Scholar with a gun

( I'm not going into anything that doesn't have a back door. )

These are the days so far in which the Senate is not is session:
(taken from here)

Another handy reference is this calendar.

January 5th (Convene; pro forma session)

January 19th

February 15 - 19 (State Work Period; President's Day)

March 29 - April 9 (State Work Period)

May 31 - June 4 (State Work Period; Memorial Day)

July 5 - July 9 (State Work Period; Independence Day)

August 9 - September 10 (State Work Period; Labor Day)

Map of the Capitol Complex

Frank's office is in the Russell Senate Office Building (coincidentally, he has an office that was once used by John F. Kennedy, and his Senate seat was once held by Robert Kennedy)

Quincy Jefferson has an office in the Hart Senate Office Building, which he has recently moved into after being in the Dirksen Building since his election to the Senate in the late 1970s.

Offices for the Senate Select Committee on Ethics (for which Quincy is the Chairman) are also located in the Hart Building.

Tags: ooc, senate business

Delivered to Annie's house by courier is an antique-looking wooden box with brass finishings and clasps, and a single yellow rose placed on top. Once opened, the contents of the box will be revealed to be a genuine Baker rifle, still in good working condition.

Engraved on a brass plate attached to the rifle stock is the following:

'To A.O., with warmest regards. May your aim ever be true. A.F.J.'

Senator Robert Byrd dead at 92

We all heard the news today, and yet I still have trouble believing it. To a freshman senator like me, it seems like he was almost a part of the Capitol building itself.

I'll always see him standing on the Senate floor, waving around that battered copy of the Constitution he always seemed to pull from the pocket of those immaculate three piece suits of his, and cringing whenever someone brought a laptop into the chamber - though he might be right on that last one. Paper was meant to be written on.

Rest in peace, Senator. Lord knows you've deserved it.

I suppose the offer was inevitable - most Senators sit on one, if not several, committees.

But Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs? And they want me to be a part of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions?

All I can say is this: the Good Lord up there sure has a fine sense of humour.

But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill! there are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses...we may do it as secure as sleep. If you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home and be hanged.

Probably not the sort of thing one should be thinking of over the Memorial Day period.

Lord, all of that seems like such a long time ago. Another lifetime, to put it more succinctly.


[private to Annie Oakley]
Got a space for me at that range of yours, over the weekend?

Managed to score some tickets to Churchill Downs to watch the Kentucky Derby this year. There's nothing like knocking back with a glass of mint julep, and watching some good quality horses run.

And there are a few good horses in that race (or so I've heard), so I'll be taking my chances once I get there. Got a few of the boys from Quincy's office interested in going down, so it should be fun - long as no-one tries challenging old 'Iron Guts Jefferson' to another one of those drinking contests again. I heard what happened in Vegas, boys.

On top of that, one of my fillies will be running in the Kentucky Oaks this year. She's a long shot to win, but we're all really proud of her for even getting in the race. Though sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have bred her mother to that stallion by Red Rum - the filly sure loves to jump fences when she gets anxious...

In case I haven't told you already, those little ones of yours are damn cute, and there's a good bottle of bourbon waiting for you at your office.

But I gotta say.

What in the name of all that's holy, are you tryin' to pull with this?!

and why, more importantly, do I want in?

When I was a young boy, I remember recieving for my birthday a copy of Washington Irving's The Sketch Book, which contained the infamous Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I also remember being told by some of the older boys at school, that the Headless Horseman rode nightly through Clay County.

And yes, I believed it. Wholeheartedly.

I know it seems a strange thing, in these days of science and reason. But back then, the legends and tales seemed all too real. There was this one old lady in our town if I recall correctly, who remembered hearing about the witch trials in Salem when she was but a girl.

I was just reminded of that fact, when I went back to Missouri for a brief trip to check on the horse farm, and I had a brief trip back to my boyhood days when I was out riding at dusk, and came across a child in a particularly realistic Headless Horseman garb - black horse and all. Damn near gave me a fright, I can tell you that.

Speaking of Howard's End - the farm seems to be doing quite well. In fact, I found out that one of the mares had given birth to a particularly handsome horse colt.

( picture behind the cut )

He's a very curious little fellow, who shows great promise as a future racehorse. All he needs is a name - which I happen to be stuck on, so any suggestions you might have would be welcome.

He has Secretariat and Man o' War amongst others in his pedigree, if that helps to get the creative juices flowing.

If there's one thing I strongly dislike about this job, it's the campaign fundraisers.

Sure, I get how they're necessary and all. And Gabriel's telling me about how this one's doubling as a kind of a charity auction, with money going towards helping out the city's public education system. Quincy's new pet project, I think.

Which, don't get me wrong, is a great cause. There's nothing like making sure a child gets the right start in life, and that they're being taught the right things.

But...it's what generally ends up happening at said fundraisers, that I don't particularly care for. Namely all the political hangers on, who want a piece of yours truly. Most of them older and female.

Quincy gets all the important businessmen and people I actually want to be talking to, while I seem to attract all their wives. Every. Damn. Time.

Some days, I wish I'd stuck to horsebreeding. At least that was relatively simple.

Hey, little brother. Been thinking (yeah, I know, dangerous thing, right?) about coming over to your place to meet my nephew and niece. I see my namesake has figured out how to use the computer already, by the way. He seems like a good kid.

But anyways, about dropping by. When would be a good time for you and the wife? I seem to have a spare weekend coming up, but I'll be happy to accomodate with you.

I suppose I could make it a surprise and all, but I don't want to frighten Laura by coming in unannounced. How's she doing now, anyways?

Quincy called me from D.C. with the news about Senator Kennedy's passing. I only met him personally once, at my maiden sitting, but his passion for the job - as he suggested that I might like to consider joining the Health Committee - was well in evidence.

Rest in peace, Senator, and may your brothers welcome you home.

[private to Jesse]
Been thinking a little. No, don't worry , I'm not talking anything drastic here. Just wondering if I might drop by and see you and your family sometime this week? Possibly stay over the weekend - if you'll have me, that is.

Just flew in from D.C this morning - oh boy, I'd forgotten how rough-and-tumble politics could get. I honestly don't know how Quincy does it, some days. Got some paperwork to sort out, and then the apartment could do with a bit of a clean.

[Private to Jesse & Laura]
How's things?

To: "Quincy Jefferson" <qjefferson@mail.senate.gov>
From: "A.F. James" <afjames@mail.senate.gov>
Subject: Urgent Affairs

Quincy,

I'm sorry to have to do this to you so early on in the piece, but I have to go back to New York. There's an urgent piece of family business that needs seeing to.

Keep me posted on anything that might come up?

Frank

[private to Jesse]
US Airways Flight 2166, departing Washington National Airport; arriving LaGuardia Airport at around 11.15.

Will I see you there?

The office sent me this today, and I just had to keep it.
If this isn't a piece of irony worthy of the Bard himself...then well, I don't know what is.

( hot off the press from the Daily News )

( private to Jesse )