So to catch some of you up, I met this lady at the French Embassy event
. We've basically changed each other's lives. Bottom line, end of discussion. She and I wanted to hang out and ended up playing some softball on the Mall with her work. Which is the campaign for Tobacco free kids. During one inning I was just standing there (ok during all the innings I was just standing there, it IS baseball) and had a thought. I looked around and to my left was the Washington Monument and to my right was the capital. The sun was setting and left an unreal, picturesque glow to the air. I sighed and Kate smiled back at me, I was happy. I was in a moment. Can you imagine, I was playing baseball on the mall. Between the Sculpture garden and the American Indian Museum. It was a moment, and remember it I will.That was Tuesday. Wednesday Kate and hella gloire had an event with cupcakes and bubbly. I walked there in the rain through Georgetown to Betsey Johnson. Even though it was raining, I felt liberated and alive. I met AJ there and we had these DIVINE cupcakes and after a few clicks, we headed home. In the rain. Still magical as ever. I enjoy her company and will miss her when I jump ship from our nation. Thursday I went and played soccer with Eric, and had a funny run-in with a Mormon fellow. All of a sudden he was asking me these question and i had no idea what he was talking about. Some Listserv and chesterfield one or two. I was staring quite blankly into his face when Eric jumped in and said, she's with me. He asked, nonplussed,
guy:"are you LDS?"cwg:"oh, god, no. NO, I'm not"
guy:"oh"
Later when we got in the car car remarked on the fellow's friendly attitude towards me throughout the evening. That's all well and good, but he was speaking in a different language, I informed Eric. yeah, he said, yeah.
Friday night I came promptly home from work and immediately fell asleep. I was supposed to hang out with heather and when I woke up around 9:15 I called her. She didn't answer but texted me 10
minutes later informing me that she to had fallen asleep. Oh the joys of youth...being able to sleep forever. Nothing about energy in the manual. But then we decided to get some popcorn for me to make as we both had not eaten dinner. And in case you don't know, popcorn substitutes quite well for meals, vegetable. starch. salt. That's basically everything right? But by time we got out on the street after talking to Femi (our front desk main man!) and etc, CVS and Giant had closed. BUT as we walked to Giant we heard a LARGE rustling in this trash can. My lord it sounded like a raccoon on 'roids was hungry. I wasn't so keen on sticking my head over the opening (neither was heather) and so I took a picture. Flighty little buddy hid, so we don't know his face. But he's out there, ransacking garbage
s across the Eastern Seaboard...So we started walking. And talking. And continued walking. Then all of a sudden we're going on this beautiful cobble stoned sidewalk and BAM! Heather says" Holy! That's a Maryland sign!" Yes, we somehow found our way to Maryland. We didn't really know where we were either. And we didn't even know the time, but checking it was now 1 am! Yikes, we had been walking and talking for a while. then, BAM a bamboo forest is on our right. oh-k. Am I in the Twilight Zone or just China? Maryland is close to China right? Alaska/Russia? Maryland/China? Every state has it's foreign counterpart...no? Damn. Well anyway, I see a police station and we walk in. Ask the nice lady behind the counter where the nearest metro stop is and head on our way. As I drifted off to sleep I realized how much fun it was. Spending time with quality people just the simple pleasure of companionship. Heather, although we differ in so many ways, we have so much fun. And I will miss you. But we can get married when I get back. I promise.
Saturday I got up and went to the Holocaust Museum. I went on my own and got there as it opened. A very interesting temporary visit was there on Nazi Propaganda. Man, they really new how to do it. They had so many people wrapped up into their ideas and mindset. The genocide of the Jewish people was a catastrophe to put it lightly, as well as the prosecution of many other minorities. But to step back from the situation and to look at Hitler. Really look at him, it is amazing. To think what he could have done with his rhetoric and power if he had been working for good and the advancement of our world. We will never know.
I then went to a BBQ with AJ for her work. Morgan and Heather and Ashley were there as well. I went with a huge feeling of, well. I felt the weight of what I had just seen, but I was so thankful to be alive that it wasn't sad that I was feeling. I just felt very weighed into the world I saw things in a new light that showed the shadows as well as the bright colors. Balance.
That night, AJ and I went for a stroll a soir through our monuments. I hadn't been to the Jefferson or Lincoln at night and wanted to experience before I left. It was beautiful. Although Lincoln was still crowded as hell, but Roosevelt and Jefferson we had all to ourselves. Stunning.
OH Lincoln, to see you stand up.
The night glow on all these monuments made me feel I should be in a postcard, or a movie. Or the Real World DC.NOT. I heard they went to the Hawk and Dove, which is a famous intern bar. You're NOT interns, don't go there. Stay in your mansion and do drugs and hook up. That's what you do. 
Jefferson, in your 19 feet of height, you inspire me. And kinda make me tired, maybe you adn Lincoln could trade-off every once in a while. Eh?
From the end of my time in the District, fondly,Claire
Song: "Cavalleria rusticana " Pietro Mascagni
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OvsVSWB4TI
P.S. Happy Birthday Barack Obama!
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