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[Nov. 5th, 2006|11:10 pm] |
When I was eight my family visited Washington, DC on vacation. It was all supposed to be very educational, as I recall. My memory of that trip has been clouded with time and the perspective of advancing age. What I remember from then:
-Packing and eating pineapple and cream cheese sandwiches every day; feeding them to seagulls.
-Walking on lines on the floor in a museum; my mom getting TOed at me for not paying attention.
-Freaking out for dear life at the bottom of an escalator in a Metro station; some lady dragging me up to my parents who had unintentionally left me in the dust.
-Being really excited to see the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian--I had seen an episode of "Mathnet" which dealt with the theft of the "Despair Diamond," and once somebody explained the joke to me I was thrilled for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the source of a hilarious and eternally witty play on words immortalized on public TV.
-My dad taking a stealth picture of my brother peeing with his backpack on.
-My mom refused to go on a tour of the White House, as George Bush was in office (I haven't failed your resolve, Mom).
-I kept my eyes peeled the whole time we were in the city because I was sure I'd see George Bush, like going into a McDonald's, or on the subway or something.
-Actually, wait, now that I think about it, Reagan might have still been president.
-Crap, I don't remember.
-It doesn't really matter.
-George Bush would have been vice president, I guess.
-So one can understand why I might have made that error.
-Whatever.
Anyway, we saw the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian the other day and it reminded me of the Despair Diamond. But mostly I'm pissed because the number one main event that I remember from my first trip to Washington, DC is seeing one of the seventeen pairs of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" at the Museum of American History. This was the one item, more than the Washington Monument, more than the Lincoln Memorial, more than anything else, to which I and my eight-year-old self wanted to make another pilgrimage. But the Museum of American History is closed for renovation until 2008. That's all. |
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| Comments: |
From: (Anonymous)
2006-11-06 03:36 pm (UTC)
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(from Wyatt)
Did you see Fonzie's jacket at the Smithsonian? Incidentally, Dad says we're coming to Washinton DC in March. Are you going to call me today?
From: (Anonymous)
2006-11-22 10:02 pm (UTC)
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I'm still scared by the harsh embarrassment that picture bestowed upon my young fragile existence.
Zane
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/36432123/3192947) | From: ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) brownpau
2007-01-22 07:31 pm (UTC)
Backup American History Exhibit | (Link)
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While the American History Museum is closed, they have a backup exhibit of their most popular artifacts on display in a spare gallery at the Air and Space Museum. I think it includes Dorothy's ruby slippers, if the title graphic is any indication: http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=892Sorry you missed them. Maybe if you click your heels together three times and say "There's no place like DC," that'll do it.
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/51534201/10911913) | From: matheatre
2007-02-09 12:49 am (UTC)
Re: Backup American History Exhibit | (Link)
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Thank you! I can't believe I missed this while I was there--clearly I didn't try hard enough. Hopefully next time. :-) | |
