W A S H I N G T O N D . C . - D A Y # 1
Monday, October 25, 2004

Crikey, there's a long line of folks waiting for food. Undeterred, I get in line, wait my turn, and read the menu. The menu supposedly contains food items eaten by the American Indians long, long ago. Hmmm, I didn't know the Great Plains Indians ate spicy chile fries.

While waiting in line, I notice a lady in front of me who is really, really upset. I ask her what's wrong, and she tells me she's just received sad news that her beloved dog has recently passed away. She is on vacation and the vet called to ruined the rest of her trip. She cannot call out because her cell phone just died. I let her borrow my cell for a bit which provides her a small measure of relief. I'm glad I was able to help her out.

Finally, I order and receive my food, pay for it (yikes, $14 for not much), wolf it down, then hit the sightseeing trail again.

Nearing the eastern most reaches of today's tour, I come upon the Capitol Reflecting Pool. At the far end of the reflecting pool I see the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial which really looks small against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol Building. But, don't let that fool you, the equestrian statue is the largest one of its kind in the United States and is the second largest in the world.