AYE,SEE,DEECEE

OH MAH GAWD, am I tired.

First day sightseeing in Washington, D.C. I am not even quite sure I know what I saw. I think I saw so many important things that I want to all call them by the wrong names, like the American Museum of Natural Koreans, The Archives of Thurmond Monument, The National Maul, and The United States Geritol Building. The wind was wicked today, and my face and hands were so cold, but sometimes the sun came out and it was not so bad. Poor sick Mr11 had a tough day. He was so exhausted that he actually came close to falling asleep several times during the day, the most dramatic at lunch as he dropped his PB&J sandwich and I had to say HEY! BUDDY! If I could have remanded him to the hotel I surely would have for some restoration, but that was not an option. We were out and about for 12 hours. So he just snotted and coughed and dragged his way through the day, not terribly unhappy even despite that. He is out like a light now, snuggled deep into some sort of Italianate pattern budget hotel comforter. We have to get up earlier tomorrow for MORE MORE MORE.

I think almost everyone I saw today around and about was either a European tourist or part of a school group, or a wealthy family with 2-to-4 pretty kids, or crabby elders, or even more school groups. I didn't really see anyone Washingtonian -- like some lawyer-looking suit dudes, or other huddling sorts plotting stuff. Maybe it was too windy for them to be out today. I think they don't like their hair to get mussed. The wind also kicked total ass on the cherry blossom trees, dammit.

It is surreal to be right in front of all these terribly important places, so close together. They all have SO MUCH to take in. I do feel overwhelmed. I would like to just spend some time staring at each one, and really thinking about it and what it is, what it means, really appreciate it. They are all so grand, in scope and design and meaning. I would like them to feel real to me: United States Citizen. I would like that for Mr11 as well, but he didn't even remember the names of where we went, just impressions. That's OK. We can fill in the blanks later, when his sinuses aren't sucking up his brain.

Last stop before dinner was the Lincoln Memorial. I Rocky-ed my way up the stairs, Mr11 keeping up gamely, and a nice woman offered to take our picture standing next to old 19' Abe. I told my son I thought this was a really cool place, and that I could see how it, more than almost any other place we had seen today, seemed to move people. My son nodded and then excused himself with, "I want to go read his words on the wall."

Woody Guthrie -- "This Land Is Your Land"