LA, Atlanta, Reunions, Oh My!

April Showers bring May Flowers...


so I've been showering myself in the love of friends. First stop: Los Angeles for a possible job hunting mission near the Union Station (pictured with palm trees). Can't beat the Getty Center's free art and gardens. Love the BOP staffers, beaches, and public transportation ain't so bad.




Second stop: Atlanta, aka Hotlanta. Met with my two best girlfriends from high school for a weekend of crafting, eating, and general merriment. We caught a Braves v. LA Dodgers game. My LA team lost. Loved the aquarium. Learned to knit. My friend lives in Cabbagetown, a cozy hub similar to my capital hill but built around an old cotton mill gone condo instead of the US Capitol. Hospitality and friendship was bar-none.

Last stop: A University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Student Senate Reunion in D.C. These are my people!! A critical mass of personalities live in D.C. and we finally reunited after months of waiting. My empty threat of moving to LA spurred us into action planning the reunion. I erroneously made this threat after falling in love with John Vanderslice all over again. You may recall that John sings the song "Dear Sarah Shu," and you may recall that John swooped me into his D.C. concert a few weeks ago for free. For the foregoing reasons, I wanted to move to LA -anything for John. And, it just so happens there's a great BOP crowd in LA, too. Regardless, relax because I am jolly in DC after a month of adventure.

Clever Tourism

In the past few days, I have learned a few new clever tricks for tourists. They all involve buses.

It all began when my cousins visited and mentioned taking the actual tourist bus, the one that costs $28 and allows you to hop on and off at will. As a local, I feel compelled to guide (midwest) visitors myself. While I cannot offer the same historic perspective over a microphone, I can offer cheap, way cheap prices.

Tip 1: Circulate around town for $1 for hours. This bus offers three simple routes. One from Georgetown to Union Station, one north and south from Union Station to Southwest, and one around the National Mall. Don't forget to get your transfer ticket for a free pass for hours. Look for the giant red buses near the red bus stations. What can the circulator offer you? Great views of the key parts of town. Plus, you can say you circulated around DC. (Not to be confused with a great dance move, the perculator.)

Tip 2: Take the Dulles Bus for an unintended purpose. For $3, you can take the Dulles airport 5A bus from Rosslyn metro stop to L'Enfant metro stop, or visa versa. This route goes past the Tidal Basin with beautiful views. For those who prefer to leave their walking shoes in the tent, wear your heals and still feel as if you've circled the most popular DC destination in Spring. For $3, I vote to take the bus twice! From Rossyln you could walk to Georgetown; Or from L'Enfant you could walk the Hirshorn Smithsonian and see my favorite modern art video about simple machines.

After a tough day on the bus, don't forget to keep your transfer so you can bus it up Independence and into Eastern Market for some Tunicliffs or Finn McCools.

Just two tips for those with DC in their dreams.

Cherry Blossom Season

Spring - the season of new beginnings. It could just be that Cool Hand Luke (see previous post) is so cute, but there was a girl in a cherry tree that gave him a run for his money.

With family in town, I spent much of my weekend enjoying the sweet scent of cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, sweat of runners on the cherry blossom 10 miler, and tourists in the Smithsonian museums.

Can you guess where these tourists were located in our Nation's Capital?
1. A tourist on the phone said to someone on the other line, "I'm coming out of the Universe."
2. A tourist on the phone said to someone on the other line, "I'm near the calcitrates."
3. "We're Circulating."
4. "I love Ballarina stationary."
5. Which way does the arrow go? Where is my card? You don't need to put the card in to exit!

When you've given up, here are the answers
1. Air & Space Museum
2. Natural History Museum
3. Circulator bus - the best bus invention for tourists, ever.
4. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts Gift Shop
5. Metro. And you do need to put the card in to exit.

Returning to my roots as a DC tourist made me appreciate this great city all over again. Spring is great.

One Day Anniversary

In the year 2008, I have wireless internet at home. Today is my one day anniversary. My wireless and I shared a beautiful day together so far. What a wonderful world.