DC…unloaded

Lots more pictures where these came from, but here are a few of my favorites. One thing I must note about DC: a massive phallus visible for miles, looms above the city, ever watchful. The Washington Monument, of course.

At night, the light and the reflection of the soldiers off the wall is creepy. By day, it’s quite moving.

Always been my favorite president.

Look closely for the phallus. It’s in there…

The Vietnam wall. 58,256 names. So far.

A most notable exhibit from the Native American Museum. God knows what it means.

This might be Writer guy.

Tidbits

School starts again soon, so the next few weeks my blocks of free time will vacillate between sparse and non existent; it’s the ebb and flows of a season driven workload. Still managing to sneak in some writing here and there, but I really need to do much more about making time for it because I’m getting into the usual trouble: creating drama and drinking too much. Sometimes both at the same time.

Caught up with good friends this past Friday, one who I lost touch with during the separation and divorce. He and his fiancee bought a fantastic home in a kitch town near the water. What really impressed me about the purchase is that it presents like the working home, not a starter place, even though this is their first house together and they are fairly young. Always nice when a couple gets their digs so right on round one. They really did their homework and stood their ground on what they wanted, accepting nothing less.

But back to needless drama and booze. After much gin and vodka, out of nowhere I said something like: “Dude, if you hurt her, I better not find out, because I will disappear you.”

The Bud: “You have my permission. I’ll deserve it.”

Sam: “You just earned the next round.”

Later, as the sidewalks turned some odd angles, the air went cold, and the hands of fall tugged at my bare arms, in a moment of clarity surrounded by the blur of the evening, I remembered what it felt like to put it all on the line for a girl who would do the same for me.

And it was a pretty memory, just to know that it ever happened.

Roll on throttle

After 20 hours of intensive instruction and hands on training exercises, I passed the motorcycle road test. Riding a motorcycle is even more fun than I expected. There was a lot to learn, and I have a lot more still to learn before becoming a novice rider. It will take time before I feel proficient.

Now that I know more about the physics of motorcycles, I have reversed my stance on toting passengers. Before the course, I had hoped that after a year of real riding I might take a passenger on a short ride. OK, that someone would be a cute girl. After talking with four instructors with collectively fifty years of experience and only one accident among them, though, the choice is clear: Avoid taking passengers on a motorcycle, unless they have training to be one.

Extra weight on board can drastically affect the balance of the bike. Oh, that passenger may be gorgeous, but if they lean the wrong way, or at a bad spot, it’s possible the bike goes toppling. A sweet nothing whispered in the rider’s ear might just be the last thing either of them hear.

And that means no more riding.