Rally Bench stories

Marie, Sharon & Noel on the bench

Now that we're empty-nesters, we need to fill our time somehow. So, on Saturday we arose at the crack of 7am and headed to DC to attend the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.

After a long and winding trip we arrived in a sea of humanity that flooded the national mall. As we headed down Madison, we happened upon an unoccupied bench. Initially, it looked like just a good place to take a quick rest. Little did we know that some four hours later it would become a life raft against the outgoing tide. And while we camped there, several folks came and went. Much like in the movie Forrest Gump, folks came and sat on the bench for a while. We chatted and then they moved on. Some of our new friends included:

• Woman from Houston who had just moved to DC this week along with her husband. She has a new job at the Department of Labor that begins on Monday. She stopped and watched along with us, and after an hour or so, decided she'd had enough and headed home.
• Several folks stopped by to stand on our bench to provide a bit better view in hopes of finding their missing spouse/children/friend. Of the several, only one was successful.
• Button lady stopped for a brief rest. She was headed down to 7th to set up shop. We ran into her after the event
• Marie was one of the folks with missing family - borrowed the bench for a vantage point. And ended up staying for the duration. She and her sister Ann and a variety of their children came down from New Jersey and stayed in a hotel in Columbia, drove to Silver Spring and took the metro in. So, the crowd had spit Marie out to us. Ann wandered by a number of minutes later - the kids didn't show up until after the rally. Marie had gone to grade school with Bruce Springsteen (she was in 1st grade, he in 8th).
  
• The BEST was Noel, who also wanted a slight height advantage. She was trying to catch up with her match.com first date. Yes, they were meeting for the first time at a rally of some two hundred thousand people. So, we tried to help get Noel and her date Mark together by offering hints as to how they could actually find one another. As it turned out, our bench was next to the only car parked on Madison between 4th & 7th, but that apparently wasn't enough of a clue. We were a bit worried when Mark described his clothing as "I'm wearing jeans". However, he was also theoretically carrying a rose (good touch Mark). Well, I haven't ever checked out so many guys looking for that damn rose. And it just wasn't happening. Noel & Mark decided that the corner of 7th and Madison would be a better place to meet. At 3:00. When the Rally was over. After all of the waiting, Sharon and I (and Marie & Ann) REALLY wanted to see how it came out - if Mark and Noel ever got together. So I volunteered to go scope out and see what came out of the woodwork. Huge mistake. As mentioned, the Rally ended at three and the sea of reasonableness began moving off of the mall via the corner of 7th and Madison. And there I was, staring up at that ocean wave that can do nothing but hit me square in the chest. I clung to life behind the information pole then began my steady swim upstream - back to the safety of the bench. Some fifteen minutes later the oasis came into view and I climbed aboard. As to Noel and Mark, we'll never know... we both hope it works out for the best.

Even though we couldn't see or hear much, the microculture of our bench made the whole event well worth it. Our bench of reasonableness.

Some days I have a cool job

Not only do I get paid to take in the view, but I can say I've been
down a double-diamond ski trail. No one needs to know that there was
no snow at the time.

Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep

For some reason I spent several days trying to remember a song - just kept niggling at my brain. All I could remember was a mother and gibberish response. I asked a couple of "worldly" folks in choir and they couldn't help. When it FINALLY hit me, neither they nor Sharon had ever heard of it. So, now I'm asking you... has anyone else heard it, or is it just me? The song is Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep by that classic UK band "Middle of the Road". It spent four weeks at the top of the UK chart in 1971, but didn't chart at all in US. Here's a You-Tube version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPThE4tBARQ

Youtube is an amazing thing. I can see Chris playing in the GT band or hear the Danny Kaye performance of Tubby the Tuba. And most everything in between - all from my iPhone whenever I want.

As kids, we had some unusual music in the house. We grew up singing protest songs that I didn't understand - recordings by Pete Seeger's and Peter, Paul & Mary. We had several kids records like the aforementioned Danny Kaye in Hans Christian Anderson, storybook records ("Perry the Little Girl Squirrel" - to this day, I'm still frightened of "The Martin"). But then we had a couple of oddball 45s. Now later in life, I wonder how Nancy Sinatra singing "These Boots are Made for Walking" slipped into the collection. And one that I haven't quite got my arms around called "The Nightingale who sang Off Key"

It was almost twelve o'clock, time for bed
I fluffed up my pillow for my sleepy head
I went to the window and opened it wide,
and guess what I saw outside?
There were ten little whippoorwills, sitting in the moonlight
singing a lullaby
led by a nightingale who couldn't get the tune right,
now matter how he tried
(insert non-remembered lyrics involving crickets)
I had never heard of a nightingale who sang off key

Even youtube doesn't remember this one.

So - at least for today - I'm committed to having a Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep day! You should too!

Perfect day for trip to Paw Paw

Just outside of Berkeley Springs there is a majestic view of the
confluence of Potomac and Cacapon rivers. This is where you stop to
check voicemail as it is the last cellphone signal outpost.

So, you stop and take in the sights. Always worth the time.

I wonder if they're homesick...

Take pity on my poor boys - seeing a photo like this probably makes
them terribly homesick. Chris is probably checking airline flights
already. 'Tia the season.

The Park at Marietta Square

Beautiful day. Beautiful neighborhood. I understand why folks flock here.

Dinner in Buckhead

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> We're having a grand trip to sunny Atlanta. Good omen when our flight actually arrived some 20 minutes early. Now in our fourth year of visiting Atlanta, we've got the public transportation down cold. Of course, from the airport, the trains only go one direction.
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> We met Chris for lunch, then borrowed his car for the duration of our visit. Great having wheels at the ready.
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> Sharon had more trouble with lodging on this trip than any other. Not only is it GT homecoming, but Gay Pride Rally just down the street a bit. So we've landed in Buckhead, which is the ritzy northeast suburb comprised mostly of very large hotels and the Lenox Square mall.
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> Jackie & Joe arrived yesterday afternoon and we hope to catch up with them today and play tourist.
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> Carpe diem!
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