Note: All links in post are links to pictures, unless it is noted that it is a video.
Shane has been here for the past week. We had tons of fun. He was at Faith Mission just before he came to our place. He was going to come for volleyball on Saturday night, but he didn’t come until Sunday afternoon then, because he got snowed in. Picture of someone at FMH trying to use a mixing bowl as a sled. Video of an old car being put to good use in the snow.
On Monday we had a great time playing basketball. Shane said that in KS the basketball is faster paced, but he really enjoyed it. Picture of basketball.
On Tuesday we went into DC (Map
of DC). We waited for Benji to finish up some tests at school and then drove
to Vienna where we caught the Metro to the Smithsonian subway stop. On the way
to the first museum we saw a cop
motorcycle pull off the sidewalk where it was parked. It pulled into the
street and stopped traffic. We watched and saw about 5-9 more cop cycles (all
with sidecars) go by. After about 3 had gone by, an ambulance pulled up to the
light with its lights flashing and siren wailing. It hesitated there because
the cop had stopped traffic on the street. A cop frantically waved it on and
it finally went. After the cop cycles came several Secret Service Suburbans
then a limo and
then another Secret Service SUV and then a couple of trailing cop cars. We didn’t
see who was in the limo, but I don’t think that anyone but Bush has such a large
security detail. We first went to the Holocaust museum. I have been there 4-5
times. I have also been to Dachau in Germany and the Israeli Holocaust museum.
Quite the horrible places. I would definitely recommend that everyone at one
point or another stop by. It’s something everyone should do. On the way back,
Shane saw this interesting
sign.
We next proceeded to the Museum of American History. A thorough waste of time.
The most boring place conceivable. (Sort of like that Art Museum I was at years
ago) Shane did find some interesting
quotes. We next
went to the Air & Space Museum. Benji and Shane looked around while I sat on
a bench. (I have been there 6-8 times.)
On Wednesday just Shane and I went in to DC. We went this time to see landmarks.
We first proceeded to the National Cathedral (1,
2, 3).
We took the Metro to the closest stop, which was about 1.5 miles away. We were
going to get all day MetroBus passes and take it down to the Cathedral. It was
a 15 minute wait for the next bus and Shane had some urgent, um,
personal business to take care of. So we decided to walk and look for a place
to, er, dispense with his business. Hollywood Videos and 7-Eleven didn’t have
the proper facilities to accommodate him. Popeye’s did. We took some pictures
in the cathedral. About that time Tyrone Miller called and said he was ready
to eat. He came and picked us up. He cruised around trying to find a little
restaurant called the Capital Brewery and Grill that he liked. He never found
it, so we ate at ESPN
Zone. I had a Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo. After that, Tyrone went back to
work and we waddled over to the Capitol.
This was about a quarter to three quarter mile walk. When we got down there,
Shane took some pretty pictures, but we realized that all the other landmarks
we wanted to see were at the other end of the Mall. So we walked all
the way back to the White House (1,
2, 3).
From there we went
to the WWII Memorial.
Next the Vietnam Memorial,.
On the way to the Vietnam, I suddenly had some urgent business
to take care of. There were some stately oaks along our way. There was only
a few very distant people. I was tempted. Shane and I discussed my options.
The only thing that dissuaded me in the end was Shane’s promise to take a picture.
As we were talking, we came over a rise and I spotted a National Park Service
restroom hut ahead. I ran. The restroom was lovingly maintained by the Park
Service. Everything was sparkling. NOT!! It was stinking filthy. As I
stepped in, I was overwhelmed with cigarette smoke. Two homeless guys had all
their stuff spread out on the floor. Sleeping bags, backpacks, etc. They were
both sitting there smoking. The toilets were overflowing. The floors sticky.
I called 911 and asked them to transfer me to the Park
Police to tell them about it. 911 got a busy signal when they tried to transfer
me.
We proceeded to the Vietnam Memorial. On the way to the Lincoln Memorial(1,
2), I stopped at
a NPS info booth and told a Ranger about the appalling conditions and the squatters.
He looked sympathetic and said “Yeah.” But that’s all he did. From the Lincoln
we took some nice pictures over the Reflecting Pool, over the WWII, with the
Washington M. and Capitol in the background (1,
2, 3).
We next went to the Korean Memorial. We thought about going to Jefferson
Memorial, but didn’t have time. We had prayer meeting that night.
On Thursday we went skiing. Shane was being normal (1,
2, 3)
on the way. See for yourself. First we went to Bryce Resort because it is $20
cheaper for an extended day for lift tickets and rentals. It was really small
and icy. We decided to go on to Massanutten. It was great! (1,
2, 3,
4, 5)
We (Benji, Heidi, Tony, and I) got season passes!! I bowed to peer pressure
and tried Snowboarding. I gave up after five minutes. I was like, “Why in the
world should I spend a bunch of time learning to snowboard when I already know
how to ski!?! What a waste of time!” I did my first Black Diamonds (the most
difficult slope). When I was way at the top of the Black Diamond, I got a call
from one of the Travel Agents for Tech Support. Ahh the dedication I display.
I sat there for 15-20 mins walking Ron & Stan through some stuff. Most unusual
place I have ever given tech support. As I was going down a BD, I saw slalom
poles had appeared since I had gone down the last time. I finally saw two Ski
Patrol guys planting the poles with a drill. They said it was for the Massanutten
Ski Team’s practice. There was this great place on one of the BDs where it was
almost straight down for 30-40 feet. That’s where I learned/got-the-idea to
jump I went over it pretty fast the first time and could not help leaving the
ground. It was quite involuntary. I loved it! I went back to some Blue slopes
and start my jumping! I was getting pretty decent (at least for the first time
I was jumping) and was doing nice little one-foot in the air jumps. Then I met
Patrick at the bottom (some other friends were along). We rode up together.
Patrick and I are both very competitive individuals. When we go down together,
it’s always a contest to see who can go the fastest and be the best. I was going
really fast. I jumped. I went 2.5 feet in the air!! I was good! I could fly!
I couldn’t land it. OK, correction: I couldn’t land it and stay on my feet.
I, much to my displeasure, did land. One ski stay where I landed the
other ski with me attached to it, kept on going for another 25 feet. I went
feet first on my stomach. Did I mention that my ski clothes are not professional,
slick, North Face “ski wear?” I wear sweat pants, PJ pants, blue jeans, and
then basketball pants. Upstairs I wear a flannel shirt, a hoody, and an old
brown leather jacket. Way upstairs I wear sun glasses, a neck-warmer thing,
a stocking cap, and the hoody hood. The middle part is the part that’s important.
My shirt, hoody and coat all got pulled up and I scraped along on my belly on
the cold icy snow. Video
of me skiing. One time on the way up the lift I called Jeff Nisly and told
him in detail all the fun that we were having. He was quite green. He was especially
put out that we had season passes and were close enough to use them. There aren’t
just a whole lot of ski slopes in Kansas. On the way home, a cop had stopped
somebody in the exact same spot Tony got stopped last time.
On Friday night we had a Winter Social. We roasted hot dogs by our pond and skated.
