Love from: Becky Beauregard

It is hard for me to remember a time when there was a Lauren without a Karen. But, there was. I met Lauren during that time. It was 1975. (Or maybe '76? Who can remember?) We both had been hired as professional staff by the newly created Senate Budget Committee chaired by the Committee's creator, Ed Muskie. We were very excited to be making history although very few of us knew much of anything about what we were supposed to be doing. Each of us was responsible for staffing a different "functional area" of the federal budget. My functionwas 700, veterans benefits and services. I think Lauren's was 450, housing and community development although he might have covered 370, commerce and housing credit as well. Our less than amazing offices were in an old hotel across from the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Not much work had been done to make the old hotel rooms into office space. As a result so most of us had an ugly old bathroom that adjoined our work space. I was told I was going to share an office with a "brilliant young guy" who had already settled in. I had no idea what to expect. When I first met Lauren he was sitting bright-eyed at his desk surrounded by stacks and stacks of newspapers. Exploration revealed that he was "filing" newspapers in the bathtub as well. He seemed relaxed, was kind and chatty in the midst of "that mess". I carved out some territory for myself and my own signature desk mess. And so... our journey of friendship began. And so... it continues. Happy Birthday Lauren.