Though I'm no inaugural historian, I'm just going to bet that the following scenario has never played out before in the history of Jan. 20ths:

Some people who live in an apartment building finish the holiday season with some extra wine that they never cracked. They look at the calendar, see that the inauguration is coming up and say, Hey, let's use this wine for a little inaugural party. Said party gradually grows in ambition, adding champagne, a caterer, plus a kickass jazz band. It becomes a full-fledged inaugural ball, complete with a A-list celeb in political commentator Mark Shields and other high-flyers who are overheard congratulating themselves for electing Obama.

That it all happened in a Kalorama building, one of the toniest areas of the city, detracts only slightly from its value as a great 2009 ball of inaugural yarn. According to correspondent-in-the-field Mike Riggs, the narrative above is exactly how 2029 Connecticut Avenue came to be throwing a huge soiree tonight.

2029 Connecticut, you say? Where's that? Well, that's right on the crest of the Connecticut Avenue hill that separates the greater Dupont area from the Taft bridge and upper whitedom. One of its famous denizens is none other than Carol Schwartz, who, at a party she threw a decade ago, pointed out to a Washington City Paper reporter that she had a nice view of the Washington Monument...from the seat of her toilet. At the time of the 2029 Apartment Building Inaugural Ball, Schwartz's doggie was being walked. Correspondent Riggs wasn't quite sure what kind of dog it was, but describes it like this: "It was hairy and solid black--closer to a Newfoundland than to a collie. It's fluffy---long hair and a thick coat but it is flat."

Reporting by Mike Riggs, writing by Erik Wemple

LL hears it's a done deal: At-Large Councilmember David A. Catania has claimed Carol Schwartz's fab fourth-floor corner digs down at the John A. Wilson Building. The spot is prized not only for its big windows with sweet views of the Willard Hotel and Pershing Park, but its...private bathroom.

Here's what LL had penned on the matter a couple of weeks back:

The council offices are passed out on the seniority system. [Jack Evans], the longest sitting member, says he’s perfectly happy with his first-floor corner digs. Next in line is Catania, who tells LL he hasn’t given the matter much thought, though he says he “couldn’t imagine” vacating his current digs. LL, however, thinks Catania might find it a suitable trophy after helping to oust Schwartz. If not, Mendelson has dibs, then Graham.

There is a caveat for whoever dares take the office: It is where political careers go to die.

The three occupants of the office since the Wilson Building’s renovation—Schwartz, Harold Brazil, and Charlene Drew Jarvis—all suffered humiliating electoral defeats while enjoying the plush confines.

So trophy it is! Now let the speculation begin: Has DAC jinxed himself should he choose to pursue another term?

They call it "burrowing in"---when government employees in politically appointed posts move into civil-service jobs as political fortunes shift.

That's what a lot folks working for Republicans are doing right now in the federal government. And, at the District level, there's some burrowing, too.

Nyasha Smith, who clerked the workforce development and government operations committee for outgoing At-Large Councilmember Carol Schwartz, has started a new job at the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. She's now chief of staff to agency head Vivek Kundra.

OCTO, along with five zillion other District organs, used to be under Smith's purview as committee clerk. Before working for Schwartz, Smith did a stint as legislative counsel on Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry's staff. (This is neither here nor there, but Smith's move would certainly be felicitous should Barry take a portion of Schwartz' committee portfolio, as LL has speculated he will.)

Smith did not immediately return a call for comment. LL sends out a friendly note to you HR types: If you're in need of a devoted public servant or two, give Carol's office a call---724-8105!

In which we chat with the Ward I councilmember about huge lines at the polls, the benefits of Adrian Fenty's "early and strong support of the Obama candidacy," and whether or not Carol Schwartz qualifies as a maverick.

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version.

LL shot some video Tuesday night, first at Patrick Mara's campaign HQ, then at Carol Schwartz central, before heading down to the Board of Elections and Ethics for the late-night voting fiasco.

Let's begin with the Mara video, shot early in the evening before results came in. By 8:15 p.m., several dozen had gathered at Mara HQ at 6th and K Streets NW, including D.C. Chamber of Commerce head Barbara Lang and several of her colleagues, restaurant lawyer Andrew J. Kline, consultant and Board of Trade-r David Julyan, and Ward 8 Republican rabble-rouser Cardell Shelton. Upstairs, guests dined on crabcakes and other noshes from Clyde's, while waiting for their candidate to emerge from his private quarters below.

Also of note: Incumbent Carol Schwartz has deemed Mara's candidacy a conspiracy hatched by fellow at-large councilmember David A. Catania, a former Republican and longtime Schwartz-hater. The scene on Tuesday night did nothing to knock down those rumors: No fewer than five Catania staffers were present and wearing Mara T-shirts.

TheWashCycle, which is really just the greatest thing, put questions to Council candidates about bike policy. Here are the people who responded (links when I could find them):

• Jack Evans
• Cary Silverman
• Muriel Bowser
• Baruti Jahi

And here are the lame-o's who didn't:

• Patrick Mara
• Carol Schwartz
• Yvette Alexander
• Marion Barry
• Charles Wilson

And here is the candidate whose e-mail box was too full to receive the questionnaire:

• Villareal Johnson

Silverman, who says cycling is his primary MOT, said he's in favor of striping bike lanes, adding bike boxes, increasing the number of racks, among other things. Evans likes bike lanes and thinks cycling should be taught in public schools. Bowser blew a bunch of hot air about encouraging cycling blah blah blah. Jahi said he used to be an avid cyclist but doesn't have much time for it these days.

Fair warning: The word Klingle is used frequently in this post.

You can read Loose Lips' primary endorsements here.