Month: April 2007

Everyone needs a vintage plane hanging from their ceiling.
It is quite nice to take in a museum, especially during one’s lunch hour. Since the National Postal Museum is just an elevator ride from where my training is taking place, I decided to pay it a quick visit during my lunch break.

The postal museum is in the grand building that was Washington’s post office from 1914-1986. The building is still an impressive structure in the style of the nation’s capital being a living history lesson. The museum is part of the Smithsonian institutions so we’re not talking about some podunk little Museum of the Cheese Doodles. Like the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, the postal facility has some airplanes hanging from the ceiling, only quite a number fewer.

Lunch was at one of the many places inside Union Station, just across the street from Postal Square and the postal museum. It has been pretty much a mad house at the old/new train/subway station-cum-mall all this week during lunch because the Cherry Blossom festival is under way and kids in groups of thousands are everywhere.

After lunch I went outside and walked through the flocks of fat pigeons. Union Station has some of the heaviest pigeons I have ever seen and those birds don’t seem to get in any hurry to get out of your way. One might say they almost seem sort of surly. Washington should name it’s baseball team the Washington Surly Pigeons.

Washington pigeons have a power lunch at Union Station.

It wasn’t a total surprise that it was cold when I left the hotel to catch the subway in Betheda this morning. The sudden downpour of snow flurries were kind of unexpected, although the forecast has been calling for snow tomorrow evening. Oh well. A few flurries don’t hurt anything.

This weekend I plan to do some of the tourista stuff in Washington. I’m not sure where all I will go. I do want to make a trip to The Wall during this visit as the last time I was in D.C. I only had one afternoon to look around because I was working the entire trip.

My regrets that I have nothing profound to say — not to imply that I normally produce any profundities here in this little blogorama. The classes I am taking are kind of taxing and amidst all this learning I hope to actually take in some of the country’s treasures on what is for me both a work trip and a sightseeing journey. If I happen to come across anyone with any wisdom, I will be sure to pass it on in this venue. But please bear in mind — I am in Washington, D.C.

This is the weather forecast for Saturday in Bethesda, Md., where I am staying for the next two weeks:

Saturday: A chance of snow showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 45. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Jeez Dog, it’s April!

The weather has been pleasant since I arrived yesterday afternoon at Baltimore-Washington airport. I had a hellish ride from the airport to my hotel in Bethesda courtesy of a Super Shuttle driver, a fellow with whom I almost got into a fight. It took nearly three hours for “Speedy” to take me to the hotel. Along the way, he had to drive around one guy’s hotel three times before the passenger could escape. The poor traveler was from somewhere in Asia and, speaking little English, had no idea what was happening. But I wasn’t far behind him.

Were it not for a very alert motorcyclist, the Super Duper shuttle driver could have put a little cycle sticker on the side of his van for destroying the bike, much as fighter aces place flags to signify enemy fighters that they blew out of the sky.

I called the shuttle manager today to complain and he said that he would refund my fare. It was the second act of good business practice I experienced in as many days.

After my rotten ride to the hotel, I walked down the street to Pizzeria Uno for a bite. I had ordered a small salad to munch on while I waited for my pizza. Of course, the pizza came but the salad did not. I tried my best not to be too upset, I was just too tired and beaten down by people who can’t seem to do their job correctly. But after talking to the manager, my meal was comped and he bought me a large glass of beer to boot.

My class in Washington today for my part-time bureaucrat job went better than expected. It was just a long and boring event. The classes are just across the street from Union Station, which was a site of pandemonium because every kid on the planet it seems is out of school this week and visiting the city during the Cherry Blossom festival. Hopefully I’ll take some pictures tomorrow.

I am about to chill and watch the news on teevee. It’s something I’ve missed during my time on the street, especially with the ability to kick back with a cold beverage. My hotel room is way beyond my expectations. It’s an extended stay type joint where I am staying. It comes with a real kitchen, living area and bedroom (and a nice bathroom with a toilet in tact, so far). I have two beds and two teevees, so I am having a hell of time figuring out how I am going to sleep in both beds and watch both televisions at the same time. Oh well, I suppose I’ll figure something out.