I have arrived.
The descent into the city was absolutely beautiful. City lights twinkled furiously as we skimmed the Patomic. Smooth landing. Short metro ride to my destination - 3110 13th Street, in Columbia Heights, the home of one Darrell Duane.
Darrell is a refugee from the world of engineering, living in a rambling 3-story house that used to be a 5-(insanely tiny)unit apartment building. He has a basement full of costumes, three couches generously offered up to the weary (and peuer) traveler via couchsurfing.com, and aspires in all sincerity to coach people in the art of communicating using the voice of their inner giraffe, rather than their inner jackal.
Tomorrow I must retrieve my inauguration ticket from Feinstein, figure out what exactly said ticket gives me access to, see as many museums as possible before they sink into the underlying swamp beneath the horde of inauguration revelers that is sure to show up at any minute and come up with a dinner menu for my host and his roommates that doesn't include any of the ingredients they loathe - onions, mushrooms and cucumbers so far. I haven't had a chance to ask the other three roommates yet.
Bars and many restaurants will be open until 4 a.m. in honor of our desire to drink in honor of our spanking new president.
Ah! Before I forget, here is a bit of Washington gossip (I'm so plugged in already) - in what I'm sure won't be the last of his tacky gestures, Bush refused to let the Obama family stay in Blair House. Blair is essentially the White House guest house and where the president-elect traditionally stays with his or her family in the weeks before the inauguration.
Instead, the Obama's are staying in a hotel downtown, where their security is wreaking havoc on DC's already abysmal traffic. The family is scheduled to move into Blair House on Friday, staying for mere days before moving into the White House, all during the Obama girls' first few weeks of school. Bush's excuse for the slight? The former Australian prime minister came to visit for one night.
Way to go out in style, G-dub.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Interesting. Tony Bliar was visiting yesterday too. Maybe someone confused him with an aussie.
ReplyDeleteBTW, sorry to be an arse, but you need to get a bit more up to date on the goss. I think that one's at least a fornight old. though still worth a mention. Bush being the real arse. Probably don't want black people in the neighbourhood. Oops, there, I said it.
I want a pamphlet on how to speak with my inner giraffe. If I could do that I would be exceedingly happy.
ReplyDeleteHod - I don't think you are sorry to be an arse at all! I'll try to make future blogs more newsworthy.
ReplyDeleteLiz - I'm not entirely sure but I think if you speak exclusively with your inner giraffe you have to give up sarcasm.
First of all, it is impossible to cook a decent meal without onions. People who don't like onions are gauche, and probably don't have anything other than salt and pepper in their spice rack.
ReplyDeleteSecond of all, my uncle's airplane is in the Smithsonian so it would be good if you snapped a picture. Its a yellow prop plane with two sets of wings. You know the kind, and I doubt there are two big yellow airplanes in there.
Third, my favorite part of flying into DC was that I was coming from the north and there's this whole area where every house is old and white. It must be mandated or something. But it's beautiful to see this see of green fields and trees with white houses popping out here and there on large properties. Look for it when you fly out, if it's daytime. I have no idea what area it is.
Make sure you go to the International Spy Museum. You can crawl through the vents there...they're carpeted.
ReplyDeleteHines - Which Smithsonian? National Air and Space?
ReplyDeleteCarrie - Sweet. I failed at going to all the museums that seemed cool before the crowds arrived. The Natural History Museum was batshit crazy today.