Another good weekend, but my feet are screaming f-you

Chris and I agree, we wish that the Washington Metrorail had the "white-glove people." This is what I call the train attendants in Japan who pack people into trains like sardines. It greatly assists with the efficiency of the trains, since they seem to get more people onto the train than one may believe is physically possible. This weekend in DC, being the annual cherry blossom festival, meant that the city was packed with tourists all of whom wanted to maintain their American sense of personal space, despite seeing their fellow tourists suffering in their attempts to board the metrotrains. Loud shouts by the metro attendants got people to move, with about the same effectiveness that a cowboy can move a herd of cattle: they move, just not always in the way that you want.

Since Chris arrived at 9am on Saturday morning and was leaving at 3pm on Sunday afternoon, we had very little time to really see the city. Thus, we attempted to hit some of the major areas without some of the hassle of "tourists." But first, I had to go to see my personal trainer and get my ass kicked. Because really, what better way should an overweight girl get started on a weekend full of walking than by exercising. LOL!

The first stop for Chris and I was a 12pm river cruise of the cherry blossoms. The original plan was to take a taxi, but quickly we learned that the taxis were not going to take us there (we were kicked out of a cab by a cabbie waving a newspaper screaming that "it's cherry blossoms the streets are closed"). Ok, dude.... chill. So, we walked briskly to the metro, boarded the train at 11:50am, and headed to the Washington Marina. After wandering lost to the marina in the fashion of any good tourist, I walked straight up to the front of the line of passengers at 12:30pm and asked the dude with the clipboard if he were with "DC Cruises." He said that he was and asked in turn, if I were a prepaid passenger for the 12pm cruise. I said I was and gave him my last name. In turn, he commented that I "have impeccable timing for a 12pm cruise." I laughed. Hey, I made the boat didn't I.

After the two hour cruise, Chris and I walked back to The Mall. The Mall is the big green space between the Capitol building and the Washington monument. The Smithsonian museums are flanked on either side of the Mall. I ate a pretzel, he ate a polish Sausage, and we laughed while we people watched. I tried to go into the Smithsonian Castle to get the low-down on what's in all of these free spots, but was too lazy to stand in line. Instead, I ended up seeing the remains of Mr. Smithsonian and was weirded out at the strange things rich folks decide to do with their cash. But, I guess I should be grateful he left it to the US, cause now we have a bunch of spots to holds our spoils of history.

We continued on to L'Enfant Plaza to take the train to Gallery Place/Chinatown. The hope was to find the National Spy Museum. We debated amongst ourselves whether to participate in "Operation Spy." It's an extra $10-15 per person that allows you to play the role of a spy agent on a secret mission. I asked the person behind the counter whether the tour was worth it. He said, "it's good." Chris asked, "well then, how many times have you done it?" He responded,"I've been on it one time." His co-worker laughed and said, "I've been on it 13 times and only been here three months, he's been here five years." We all laughed heartily and Chris told him that obviously he must not think it's that good to have only been there once. Oops! Anyway, he went on to say that by getting the Operation Spy you can cut the line for the Spy Museum. Now that's a reason to throw in the extra cash! Line jumping. Unfortunately, the next mission started at 5:15pm... and it was 3:45pm. And given that we had Brazilian BBQ res at 5pm AND that I'd have to wait, we ended up scrapping the spy museum idea.
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Dinner in DC, An Aside: People in this town love to see and be seen. People are constantly going out to eat. But it's freaking IMPOSSIBLE to get a seat to eat ANYWHERE between the hours of 5:00 and 8:00pm -- weekday, weekend, it doesn't matter. Some places, like Krameerbooks, you better be prepared for a two-hour wait for more than a party of four, 'cause there are no reservations. Talk about a great business opportunity. I can't understand why more people have not started in the restaurant business in this town given the lack of availability of food for when people are hungry. Chefs: please come save DC!
------- We went across the street to the National Museum of Portraiture. Some of our presidents have some dope paintings done. Jackson (I think it was Andy Jackson) had a fly pimp cap on, FDR has a great painting where you just know he was truly the leader of the free world. And then there are our more recent presidents. Poor Clinton looked like he hadn't had a night's self in years, "W" was posted on the couch looking like he was waiting for someone to tell him what's supposed to happen next, Reagan looked so drab and boring I almost fell asleep standing up. Given that an artist today could take a photo and spend all the time they need getting the details right... maybe even applying some artistic license to doll 'em up a bit, what's the deal? Why'd our recent presidents look so --- lame?

We wandered our way our to Fogo de Chao to have the Brazilian BBQ. The report: for those who have tried Agora Churrascuria near the John Wayne Airport... the meats here were better, but the side dishes were just ok. The dinner runs $50 a person, we also tried some sort of red wine to go along with the meal (still eww, in my book despite being $12.50 / glass, but I drank them), and skipped the dessert. We still had a play to get to.

We saw the play Crowns, which I had purchased the tickets through goldstar. [Side note: goldstar is a program you can use to get half price tickets for shows in various parts of the US. I highly recommend it, as it also gives ideas for shows off the beaten track]. I had hoped to get access to the work discount, but the ticketing agent insisted the discount period was over. Boooo! If you are a church-goer, a child of church-goers, or are from the South, I think that you will particularly enjoy this play. The singing was phenomenal.

This morning, Chris and I headed to Krameersbooks for brunch. Only a 45 minute wait. We had our usual State of the Union discussion and had a few laughs. Ultimately, the brunch had to be rushed so we could return to my apartment to catch the train to Ronald Regan National Airport. After taking this train, I again wished that our transportation system in CA was even half as good as here. Literally, the train station is linked to the airport making it a pleasure to get in and out of! Guess where I will be flying in and out of DC for the rest of the time here!

All-in-all, the trip was a success. I was proud of Chris once again getting out of his comfort zone. He took his first trip to the East and was able to appreciate that "old stuff" can actually be nice. He saw things that were quaint and appreciated that quaintness. He connected to the city by noticing how the architecture meshed to the game layout of Fallout 3. It was good to see him come out to visit our nation's capital. Despite all of this good stuff, all this exercise on this 211-pound frame, my feet are killing me. And I'm going to have to come to grips with the fact that between the personal trainer, the lack of a vehicle, and a desire to get out and see stuff... I am unfortunately going to lose weight... and therefore have to go clothes shopping. Ugh! I guess worse things could happen to me than bringing sexy back. ;-)