October 25, 2001 (continued)

The Viet Nam section of the American History Museum contains many letters, flowers and other memorabilia garnered at the memorial Wall.  There are sections there for every war and "action", with history of each.  I stood at a podium that puts you in the picture as the President doing his inaugural address.  Three choices every day, today was Kennedy, Truman and Humphrey.  They have a teleprompter there with each presidents' speech.  I saw a history of revolvers, toys, radios, race cars, you name it, they have it!  There is costume jewlery, books, magazines, films of high and low points in History - just too much to see in such a short period of time.  Before I knew it, it was rush hour and time to head back.  I am homesick now and although I want to stay and see more, I am ready to go home.  We had planned to go on a river cruise tomorrow along the Potomac, but they say the weather is about to change, so I don't imagine we will do that now.  On the way home stopped in the Godiva Chocolate store and when I told the lady there I was from California,  she gave me chocolate!  yummmmmmmm  Told you the folks here are very friendly! I cooked dinner tonight, but the girls decided to go out with their friends for Pizza, so I ate alone and learned my lesson.  Kids are kids, no matter their age!

October 26, 2001

Last day here ... All the kids had appointments today to have group pictures taken at the reflecting pool in front of the Capital and I went with them.  That took a chunk out of the day since they didn't start until after noon.  I was so busy taking pictures with all their cameras that I didn't get one on mine!  But they took one of me, just to prove I was there! After the pictures, Heather, Leticia and I headed for Georgetown on the Metro and bus.  We wandered the streets, they shopped a little, we went through a couple of neighborhoods looking at the houses which are so cute and went to lunch at a French restaurant.  It was cold and windy, definate coat weather!  Big change in the weather! Leticia headed back to study after lunch and Heather and I went up to the National Cathedral.  It was late and the tours had stopped, but we were able to wander around inside.  Services were going on, so we refrained from picture taking and the souvenier shop was closed, so we weren't able to get pictures of the inside.  This is an EXTREME MUST SEE - amazingly beautiful, with what must be thousands of stained glass windows, and absolutely huge.  It is definately Gothic, much like the castles of Scotland and England that I've seen on T.V.  We were able to wander through many sections, up stairs and down, through passages of stone with flickering lights in sconces on the walls.  If I didn't know it was a church I would have been thoroughly spooked! We took the bus home, met a postal lady who was being medicated for Anthrax, saw more of Embassy Row and Dupont Circle and were dropped about a block from the apartment!  It was very cold by now - not even good smoking weather!  So mostly stayed in and packed!

October 27, 2001

There just simply isn't enough room to tell you about my trip home -- lost my ticket twice, spent almost 7 hours in O'Hare airport, went 9 hours AWAKE without a smoke!  It was not a pretty day!  It was a 45 minute walk from outside (the only place to smoke at O'Hare) to my gate, and it took about an hour to get through security!  So I wasn't going out again after missing my first plane trying to get my ticket replaced.  Finally got home about 10pm (was due around 5pm) and was very happy to see Steve and Rudy waiting for me! I didn't mention it, but the security in D.C. was very tight.  You were searched going in to every museum and monument, some places wrote down serial numbers of camera's, palm pilots, computers and checked you going in and out!  Definate culture shock!  Anyway, I had a great time and I hope everyone can take the time to see our Nation's Capital!  There is something for everyone there and, I believe, it is a very important part of our heritage!  Thanks for sticking with me!!