The story is told that President Grant liked to come down to the Willard Hotel, 1 block from the White House, and sit in the lobby and have a cigar and talk. People would come down and talk with him, stress their interests and try to further their own agenda and hang around in the lobby waiting for him. From this was born the term "to lobby" or "lobbyist"
This is not completely true as the term existed before Grant, but people did indeed lobby the president in the Willard Hotel, which was the site chosen for the visiting Latin American (LATAM) dignitaries to stay in. Consequently because of Kris' work, and since I was asked to be companion and translator (why does that sound like a pet?) for the wives we stayed there too. Very nice. really.
The wives had their own agenda, and we went to the George Washington Home and saw the laying of the wreath at Arlington and things like that. The american protocol guy told me that the very things that made it hard to organize a visit from LATAM delegations (they run late, delay because they talk to each other, and the like) also made it easy, because they will have a great time whatever happens.
And we did.
Also the night Dad's office had to put on the dinner was a huge sucess!
He worried and went over the allowed budget again and again, had a run-in with a general's wife over choice of venue, and all kinds of things, but we made it nice by adding a dance.
The research took us all over, checking out restaurants and dancing to hear different bands, so that was fun in itself.
But it turned out well, after all
and
!hijole!
You need to see your dad dance the merengue!
and salsa isn't bad either.
He needs to start a blog:
"Latin Dance for Engineers"
He's doing math in his head the whole time :)
He needs to start a blog:
"Latin Dance for Engineers"
He's doing math in his head the whole time :)
