TTT vs FTT

Hello again,



I know it has been a while so I will try to get everyone caught up to speed.



First, I always wanted to bring the boys to Washington DC, but I planned to wait until they were old enough to appreciate it and not whine about all the walking involved in touring the city. Somehow they got to the ages of 19, 21, and 23 and we never made it here. "The best laid plans..." I was lucky and felt grateful that Gareth and Dalen were still willing to come this week even though they were old enough that I couldn't force them. Ian just wasn't interested and at the age of 21 there wasn't much I could do about it except accept his decision (and tell his brothers to punch him in the arm a few dozen times:)). I missed having him around this week, but it was great to see the rest of my family.



I saved some of the most important tourist sites for while they were here--The Capitol, Pentagon, and White House were at the top of the list of tours I scheduled for this week. Even though the 3rd Congressional District no longer has a representative, the office is still open and we had a very nice intern give us a tour. The new Capitol Visitor's Center is open and it is pretty impressive, but it is also where I was reminded of the difference between TTT (Tami Touring Time) and FTT (Family Touring Time). One of the points I made in my proposal for the Lilly Grant was the desire to be able to take my time and really see everything that interested me. If I had been at the Visitor's Center by myself I would have spent a lot more time there, but we were working on FTT so we left before I was ready. I will have to try to get back there before I leave. We also went to the Supreme Court building where operating on FTT was fine because I had already been there, and we went to the Library of Congress on FTT because I will be going back there to do a workshop in July.



Now before you being thinking that FTT and TTT are mutually exclusive, let me tell you that they aren't. When we toured the Hirshhorn Art Museum TTT and FTT were the same, and it worked out well. Sometimes I actually like FTT better than TTT. If I had gone to the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum by myself I would not have spent as much time there and I would not have gotten as much out of the experience. Being on FTT was definitely an advantage.



Thursday night, however, was TTT all the way. I arranged a date night for Tom and I. When I was planning this before I left Fort Wayne a friend of mine from school and I called this "Little Black Dress Night" or LBD night for short. I am happy to say it all worked out the way I envisioned it would. We went to a very nice restaurant for a meal like I have never had before--or spent as much for in my life. It was very nice and everything tasted wonderful. Afterward, we went to the Kennedy Center to see the Reduced Shakespeare Company perform their show One Hundred Ninety Seven Movies in One Hundred Minutes. This is the same company that originally did the Shakespeare play that I directed a few years ago. It was really funny, but I still like their Shakespeare show better. During the intermission we went out to the terrace and were able to watch the sunset over the Potomac River and Roosevelt Island. Aaahhhhhh.......

After the show I wanted to go to the bar at the Willard Hotel for a drink. For those of you who don't know the story, the Willard Hotel is just a couple of blocks from the White House and President U.S. Grant (1868-1876) liked to walk down there after a hard day at work and get a drink. Well, people who wanted to talk to him knew he would be there and it would be a good chance to plead their cases so they waited for him in the long central hallway leading to the bar. This hallway became known as "peacock alley" because anybody who was anybody wanted to be seen there, but President Grant complained about all these people in the lobby who were keeping him from relaxing (and drinking) so he called them (negatively) the lobbyists, and that is where that term originated! The hotel fell on hard times and was almost torn down, but it has been restored, it is still a hotel, and peacock alley is still there as is the bar. I will say this for DC, the drinks are expensive, but they make sure to put enough alcohol in them so you get your money's worth! Whew!! I ordered my first martini (yum) and my evening was complete! My loving husband agreed to be on TTT, and I had a wonderfully memorable night. sigh.....(What a guy!)

The Pentagon runs on Pentagon time so that worked out well, and I have already been to the White House so FTT was fine. I couldn't let them leave town without seeing the National Cathedral, all the monuments lit up at night, and Arlington National Cemetery so we went to these places also. All in all, I think they had a good trip, and I was able to show them the things they really needed to see. Of course I wish they had more time here and I will miss them, but they have to get back home. I will have to go back on Tami Touring Time, but at least I won't have to change any clocks!

Tami

Family Reunion

Hello,

I have company! Tom, Gareth, and Dalen are here! Ian couldn't make it :(

They got here last night after only getting lost once! I am sooooo proud :) It was a long day of driving for them, but it was a long day of waiting for me. I passed some of the time at the Kennedy Center at the matinee performace of Ballet Across America II. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon, and now that I have figured out the best way to get there it wasn't difficult at all :)

Today was a beautiful day but HOT so we decided to find a nice cool museum in which to start their vacation. I wanted to start with the Washington Monument, but the tickets were already sold out so we went right to the Smithsonian museums. I asked them if they wanted to go to the U.S. History, Natural History, Air and Space, or National Archive. Gareth, God bless him, said all of them! That's my boy! We started at the U. S. History museum because it is closest to the Washington Monument. Needless to say, we didn't spend as much time as I did when I was there by myself, but I did see a few things I didn't see the first time like Clark Gable's uniform from W.W. II!! Dalen was kind enough to take a picture of it for me with his camera. Yep, I'll claim him today, too--God bless him also. After that we went to the Air and Space museum. I hadn't been there since I was a teenager. Next door to the Air and Space museum is the Hirshhorn Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art so we decided to go there next. I am going to apologize to any of you who are able to appreciate the unique aesthetic of modern art because, quite frankly, we can't. I have failed as a parent. However, I will say that we had a lot of fun in a "you-had-to-be-there" kind of way and laughed a lot. Gareth was pretty sure we were going to be thrown out, but we managed to make it through the whole collection.
After that we came home, ate dinner, and the boys decided to use the apartment complex's pool. I hadn't been there yet so I went along to see it. It is very nice and even has a lifeguard which I was not expecting. It was a good way to end the day.

Happy father's day to all of you and/or your dads.
I love you, Daddy!
Tami
P.S. Tom and I are working on my photo album so that you can see all of the pictures I have taken, but now I can't seem to put any in my blog posts. Hopefully, we'll figure it out soon.

Pensions and Punishments

Hello,

Somebody told me that I should check out the National Building Museum while I was in DC. I think it was the band director where I teach. By coincidence, he also is a tour bus driver and has taken groups to DC. Anyway, I am going to give him the credit and thank him when I get back to school. This really is a neat place! The above pictures show you a little about it. The building was originally the Pension Office, and it was designed by Montgomery Meigs--the same guy who designed Arlington National Cemetery. It was the largest brick building in the world at the time-15,500,000 bricks. The band running above the door is a frieze of the Civil War as this was where veteran and their dependents came to get their pensions. Maybe you have heard the story about how their pension records were not kept in file folders but were bound together with red tape-hence, you had to cut the red tape to get anything done! Many of their records were also kept in a warehouse that the government bought from a family of three brothers named Ford after their business was forced to close. Yep, for a while after President Lincoln's assassination Ford's theater was a warehouse that housed pension records, but then the floor collapsed killing several workers and they had to be housed somewhere else. You may also know the Pension building because there have been 19 inaugural balls held there since Grover Cleveland had the first one there in 1885, and Barack Obama had one here too. The best exhibit was one showing how the city of DC has changed over time. Because I have been to many of the areas of the city that they highlighted, it was interesting to me, but I don't think anyone who doesn't know the city would find it as cool. However, they do have the biggest, cheapest, best tasting chocolate cookies I have ever had, and everyone can get excited about that! :)

I also found the Crime and Punishment Museum. I really think my students would like this place. It traces the history of punishment in America starting with things that look more like instruments of torture in the colonial period all the way to lethal injection. It also has a really neat CIS lab and a case for people to solve. A lot of it is interactive which is fun to play with, also. There were a couple of references to the Natalee Holloway case which is a bit eerie considering the authorities just arrested the man they think did it in connection with another murder in Peru.

All in all, a good day!
Love,

Tami

The Greatest statue of a Man You Have Never Heard Of and the Prettiest Fountain That Isn't There

Hello,

Last night was the perfect evening to take a walk. It wasn't too hot or too chilly, it wasn't raining, and I hadn't done enough during the day to totally wear myself out.

I went to my handy-dandy notebook to look for something that might be a good evening excursion and I found the perfect thing--The Bartholdi Fountain in Bartholdi park. It was one of the first illuminated structures in DC (1881) and the garden is supposed to be really beautiful. For those of you who don't know--including me-Frederic August Bartholdi was the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. He also created the fountain in this park.

I walked to the Metro station and took the Blue Line to Metro Center where I transferred to the Red Line and got off at Union Station. As I was walking I found the National Japanese American Memorial which is dedicated to those people who were interred during W.W.II. The centerpiece of the memorial is a bronze Japanese Crane wrapped in barbed wire. It is very moving, but it so difficult to find that I wonder how many people have seen it. It looks like a part of the entry plaza to the office building behind it, and I almost missed it even though I was looking for it. I stopped for a few minutes before moving on to find Bartholdi.

As I passed the Capitol I found another statue that I had sort of been looking for--the one in the first picture. Yep, Robert Taft himself!! Who is Robert Taft, you ask? What did he do to deserve such a wonderful statue with a bell tower that chimes located so close to the Capitol? Your guess is as good as mine! Yes, he was the son of President William Howard Taft, and yes, President Taft was the one who got stuck in the White House bathtub. He also went on the become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and he is the one who managed to get the current court building approved and funded by Congress. Nobody seems to remember that part. Anyway, what did "Sonnyboy" do to deserve all of this? Well, he was a Republican senator from Ohio who sponsored the Taft-Hartley Act that regulates collective bargaining between labor and management, but I think what did it for him was his (and I quote) "Honesty, indomitable courage, and high principals of of free government symbolized by his life" (Douglas W. Orr). So, there you go!!

On to the park!

Bartholdi park isn't too far from Senator Taft, but you won't see it all lit up because the fountain isn't there! The garden is beautiful, but as you can see from the picture, the center area where the fountain should be is surrounded by construction equipment because the fountain is being refurbished. Oops! I saw this park mentioned in several resources and none of them mention that the fountain was not there. Kind of a big oversight on someone's part.

So far tonight I have seen a beautiful but hidden memorial to Japanese-Americans, a wonderful statue to a man no one has ever really heard of, and a park without its signature fountain. Before you begin to think this was a bit of a wasted trip, let me remind you that it was a beautiful evening, I was in DC, and all of these places are within site of the U.S. Capitol where the U.S. Air Force band is playing! Yep, I could just hear the band from each of my stops so after admiring the little garden without its fountain, I crossed the street, walked up the Capitol lawn, and sat on the steps to hear a concert. Not to shabby.

After it ended I went home feeling great!
Love,

Tami

a couple of strikes and a couple of hits

Hello,

When I started researching my trip one of the first things I found out was that sessions of the Supreme Court are open to the public. If you are here from October-April you can sit in when lawyers are arguing their case, and if you are here in June you can see the judges handing down their verdicts. That sounded really interesting so I put it on my list of things to see and do. Well, that information was a bit misleading. Yes, you can tour the building and go into the courtroom when they aren't in session which are definitely worth doing. However, getting into the Release of Opinions isn't so easy. The courtroom really isn't all that big so once the lawyers, people whose cases are being decided, friends, and guests get into the room there isn't much space left for the public. In fact, when I went back yesterday (Monday--and they only do this on Monday) there weren't any seats open for the public. Of course no one said anything about this until 10:00 when the session started. So I made sure I was there early, I got a little yellow ticket that said it didn't guarantee me a seat (it didn't say it didn't guarantee I wouldn't even get it in), and I waited in line for about 40 minutes and DID NOT MOVE. At 10:00 the guard said sorry there were no seats and that was that. Very disappointing.
As I was leaving, I walked around The Capitol to The Mall side and the first museum on the left is the National Museum of the American Indian. A perfect place to make me feel better! I have toured this museum before, and it always seemed a bit confusing and difficult to navigate and I didn't always have a lot of time. Yesterday, I finally had the time (about 4 hours). The Smithsonian worked very closely with various tribes to make sure the museum was as inclusive as possible. We tend to want to lump all tribes together and think they have the same culture--not true. The museum has exhibits about 24 specific tribes plus others that look at common themes among other groups and relations with the U.S. government. It made a lot more sense this time! A miss and a hit so I batted .500 for the day--not too bad.

Today, I got up early to tour the State Department Reception Rooms. I also found out about this tour during my research and had to put in my request back in March. There was a lot of security involved, but it was definitely worth it. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and personable which helps. When Secretary Clinton wants to entertain foreign dignitaries she certainly has an impressive place in which to do it. It qualifies as a hit.

Another tour I found out about was the one at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, also known as the Old Executive Office Building. I confess one of the main reasons I wanted to tour this place is because it is also called the OEOB for short, and they mention it on the West Wing tv show--I LOVE that show! Well, they are in the middle of a restoration project so they aren't giving tours right now, and it is not open to the public..Strike two! At least I took a swing at it.

I decided to come home after the tour and eat lunch at home and catch up on a few things--including my blog :). I also wanted to check all the places I have been and decide where I still want to go. You would think I would be running out of sites after being here for two weeks. Not so! First, my family will be here next week and there are a lot of places I have been saving for them-The Capitol, The White House, The Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, etc. Then there are places like Mount Vernon which will be a day trip, and places that sounded interesting like the National Building Museum--hey, I have heard good things about it! Plus, there are a few places I want to visit again--like the Portrait Gallery (for the third time:)) and some sites I managed to miss in Georgetown. There is a lot to do!

Love,
Tami

Sunday--not a day of rest

Hello,

One of the things I specifically wanted to do while I was in DC was attend a church service at the National Cathedral. We take students there every year, but we never get to actually see a service. I even mentioned this in my grant proposal so today was the day! Getting there isn't the easiest thing in the world, though. I managed to get to the right Metro stop, but once again the bus system was my downfall. When I had to transfer to the bus I was at the wrong stop, and by the time I got to the right one the bus was gone and the next one wouldn't come until after the service started at 10:00. I thought I gave myself plenty of time to get there, but no luck. By the time I got to The Cathedral it was 10:15. There was another service starting at 11:15 so I figured I would kill some time (I've gotten good at that) until then. The usher, however, told me to go right in. The service was being held in one of the smaller chapels near the gift shop in the basement. The Episcopal service is very similar to the Catholic mass so I felt very comfortable. I got there just as they finished reading the Gospel so I was prepared for the Reverend's homily, but this was the Contemporary Folk Service so the homily was actually a discussion. The Reverend engaged the congregation and asked them questions and for their thoughts. It was a very small chapel so it was very intimate and interesting. After that, I also attended the more traditional service in the main church. Wow! If I can figure out the bus system I would love to go to another service.

After church I could catch a bus that would take me down Wisconsin Avenue and into Georgetown so I decided to give it a try. This trip went much better...thank goodness! When I was researching my trip I looked at a lot of guidebooks and one had a 90 minute/3 mile walking tour of Georgetown that I made a copy of, and I had it with me so I decided to follow it. It is beyond me how they thought this tour would only take 90 minutes, and I think it was closer to 30 miles--not 3. Did I mention it was also about 95 degrees? I decided to do it as a scavenger hunt and take a picture of each location as I found it. The directions were good, and I am proud to say I found everything. Here is the list of what I saw and I have the photos to prove it! :)

Dumbarton Oaks (the gardens are amazing), Tudor House (take the tour--it is great), Montrose Park that connects to Rock Creek Park of NCIS fame, Oak Hill Cemetery, Evermay Manor (not open to the public), Dumbarton House (worth seeing and different from Dumbarton Oaks), Mt Zion Church (first African American Church in DC) and Cemetery, Jackie Kennedy's house after leaving the White house, Martin's Tavern (there is a toy store across the street that I ducked into for about 10 minutes while it rained. Then it quit and I was on my way), old street car tracks that haven't been torn up, St. John's Episcopal Church (first picture at top--this is where Thomas Jefferson worshipped when he was in DC), the Kennedy's house that they were living in when he was elected president, a couple of nice kids with a lemonade stand (not in the guidebook but definitely worth the stop and $.50), Georgetown University, the steps from the movie The Exorcist (picture 2), Francis Scott Key bridge and park, Dean and Deluca fine deli and store, Georgetown Park shopping complex that used to be a tobacco barn, the towpath for the C&O Canal, Thomas Jefferson Street which isn't all that impressive, Washington Harbor, and the Old Stone House (picture 3). Whew! Could all of that have been in just one 3 mile area including walking from one to the other? I didn't stop at many of these places for any longer than it took to take a picture, and it took me about 4 hours. Did I mention it was about 95 degrees?

After all of that I caught a bus that took me to the Metro without any problems and the Metro brought me home. A very good, but tiring day. :) Time to relax!

Tami

Samantha Brown moment number 1

For those of you who don't know who Samantha Brown is, watch the Travel Channel! She is awesome. Among the series that she did/does is one called Great Weekends, and she spent one episode in DC. Confession time--one of my silly little goals for this trip is to do the things that Samantha did on her trip to DC. I originally thought about trying to do them all in one weekend like she did, but I thought that was a bit much. However, she started out at Eastern Market on a Saturday morning so guess where I was this morning! Yep! I even saw the same craft booth from which she bought something. I didn't, but I did buy other things. I haven't talked much about shopping because I haven't done much, but this place is a great farmer's market/arts & crafts fair/ flea market all rolled into one. I bought some wonderful baked goods that I am sure don't have any calories in them and a lovely bracelet. The artist who made it was really interesting to talk to. She is a native of DC and lives just two blocks from the market. She gave me a list of places that I have to visit, and she gave me her card and told me to call her if I had any questions about DC. I thought that was very sweet of her. I also bought a photo series of the tidal basin and Jefferson Memorial that shows the same scene in all four seasons. I have told some of the students on our DC trip that if I am ever homeless there is a bench near the FDR memorial that looks out over the water and Jefferson Memorial that I think would be the perfect place to live. This photo series shows almost that exact same view. I am home :).

One Samantha Brown moment down, many more to go!
Tami