DC - Last Night Celebration!

I'm going to preface this post with a disclaimer... I just returned from a FANTASTIC dinner and am slightly inebriated. That being said...

You know how I've been glossing over the actual reason why I'm in DC? The EEOC class? Well, I'm not going to go into any detail - but I just wanted to say that, while it's been a great class, this class has had more than it's fair share of those people. You know who I mean. The ones that like to try and stump the teacher - the ones that insist upon enlightening the class with their own personal experiences - the ones that like to say things like "I just graduated from the advanced EEOC class, I made the DEAN's list!" Yeah, those people. Now, I'm not saying that I haven't been a teacher's pet at one point or another - I've been the teacher's pet alot! But, that was school. This is work. When it's work - people want to get out on time, if not early! So, that being said, Shut The F*** Up. Thanks.

Ok, now that I've vented...

I had a very nice afternoon. We were let out a little earlier than usual so I managed to get my homework done before 5pm. Which means I had a very smooth Metro ride down to the Mall. I visited the WWII Memorial again and made my way up the west/south side to the Korean Memorial. I've never seen this Memorial before. It was a stunning statue garden with bronze figures walking through an imaginary Korean battlefield. While I was there an Asian speaking tour group arrived. They snapped shots quicker than I ever could and quickly bustled off. I ended up following them to the Lincoln Memorial which was completely overrun.

I took a few pictures and climbed the stairs to see the great man himself. He really is huge. I wanted to feel something profound, but it just didn't come to me. Too many people, perhaps. After I picked my way through the tourists and down the stairs, I went over to the right/north side of the reflection pool to the Vietnam Memorial.

As I looked at the Memorial itself, I noticed how it's appearance reflected it's presence in American History. It looks like a crack in the ground and, from what I've gathered, the war itself was a crack in our society that divided the "old school" from the "free thinkers." Of course, that's a very broad generalization, but it's undeniable that the Vietnam War turned out to be a polarizing event in our history. Close by was a Memorial dedicated to the female nurses of Vietnam. The expressions on their faces were so realistic that I had to turn away. I felt awkward but I couldn't tell you why.

It was about that time that the rain (which was NOWHERE on the radar! I checked!!) decided to make an appearance. It was a light shower, nothing to make me run for cover. I walked down the reflecting pool and tried to absorb as much atmosphere as I could soak up. Too soon I arrived at the Smithsonian Metro stop.

Earlier in the week I had spotted a restaurant called Bistro Bis near my hotel. Since I had no other recommendations for dinner this evening, I decided to give it a try. It was wonderful. I was seated quickly and the waiter was very helpful in picking out a wine to go with my dinner. I chose the Salmon and was not disappointed. It was presented with asparagus, a type of onion I'd never seen, small wild mushrooms and caviar. The waiter recommended a lovely Rose wine to complement the dinner and I savored every bite. At this moment I am recalling the savory blend of onion with salmon. I wish I could describe it better - you'll just have to try it next time you're in DC.

While I was finishing up my dinner a party of twelve was seated not far from me. I watched them interact and reflected that their party was a microcosm of Washington DC. They ranged in age from early 20's to mid 60's. Their group was both male and female and every ethnicity you could dream up. Yet, they were comfortable and interacting equally. This type of "blind" interaction is rare where I come from. Here, it's par for the course. I love how this city doesn't care what you look like.

I chose to have dessert, Citrus Crème Brule with a fruit compote. Easily the best tasting thing I've had in my entire life. The couple that was seated next to me just as I began noted the look on my face and asked: Is it that good? Oh yes. Yes, everything about this week has been that good. And by the way, I highly recommend the Salmon.