As we left for Washington, D.C., Cole noted the ease of visiting D.C. on a Saturday. Before, any trip either of us had made to the capital took months of planning and a lot of time. Now we can just hope in the car, grab lunch and visit any one of the 17 Smithsonian museums or a presidential monument. No big deal.
So that is exactly what we did.
Our first stop as trying to find a parking spot. I was driving at this point, so adventures were to be had. Finally, I found meter I could actually park at along the street. The two-hour limit dampened the occasion, but it sufficed. We didn't have much time anyway, so we dropped in all our quarters, dimes and nickels, and scattered a few on the ground in the process. Regardless, we trekked off the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. . . .
Last year, more than 168 billion pieces of mail zipped across the post office desk. Sure sounds like a lot of mail, but the snail mail trend slows as technology such as email, texts and tweets bounces across the country instead. In the last decade, mail numbers were higher than 210 billion. The paper reduction might save a tree here and there, but posts and instant messages don't replace handwitten letters and thoughtful cards. . . .
While the song above will never bring the same joy as "I'm a Jayhawk," it will probably be the song I hear most frequently now. While here at the University of Virginia.
Today, Cole stepped into his new mode of life: classrooms, notes, reading, studying, and reading some more like he is now. With all that excitement, we didn't even get a first day of school photo. But there is a perfect little spot right in front of the school that will be great for when we get the chance to take a nice picture of him and his new school. . . .
Welcome to the land of trees, rain and, of course, history. That's right, Virginia, my new home. Not sure how official we are, but I am sure we will transform into Virginians eventually.
Tomorrow makes two weeks in Charlottesville, Va., and so far we have visited Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, and have most of the life essentials in place. When I say in place, I mean Cole spent hours screwing together black board from IKEA. That warehouse full of home decor was unlike any store, I've been to. It was definitely worth the visit. . . .
