stand up and down constantly, the left only on occasion (and if so, begrudingly) ... watching el presidente puff his chest and pat his administration on the back for a job well done. making even the most questionable of actions appear, as he describes them, pure and noble ... but thank you, tk, for rolling your eyes each time the camera rolled your way. tom brady, i don't know if i can forgive you for being there.

eh, i don't feel like getting into a whole political debate this evening ... i'm just interested in hearing the former bossman's take on the whole thing ... i wonder if he's there. he wasn't last year ... not sure about this year.

really, as i see the president open and shut his mouth and i struggle to not hum the "curious george" theme song, the biggest thought going through my mind is that i wish i'd made my way over to the house chamber while i was working on the hill. that would have been neat ... really, it was the one thing i didn't see. capitol - if i close my eyes, i can still follow the hallways to my various tour spots (and provide my running tourguide commentary) and to the various places in its basement that i would need to go. my favorite, however, was walking out the door just before the flag shop, facing the national mall, hidden in the shade from the camera lenses and visiting eyes ... whenever i'd stop there, i'd stand there, smile and feel proud.

anyway. capitol - check. white house - yep, an abbreviated tour given to the congressional tour coordinators. sipped lemonade on the white house lawn - good times in a surreal sort of way. the house is gorgeous - they should resume tours, if they haven't already. and yes, the highlight was seeing jackie's portrait and seeing the staircase cagney danced on in "yankee doodle dandy" (or, at least the model for the staircase he danced on - not sure how that worked). i wandered through senate and house buildings, went to receptions on all sides, wandered the loc (my favorite place on the hill). just never went into the house chamber.

next time i visit, i'll have to hit up bernie's office. play the tourist. ha!

can it really have been almost six months since i last saw dc???