A few quick items of business: Dad, the oranges did not come today... I will keep looking! And I’m afraid I probably won’t be giving the marmalade to the poor, given the fact that most panhandlers here are more than likely to throw it back at me with an angry, “thank you,” except they use another word for the word “thank.” I try to steer away from all the homeless and begging people alike in D.C., especially while alone. If I’m in a group, we’re usually busy talking together and homeless people will tend to leave us alone. However, this past Sunday there was one funny, um, intoxicated man who followed a group of us (four girls and one guy) a little way at the Metro station, refusing to leave until he had given us each a handshake and a compliment on our Sunday attire (He told me I was wearing “nice ballet flats,” which wasn’t really true, but I suppose they looked rather flat in comparison with the high-heels being worn all over the place). It wasn’t really frightening, since we were all together, but it was a little weird. Afterwards, he went happily off on his way, and that was that.
Today was a good if rather uneventful day. Here are some perks:
I was busy all day today, catching up with art news from last Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Monday. Hooray for not having to come up with useless work to do to pass the time!
I did NOT have to do phone duty!
After work, I went to Barnes & Noble and got a good book to read and review. The review due date is coming up fast, so it’s going to be a speed read, but the book looks good and I’m up for the challenge :)
Our professor cancelled our writing assignment on Friday and pushed our paper due date from Friday to Monday! Whee!
Mike and the others all got back from their trip to New York so we got to walk home together, arguing the whole way (about stereotypes of guys who choose to see films like “He’s Just Not That Into You,” among other things). It was fun.
Weather was nice today. Cold enough for me to wear my coat and winter clothes (I just realized that I kind of have no spring wardrobe here...), but warm enough so that I could take off my scarf, allowing me to argue more audibly with Mike.
Mike also told me some of what they did on the New York trip, like going to the Empire State Building, taking a scenic view of the Statue of Liberty, going to the “Mary Poppins” Broadway play, eating out, and seeing the Chrysler Building. It sounded really neat. I would like to go there someday—but not on my own. I’ve enough trouble getting used to life as a “city girl” here in D.C., and I’ve heard New York makes D.C. look like an ancient, rustic, roomy, spotless little town. And apparently the mendicants do more than curse and pester you—they rob and kill you too.
But anyway, it’s nice to have the New York interns back now. I’ve heard only one bad thing about the trip in my conversations so far—which was that any meal costs $20 or over in New York. Goodness! And I thought a $4 veggie pizza at the Mt. Vernon foodcourt was pushing it...
Okay, time for some pictures.
I walked home from the Mall a different route than usual one day, and saw this random car set up in a blockade, in front of an empty green field. I was wondering why on earth a car would be guarding some random field...
When I happened to look up and see a suspiciously familiar looking white structure in the background. Doh! Suddenly the question became, why don't they have MORE SECURITY AROUND HERE!? There's not even a fence to keep illegal immigrants out!!@!&#&!
Here’s a far-off shot of the White House and lawn, taken on 2/7. Yeah, pretty much ancient history. They had the Ellipse in front of the White House open on a Saturday afternoon, so I decided to see how close I could get to the front of the White House. I pass the back side on my way to work every morning, but the front is another story.
Turns out I only got this close. Sigh. And I didn’t know then how to work the zoom button on the camera. But I know now! And I will BE BACK.
This is me in front of the National Christmas Tree. It’s probably the prettiest, greenest thing on the Ellipse, but it still looked a little lopsided and scraggy at this time of year.Merry February! And a Happy New Wednesday!
7 comments:
When I called Cushman Fruit today, I was told that the oranges were scheduled to arrive via FedEx on the 19th }:( They have the tracking number and are not sharing it, so we will have to wait and see. I had a good day yesterday - faxed in and then sent by UPS my "last" papers and was told that I should be starting at Hill AFB around the first week of March. MA is trying to help someone she visit-teaches: new member since December, pregnant with 2 toddlers, illegal immigrant, construction-worker hubby is unemployed and against his wife's church activity, blind in one eye, with no income and no food in the home. Sounds like it's time to get the RS prez and the branch prez involved to me! Daniel went with Bro. Watts and some single YA's to the BYU men's b'ball game last night - BYU beat New Mexico in close game. Hannah had art lesson last night, with Mom as her companion. Sarah is still working hard on harp and novelette. I (and Mom and BYU and the Brethren and everyone else you are representating there in Washington) thank you for choosing not to take a "free souvenir" at Mount Vernon. We all share in your honor as we would have shared in your disgrace had you chosen otherwise! :)
Hey Ruth, can you tell by that last sentence in Hoosier's comment that we are watching Pride and Prejudice? Can we chat at 6:00 my time today or is that too early? I have church at 7.
p.s. I updated my blog :D
Hi Ruth! we're still here! At least the drunks you meet seem reasonably polite (they don't try to kiss you or give you rotten fruit, right?) I would choose to be in D.C. over New York anyday if "the mendicants" there "rob and kill you." Names may be quite painful but they can be more easily forgotten or replaced than lives.
Goodness! I'm all for New York city, which has a much lower crime rate per capita and better food (much of which can be gleaned for far less than $20 a plate -- didn't they do any research before heading down there? Crazy tourists!). As for the rock, all I wonder is: what's wrong with asking permission? If you asked someone who worked there what the policy was on absconding local geological items, the worst that could happen is that you'd be arrested for petty theft. Right?
Way to show me up on my own blog, Kirsti. Geez - maybe I should turn off the comments after all... I willingly confess my own ignorance concerning the costs of meals in NY (the person who gave me this information DID say "$20 a meal," but of course, he or she could have been exaggerating). However, I find it difficult to believe you prefer NY over DC given factors like tourist attractions per capita (Empire State building, the Park, and the Statue of Liberty are cool, sure, but c'mon - the WHITE HOUSE!?! The MALL!? The president and his ENTOURAGE!?! NYC may be five times bigger than DC, but DC gets the five star rating in this area!), old-timey streets and shops, clean subways, cute little squirrels, and general safety. On that last one, as far as I know, the high crime rate in DC is primarily due to particular neighborhoods and ethnic groups involved in drug trade. The northwest, center, and central south parts are actually quite safe (and I have walked in these places alone at night). New York...? Well, again, I can't say.
Well, Rufie, let me at least say that, were I to take a trip to one or the other in the next couple of months, I would definitely choose DC, as it has one attraction -- namely yours truly -- that NY quite certainly has not. But you'd better believe I'd research places under $20 a plate to eat, first.
On a note unrelated except insofar as it has to do with the blog entry, let me wish you good luck in "roping in" Joseph as a follower. He's not even an official follower of my blog; he just has to listen to me read every entry to him when I post.
Great to hear from you. PULLLEEEEEEZZZZ Post soon!
-Anxious Blog Follower in Utah
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