Gov. Jim Douglas was not inclined to get all googly-eyed about his quality-time in the Oval Office this week. Gubernatorial aide Heidi Tringe, who accompanied him on the trip, was more reflective of the experience. (That's Heidi on the left standing against the wall)
Tringe, who worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology and had been in the Oval Office twice before, still found the situation awe-inspiring.
Not often you get to see the president of the USA up close, in person for a good half-hour or so. The tall, lanky President Barack Obama was an impressive presence with a spocial aura about him, she said.
Obama, ever the gracious host, moved two sofas back into their proper place after the media was ushered out, she said. She stood there thinking she ought to help, but she was in heels and, well, he's the president, so what are you supposed to do?
The walls leading to the Oval Office are normally lined with presidential photos. The walls of this administration, in its infancy are almost blank, ready for memories to be created.
- Terri Hallenbeck
