THE NEXT DAY & THE DAY AFTER

Another relatively warm, but cloudy day, and we even had a few gentle showers. It didn't deter us from window shopping at Saks while waiting for a bus.

Goo had received a text message the day before, New Year's Day, inviting the two of us to brunch on Sunday. She then invited a couple more people, one of whom was out of town. But the plan resulted in three of her friends meeting the two of us at an Irish Pub in Bethesda for brunch. It was all low key but with lots of laughs and a good meal. It was a pleasure to sit and talk with some of her friends. They are so lively and quick.

I questioned that the light fixture in the pub was really a "touch of Ireland." They had determined on a previous visit that the fixture represented sperm. You are free to make your own decision.

Actually, it has blue shading which doesn't show up in the photo.

Here is the brunch bunch with whom I dined. You can tell by their smiles that they have already eaten.

Goo and I browsed the shopping area in the neighborhood. I loved this holiday display that had both a Christmas tree and a menorah. Oh, Goo, I should have bought the green cloche at the kiosk; I've checked prices on line, and it was a deal. Boo-hoo! Well, only one regret is a pretty good record.

But then we went home and pursued my goal which was to go swimming one more time and sit in the sauna---true luxury. We did some household chores including laundry and then went downstairs for our treat. Another night of very good sleep.

On Monday I packed everything into the new suitcase, put on make-up (because I didn't want Goo's last sight of me to be as depressing as her first view when I arrived), and off we went to Union Station. We have had practice in saying goodbye, so we're very good at looking cheery.

Glad you can't see inside!

NEW YEAR'S DAY

How incongruous is this? It was the first day of a brand new year, and I was feeling time was running out because in two more days I would be starting home from my wonderful vacation. And even though the day was rather grey it was warmer and not windy. In fact, we didn't even need our coats as we made our way to the theatre. I had a sweater and Goo a jacket over our theatre finery for the matinee we were to attend. The neighborhood shuttle wasn't running (holiday, don't you know), so we walked to the Metro station.

A couple of months before as we talked on the phone we had chosen our seats via the internet at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The center has several theaters, and what we chose to see was South Pacific in the Opera House. We chose the top tier, center section, two end seats, FRONT ROW. Thank you, Goo, for buying the tickets. They turned out to be great seats, and we both had our little opera glasses. The acoustics there are fantastic. But we will get to that.

But first: the Kennedy Center has yet another terrace for a variety of views. Here are a couple of views of the Potomac and D.C., the second has Washington National Cathedral way in the background on the right.

Right next door to the center is The Watergate---remember that?

And, of course, nature can provide a show as well.

Inside there is a stage where Goo told me there are performances everyday so that visitors who aren't able to see one of the theatre presentations are able to see a performance at the Kennedy Center, free of charge. Isn't that great? This is a long shot of a band performing as we were leaving, and they weren't bad either.

Here is a view of the hallway outside the Opera House from our lofty viewing point. It was gorgeous.

I wish we could have taken pictures inside the Opera House, but it is forbidden, and I didn't want to risk having my camera confiscated. It is beautiful. And as I said before the sound is wonderful. From the moment the overture began we were captivated as was the packed house.

Neither of us had seen this musical staged, only the movie, so it was spellbinding to see the effects for Bali Hai, the beach and ocean, combat, etc. Carmen Cusack, our Nellie Forbush, is from Texas, and Lt. Joe Cable, Anderson Davis, is from Baton Rouge. We felt very at home.

One thing we thought was a liberty the company had taken with the script was to have Emile, David Pittsinger, do a wonderful parody of Nellie's "Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair." It gave Emile a more likable persona and brought the house down. Just hilarious!

We so enjoyed the afternoon and were still talking about it the next day. Wish you could have been there to enjoy it with us.

CRUMPETS & CODDLED EGGS

Last year I gave Goo a pair of egg coddlers; she had never used them. Furthermore, after discovering crumpets in the "international aisle" of our local Kroger store I had promised to bring a package with me, and I did. We finally had our special breakfast, and it was terrific. The eggs are in the little china cups with metal lids. We repeated that breakfast on the morning I left.

By this time it was Friday, Dec. 31, New Year's Eve day, and we had had three days of serious sight seeing. We elected to have a little down time. There were a number of empty boxes, some broken down, in Goo's apt. I didn't understand their significance though until I visited Plug in Chicago a few days later. It seems that when Plug visited along with her "other daughter" in Oct. all the walls in Goo's apt. were white; there were no book cases, lots of boxes still packed from the summer move, and, generally, everything was different. What I hadn't realized was that Goo had really made a stupendous effort to have everything look great when Mom came, including painting a wall. Take a look at the result of her efforts; I think it's very impressive.

Well, we cleared out the empty boxes as well as a couple of small pieces of furniture Goo no longer felt she needed as well as my old abandoned suitcases. By the afternoon I was ready for a swim in the pool and a sauna. What a great decision that was. The pool area was beautiful, the water warm, and I had it all to myself. A couple of days later we repeated this, and Goo came in the water with me---her first time in the pool since she moved there. There is also a life guard on duty whenever the pool is open; she thinks he's Russian. He certainly wasn't speaking English to his cell phone as he entertained himself poolside. Take a look at this wonderful pool:

The last picture shows the widest part of the pool. The length is about twice the distance shown.

How do you like the suit I ordered online? It's reversible. Whoopee! A twofer!

BTW the exercise and sauna made it too simple for me to fall asleep on the couch about 9:30, and I slept right into 2011. We missed our champagne toast and black-eyed peas. Uh-oh!

ON TO THE NEWSEUM

The Navy Memorial was at street level where we exited the Metro and two blocks west of the Newseum. We took about 30 min. to study the freezes which commemorate a number of events in the Navy's history. I only photographed this one.

It celebrates Commodore Perry's opening Japan to commerce in 1852. The freezes were done by a variety of sculptors and are really outstanding. But . . . moving on down the street. . . .

The Newseum is billed as the most interactive museum in Washington, and it is one that is not free. I purchased our tickets on-line back in Oct., I think, and that is a modest saving, but the really good thing is that the tickets are good for admittance on two successive days. Nor are they dated. I'll tell you right up front: we didn't nearly see it all.

We followed the staff's advice and took the big glass elevator (holds about 35 people) to the 6th floor, and I took this shot of the capitol from the terrace.

We didn't stay out there long as it was still very breezy and cold, and our coats had been checked. We returned downstairs and viewed the Berlin Wall exhibit. This is an actual segment of the wall, and first you'll see the Western side followed by the Eastern side.

I'm not always appreciative of graffiti, but the Eastern side is so bleak. One of the watch towers used by the Russians to keep people from crossing into the Western sector is in the display also. It is three stories tall, and the guards shot those trying to escape. It has a huge impact.

Other exhibits elaborated on the news media's influence and service in bringing big time crooks to justice. I won't go through all of that, but the Unabomber's cabin was on display also, and the only thing it had going for it was its ample storage. (If you saw it you'd get the joke.) I was ready for a sit-down, so Goo and I went to the snack bar where we each got a drink, and we split a gigantic muffin which had cranberries in it. Guess who oversees the menu selection there? Wolfgang Puck! That muffin was mighty good, Wolfie.

We continued through some other exhibits and eventually wound up here.

(Sorry, folks, but I had to do quite a bit of finagling to get that picture, and I can't enlarge the print there.)

Upon our return we each chose about four exhibits we wanted to be sure to see. Actually, I only wanted to see a portion of the 9/11 exhibit. Perhaps you feel as I do that so much of that day and the days that followed are so ingrained that I can't go there again. One part I chose to visit was this:

This photo shows where the following piece was before everything went you know where.

Just looking at this scrambled metal is chilling.

We visited the other exhibits we had selected and ended with this one. After looking through this one we watched the 4-D movie about Nelly Blye and went home. It was a very good day.

NOR'EASTER & METRO CRAZIES & GREAT BEAUTY

A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada. More specifically, it describes a low pressure area whose center of rotation is just off the East Coast and whose leading winds in the left forward quadrant rotate onto land from the northeast. The precipitation pattern is similar to other extratropical storms. Nor'easters also can cause coastal flooding, coastal erosion,hurricane force winds, and heavy snow. (Thank you, Wikipedia.)

Our plan was to go sightseeing, either the LOC or Newseum for which I had purchased tickets. However, while sipping coffee on Goo's balcony I made a unilateral decision to stay in that day (Mon., 12/27). The wind was kicking up leaves from three stories below and blowing them way up above where I was standing. Later the TV weather told me we were in the midst of a nor'easter, and it made me temporarily sick to think what that would be like in a fishing boat off the coast. However, later in the day we were apparently overcome by cabin fever and decided to launch ourselves out to see a movie. We chose "True Grit", a remake which I didn't think I would enjoy. Oh, so wrong! It was great, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Jeff Bridges should get an Oscar nomination for sure. Go see it, folks. Our trip to the movie which was in the neighborhood, so to speak, put us crossing streets where there was no wind block by buildings, and it was one step forward, and two steps sideways. But we made it, and were very glad of our efforts.

By the next day the wind had abated somewhat (40 mi./hr), and we decided to go to the Library of Congress. Goo had said she really wanted me to see this. We took the Metro, and at one station a man was (?)singing parts of Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, pretty much on one note and very loudly. We couldn't decide whether he wanted money to keep singing or a payoff to stop. I would have voted for the latter.

At another change station a 50ish man came up to me and said, "You are a beautiful girl!" I said, "Thank you." He then followed with, "When I grow up I'm gonna' get me a girl friend just like you." My reply, "Good luck to you." He laughed and walked on. (Hey, I take compliments wherever I get them.)

As we entered the Library of Congress a guard was commenting that the day before there had been maybe 12 people there; that day there were lines waiting to get in. The LOC is free and has a free coat check and nice restrooms. (Do I have a thing about restrooms? Hmmmm.) Well, I can't recount the whole visit: we took one of the tours with a docent and then wandered on our own and took pictures. All I can say is that once you've seen two or three Gothic Cathedrals, you've seen them all, but this building, LOC, is gorgeous, spectacular, wondrous, etc., etc., etc. Here are a few glimpses.

Minerva mosaic at the landing on the way to the second floor. Spear pointing down is supposed to connote peace---Good Luck on that.

Ceiling above the main floor.

Every corner, every inch, is beautiful.

The second floor is magnificent. Each window has a plaque above it with a quotable statement re books, learning, wisdom. I wanted to buy a book with all of those quotes in it, but the only one which included that was $85. Sometimes I really hate being poor---or at least not wealthy.

Here's just one of them.

Goo and I were enchanted by the putti. (Look it up.)

This is a place I really want to visit again and again. It's gorgeous, and there is so much I haven't explored. This is the Jefferson Building, one of the three that comprise the Library of Congress. It's wonderful, don't you think?

JUST A LITTLE SHOPPING

I declared about half way through our resting day at the apartment that I needed to buy two things: 1) a pair of soft slippers to rest my feet (I hadn't brought mine because I opted to use the space in the suitcase for a very small percolator; Goo doesn't drink coffee), and 2) a small pillow to use on the train home (something else I could have brought but didn't due to lack of space). So, off we trekked to find these two items.

The main drag, Wisconsin Ave., is about four blocks from Goo's apt. bldg. We bypassed the first two blocks of stores.

And walked on down another two or three blocks---I'll leave it to you to determine our rationale--- to TJ Max. There, as luck would have it, we were propelled by the escalator right into the luggage department. We spent well over half an hour checking their large inventory, but nothing seemed just right. Just when we thought we were leaving the area I stumbled upon one that really, really appealed to me. Goo volunteered to go 50/50 on it. She, obviously, didn't want to be seen in public with those old American Touristers with their little combination locks again. I held off.

We finally located slippers and that was a quick decision. Pillows were harder to locate and were in more than one place, but when we found the softest little round pillow it was the obvious choice. Color was the only decision: brown, blue, or dirty white.

Goo chose a bath mat, and we swung back by the luggage area as we went to check out. I snagged the suitcase I liked, and here are my purchases.

CHRISTMAS EVE - CHRISTMAS DAY

Goo's greeting in the baggage claim area of Union Station after hugs and kisses was, "You are not going home with those suitcases!" There was a reason for the old, cumbersome clunkers though. Amtrak had said no soft side luggage could be checked, and that's what mine was. So I'd bought these two hard side suitcases (estate sales, where else) super cheap because I needed something big enough to hold gifts, several books to pass on to Goo, a video, a DVD 3-pack, stocking stuffers, not to mention winter clothes, shoes, etc., etc. In other words, I had my reasons, and the suitcases cost less than postage for the gifts and books would have been. But I digress.

We took the Metro from Amtrak to her neighborhood where we caught the shuttle to her apt. bldg. The shuttle driver helped us with the "unwieldies." As soon as we arrived she began to prepare to go "work" the 6 p.m. service. While she was gone I unpacked, showered/shampooed, got my make-up on, did my hair and wriggled into my smashing dress. I called a taxi about 7:30 and headed to the cathedral to meet Goo.

Those working both services were having a buffet supper on the 7th floor, and I was invited to join them. She introduced me to maybe 15 people, some of whom I'd heard about. They started off to their assignments about 8:30, and I wandered about trying not to look suspicious to the security guards. I felt a little guilty looking at the long line of people waiting to get in as the doors were locked, and it was cold and windy. Someone who knew that there was a chair with my name on it down front suggested I go on in so as not the be trampled when the doors were opened. I did.

Goo said they estimated that attendance at that service (10:00 p.m.) was about 2800. It was a nice service, but it seemed a little non-denominational to me. I guess if you're the national cathedral you try to be as ecumenical as possible. When the service ended we proceeded to her office. I knew we'd gone to a lower level, but I didn't realize until later that we'd actually gone through a tunnel and were in a different building. We then walked outside to the coldest, windiest corner in D.C. to await a taxi back to her apt. I thought by being there I would get to bed earlier than when we talked long distance on the phone after that late service, but no. It was 2:00 a.m. when we turned out the light.

Goo toddled off to work the noonday Christmas service and arrived back a little after two. She said she was the envy of everyone in her new Christmas hat, one of her gifts from me. How do you like it? It was made in India and has a Neiman-Marcus label.

We then tackled the work of getting her entertainment center fully connected. The TV was already hooked up, but we added the DVD player and VCR. I had brought A Christmas Story, sort of a Christmas tradition in our family, but we discovered that the VCR was no longer in service as it began to spew the tape. So, we settled on the premier episode of The #1 Ladies Detective Agency and ordered Chinese food from Mei-Wah which delivers. Yumola!

By the time we finally opened our gifts it was dark, and we were quite full. I think that was the only meal we ate that day, but we had plenty left over for another meal a few days later. The gifts were fun and surprising, and we had plenty of conversation to keep us going until we finally made it back to bed---with no plans to get either of us up early the next day!

Stay tuned.

P.S. Goo bought a pre-lit artificial tree for this Christmas (I feel a small moral victory on this one because I figure that cut trees are a waste of trees and money.) Anyway, she didn't realize until she plugged it in that it also revolves. I thought that a good thing because I could sit on the couch and just catch ornaments as they passed when we were taking it down.

EVERYTHING'S UP TO DATE IN KANSAS CITY!

However, I didn't go there. My trip was to Washington, D.C. with a few hours in Chicago going and coming home. Those stops were fun, and I'll try to write more about that another time. As you know, or maybe not, I travelled by train which means I left my home at 3:30 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 22, and arrived in D.C.'s Union Station at 1:10 p.m. Dec. 24.

This is not actually my train, but one I borrowed from another application. My best shot of my train was on a curve in the Allegheny Mountains with snow all around, but my best shot wasn't very good. The scene, however, was wonderful---imagine it.

It seems imperative that I tell you first what "up to date" means these days. Example: In D.C., adjoining Chevy Chase, Md and in Chicago the pedestrian walk signs at big intersections have an attached window which clicks down the seconds remaining for the scurrying pedestrian to make it safely across the street before the herd of vehicles is untethered and free to mow one down. Wish I'd gotten a picture of them; alas, I did not. The thought, "Toto, we're not in Louisiana anymore," did cross my mind. I was tentative at first and didn't trust 22 sec. to be sufficient time, but soon leapt right out there if we had 16 sec. I really can move fairly fast, especially if the wind is not a factor.

But here's what you really want to know---the latest restroom technology. So, we're all accustomed to sensor toilets that flush automatically, faucets that go on and off, and paper towels that stingily dispense towels based on our motion. But how about this?

Above it were the directions which explained that one should push the red button to rotate the plastic wrapped seat before using the toilet.

Who knew that peeing would become a learning experience?

At the Newseum, the place I was most eager to visit, the restroom walls were also decorated with headline bloopers. Each stall had one or two as well as the common area. How much fun is that? (It reminded me of the father in Cheaper By the Dozen who had educational info posted everywhere in their home so that the children would be learning wherever they were and whatever they were doing.)

More to come . . . I hope.