Lett's see DC: Monuments, Memorials, and Trollies, Oh My!

I brought my Mom back to DC with me after Christmas. We spent a few days gallivanting around the Nation's Capital before a quick trip to the Big Apple. I coaxed Mom into writing up her experience, and what you will get is a six(?) part mini-series of the Mother Fish Out of Water. And let me tell you what, she was out of water! At some point along the series, I'll add my own brief recap of the events - you know, two sides to every story. Part three of my Mom's four(?) part mini-series of her trip to Washington, DC and NYC continues with her an evening trolly tour around the District.

We were really looking forward to round three – the night time trolley tour of Washington. We headed for Union Station, where we would catch the trolley. It didn't take me long to realize that distances are subjective. A "short walk" to Chelsea now is a foray from her home to the Lincoln Memorial and back. For me, not so much. I guess if you don't measure the ground covered in blocks or miles but elapsed time, you can fool yourself into thinking you can reach the destination. So we're walking and I can feel the beginnings of a blister on my right heel. No big deal. I brought blister pads; I'd apply one when we got home.

We make it to Union Station and go in to the Old Town Trolley desk for our tickets. We have a few minutes before departure, so we wander through Union Station. It's such a beautiful building. The barrel ceiling is so cool. We boarded the trolley and guide "Grumpy" got us under way for a three hour tour. As you can tell, we did not get marooned like those people on the boat tour (Gilligan's Island in case the reference went over your head). It was a very good way to get an overview of the city, well worth the money.

I'm sure I will forget some of the things we saw but bear with me while I describe as much as I can. We drove by the Capitol Building – so, so beautiful all lit up – the Library of Congress, and The U.S. Supreme Court. We went past the FBI Building, The Old Post Office Tower (more about that later), The White House – the Christmas tree was from Arizona this year – The National Archives, National Museums of American History and Natural History, and National Aquarium (which is really just a couple of small fish tanks in the basement of the Department of Commerce building - super lame).

We were able to get off the bus at a few of the monuments/memorials. We had about 15 minutes to take in the Marine Corps a.k.a. Iwo Jima War Memorial. This was a little hard to see in the dark but still impressive. What a tremendous moment that must have been for those soldiers, raising the US flag. We were also able to explore the FDR Memorial. It's spread out over quite a large area. It's near the Tidal Basin which made our time there colder than ever. And since it was so cold, none of the water features were running. Very good depiction of events during President Roosevelt's terms in office. This particular memorial would be better seen in daylight and any time other than winter! We didn't stop at the Jefferson Memorial but it was so beautiful, right on the edge of the Tidal Basin and brightly lit. We got back on the bus and went past Arlington National Cemetery, The Kennedy Center, The Watergate and then to the west end of The National Mall.

Located here are several spectacular sites. We had about 20-25 minutes to make our way to as many as we could. First we walked by The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall). I've seen the traveling wall so I had an idea of what to expect. This also should be seen in daylight, but the impact is not diminished. We walked past the Vietnam Women's Memorial on our way to The Korean War Veterans Memorial. Next to Arlington National Cemetery, for me, this depiction had the biggest impact of all. Seeing this Memorial in the dark is a must. Statues representing soldiers toiling through rugged terrain is chilling – very powerful and unbelievably creepy. We then walked back to the Lincoln Memorial. We climbed the many steps to view Abraham Lincoln. This memorial is illuminated at night which makes Lincoln's face look very real. Pretty cool. Chelsea and I spent a few minutes looking at the two speeches carved on the walls. On the way back down the steps we had an amazing view of the reflecting pool and the Washington Monument at the far east end. Our time had expired so we headed back to the trolley. On the way back we drove past the National World War II Memorial, The Washington Monument, The White House, and the Botanic Gardens.

We made it back to Union Station, wishing Grumpy could drop us at our doorstep or at the very least the end of our street, but no such luck. He gave a very thorough and entertaining presentation. He couldn't pronounce Tecumseh, though. Chelsea and I headed for home, more slowly than she normally does, I'm sure. I'm doing my best to keep up. Many times Chelsea will call me when she is walking home from her Metro stop. Usually it's pretty late. On one hand, it seems like a very safe neighborhood, but on the other hand, I wonder if she should not talk on the phone and be more aware of her surroundings. Auntie J is saying "No! She should NOT talk on the phone!" Ignorance is bliss, yes? Anyway, we made it home. Chelsea reheated our uneaten dinner and we had some of Abigail's Apple Strudel – yummy – and some hot tea and off to bed. An early day was planned for tomorrow: museum day...

~ Susan

While I agree with Mom that the FDR memorial should be seen in the daylight and during a time of year when the water features are running, I would say that the Vietnam War memorial is better at night unless you're trying to locate a name. It's just really cool the way the Washington Monument reflects off the Wall.

Luck be a Lady Tonight

So I found $260 tonight. I know, right?!!

I was walking from the metro to my friend's house to walk the dogs one last time. If prior decisions had been different, I wouldn't have found it. For instance, Minerva was going to bring Chinese food over and we were going to play games with the roommates. But I decided last minute that we should just go out. Hints of cabin fever lingered and I needed to get off of the Hill. I also assumed that Dustin was going to be home from her trip around 7:00 so I wouldn't need to go back and walk the dogs. But she texted and said that her flight was leaving at 7:30 and that she would be back around 11:00. That meant that I would need to go back to feed and walk the dogs. If the dogs had been fed, I probably wouldn't have gone back. And to think, earlier at dinner I was bemoaning the fact that I would have to make another trek to walk the pooches.

When I came upon the pile of money just laying there, I called my mom for an integrity check. There wasn't anyone about so I couldn't run up to anyone and asked if they had dropped a sum of cash. There was a nearby restaurant, but not a person stirring. I suppose I could have gone into the restaurant and ask if anyone had dropped some cash.... Mom said I was good to go, "just make sure you pay some of it forward."

I think I can do that. Maybe a few meals here or there for someone(s) who looks needy/hungry. Use a little to take a day trip to New York to see Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos this Saturday. Put the rest away to go towards rent.

So basically I'm just disecting the evening and the good fortune that I have been blessed with tonight. Not saying that I've had bad fortune in the past or recently, but maybe this is the momentum I need to carry over into other areas, like you know, the job hunt or something...

Happy this day

Feeling the love...

You'll never guess what today is! Go ahead, take a guess. Give up? Why, it's Arizona's statehood day! Ninety-eight years ago today, Arizona joined the Union. Click here for the love anthem to the Grand Canyon State.

In addition, many happy returns to the opera diva who got me interested in opera, and I think we all know "interested" is an understatement. Happy Birthday Renee Fleming!

Kate Baldwin or else!

SarahB threatened that I better see Kate Baldwin when she performed at the Kennedy Center or else! Then I found out she was performing on the Millenium Stage which meant it was free. Count me in! That was before Snowmageddon 2010 reared its ugly head.

It was day four of trudging back and forth through the snow between my house and my friend's to walk her dogs while she was out of town. It was 4:00 and the dogs needed their afternoon walk and the metro was not running up to par. I decided not to go. But then I thought about it. I needed to get off the Hill and venture out of the five block radius in which I had been contained. So I dashed over to Dustin's house to walk the pups and marched through the snow to the metro. The metro gods smiled upon me and I only waited five minutes for a train.

It was my normal 40-minute commute from doorstep to Kennedy Center and I even had enough time to run upstairs to catch the snowscape from the terrace. The Millenium Stage was going to be featuring a week-long series entitled "Broadway Today and Tomorrow." It was a very cabaret-ish setup with little round tables and chairs instead of the usual rows of folding chairs. I took a seat at an empty table at the front left. I was impressed with the turnout on such a miserable day. An older lady tried to sit at a table next to me where a woman sat alone. I think I heard the younger lady say "reserved" so I told the older lady to come sit next to me (even though there were several other empty chairs). She was very unkempt and I attributed it to the weather and hat hair. She was very chatty....but she kept falling asleep during the program. But I digress.

Our evening of "Broadway Today and Tomorrow" featured the works of Peter Mills with the lovely Kate Baldwin and Matt Cavenaugh singing. It was a mixture of solos and duets - some funny and others poignant and sincere. Cavanaugh had a pretty good voice, but it definitely had that Broadway sound to it. Which I guess is a good thing since he's singing Broadway tunes. Kate Baldwin just had a flat out great voice. It was like a ray of sunshine in a hopelessly dreary day. She was so upbeat and perky when the song called for it, yet so touching and heartfelt when needed. My favorite song she sang was from Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge. It was just stunning! And she managed to put a slight country twang to it without sounding hoakey. After several other songs Matt and Kate finished with a duet about a missed connection. On the surface it was pretty funny because he is talking about a bad connection on the phone. Yet it's a bit sad because she's discussing a bad connection in the relationship. I don't think it ends well..

When the show was over, I was about to leave. But I lingered long enough to see Kate and the others come out into the audience. I decided that I couldn't trudge all this way through snowbanks and slush puddles without telling Kate that Sarah sent me. So I said "Hello!" and thanked her for coming despite the weather. Kate was a super lovely person and very engaging. She asked how I met Sarah (the bloggosphere) and then said how she owed her career to Sarah's blog. I wished her safe travels back to New York and went on my way - a bit happier and a little less cabin feverished.

On the ride home, I sat next to this older gentleman who also atteneded the show and raved about Kate (he saw her in Finnian's Rainbow). He was a doctor who also sang in an opera chorus in Colorado. He had great stories to tell - one about how he gave a check-up to Marta Domingo and that Placido always recognized him as "The Doc" from there on out.

Despite the long commute home, it was great to get out of the house. I give major props to Kate, Matt and Peter for making the trek down to DC in the terrible weather. It certainly was a nice boost to take into the next snow storm we were about to get kicked with.

If you missed the Millenium Stage performance featuring Peter with Kate and Matt, then you can catch it here in its entirety. You better watch it. Or else I'll have SarahB hounding you!

Road Warriors

There is a labrynth of single-file pathways along most of the sidewalks in the Capitol Hill area. Yet most people are still taking to the roadways. Yesterday it was out of necessity when the sidewalks were nearly impassable. But now I think it's an act of defiance. Kind of like an f-u to the vehicles who insist on driving in these not awesome conditions. Plus it's just fun to walk in the middle of the road after being told for so many years not to.

Coverage of Snowmageddon 2010 coming soon!

Dancing with your hands

Try and keep up kids.

Lett's See DC - Mom Schlepped Here, There and Everywhere

I brought my Mom back to DC with me after Christmas. We spent a few days gallivanting around the Nation's Capital before a quick trip to the Big Apple. I coaxed Mom into writing up her experience, and what you will get is a four(?) part mini-series of the Mother Fish Out of Water. And let me tell you what, she was out of water! At some point along the series, I'll add my own brief recap of the events - you know, two sides to every story. Part two of my Mom's four(?) part mini-series of her trip to Washington, DC and NYC continues with her first full day in the Nation's Capital.

There is a two hour time difference between Arizona and DC this time of year so getting up early for Chelsea is even earlier for me. But rise early we do. We have memorials and monuments to see! One of Chelsea's roommates, Abigail, generously shared coffee. We ate breakfast, bundled up, then headed out. First stop – the Capitol Building. A short walk and we arrived in time for an 8:30 tour (I believe Mom is on AZ time still – there’s no way I would’ve been functioning for an 8:30am EST tour especially since I was still functioning on AZ time). There were probably 30 people in our group. The guide did a fair job sharing info, but I felt like there should have been more. Chelsea gave Capitol tours when she worked for the Congressman, so she was able to provide more in depth anecdotes – such as the painting containing a person with six toes on one foot, because the artist didn't care for the person being depicted (Mom is so PC – the artist didn’t like Native Americans so he gave Pocahontas’ brother an extra toe). We saw the old Supreme Court chambers, the catafalque dating back to President Lincoln, models representing the Capitol Building and grounds showing changes over the years, the Statuary Room – each state is allowed to send two statues to be on display. It's so much to absorb in such a short time.

Moving on, we walked through a tunnel to the Library of Congress. We arrived in time to join a tour. The guide seemed very knowledgeable. The architectural details are just astounding. When the tour was over, Chelsea left me on my own; she had a hair appointment. I wandered back through the displays to look more closely at maps, (I love maps) paintings and Thomas Jefferson's personal library. So my time was up at the library. I walked back home to meet Chelsea for lunch. Oh, her hair cut was cute. We used this time to book a night time trolley tour of Washington for the evening.

After hearty tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, we headed out for round two – Arlington National Cemetery and The Kennedy Center. We walked back to the Metro stop and boarded to ride out to Arlington. This trek required transfers and I'm so amazed at how comfortable Chelsea is with all this (No transfers on this one, but I can understand being confused – I carted my Mom everywhere in such a small amount of time). She's so at home here. We arrived at Arlington and inquired about a tour at the information desk. We're pressed for time, so the attendant provided us with directions and a map that we can use for a self-guided tour.

We headed to John F. Kennedy's grave site. The view back toward the Washington Monument is very pretty. We walked by Robert Kennedy's and Teddy Kennedy's graves as well. We then headed over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. The white crosses marking the graves are still adorned with wreaths that were placed before Christmas. Chelsea was able to participate in the wreath placement. What an honor. We arrived at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and watched the sentinel pace back and forth before the tomb. It's hard to find the right words to describe this event. Proud, sad, grateful, among so many emotions. We didn't have time to stay for the changing of the guard, though I could have stayed there all day. We then made our way through the Memorial Amphitheater on our way to the Mast of the USS Maine, Space Shuttle Challenger/Columbia Memorial and Iran Rescue Mission Memorial.

We left the cemetery and took the Metro to Foggy Bottom (I love that!) where we picked up a shuttle to the Kennedy Center. This is home to the Washington National Opera for which Chelsea interned for three months last fall. She was the tour guide at this attraction, showing me all around, inside and out. Most impressive – a very beautiful center. We headed back outside (Brrr-it's getting colder) to shuttle back to the Metro stop and then home. I was beginning to feel like Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Vacation. We walked home to eat dinner but really only had time for a snack before we had to walk back to Union Station to catch the trolley. I did take the time to add a pair of long underwear and a second pair of gloves. Yes, the very same Isotoner gloves mentioned in Chelsea's Christmas remembrances, with knit gloves over those. So, appropriately layered against the cold, we walked to Union Station.....

~ Susan

Lett's see DC - Leaving on a Jet Plane

I brought my Mom back to DC with me after Christmas. We spent a few days gallivanting around the Nation's Capital before a quick trip to the Big Apple. I coaxed Mom into writing up her experience, and what you will get is a three(?) part mini-series of the Mother Fish Out of Water. And let me tell you what, she was out of water! At some point along the series, I'll add my own brief recap of the events - you know, two sides to every story. I now present my first guest blogger, my Mom in part one of her series.

I promised I would report on my whirlwind trip to DC and New York City. Now a month later, it's obvious the gene for procrastination is not recessive in my family. Chelsea's Christmas gift to me was to join her at the opera der Rosenkavelier in New York City on New Year's Day. John graciously agreed to stay home (self-preservation?). It would be our first New Year apart in 33 years.

So, to packing....My desert (read casual and not warm) apparel would have to suffice for the cold weather and opera. I managed to squeeze five days worth of garments and shoes into a small carry-on and backpack. John drove us to Las Vegas very early Tuesday morning. I was a little nervous. I hadn't flown since 1984. Chelsea is a seasoned traveler, so that helped put me at ease. We said our goodbyes at the curb, checked in, breezed through security, and headed for the gate. With about an hour before our flight, we had plenty of time to people-watch. We boarded the plane on time, stowed our bags and settled in. As soon as we were aloft, Chelsea dozed but I was "too excited to sleep!"

The flight leaving Las Vegas heads out over the Grand Canyon. What a great perspective-it was…so cool to see the snow dusting the red landscape. I watched our progress eastward until we rose above the clouds. Near the Mississippi, land was once again visible, so I tried to determine our location all the way to Charlotte where we had a short layover. We wolfed down a sandwich before being called to board our flight to DC. My wariness returned when a dark complexioned man with a mustache took the seat next to Chelsea. He kept getting up to talk to the attendant – about what, I don't know. Five or six times he got up then sat back down... On top of that, across the aisle and up a row or two, is a large bearded man with turban-like head gear. No one else appeared distressed or even interested. So up, up and away we went.

I'm so glad it was evening when we flew into Ronald Reagan airport. The skyline was so beautiful. Visible on approach and brightly lit – the Washington Monument, the Capitol building, the White House – Wow! We bundled up and grabbing backpacks and luggage, headed for the Metro which would put us within walking distance of our final destination. This was becoming a very long day. We exited the train at our stop. Chelsea said she needed to pick up milk. "Safeway is in the opposite direction we'll be walking, so you can wait here while I run up there. Will you be okay to wait here?" How sweet, she's worried about me. "Sure, I'll be fine," I say. She LEFT me there, in the subway station, tending the luggage! She returned about 20 minutes later and really, I was fine. We gathered our luggage, backpacks and groceries and headed to the escalator. We at last would begin the final trek to the Harry Potter house.

OH MY GOSH!!! COLLLLLDDDD!!!! The remnants of the massive snow storm ten days ago have been piled along the road sides and the cold definitely remained. To our left, the Capitol Building, all lit up. Beautiful! We headed up the street away from the Capitol, past the Supreme Court Building, and The Library of Congress. Unbelievable – Chelsea Lives Here!!! Then we walked through her neighborhood and arrived, at last HOME! We unwound and hit the sack. Our plan was to tackle major sight-seeing for the next two days.

~ Susan

MUSIC TO MY EARS!!!

I broke my thirty-hour music fast with Dancing Queen in the middle of a not very crowded yet slightly noisy Busboys and Poets. But it was the trio from der Rosenkavalier that put me back into my happy spot. After dinner, I ran upstairs and stood in the middle of my room and let the gloriousness of these three beautiful voices pour over me.

Just listen...


...do you hear that? It's like the heavens opened up and rained down this glorious awesomeness of pure rapturous ecstasy that sweeps you up ever higher with each progressing note. The three voices dance and intertwine and by the very end I have found myself on the tips of my toes. I almost shed a tear.

That's the beauty of music, and that is why I listen. And that's why giving up music for thirty hours was a challenge. I suppose that sometimes I listen to the point of distraction and the reason for the fast was to let the absence channel my thoughts to the Almighty. In some instances that happened. It also allowed me to be more aware of my surroundings and the natural music in the world around me - the birds chirping, the rustling of the leaves, the car sirens at one in the morning... And for a few hours this afternoon I was alone in the silence. It almost made me nervous to be alone with my thoughts - mulling over all of the grown-up things that are staring me down and give me unease.

Well that's deep enough for one night. I try and keep it light-hearted around here. So for know the music is back...and the beat goes on!