DC

I have just returned from the Nation's Capitol where I spent four days immersed in heady and fascinating research presented at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. Just about everything you ever wanted or needed to know about health you could get at this meeting. I am exhausted, my brain hurts, and I think I got a paper cut thumbing through the catalog. When I say "catalog," I mean for you to picture one the size of the Sears and Roebuck catalog that your mother used to order from.

Within one hour of landing, I (1) tripped and nearly fell on my bohiney, (2) got bitten by the rapidly closing doors on the Metro, and (3) was launched off my feet as the train left the station. Had it not been for the woman's suitcase in the aisle that impeded my progress, my suitcase would have just rolled all the way to the back of the car, taking me with it. I'm happy to report that I got the clumsies out of my system and that they didn't return for the remainder of the trip.

While I was there, I visited the National Museum of the American Indian. To my delight, tribes from all of the Americas were represented. I had no idea there were this many indigenous tribes. It was mind-boggling. Being the tactile freak that I am, I was drawn to all things beaded, and there was plenty to take in. They were all behind glass to keep the "touchers" like me at bay. Oh, but I could imagine how they felt.... ahhhhhh.............

In an effort to stop being the world's worst Asian, I have included a few pictures from Chinatown. You will see that these images are telling of my sick sense of humor.

Here's one of the billion teeny tiny restaurants vying for space and business:

hee, hee, hee.... Wonder whatever happened to the old one.............

Some of the restaurants proudly display their wares in shop windows:

Hungry yet?

I've been to DC many times, and I'd forgotten how COLD it is there this time of year. But that didn't seem to keep people indoors. Lots of folks walk to work from the Metro station, women in business suits and sneakers, etc. The folks I saw were fashionable and diverse. Heard several different languages spoken, read lots of stories in lots of eyes.

I love traveling and experiencing, but I love coming home even more. Hello, Texas!