Our Nation's Capital

I was able to take a vacation this last week (June 6-11... not even a full week). The first real just vacation since I started working for ASCOA (everything else has just been quick weekend trips, a couple of days off). My friend Joy did a great job of blogging, so here are links to her blog... and I'm just going to insert a few additional random comments.

Washington DC Day 1 Joy forgot to mention that we made friends with a squirrel in the statue garden. He kept eyeing us and the granola bars we were eating. He came closer and closer... but Joy didn't get scared... not at all.

I also liked this picture in the Air & Space Smithsonian. We basically just tried to take as many goofy pictures as we could. It made me remember how fun I used to be before I felt like I had to be responsible.

Day 2 Just some random tidbits I learned in the International Spy Museum... Did you know that the Allies created an entire fake army with blow-up tanks and cardboard cutouts of planes? They used it as a decoy to throw the Germans off the mark for the big D-day attack. We also learned to look for suspicious characters and "drops" where spies could exchange info/items. We found many the remainder of the trip... DC is pretty much crawling with spies.

Day 3 We had such an interesting conversation with Joy's aunts and uncles. They told us about their family's experiences being Japanese during WWII. The government forced Japanese citizens to leave California or be forced to live in camps. When their family was able to move to Utah, they were some of the only Japanese people in the entire area they lived in and could feel it. Sad to hear of such prejudice, but it still happens. By the way, her family is just so nice. Her aunt just wanted to feed us until we were ready to burst. The food was all delicious as well.
Oh, and speaking of random connections, at the get together Adam took us to, Amy and I ran into friends from our trip to the Holy Lands in 2007. I can't believe it's already been a year!

Day 4 It was on this day that I began to realize that my feet hurt. Bad. I can't remember the last time my feet hurt so much. We were also very, very hot. I thought Amy was going to pass out in front of the White House. She took this picture after we told her we wanted to try and hold the building in our hands...
Also, if you get a chance, ask Amy if she can talk and walk onto an escalator at the same time. ;)
Day 5 I'm really sorry that I dragged Joy and Amy to the zoo in the hundred degree weather, but in my defense, we were supposed to go in the morning before it was boiling hot, but we didn't make the Holocaust museum the night before. AND we each picked one thing we wanted to do and this was mine. Hey, random, I know, but I'd never seen giant pandas before. Aren't they cute? He was eating an enormous popsicle. Plus, my family likes zoos. My daddy buys an annual pass to Hogle Zoo every year. I've also been to the zoos in Chicago, IL, Knoxville, TN, and St. Louis, MO.
Umm... we accidentally left Amy when we boarded the train that night... I don't know why she didn't see us running to jump on. She said someone tripped her.
Day 6 While waiting in line to see the mansion at Mount Vernon, this member of George's cabinet entertained us with a cricket-like game. The ball is on a lever which you hit with the paddle to make it fly into the air, at which point you swing (basically, pitching to yourself). The ball must land within the marked field, though, or it is a strike.

This trip was so relaxing. I didn't realize how stressed I was until I came home and it all hit me again. It was just so nice to get to spend a week with good friends that I have known for years and years. I can't believe I've known Joy for a decade now... and she still likes me ;). I don't remember the last time I laughed and laughed so much. Thanks, Amy for providing comic relief. I love you guys!