07/28/2005: "Sorry to bore you holly but..."

Today Rick had to finish a paper before a night class so I took the entire day to roam around DC on my own. He lives near a metro line that goes directly to the Mall, the Smithsonian to be more specific. I got this great feeling of like, I don't know...how socialism could be in a perfect universe I guess, like you are being spoiled just for beign a citizen because absolutely everything is FREE FREE FREE!

I ended up going to the following (in this order):

the Smithsonian Institution (Castle)
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (fantastic art and "visual music" exhibit...I took lots o fotos)
National Air and Space Museum (my personal fav, + saw an amazing show called "Infinity Express" at the Albert Einstein Planetarium)
the United States Botanical Garden (now I want to get a green roof)
the US Capitol
the Library of Congress (the librarian nerd in my *adored* this one, I even got a researchers "reader card" that's good for life.)

One thing I noticed since the last time I visited DC, which was probably 1987 or there abouts...is the increase in security. They have those big concrete road blocks lining Independance Ave. (irony anyone?) cop cars with darkend windows on every street corner (it's creepy cuz you can't see in them, not even sure there were any police inside or if the cars are just there for deterance?) men armed with automatic weapons on the stairs of the Capitol, metal detectors and bag scanners at the entrance to *every* building...etc. I suppose it's to make us feel safer but...I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I had about 15 men digging through my purse today. AKWARD!@

Finally, I went to a movie March of the Penguins which was sooooo touching and beautifully filmed. Tonight Rick and I are going to a Spanish tapas bar. After an entire day of free stuff I feel like I can splurge a little.

Replies: 9 Comments

on Friday, July 29th, RR said

Sounds like you're having a wonderful time. Such interesting places to see...and I really want to see March of the Penguins too. Hope the tapas was good :)

on Friday, July 29th, holly said

Do you mean you did all this in one day?!? You're insane, woman! You must be a mere husk!

"I had about 15 men digging through my purse today"-- Is this a euphemism? ;). I secretly hope that, at some point, one of these Homeland Security dorks has the pleasure of coming in contact with a couple pairs of my used cycling shorts. Must remember to save a pair or two from the laundry when coming back from France.

Enjoy the rest of your trip-- sounds like the weather's great there now!

on Friday, July 29th, dave from Nebraska said

Oh come on Holly!!
:cry:

on Friday, July 29th, elderberrystudio2000@yahoo.com">Jackie said

E:
No Holly - Elise is not a husk! She is revived and invigorated! She has to drink in alllll the culture she can, before she returns to (the ruggedly beautiful, but monastically sparse) pickings of Alaska.

Glad to hear you are thoroughly enjoying yourself Elise, before you return to the task of preparing your show! :crazy:

on Friday, July 29th, elderberrystudio2000@yahoo.com">Jackie said

E:
I just thought: wouldn't it be a hoot to plant something interesting in your purse for those security guys to paw through. Oh, say - like a few sex toys, or a jock strap (clean, of course). Can't you see them waving that around? Sorry - I had a friend who used to do that - she said she never used the dildo - just used it for effect. She used to plant it in the middle of our bar table at The Beachcombers in Kodiak. :rolleyes:

on Friday, July 29th, elise said

Not a husk at all i''m afraid, i've been drinking up a storm this trip! Wine, beer, mixed drinks...I'll have to work out double time when I get back just to work it off.

But yes, leaving something interesting/nasty in my bag for the homeland security set does sound tempting...though i didn't bring any of my *toys* with me and I can't really afford to buy anything new at this point.

I remember coming back through customs from london and I had shoved a (clean) pair of white panties into a coffee mug that was still drity from my last cup of cocoa and I got singled out from a jet full of hundreds of passengers for a piece by piece search through my bags and you should have seen the look on the customs guy's face when he pulled that pair of panties out and there was a huge brown circle on them! I was mortified.

(there's much more to this story, but perhaps for another time...)

We plan on going back to the mall tomorrow to go to the national gallery and the holocaust museum and the American Indian Museum if there's time, we also are going to a party at some other Alaskan friends who now live in Alexandria, as well as my Baltimore friends coming in for one last hurrah so tomorrow will be another big day.

Jackie is right though, really have to cram in as much as humanly possible, I'm taking lots of notes and today when I was telling Rick some of my plans he told me that i really "think a lot". I took that as a compliment though I'm not sure how it was intended.

on Saturday, July 30th, dave from Nebraska said

You do know how to vacation Elise!
Seeing as much as you can, visiting good friends and keeping up your journal to help you remember. Sounds like you are having a great time.
Thanks for the story and the visual with the cocoa mug bit.

on Saturday, July 30th, Elise said

I used to travel all the time but then I bought my house a little over 3 years ago and I can't afford to do it much anymore so when i do get to go somewhere I want to really make the most of it. I'm excited because Alaska Airlines is the only airline that flys out of Juneau and they now have a direct flight from Seattle to DC so I can use frequent flyer miles for it so hopefully I'll be able to come more often now. There are still some great friends in the area I haven't been able to see so maybe next time.

and sorry about the cocoa mug story, kinda gross on second thought!
:blush:

on Monday, August 1st, elderberrystudio2000@yahoo.com">Jackie said

E: No - don't apologize! I loved the cocoa mug/panties story! Of course - perhaps I have a sick sense of humor? I got that from my dad...
Glad you're having so much fun!