Here i sit in a Quality Inn, formerly a Best Western, in a small town in Virginia.
Since i haven't written in a few days, here is my summary of the last two days commencing on the 2nd of August.
I awoke early Saturday morning for an 8 am flight to LAX. On board was a wonderful flight crew who gave me extra peanuts and pretzels, sang everyone an original mind-crafted song, and even gifted us with a quote from The Wizard of Oz. They were utterly seamless, so smooth, so smooth. In fact, they were nominated just the month before for flight crew of the month.
At LAX, we stayed on the plane and others boarded till it filled up completely. We then flew to Chicago, MDW. The flight crew changed, and only then could i fully recognize how amazing the first flight crew was. Our new flight crew was crabby, dissatisfied with life and work, and chock-full of Chicagoan attitude, or so they told me. They skimped on snacks but did give me a can of Coca Cola after i had finished the small cup which was mainly ice with some drips of coke in it. Mmm, the sweet taste of profit. YUMMY.
At Chicago, my mother and i indulged in a probably over-priced salad. I didn't pay for it so i really don't know. But it was Cobb and quite delicious to my hungry body. After waiting only 40 minutes or so, resting adjacent to a group of very grungy boy scouts (I was so happy America was being represented well) we quickly boarded the plane on our way to Dulles Airport.
We would have arrived early had there not been a thunder storm hovering over IAD, but we arrived on time which had no effect on my mood. Upon landing and disembarking, my mother and i walked through the extending walkway into the airport and immediately felt the sweltering heat but most of all– the humidity. Unbearable is the only word that comes to the mind of a San Francisco resident to describe the weather. Surprisingly though, after a couple of days I'm used to it, and i rather enjoy the heat. It's a welcome change.
Mom and I took a shuttle to a nearby hotel, by this time it was 9:30 pm. We settled into our room and then rushed to the restaurant on the ground floor for a bite to eat. After dinner, our plan was to rearrange my suitcase packing and eliminate some articles from the carryon. (Sidenote: I'm only carrying a carryon and a personal bag. And how sweet it really is after seeing so many kids with two, three, or even FOUR suitcases to check!) We finished the packing revisions at 12:50 am, at which time we smelled something burning.
We searched for the source of the acerbic odor but came up empty handed until Mother sniffed out (pun intended) the culprit... the bathtub which was backing up. And so we changed rooms at 1 am, me attired in a hotel bathrobe, pajama trousers, and a mangled face of fatigue
The next day we awoke late, at 10:30 and finalized the packing of my bags. We took the hotel shuttle back to IAD ( which in my opinion should be abbreviated DWI, as in Dulles Washington International, and if you didn't get that play on words, no time to explain) and after a walk along Baggage Carousel Row met the other CBYX winners. There i stayed ensconced on airport couches, which are quite chic but not made to be comfortable, for 4 hours. When most of the 50 had arrived, we were herded by our Shepherds out and into a bus and shuttled to the hotel, from where i write at this moment.
The days pass slowly, but indeed they pass. Today we went to the State Department, which was very interesting because I felt like i for once was able to interact with my government. Afterwards, we were given free reign to roam the ghetto streets of tourist washington. A small group, including myself, visited the Botanical Gardens, one of the National Gallery buildings (where i got to see one of my favorite artist's works (Warhol), found out the name of the artist of that awesome geometric De Stijl painting (Piet Mondrian), and got to see an absolutely amazing mobile by fellow Lowell Alumnus Alexander Calder!!! what an awesome guy!!), and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum which was heavy, overwhelming, and undeniably emotional. Still, it was good to see, and the whole museum was laid out thoughtfully, with the visitor in mind.
Back at the hotel, my feet hurt, and i will try to get some more rest tonight. I think my Yoga Pilates Mix routine might have weirded out some of my roommates, but this program is all about broadening horizons after all, and they might as well start now.
All the best,
Till next time
Joe the Cat
