Don Beyer, our congressman back in the Arlington days, is digging political trenches against the White House construction program as part of his assault on the Administration. His latest objections concern the proposed memorial arch across from the Lincoln Memorial, with his office pointing toward the appropriations process as a means of restoring congressional influence over the President’s Washington projects.

The ballroom, meanwhile, has acquired its final structural steel beam. That milestone arrived Wednesday, though there is still a considerable difference between putting up the last beam and asking the orchestra to take its seats.

The projects critics call presidential vanity have produced an argument about who approves what—and who pays. Private donations have helped the ballroom advance, while public spending on security has complicated the claim that taxpayers have no part in the enterprise. Congress appears ready to look for its trousers and recover the power of the purse.

That discussion ran directly into breakfast and whether pork chops from the bulk buy could be cycled into the morning protein mix for a nourishing breakfast than can power the Crowd through the morning and help get the patio ready to support gridiron operations through a festive football weekend.

Another dietary proclamation had reached the Galley suggesting that yogurt breakfasts were out and substantial morning protein was back. Before anyone confiscated the little containers, we established that plain Greek yogurt is itself a useful protein source. Eggs qualify, too. The practical point is that protein can help breakfast keep you satisfied longer; it does not require declaring war on yogurt.

Still, the words “steak and eggs” had already been spoken even if what Deirdre had to work with was the Autumn Olive bulk protein buy.

Rocket has been busy this week. Holly, however, happened to have a load of pork chops and saw no reason to wait for the beef department to complete its deliberations. She decided to slice the boneless pork into thin breakfast cutlets, ready for a quick turn in the skillet.

Pork chops and eggs. There was a proposition the watch section could understand.

Deirdre’s fritters would hold their established place alongside the fried eggs, with real Southern biscuits completing the plate. The biscuits could be split for a little butter—or used to capture whatever the egg yolk had decided to do.

Yesterday’s wall-mounted vegetable press remained ready for duty beside the refrigerator. It had expanded our capacity for fries while adding chops without acquiring authority over the rest of breakfast. Deirdre still had her skillet, and Holly had found something useful to put in another one.

Outside, the sunny autumn morning offered a welcome change of subject. Football lay ahead, coffee was moving around the conference table, and the first watch had a breakfast worth reporting.

Washington could spend the day arguing about arches, ballrooms and appropriations. Here at Socotra House, Holly had the pork, Deirdre had the fritters, and nobody needed a committee hearing to pass the biscuits.

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com