Back in DC

  There was much on the agenda once I returned to DC. We had our free tickets to the Nats game from the blood donation event for Tuesday night.  We actually had 4 tickets but Taylor and his friend Max (visiting from Montana) had decided to spend a long weekend in NYC with their friends and as we couldn't find anyone else to go (the Nats aren't having their best season...) we were on our own.  Free seats mean way up high seats but we still had a good time.

Thursday night our friend Mauricio was here from Columbia with a group of students showing them the sites of the Eastern states...fortunately, that included Washington DC.  We met him at his hotel then wandered for many blocks thinking we were headed towards DuPont Circle.  Just when you think you have a sense of this city you venture out without a map and end up going in the wrong direction.  Fortunately Mauricio had a GPS on his phone that got us on track.  We ended up at an Irish pub for dinner.  Yummy chicken pot pie for me!

Saturday morning we met up with our Tri group to do a double brick workout.  Bike 3 laps around Hains (about 10 miles) run for 15 minutes then cycle for another 2 laps then run 5 minutes.  I was pooped as I have been working out every day trying to make up for all the food I ate and all the exercising I didn't do in Utah.

That afternoon we went to The Kennedy Center for the Page to Stage Festival.  Julie Jensen (playwright) and Tracy Callahan (director) were there from Utah with Julie's new play.  A beautiful piece based on the young adult novel Mockingbird.  All the plays are free and are readings of works that are in process.  This particular play will hopefully be presented here next year.  Anyway, it was funny, moving and well acted.

After a quick hello to our Utah friends Tom headed home and I hopped a cab to Georgetown.  First cab ride in DC and just for reference a $10 trip from Kennedy Center to the University.  On the way we passed Georgetown Cupcakes which had a line coming out the door and weaving clear up the street!

 This was our first outing with Georgetown American Friends that included ALL the participating students.  Some hadn't even met their "friend" yet so there was a lot of visiting going on.  Very sweet as you can tell they have been taught to make eye contact, extend their hand out and smile with a "hello, I'm ______, how are you?"  After a bit of a confused registration it turned out some international friends (and American friends as well) had brought along people who weren't registered so there wasn't room on the vans for all of us.  Kristin and I ended up taking her car which turned out being much nicer anyway!

 First stop was the Iwo Jima memorial, then the capitol, then the FDR memorial.  At each location there were photos, quizzes and contests.  Amazingly enough, when there is a very large group traveling in many vans and some on foot.....you can only get to three places in four hours.  Was so fun to see how excited the students were to see things in person they've only seen in photos or in movies.

Love this from the FDR memorial

Alexis and Fei

Kristin, Michel and Michel's friend Yeang who was visiting from Ohio

It was a beautiful night and as we had Kristin's car she was able to drop me at the apartment after we finished up at FDR.  Yay!  No late night Metro ride!