Saturday, 25 July 2009- Walking from Downtown DC to DCA with a Detour, but some Incredible Airplane Pictures!

Saturday, 25 July 2009- Walking from Downtown DC to DCA with a Detour, but some Incredible Airplane Pictures!
Well, I made it back from DC in time for the 9pm bus to work. After picking up my uniform at the storage unit, I went to the bus stop next to a men’s group home, because it was a covered bus stop and it was raining. While waiting for a bus that I wasn’t sure was coming, I brushed my hair. One of the men from the group home saw me, came over, and told me I had beautiful hair. I told him it was getting cut. This guy was loaded with questions. He asked me where I was headed, if I had a boyfriend, if I wanted one, and what I was looking for in a boyfriend. Kind of awkward small talk for a first meeting… but I tried to indulge him with the honest truth: I don’t have a boyfriend, nor am I interested in getting one anytime soon. Friend, yes. Boyfriend, no. When I am ready, he’s got to appreciate my passion for aviation.
The guy said he liked military planes. He described the Nighthawk, but couldn’t remember the name. I was starting to enjoy conversation with him, but not enough to give him my phone number when he asked. He was certainly a charmer. He said he used to live in the Virgin Islands. He wanted to read my palm for a reason I can’t remember, but I pulled a Monk. I deemed that too much of an encouragement for him. I will admit I was impressed with his level of English- I would have expected him to have a different primary language- which is a major turn off.
When he told me he had Schizophrenia, I told him I had Asperger’s Syndrome. (Not diagnosed, but after having lived with an Aspie husband, I am almost certain I have a mild form of it.)
As the conversation continued, he asked my age. That was too personal to share, so I did what every other woman my age does and said I was 23. When he said that I looked fit for my age, like 25 or 26, I received it as a compliment. He asked for my phone number two more times before the bus came. My goodness!
I have a lot of those guys from that group home asking me why I am in their neck of the woods. I just tell them I am running errands. I feel a little more secure at the other bus stop in the opposite direction, which is uncovered.
Now back to the earlier part of the day! After waking up at the shelter this morning at 6:30am, I walked to Starbucks and recharged my phone. After an hour, it was half charged. I thought that would be enough for my trek to Gravelly Point and beyond.
I walked down 7th St. at E St. NE, taking pictures of street corners and scenes along the way. I turned right at G St. NW, walked one block to 9th, and turned left. I saw the Washington Channel Waterfront with its boats. When I turned right on Maine, I came to a tunnel under what I think is the Francis Case Memorial Bridge, just southeast of the 14th St. Bridge. Inside the tunnel was beautiful artwork. I couldn’t decide on which individual tiled piece of art to take a picture of. At 14th St., my battery was so close to gone. I turned right and made a beeline up 14th Street in search of a sit down breakfast place to re-recharge my phone.
Walking past the White House, I came across a motorcade. The police had the road blocked off so it could pass by. I wondered if Obama was in it, or if he was still in Chicago/Milwaukee. My battery died at 14th and I St. NW. At Thomas Circle I asked a hotel guard where the nearest McDonald’s was. He directed me to 14th and U St. NW. So I pressed on. I stopped at the post office on the way to mail Veronika’s book, Yay! The outlet at McDonald’s was powerful! I ate Cini-mini’s, hashbrowns, OJ, and a McChicken sandwich while recharging.
From there, I wanted to take New Hampshire Ave to Dupont Circle and Connecticut Ave to 17th St. NW, but time and battery charge was precious, and my destination was Gravelly Point, so I made a bee-line down 14th St. to the Jefferson Memorial. I bought a soda to hydrate myself on my way. It became my last soda, after spontaneously deciding that I would cut soda from my diet.
I caught some beautiful shots of aircraft on approach to Runway 19, while standing on the 14th St. Bridge overlooking the Potomac. All five bridges that span the Potomac at that spot are collectively called the 14th St. Bridge. Then I took a few minutes looking toward the span furthest to the east, called the Alden Williams Memorial Bridge, where the actual crash site was, and reflected on that Air Florida flight, the crew and the passengers. At one point, a Dash’s shadow passed over me! I continued to walk. Just past the Alden Williams Memorial Bridge, I found a hill leading up to a highway exit. I climbed to just below the top, and took some more great pictures of airliners’ side profiles. After a while, I continued walking, and spread my #aircraftonmycollegeparkaviationmuseumafghan on the grass just 25-ish yards from the tree line. I got incredibly detailed shots from my little Blackberry phone. Finally my battery succumbed at 5pm. I still had time to walk to DCA to catch the Metro. I almost bought a snap together model airplane, but hey, I have my Beech 17 Staggerwing, from www.warplanes.com, en route to me!
Note to self: I need to leave Gravelly Point by 4pm next time. I caught the last bus by the skin of my teeth!