A Day (Weekend, Really) of Awesome

9:30am
Wake up on MM&L's couch near Old Town Alexandria. Finally back on normal sleep cycle. Thumb through some of MM&L's books (The Name of the Rose; A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius; What is the What). Take shower. Take in one last glimpse of the George Washington Masonic Memorial from the front porch as we depart for breakfast. (Yes, that George Washington.)

11:45am
Breakfast with MM at La Madeline in Georgetown. Bonjour omelette (ham, Swiss, mushrooms); amazing croissant. Perfect weather for the third day in a row (nearly unheard of in DC/Virginia in general).

1:15pm
Trip to the National Archives for a peek at the Declaration of Independence (a lot more faded than I expected; could barely see "John Hancock"!), the Constitution , and the Bill of Rights. Afterwards, MM drops me off downtown in DC to catch my bus; banging the top of my head against the trunk lid doesn't break the skin.

2:30pm
Board the BoltBus at 11th and G NW, bound for New York. Listen to every Radiohead album from OK Computer to In Rainbows (skipping only the title track to Kid A) while gazing nostalgically out the window at the East Coast countryside—sometimes all deciduous trees; sometimes suburbia; sometimes wide rivers or distant shorelines; sometimes factories and high-voltage wires. Feels more beautiful now that I'm here because I want to be, not because I can't get away. Terminates in glorious view of Manhattan and the backside of the Statue of Liberty.

7:30pm
Emerge from the Holland Tunnel, cruise past the Ghostbusters firehouse in Tribeca, and disembark at 33rd and 7th, near Penn Station. Call K, make plans for gelato after dinner, drop off bags, call Mom. Get dinner—a "healthy salad" at my one of my favorite spots, the Cafe Angelique, with one of the best cups of coffee of my life.

9:00pm
After an aborted attempt to meet halfway, K and I finally manage to meet up for gelato at Grom, at Bleeker and 7th. I got hazelnut and espresso; she got chocolate hazelnut and vanilla. She paid. Sat at the little park across the street, with the beautiful fountain. Perfect weather, but had to lick all around the cup as the gelato was melting. Didn't know how awesome an idea gelato was on an evening like this until we were there enjoying it.

10:00pm
Grab a small decaf coffee from Starbucks on my way back home, to finish off the day. Decide to blog about this day before I forget how awesome it really was.

Thanks, MM. (And L! And K.)