DC

I'm in Washington DC for a week. It's a wonderful city. So much to see. I will come back.

 

I'm reminded how new the places I've lived are. Here the history is real and thick. Many buildings are very old. The museums have much art from centuries gone by. Of course the National Archive has the original U.S. Constitution.

 

I've been to the Lincoln memorial three times. It's always crowded, late at night, early in the morning. Hundreds of people climb the steps.

 

Green paint was sprayed on Lincoln while I was here. News says the vandal was a mentally ill homeless woman.

 

Lincoln's great speeches are on the side of the memorial.  People walk right up to the statue of Lincoln and take many photos of him.  But people stay away from the speeches and take fewer photos.  We joked that this is because Americans are ignorant of lincoln's words.  I think the reality is that pictures of the words just aren't that photographic.  Especially when compared to the statue of Lincoln.

 

I wanted to meditate at the memorial.  I've read so much about its profound effects on people.  But the memorial is crowded and loud.  Not the place where one can sit and think.

 

At the national gallery of art there are many wonderful paintings.  I want to gush here.

 

C2 is here.  He is back from Afghanistan and now working in Washington.  He may be dating someone.  If it doesn't work out he said he will head off to Syria.

 

 

 

 

Outside...

RO and I have slept outside in a tent in our back yard for the past 4 days. Its very dark, cool and quiet outside. Perfect for sleeping.

summer weather

has been perfect. RO and I have started sleeping outside in a tent. RO suffers from insomnia. It goes away when he sleeps outside. Confidentially, I think it's because when he wakes up, he can't get up and watch TV or play with the computer. The bedroom has half a dozen blinking LED'S

 

The 4th

For the 4th C&J invited us to Everett for dinner and to watch the fireworks.

C&J's house is incredibly well decorated and very clean. I haven't had a chance to talk to RO about it, but I'm sure he'll bring it up. I don't know how they have the time.

home...

I went home for a family reunion. It was great to see everyone. Uncles, Aunts, cousins and their kids came from all over the place.

Some of the first generation is getting very old and falling into decline. I can't help but wonder if what they are going through is a sneak preview of what I will go through.

I have a cousin, a woman, who is proudly single. She has woman friends and she travels around. She also seems to be fairly liberal. I always wonder if she's a lesbian, but I never bother bringing it up. She works for a very conservative school. Her parents, are even more conservative than mine. It's easier if we don't know.

The brothers seem to be doing well. The middle brother is on his fourth marriage. This time, she's a good, normal person. The four of their kids result in a *very* blended family.

The younger brother is... I think he's doing well. Not sure. He hasn't yet discovered the difference between being right, and making things better. He says he listens to forty hours of podcasts a week. His wife says that as a result, facts are always popping out of him. I almost think his love of facts is away for him to declare his space, his value, in what is a very weird home life.

Weird home life... He and his wife are fine. But they live in "The Compound" A huge house with the wife's mother, the wife's mother's other children, their spouses, and those children. It's crazy. Right now one of the other couples are going through marital problems. It's stressful for everyone.