DC Day 2

We were on an early train again today, heading into the heart of DC for additional “learning opportunities” for Kaleb.  We went right over to the Capital building to see about getting tickets for a tour.  It was then we found out we weren’t allowed to bring any food or bottles (empty or full) into the building.  We use metal bottles for drinking water and we didn’t want to throw them away, so we walked three long blocks over to Union Station to find a place to store them while we were on the tour.  What a bother.

Back again, the three long blocks, and we were allowed in through the security screening to see our nation’s capital.  So much has changed about the tour since we took it 20 years ago.  We were just basically taken into the rotunda and shown the statues that line the walls, and that’s it.   When we were on this tour before, we were shown around a bit more, given more information and certainly not subjected to all the tight security measures.  Such is the new reality.

Each state is allowed to have two statues on display in the Capital building.  I was very pleased to find out that our two statues are of Mother Joseph from the Sisters of Providence (that started the hospitals where I was once employed), and the missionary doctor Marcus Whitman that set up a care station mission in Walla Walla, to all those traveling the Oregon Trail.  They were both Christians!  How about them apples?  Even in today’s post-Christian world, the statues still stand.  At one time anyway, our state was proud of their Christian heritage.  I’m not sure who decides which statues stand there, but only four states have replaced any of their statues and that’s because someone from their state later became president.   So unless someone from our state becomes president (some radical group protests or sues), they will be there for a good long while.  Hallelujah for that!

 A crypt was built into the center of the floor of the rotunda to house the body of George Washington, but once he found out of those plans, he wrote in his will he’d have nothing to do with that, so he’s buried at his home in Mount Vernon.  Good thinking.  They already tried to make him “god-like” by painting his image in with all the other Roman gods on the ceiling.  Crazy idol worship.

After the rotunda tour we asked about seeing the House of Representatives assembly room, as well as that of the Senate.  We were told to go across the street and down a block to our own Representatives’ office in order to get the entry tickets from them.  How convenient.  We decided to pay a visit to Rep. Reichert’s office, since we like that guy, so we gave his otherwise bored office staff, something to do.  There were four guys sitting behind the front desk when we showed up – not doing a darn thing.  I hope they were volunteers.  Congress isn’t in session until next week so I’m sure everyone is slacking these days – especially the cops and security guards that outnumber the tourists this time of year.

We got the tickets and went through two security screenings to see the Senate viewing area.  A guy was in the room answering questions so that helped, otherwise it was just an empty room where photographs were not allowed.  We went over to the House side but then had to go down three floors to drop off our cell phones, cameras and all electronic devices, since those aren’t allowed in that area.  I don’t understand why they have different rules.  Even though it too was an empty room, Kaleb was told to take off his baseball hat and Kory was told to sit down.  I guess that police officer needed to feel like he was doing a good job, telling folks what to do in order to keep our country safe.  There was also a person employed just to push the button on the elevator we took up to the third floor.  That’s all she did.   I guess the government has figured out how to put America back to work.

Yesterday when we were at the FDR Memorial, Kaleb made the comment that Obama needs to go visit that place so he could get some ideas on what to do to help our country “get back to work”.  I thought that was funny.  I also thought it was funny that the Washington Monument was built in two phases.  The first phase was stopped because they RAN OUT OF MONEY!  Imagine that concept?  Not moving forward on things until they can afford it.  I think Obama needs to visit that place, too.

In order to tour the White House, we would have had to ask our Congressperson a month ago, because they have to do a background check on every person that goes in there now.  So there is no such thing as last minute tours, thanks to 9/11.

I hate seeing all the overkill security and government waste at work here in DC, but on the other hand, all the museums are free.  We also had another gorgeous day with no humidity and a nice breeze so I don’t really mean to complain, I’m just expressing my observations.  It was a lovely day.

Kory and Kaleb went to get a jump-start on the Air and Space Museum after we were done at the Capital, and I took the long walk back to get our water bottles out of storage.  Since the Postal Museum was right next to the train station, I popped on in there to take a look.  I was the only one in there, except for all the security people.  It’s actually a pretty nice museum and they big deal their mascot dog, Owney, from a hundred years ago, so that was nice.  He’s now on one of the forever stamps, so I had to buy a few sheets of those.  He’s also stuffed and on display. 

I met up with Kory and Kaleb for lunch at the Air Museum, which actually hasn’t changed much in the 20 years since I was there last.  I got bored quickly so I went next door to the Native American Museum and was most impressed by that place.  I didn’t realize our very own Yakima Indian Nation is the only one that stood up to the government and wouldn’t let them take their land.  They have over a million and a half acres they use to maintain much of their native lifestyle, hunting and gathering, and half of that is closed to public access.  I thought that was very cool.

We still had a few hours left in the day when we took the subway back to the hotel.  Kaleb wanted time to go swimming in the pool tonight and finish a card game (Phase 10) we’ve been playing the last few nights.  Last night we got in just in time to sleep, so he wasn’t too happy about that.  So he and I went swimming and I soaked my tired bones in the hot tub and all was right with our world for one more day.  Incredible. 

The only not so great thing that happened today is that Kaleb lost his beloved hat with the Presidential seal we bought him yesterday.  He set it down somewhere in the museum and that was the end of that.  He cried.  Lesson learned.  At least we got a photo of it.

The Other Washington

We are staying at a hotel near the end of the Red Line on DC’s subway system, so it was a sweet commute into the heart of the capital today.  We were in the city just a little after eight, beginning our long day of discovery.

Our first sight was the Washington Monument, which is now closed because the earthquake they had last week put some major cracks in the walls and it’s been deemed unsafe.  It will be a long time before it’s open to the public again, I’m sure, but it’s beauty is best enjoyed from afar anyway, not inside.  Kaleb was a little bummed about it, but he saw plenty of other places that made him soon forget.

Kaleb signed up for the Junior Ranger program right away so we then spent the next six and a half hours walking around the Mall, following him from place to place acquiring all the data he needed in order to qualify for the program.  I think it’s the most work he’s ever done to get the badge, but I know the information he learned will stick better because he had to hunt for it.

We walked down to the Lincoln Memorial, but the reflecting pond in front of it was under construction so it was one more thing Kaleb moaned about not being as he expected or anticipated based on the sight he’s seen in books and movies.  Oh well.

The Ranger at the Lincoln Memorial was very informative, helpful and entertaining so he told us some tidbits we wouldn’t have otherwise known.  He also pointed out a crack in the top of one of the columns from the earthquake he just noticed this morning, so after he reports that to the authorities, I wouldn’t be surprised if they shut down the Lincoln Memorial, too.  He told us last week the Monument was filled with tourists when the earthquake shook and he was sure the top was going to fall down on people and everyone went running down the steps screaming.  Glad we missed that.

The Vietnam Vet Memorial wall is very near the Lincoln Memorial so we walked on over there and explained a few tidbits to Kaleb about that tragic war.  He had lots of questions today about war, politics, the economy and politicians.  I guess this trip has already accomplished the goal of peaking his interest in the whole “social studies” arena.

The WWII Memorial and the Korean War Memorial weren’t here when we were last here 20 years ago, and the MLK Memorial just opened up last week, so it was nice to see those.  We walked around the “Basin” from the MLK, Jr. Memorial over to the Jefferson Monument with a long stop at the FDR Memorial and were so thankful for the lack of humidity today, because of the hurricane, and the temperature was downright comfortable.  We probably walked 15 miles today and didn’t overheat once.

We didn’t stop to have lunch until after three, and we’d missed breakfast, so we were running on empty.  Kaleb wanted to eat at Subway, since we took the subway into the city, and we saw on a map there was one in the Ronald Reagan building, so we headed over there once Kaleb completed his Jr. Ranger program and got his badge.  We had to show ID and go through a metal detector just to eat at Subway, since it was in a food court in a federal building.  I couldn’t believe it.

The White House was nearby so we stopped there for a quick photo.  Tours are no longer possible, ever since 9/11, so we had to be happy with a view of the outside.  Then it was on to our first Smithsonian Museum – the History one.  Kaleb wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of it, but then we couldn’t get him out of there and we were the last one’s to leave at 7:30 when they closed.  We saw all the exhibits and as we exited we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the Mall.  It was magical.

A quick subway ride back to the hotel and our 15 hour day was done and we’re hoping for a good night’s sleep so we can do it all again tomorrow.  We still have several museums and Congress to visit so our days will fly by but the memories will  certainly linger.

Headin' South

I know the media likes to hype things up a bit, and Hurricane Irene was no exception, but I’m on the side that says “better safe than sorry.”  Since the weather does have that unpredictable element to it, no one really knows exactly how things will play out.  It could have been much worse, so I also believe that many people were praying, and God had mercy.  I’m thankful Connie’s house was spared.

As we drove south today we saw many areas that were flooded, many trees down, roads closed and detours necessary.  She was protected by the hand of God, no doubt about it.

Early this morning, Kory and I took off for a quick trip to Starbucks to get on the internet.  It was just a mile from Connie’s house, but the entire block was out of electricity, so they were closed.  Police cars were blocking a major road nearby so there must have been a tree down.  We had to go without coffee and the internet.  Oh, the withdrawls.

While Kory worked to remove all the plastic and sand bags around Connie’s house, Kaleb and I started moving all the branches we’d cut the other day.  At first, when we started cutting them, I suggested we just put them next to the stream, since the storm was coming, we knew they’d just wash away.  But Connie said the garbage was coming the next day and they’d pick them up, so we hauled them up to her driveway and stacked them along there.  Later that day she remembered they won’t pick up anything behind the mailbox (where they all were piled), so we moved them along the street (no small task).  The day we were in New York, the recycling truck came, but they wouldn’t pick them up.  She called the city and they said they had to be cut and bundled, another detail Connie had forgotten.  So the pile just sat by the road for a few days and she started worrying the grass underneath them would die.  So Kaleb and I hauled that huge pile, branch by branch, down the street about a hundred feet and threw them into the swollen creek, to carry them away to parts unknown.  It solved the problem.

I talked to Robbie again last night and he sounds terribly weak and in much pain.  I think it even hurts him to speak.  We were hoping to see him today before we left town, but he wasn’t up for it.  When I talked to him though, he begged me to convince his mom to sell her house.  He’s been the one doing most of the upkeep on it, but none of that has happened for the last two years since he got so sick.  Not only is Connie physically unable to keep it up, but the fact her memory is fading so fast is also of great concern.  He told me too, “She’s losing her marbles.”  Very, very sad for me to see.  Kory talked to her at length about selling the place, but she’s convinced no one would buy it.  We told her to at least put it on the market, but I don’t think she will.  I suspect part of her attachment to it is that Curt is buried in the cemetery just across the street, and she’s still holding on to him.  That woman has had one rough life and it makes me thankful for each and every day we have it as good as we do.

So we took off this afternoon after cleaning up Connie’s yard as best we could, and headed south toward Washington, DC.  There was no one on the roads at first, but the traffic picked up a little later in the day when the wind died down.  Driving over some of the bridges was a real white-knuckle experience as we were being tossed about by the wind a bit more than I liked.  We counted at least 100 tree-trimming trucks with “cherry picker buckets” heading north.  Huge convoys of them were going, one after another.  There was also huge convoys of trucks from different power companies heading north, too, so a lot of people are getting overtime this week, that’s for sure.  It was “all hands on deck” kind of thing and quite the parade of vehicles to pass.

We stopped off at a very nice rest stop in Delaware that was just like a food court in a mall.  They had all kinds of restaurants, a nice courtyard for eating, free wi-fi and a tourist info counter with all the things to do in Delaware.  If we hadn’t stopped, we’d drive right through that state in about 15 minutes on the freeway, and Kaleb wanted to count it as a place he’s “been,” so we stopped.  Kory had coffee and I posted my blog. 

Washington DC is about two and a half hours south of Philadelphia by car, so it wasn’t a bad drive.  I had reserved a hotel in Rockville, Maryland just north of DC, and that’s where we are now.  I called ahead to be sure they had electricity, and they did.  It’s a nice business hotel so it’s in a quiet area, it’s nearly brand new, has a pool, free wi-fi and free shuttle to the subway station we’ll be taking into DC every day this week.  Sweet.

We all had a little workout session in their very cool gym, then Kaleb enjoyed a dip in the pool while I answered some emails.  We played “Phase 10” in our room after dinner, until bedtime.  Currently, I’m in the lead, but we didn’t have time to finish it before the day was done.  It’s a cushy hotel with lots of extras, and as Kaleb said, “No threat of flooding.”  So we’re happy to have a few days in this town where one of my great-great grandfather’s (on my dad’s side) was born and raised.  Life’s good.

Riding Out the Storm

While the others in the house were still sleeping, I headed on down to the local Starbucks to pick up my email this morning and see the on-line news for back home.  Every channel here is just non-stop hurricane coverage so I had no idea what’s been happening in the rest of the world as not one another thing has been mentioned.  Talk about overkill.

When I got back, Kory and Connie were outside moving things away from the house that could damage windows in high winds, or float away in a flood.  Connie kept telling us she had sand bags and not to worry, but the news said there will be historic flooding, so I figured she needed more than just the three little sand bags she’s used in the past when the water level from her creek reached the house.  I’m imagining the house will be surrounded by water and more preparations were needed.

Kory and I drove to the nearest Home Depot to find sand bags, but they were not-surprisingly, sold out.  We bought a big container of thick plastic bags and decided to make our own.  Connie’s stream just flooded last week.  The good news is, it left a lot of piles of sand on the other side of her creek that we could use now, but the bad news is, the ground is still saturated from the 13” of rain they’ve had already this month, so the flooding will be more fierce. (Photo below is of the stream before the rain...)

I think Connie’s in denial about what may come her way so Kory and I provided the overkill preparations the news was warning everyone to take.  “I’ve been here 32 years and I’ve seen it all…” is Connie’s response to everything.  “I grew up in Indiana and we had floods all the time, nothing is new to me…” she says.  But when I ask her if she’ll evacuate her house if there’s two feet of standing water in her basement (where we are sleeping), she just gives me a blank stare.  It obviously doesn’t compute, what this hurricane could mean.  I’m trusting God it won’t be as bad as they say, but if it is, I’m sure glad she’s not riding it out alone.  Her idea of “preparations” were just to put the door rug up against the screen door and set the old milk box next to it, to keep the water out.  Kory, on the other hand, duct taped some plastic about three feet up both her basement doors, then set about two feet of sand bags that Kaleb and I made, stacked in front of them.  He sealed the inside of the doors as well and we wedged bath towels between the screen doors and the house door.  I am not 100% certain it will hold out all the water if we get the ten inches they say we can get, but it will hold better than the door mat and milk carton, I’m sure.

After lunch we thought we’d kill a few hours by going to see a movie at the theatre so we headed just a few miles down the road to do just that.  The rain was coming down pretty hard though, and after we drove through a few low spots on the road that had a lot of standing water, we realized it might not be so smart to be gone from home for a few hours, risking the chance of not making it back.  We stopped off and bought a few more snacks, then headed back to Connie’s.  She thought we were being wimps, but I figured it was better safe than sorry.  We don’t know all the alternative roads back to her house if one road was closed, and the GPS might not pick up a signal if the clouds are too thick, so we thought it was wise.  I was bummed though we didn’t have an outing today, but I guess hurricanes do that to people’s plans.

The local news told us today because of the saturated soils, even just getting two inches of rain will cause flooding, so I can’t imagine what 10 inches will do.  We moved the car to higher ground, over at the neighbor’s driveway, but I don’t know if it will be high enough.  Should be an interesting night.

When the lights started flickering, we asked Connie to get out those candles she said she had plenty of, just so we wouldn’t have to go hunting for them in the dark.  She dug around in a drawer and gave me five packs of birthday cake candles and said, “See, I told you I have plenty….”  These are the things that make me realize she’s no longer connecting all the dots.  I’m glad we are here.

As we watched the news non-stop to see how the hurricane was progressing, we actually got to experience the “Emergency Broadcast System” that the TVs are always just “testing” in our neck of the woods.  Here, it was real.  The screen went blank, the beeps were loud and a voice came on telling everyone that tornados were spotted in certain areas – including the one we are in!  We all headed down to the basement as they said we should do, but we’d already taken all our stuff up to the top floor because of the potential flooding in the basement.  The water level at that point was right up next to the house and flooding was possible at any moment, so we wondered where we were really the safest.  If the roof blew off from high winds and the basement flooded, we had no where else to go, so we just prayed.  We weren’t afraid or freaking out, we were just perplexed.  Kaleb thought the whole thing was pretty exciting and I think secretly hoping something dramatic would happen.  We asked God’s hand of protection on Connie’s house, especially when the tornadoes were reported to be right near her place.  We were at peace, but still glued to the TV, and fortunately, we never lost power. 

Robbie called about 11pm to tell us he’d been out of power for about an hour, so we were thankful we still had electricity.  Kaleb fell asleep on the couch about midnight, Kory went to bed about one and I’m still awake with the TV on, watching this thing unfold.

Sunday morning update:  The creek level went up six feet from before the storm (Kory made a measuring rod) but this morning it had receded quite a bit during the night and we didn’t flood.  (Photo above is after it was down a few feet - it was well over the bridge last night.)  All the neighbors did flood though – even the ones on higher ground.  No big branches or trees down or damage around Connie’s place – so Hallelujah for answered prayer!  Others weren’t so blessed.  I “slept” on the couch with the TV on all night just so I’d hear if there were more emergency broadcast messages, but all was quiet and life is calm after the storm.  Thank you, Lord.  What a ride.