Rufus tangles with fame on Capitol Hill

We took Rufus for a long walk a couple of nights ago. Despite the hour - after 9:00 pm - it seemed that every Hill resident was out walking a dog. It was a crisp, dry night - the first non-damp, non-rainy, non-muddy night we've had in awhile, and the dogs were out in force.

We were taking one last long loop up A Street NE before heading home, when we looked up and saw a dog and his person heading our way. Rufus and a fashionably-jacketed Pomeranian started politely sniffing, and we realized we'd run into Donna Brazile and her dog Chip. We often see them playing fetch and playing with other dogs in a park near our house. We'd read all about Chip in a Washingtonian magazine article:

"Chip travels with Brazile--from Florida (he swims and surfs) to the Virginia mountains (he skis). He's frequently gone to work with her. An Andy Warhol-style painting of Chip hangs in Brazile's Capitol Hill home, along with photos of Chip with Santa and dressed up for Halloween."

Chip's even more of a jet-setter than Rufus, who lives in London, but of course summers on Martha's Vineyard.

Rufus and Chip continued sniffing and promptly got their leashes tangled, so Seth had to do the "happy leash dance" with Ms. Brazile to get the dogs untangled. Ms. Brazile laughed in her sonorous New Orleans-tinged voice, introduced us to "Chip-Chip" and showed us how much he loves to fetch his ball.

So, Rufus now knows Chip, at least as a passing acquaintance. Rufus was quite polite and a very good dog. It was what passes for an exciting night on a winter weekday on Capitol Hill.