Good morning, Washington. With the Christmas holiday looming, things are slowing down in workplaces around the region. Well, most workplaces, anyway — D.C.’s firefighters seem to be keeping plenty busy. Yesterday, of course, there was the fire at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Since then there’s been a two alarm fire at the Chinatown Red Roof Inn, and this impressive gathering of firefighters just south of Logan around 6 p.m. last night. Here’s hoping…

CNN is reporting that the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is on fire. From the looks of it firefighters have already gotten the worst of the flames, which began as an electrical problem on the 3rd floor, under control, but a small amount of smoke is still coming out of the building. No injuries have been reported. MORE, 10:09 a.m.: The fire reportedly began in an electrical closet adjacent to the Vice President’s ceremonial office…

>> The Smashing Pumpkins have announced a surprise show next Tuesday at 9:30 Club. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. through Tickets.com. [GOGs] >> Frances Marquez and Scott Veketch were married on Saturday morning, and left a camera with the only photos of their wedding in the back seat of a taxicab they hailed near Old Executive Office Building. The couple is offering a $500 reward to anyone who comes forward…

We were happy, last week, to welcome Queen Elizabeth II to town. The trip was her first the colonies States in 16 years, the occassion a commemoration of the founding of the Jamestown settlement in 1607. Hundreds turned out for her appearance, demonstrating once again America’s fascination with British royalty, despite throwing off the yoke of their rule over 200 years ago. Perhaps the American interest in the monarchy stems from wondering about what life…

Fenty Plans Transition: Fresh from his trouncing of rival Linda Cropp, mayor-to-be Adrian Fenty has started planning for an ambitious transition, reports the Post. As part of his move to the Executive Office in the John Wilson Building, Fenty has announced that he will examine city agencies and start enacting programs over the next few months, working cooperatively with D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams to shape the $7 billion 2008 budget. He also reveled in…

For a region that often runs in terror at the mere sight of snow, Washington and its environs managed the weekend’s snow-dump with a relatively calm and mature demeanor. This DCist was shocked to awake yesterday to cleared roadways and open businesses, though power outages were reported in some areas and local airports struggled to get air traffic in and out. Today should proceed regularly — an unfortunate truth for those of us whose employers…

On our way home from work, DCist took a quick stroll across the newly reopened Pennsylvania Avenue pedestrian precinct in front of the White House. While How Now, Brown Pau was underwhelmed with the results, we’re still digesting the revamped streetscaping. From How Now, Brown Pau: I had expected that the whole stretch of Penn Ave from 15th to 17th NW would be paved over with colored granite slabs, turning the street fronting the White…

Veterans Day is tomorrow and the official observance of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month will bring a whole host of closures and modified schedules. Check out the District’s rundown of Veterans Day events and closures. Veterans Day is rooted in Armistice Day, which remembers when the guns fell silent on the Western Front during the first World War. In a city that has memorials dedicated to Armenian earthquake victims,…

In a further sign that the capital is battening down the hatches, it appears that 15th Street adjacent to the Treasury Department headquarters will face increased security. The Post reports that the sidewalk would be shut down, and truck traffic would be banned. Restrictions would be similar to 17th Street on the other side of the White House complex where the Old Executive Office Building borders the street. But parts of the facade of the…

The Department of Homeland Security has named five buildings it believes could be targeted in a new wave terrorist attacks. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says that credible information indicates that the headquarters for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund are targets. The buildings are adjacent to one another, just two blocks from the White House, on Pennsylvania Avenue at H Street, between 18th and 20th streets. The Post is reporting today that…