It's been less than 24 hours since the inauguration of President Obama, and the post-inaugural glow is quickly fading from the city.
Outside the White House, city workers are cleaning off the now-empty bleachers, but crowds of people are still outside the White House gates taking pictures and basking in memories of yesterday's events.
The White House press office feels a bit like the first day of school. Each keyboard of the new staff has a small "Welcome to the White House" card, a hospitable touch to welcome in the new arrivals.
Instead of small name plaques, white pieces of paper attached to doors indicate the locations of the future staff, but it's only a matter of time before it will be busy with most of the new staff, ready for their assignments.
Just out of the inaugural prayer service, President Obama is ready for action.
He'll meet with his economic team, witness the swearing-in of senior staff, and discuss the situation in Iraq with military leaders. Sec. Robert Gates even took a red eye from Afghanistan to be part of this meeting.
Though the economy and national security top the president's agenda right now, there is strong indication (but no official word) that he could make some decisions that will be unpopular with social conservatives in the next few days.
He could revoke the Mexico City Policy, which would allow federal funding for international abortions, and reverse the ban on federal funding embryonic stem-cell research.