11 July 2012

Hello!

I had a fabulous birthday, I know you were wondering. I got back from DC late late late Monday night (or early early early Tuesday, depending on how you look at it) and was a complete slug yesterday. I took Amtrak to DC and it was murder. Absolutely the worst, mostly because my back actively hates me, especially so this weekend (as in, I went to the doctor this morning finally and he's sending me to physical therapy). Coach did nothing to help. But.

But! Alexandria is gorgeous and I want to live there forever and be one of those people who has brunch and yoga on Sunday morning and does nothing for the rest of the week except live in my three million dollar townhouse and visit art galleries when things get dull. I'll develop an affected little laugh, call everyone "darling", and sit on boards of directors. It'll be fun. But I digress.

Alexandria was gorgeous and I love DC's metro system (I'm a sucker for public transportation, I'm looking at you San Francisco and London). We (kiltsandlollies and I) visited all the museums in the world. My favorites were the National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress, which had a really great display of Pre-Columbian artifacts that made my "remember when I was getting my masters in anthropology" heart beat just a bit faster.

The Newseum was quite good--maybe not for the price, but it definitely had good/interesting displays, especially on the FBI and the Berlin Wall. Their memorial to fallen journalists was quite touching, too. The International Spy Museum was disappointing. It had a ton of great artifacts but now clear direction. Mostly I walked around thinking "I'd love to read a book about this" (whatever "this" was at the time) so quite unfulfilling.

We went to both the East and West Buildings of the National Gallery of Art. Contemporary and Modern art (in the east building, at the National Museum of American Art, and, previously, at the Tate) always leave me feeling rather stupid for "not getting it". I've decided it's my mission in life to begin studying it in an effort to understand. I want to know! In the West Building, however, I was good :D They have a really great display of Rodin sculptures that I was very pleased to be able to see, and an exhibition of George Bellows that I was completely unprepared for and wish I could go back to see before it closes (but can't). We went through it last and I wish, now, that I had more time for it as I've been thinking about it.

In fact, if I didn't have another trip plan for the end of the year, I would working out a return to DC for September, I enjoyed myself so much.

Of course, our main reason for going was to see Coldplay in concert. It's not my intention to become that fan who travels great distances for a band but I'm managing it with Coldplay, having first traveled to Orlando (twice) to see them (though they canceled on the day of the second time I went so I ended up returning home having spent almost less than 24 hours in Orlando) and now to DC. They were great, so much energy. To be honest, the first time I saw them in Orlando was the best though. The band didn't let me down but the audience in the section where we sat did. It was as though they were in church, so sedate where they for the first half of the concert. It's a fucking rock concert--my opportunity to scream and sing loudly and dance, and I like being in that energy. Like when I saw the Chili Peppers, it was so phenomenal, not just because the band was awesome but there was a whole vibe, you know? It felt like everyone was having a good time. Anyway, we've decided that next time, we'll be on the floor (we'll also start saving now :D).

Oh! And food! We had some really good meals. A surprisingly tasty lunch at the cafeteria in the National Gallery (pulled pork that was really delicious), cupcakes from Alexandria Cupcakes (I had raspbery vanilla--very good), a pretty good salmon salad from Così, which I had never heard of but is apparently a chain? But the best was my birthday dinner. We went to The Pita House in Alexandria, as I love Mediterrean food, and I had these little spinach pies for appetizer that were amazing and then chicken shawarma with garlic sauce and jasmine rice for my entree. It was seriously the best meal I've every had (and I make a habit of having really good meals--almost no fast or chain food for me. I'm a bit of a snob like that.).

Anyway :D It was a really great trip, precisely what I needed and wanted. I don't think I've talked that much during a trip before either (Laura can correct me, perhaps it's true that I talk that much all the time) but I got to say some things out loud that I needed to say. I had some time at Union Station, too, between when my train arrived and waiting for Laura's plane, to sit and think and write down some ideas and plans and goals. I didn't do much (anything) yesterday but today it was good to go to the doctor and get a plan worked out for my back (and my doctor--a new guy I hadn't seen before but who was youngish, incredibly good looking and flirty (in a totally "that's his personality" not in a "creepy" way), told me three times about how young I was (as in, I'm not worried that it could be such and such because you're so young) until I finally thanked him because I had just celebrated my 39th birthday over the weekend. He was surprised and told me that I didn't look anything over 30 or 32. I'm taking it as a compliment.) Anyway, this doctor was awesome and I think I might keep him (he specializes in sports medicine, so was a particularly good choice, though at the practice I visit, it's completely luck of the draw as to who you see). When I finally got into work, I was able to meet with the Director like I wanted (and managed not to procrastinate about) and he, for once, gave some good advice about one situation and told me I could move to an empty office for the interim, which should help with some other issues, too.

Anyway (again)! TL;DR: birthday was awesome, I'm feeling happier than I have in a good, long while, it was so good to talk to Laura in person, and the only thing I regret is that I can't get back to DC anytime very soon. :D