DC Day3 part 2: Cooling off...(and a weekend update)

After spending the morning in the heat at Arlington National Cemetery, we decided that our afternoon had to be somewhere air conditioned. We settled on the Smithsonian Air and Space museum as our first stop.

  They had some memorabilia on Eastern Airlines and the strike which ultimately lead to the downfall of the company (and me loosing a job).

  Ahhhh, and remember when we actually got real food on the plane?

  More Eastern memories...although I was not working there when these planes were flying.

  Being sufficiently cooled off, our next stop was the Sculpture garden. Lots of interesting and very large pieces, and a nice little cafe where you can relax with a snack or a glass of wine.

I think this one was my favorite. Kinda reminded me of something from Alice in Wonderland.

  Lots of headless bodies...interesting, yet a bit strange.

  Or, how about a HUGE spider? This one reminds me of the Nightmare before Christmas (although I'm not quite sure why). And I thought the spiders in my yard were big!

  How 'bout this mega eraser?! Too funny, we had to explain what this was to Miss B as she had never seen an eraser like this before. Just another reminder of how old I am getting to be.

  Our next stop was the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Of course, our first stop had to be the Hope diamond. It was beautiful in the case (but would have looked even more lovely on my hand). We did a quick look-see at most of the exhibits, but did not stay for a long time...just enough to give Miss B a feel for what was there.

  After this, we headed over to the Old Post Office Pavilion. Back in the day when I used to come up often, I loved this place. It was close to many of the things I wanted to see, and was filled with lots of cute shops and had a nice selection of inexpensive eating places. Unfortunately, it is not quite the hoppin place it was 18-20 or so years ago. There are only a few shops and eating places. The elevator is still running to the top of the tower, so you can get some really nice views of the city.

  You can also see a nice statue of Mr. Ben Franklin outside this building.

  Miss B was draggin about this time, but she still managed to shoot me a little smile.

Well, since we were close, one more stop before dinner. Yep, the White House. It makes me sad that to get a tour now, you have to arrange way in advance with your congressman, and be a party of 10 or more. So, we stood from afar to get a glimpse of where the President lives.

  Of course, if you step back a foot or 2, this is what you really see. Hmmmm, the fence actually seems pretty minimal considering all the security they need. I'm sure there are all sorts of bells and whistles that would go off if anyone jumped it.

  Saw this cool statue on our walk around to the other side of the White House.

  Here we have the front side of the White House. Beautiful, right? Should have lots of people quietly looking and taking in the ambiance, right?

Ummm, no.

   Just turn around and you see protesters yelling nasty things at the police officers. I am guessing this dude is a frequent visitor to this area and probably gets arrested or restrained on a regular basis. Hmmm, at what point did he cross the line? I'm thinkin when he started spewing profanity the officers wanted to protect the little ears. Anyhow, that's my story and I'm stickin with it.

  Our final stop of the day is Cafe Mozart. Another one of our haunts from long ago, and we were most happy that it is still in business. Excellent food, and very close to the White House. Miss B was a little apprehensive about dining here (due to her stomach issues), but she was a happy camper with her meal. All in all, it was a fun day, filled with many unique experiences.

In other news....So, how was your weekend? On Saturday, I went to the flea market I mentioned and found a few things to use in projects. Mostly old books (yes, I know I really don't need any more) and old earrings that can be used as accents on collages or Easter eggs. Spent a good portion of the weekend creating some samples for a friend using some fun new stamps. I will have to remember to ask her when I can share. Oh, and I did find the stuff I was looking for. It was right were I thought. Just buried under other stuff. In addition, I caught a couple movies. On Friday evening, I watched Evening.This movie is about 2 sisters who are comforting their mother in her last days. While they are there, she tells them about some people from her past, and we learn about the events surrounding these people as they gather for a wedding. Lots of well known actresses in this piece, including Meryl Streep and her daughter (who looks SO much like her it is wild), Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson, and Glenn Close. It was a nice watch, but nothing great. Guess that is why it is already off the new release wall at Blockbuster. On Saturday, we went to see The House Bunny with another couple. Not everyone was happy with the choice, but there just wasn't much else that we (Mark and I) had not already seen. Plus, I wanted to see it. Of course, we invited Miss B to see it with us, but she did not want to go with the old folks. Anyhow, it was pretty much fluff (as expected). Cute, but not as good as Legally Blond. It did have some nice lessons about acceptance and being yourself.  

Well, I think you are all caught up. Hope you are having a great Monday!

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[Maija Lepore]

Yes, real food and those smart, sexy outfits!