Al Gore signing books at Olssons Bookstore in DC
Note: In my defense, the photographs in this post were taken with my cell phone which of course does not excuse their questionable composition, but hopefully does explain their poor quality.
Today I took the Metro downtown to at least get a glimpse of Al Gore at Olssons Bookstore where he was signing An Inconvenient Truth. At best, I hoped to purchase a copy and have it signed by Gore. I fell somewhere in between the two possibilities by ignoring both lines (one for purchase, after which you were given a number to get into line #2 for signing); I excused myself through the entrance in the guise of "browsing" for a poetry book. I managed to slide through to the Biography section and you can see from the photo above I had an unrestricted view. I took just the one shot with my cell phone because I did not want to push my luck (or the buttons of the not-so-Secret Service all around me).
I ordered the book this evening (no line!) from Amazon for just $13.95, a forty percent discount on the retail price which I would gladly have paid at Olssons had there not been two lines...I know my limits, and when it comes to standing in lines, they are quite, well....limited. Some time very soon I must follow Tara's advice (see her excellent essay/post Read the book; see the Film) and see the film.
Olssons Bookstore, DC
Chinese prayer beads, Bead Museum, DC
The weather was perfect for strolling about aimlessly (a la flaneur
style) and when I reached the corner I stumbled upon the Bead Museum.
Who knew there was a museum just for beads? I have started reading Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert, in which she describes japa malas (a string of
beads, traditionally 108 beads, used in counting mantras, or prayers).
A helpful staff member took me to the display case that contained a
mala. She explained the the small off-shooting strings held beads that
the owner would add each time they completed the 108 repetitions. She
said that often malas are missing these entensions because they are
kept by the originals owner in the belief that the power of the prayers
were held in these special beads.
Native American bead work, Bead Museum, DC
After leaving the Bead Museum, I walked toward The Mall (the stretch of Museums and National Government building between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial). A restaurant with outdoor seating caught my eye and my stomach agreed that it was time for lunch. The restaurant, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, is one that would undoubtedly be too dear for my pocketbook at dinner time, but the lunch items and prices were reasonable for the neighborhood. I selected the steak salad (I am getting a bit tired of chicken) and it turned out to be a very good choice. I took notes in my journal while leisurely eating and enjoying the passersby. You see all sorts near the Mall--government workers, joggers, Congressional staff members and members of Congress (who are identifiable by their white or light blue shirts and navy, blue, or red ties...my husband was a Congressional staff member for years, trust me on this or watch about 10 minutes of CNN and see for yourself :-), oodles of tourists, and even homeless people. I may have to ammend my Kid Summer activities to take the Metro downtown once a week. So many museums...so little time!
701 Pennsylvania Ave restaurant or, more accurately, the view looking skyward from my table
The restaurant is located directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the National Archives so I journeyed across the street. I walked into the building through the Research Entrance, not really knowing what I was getting myself into. After passing the metal detector test, I approached the desk and asked if I needed an appointment to do research. The attendant/guard was extremely nice and I told her that I was a local teacher writing an online course for the Maryland State Department of Education (this is the truth...I didn't make this up)...you can tell how much adults liked school as a child by the reaction you receive when you disclose the fact that you are a teacher....I assume that the guard did well in school. She phoned another guard who escorted me through sections that I never would have seen otherwise...Genealogy archives, microfiche galleries, and so on. I didn't get to actually stop but just getting the little behind-the-scenes tour was great! We arrived at the educator's research center and if only it wasn't getting so late in the afternoon! The cataloging and resources are beyond description. The archivist showed me how to use the National Archives web site to begin a cursory search but informed me that only ONE PERCENT of their items are listed there. So on rainy days, the Archives may be just the place to go!
On the way back toward the Metro I again passed Olssons where I approach a young woman that works for US PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) a general public interest group and environmental watchdog. They used to canvas our neighborhood and I would make contributions each year but they have not stopped for several years so I thought I would make a small donation. The "small donation" will now be made each month thanks to the wonders of technology...indefinitely or until global warming continues and I drown on 7th Avenue where my adventure today began. The circle complete, I took mass transportation home where I placed the recycle bin out for tomorrow's collection and am now going to bed...to re-cycle my own energy...or the lack thereof.
