My first posting in 3+ weeks. On vacation you know and I came back with my batteries recharged. I went to Washington DC (I like the city) New York City (always a love affair between survival and thriving) and then Beatrice, Nebraska ( a chance to mellow out). 7 museums and countless restaurants, libraries, bookstores and Starbucks.
What I learned:
1. Starbucks coffee is bitter in any city but the new milder "Blonde" is due out Nov. 15th on the east coast and early Dec. in San Diego. Thank you Jesus!
2. The Vietnam Memorial is impressive, not just because it's a well designed memorial but because seeing 45,000 names carved onto granite is something indeed. Each carving a life snuffed out on an ill advised mission. Each carving represents loved ones back home crushed, each carving ws a friend lost forever, each carving a hole in many people's lives. When you see 45,000 names and you know each one was connected to at least 10 others you see the enormity of the waste.
3. When the President or Michelle want to leave the white house for say a press conference or a pizza deal at Papa John's a 2 mile radius of the White House is blocked off. No one in or out, everyone must drive miles around it. It seemed like hundreds of people were on alert, working, planning, preparing, doing. I hope the supreme pizza is worth the thousands of dollars spent getting them to and from.
4. Neil's Coffee Shop on 70th and 3rd Avenue is a great little coffee shop. One thing about Austin and Rebecca they find the cool places.
5. The Ford Edge is a pretty cool SUV. I rented one in Nebraska and while Ford doesn't blow any wind up my skirt this one was very modern, with a push button start to it's fully viewable screen for every command and yet it was very comfortable and no worse on gas milage than my Acura.
6. Landing a plane in windy Chaicago made windier by a storm is harrowing and worthy of blood pressure medication.
7. The Frick Collection at the Henry Clay Frick Museum in NYC impressed me more than the Metropolitan. In the Metro I felt lost kinda like I was in a blimp hangar filled with objects d'art
8. The Folger Shakespeare Library in DC was the most disappointing. Nothing about Shakespeare on view except for tee shirts and coloring books in the bookstore and the library part? 97% of the people in the world aren't allowed into. Plus, I stumbled down some stairs. Not hurt but it was embarrassing and worthy of a Shakespeare scene.
9. If you stop on the streets of Manhattan to help someone, they will say thanks but also look at you like you are the long lost Amelia Earhart. They ARE NOT used to anyone helping them with anything.
10. The Chargers losing in New York (Jets, Oct. 23rd) or the midwest (Chiefs Oct. 30th) is just as demoralizing as the Chargers losing at home.
Finally, Cab drivers in the big cities understand you just fine, and they talk to friends in their native language(s) while driving you around just to bug you.
