Here are *some* of the pictures from our trip, if this flashplayer isn't working, here's the direct link to the online album:
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| 2009-03-27 Washington D.C. Trip |
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Pictures!
Here are *some* of the pictures from our trip, if this flashplayer isn't working, here's the direct link to the online album:
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Luck o' the Irish!
Tuesday 3/17/2009
St. Patrick's Day is where our stories intersect again! The group that didn't go on the plunge had an early morning working at Capitol Area Food Bank and the plungers had another 5 AM, with breakfast at Charlie's Place.
So, bear with me for the next paragraph (or two) as I finish up with the plunge perspective in its final hours. After a hearty dinner-for-breakfast at Charlie's place (sausage and peppers never tasted so good in the morning) we stumbled on the dilemma of getting back to the hostel at the conclusion of the plunge. You see, Denton forgot his metro card at the hostel, while Matthew, Bridget, and I had left ours at the NHC, so we had no way of getting Denton back to the hostel! One of our fearless guides, John, told us about how people throw away their metro cards with money still on them, so digging in the trash was quite a viable option. So at the DuPont Circle metro station, we dug through the trash, where Denton and Bridget found a card with $6.70 on it (plenty to get Denton back with us!), that had been thrown away because the magnetic strip had stopped working. John explained to us that all we needed to do was get it traded in at the main station, which we did and wa-la! Denton can come back with us! We hung out at the MLK Jr. Library again for a bit (where Matthew crashed while still managing to look as though he was reading)...which, ironically enough, we were able to get books to read on the way there because it was "Free Irish Books Day" and all of us got a free book (how cool was that?!). On the final leg of our trip, we wrapped up what we'd learned with Jonathon, John, and Anthony. I can't explain to you the things we learned and how valuable they are and will continue to be for us. Anthony and John are seriously wonderful, wonderful men and we were so very, very blessed to have them as guides. I wish I could write all of the stories about them here, but there are too many and just take my word that they are absolutely hilarious (Anthony told us his favorite things to do are to laugh and make people laugh--which he's quite good at!), love God and Starbucks coffee, and have giant hearts and will be priceless advocates for the homeless of D.C.
Doug, Brittany, Frances and Alex met with Rep. Latham while we wrapped up our plunge experience and after we showered (best.thing.EVER!!) and did some organizing at the hostel, the group was reunited and ready to hit the town together! Reunited, we made our first stop at Haagen Daz, which was my pick because I NEEDED some ice cream. In case you were wondering, I got a large bowl with three flavors: Bailey's Irish Creme (no, there was NO alcohol, don't worry!), Coffee Mocha Chip, and Peanut butter and Fudge. Divine! :) Then we went to McDonald's, where we got supper for under $25 (Doug was so proud!)...could have been because we went with dessert first? Anyway, it was lovely and all fueled up we went and visited the Washington and Lincoln Monuments. All of us really enjoyed it, but our legs were a little sore by this point!
In random, interesting stuff for that evening, we found that Frances and Denton want to see EVERYTHING they can possibly see while on vacations; Doug was dying for a McDonald's shamrock shake all night (which he had to compromise for chocolate or vanilla with); Bridget who had never had a cup of coffee in her life previously had three and was acting a LITTLE bit crazy! Frances was so in the Irish spirit that she covered for me and lent me a green headband with sparkling shamrocks protruding from wires at the top. I dubbed it my "buzz-buzz" and countless children were amused by it wherever we went, and Doug found it to be a successful motivator for speed if I was not moving quickly enough for his taste! We then were able to find one of our guides, John, and introduce the rest of the group to him! We all then retired at the hostel in preparation for the a busy Wednesday!
St. Patrick's Day is where our stories intersect again! The group that didn't go on the plunge had an early morning working at Capitol Area Food Bank and the plungers had another 5 AM, with breakfast at Charlie's Place.
So, bear with me for the next paragraph (or two) as I finish up with the plunge perspective in its final hours. After a hearty dinner-for-breakfast at Charlie's place (sausage and peppers never tasted so good in the morning) we stumbled on the dilemma of getting back to the hostel at the conclusion of the plunge. You see, Denton forgot his metro card at the hostel, while Matthew, Bridget, and I had left ours at the NHC, so we had no way of getting Denton back to the hostel! One of our fearless guides, John, told us about how people throw away their metro cards with money still on them, so digging in the trash was quite a viable option. So at the DuPont Circle metro station, we dug through the trash, where Denton and Bridget found a card with $6.70 on it (plenty to get Denton back with us!), that had been thrown away because the magnetic strip had stopped working. John explained to us that all we needed to do was get it traded in at the main station, which we did and wa-la! Denton can come back with us! We hung out at the MLK Jr. Library again for a bit (where Matthew crashed while still managing to look as though he was reading)...which, ironically enough, we were able to get books to read on the way there because it was "Free Irish Books Day" and all of us got a free book (how cool was that?!). On the final leg of our trip, we wrapped up what we'd learned with Jonathon, John, and Anthony. I can't explain to you the things we learned and how valuable they are and will continue to be for us. Anthony and John are seriously wonderful, wonderful men and we were so very, very blessed to have them as guides. I wish I could write all of the stories about them here, but there are too many and just take my word that they are absolutely hilarious (Anthony told us his favorite things to do are to laugh and make people laugh--which he's quite good at!), love God and Starbucks coffee, and have giant hearts and will be priceless advocates for the homeless of D.C.
Doug, Brittany, Frances and Alex met with Rep. Latham while we wrapped up our plunge experience and after we showered (best.thing.EVER!!) and did some organizing at the hostel, the group was reunited and ready to hit the town together! Reunited, we made our first stop at Haagen Daz, which was my pick because I NEEDED some ice cream. In case you were wondering, I got a large bowl with three flavors: Bailey's Irish Creme (no, there was NO alcohol, don't worry!), Coffee Mocha Chip, and Peanut butter and Fudge. Divine! :) Then we went to McDonald's, where we got supper for under $25 (Doug was so proud!)...could have been because we went with dessert first? Anyway, it was lovely and all fueled up we went and visited the Washington and Lincoln Monuments. All of us really enjoyed it, but our legs were a little sore by this point!
In random, interesting stuff for that evening, we found that Frances and Denton want to see EVERYTHING they can possibly see while on vacations; Doug was dying for a McDonald's shamrock shake all night (which he had to compromise for chocolate or vanilla with); Bridget who had never had a cup of coffee in her life previously had three and was acting a LITTLE bit crazy! Frances was so in the Irish spirit that she covered for me and lent me a green headband with sparkling shamrocks protruding from wires at the top. I dubbed it my "buzz-buzz" and countless children were amused by it wherever we went, and Doug found it to be a successful motivator for speed if I was not moving quickly enough for his taste! We then were able to find one of our guides, John, and introduce the rest of the group to him! We all then retired at the hostel in preparation for the a busy Wednesday!
Mickey D's and Mondays
Hey, hey, it's Kendra again. Monday morning the four of us plungers were met with yet another adventure. I'm sketchy on the details of what the other half of our group did that day--I know they were able to visit some museums and monuments--but like I said, I'm not quite sure of the whole business. So I apologize that I'll just be writing from the plunge perspective because we weren't able to meet with the rest of our group Monday!
Monday began at 5 AM under Anthony and John's direction. We rolled up our bedding and made a bee-line for McDonald's to use the restrooms and get some coffee. From what John and Anthony explained to us, 5 AM is the standard wake-up time for someone living on the streets because the business owners usually kick them off their property at any time later than that for making their business an eye-sore. Mickey D's was an experience all its own, as one of the other plunging group's guides nearly had his bag pack stolen and we were all cussed out by an big, angry customer, but I still don't know what we did. I think he was just generally angry, no harm done!
After warming up with a cup of coffee at McDonald's, we trekked to St. Matthew's Catholic Church for breakfast. The weather seemed to be off to a nice start, but it was a bit chilly as we waited to get in and get our food. We were served dinner foods for breakfast (I'm talking a tossed salad with a turkey and cheese sandwich!), it was good and unconventional...and I don't know if tomatoes have ever tasted that good to me before! We listened to a Bible reflection following breakfast and were able to interact with and observe the small percentage of the homeless population that was present. Most of the homeless in D.C. are single, Black males. We were told that statistic before we began and breakfast alone was enough to prove it. We all seem to be struck by some of the Church volunteers who seemed extremely condescending and witnessed the anger the homeless had for their pleas falling on deaf ears when a councilman from Housing First stopped by to say a few words about how much the government was doing for the less fortunate. Needless to say, between 5:30 and 10:00 AM, I got a lesson in obscenities!
We heard from one of those served at St. Matthew's that there was a job fair going on at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, so the four of us sought to find it. Although the job fair didn't appear, we did manage to find a nice place to rest for a bit (though we were warned that sleeping was NOT allowed!) before checking in with Jonathon, the NHC director at 12 pm.
After leaving the NHC office, the four of us stuck together and went back to the Interim library because we'd had such a positive experience with the kind librarians there. We spent most of the afternoon there and Denton even tried to apply for a library card, which was unsuccessful without an I.D..
After we got tired of sitting, we journeyed to the White House and gazed on it from the park across the street while eating dinner provided to us the previous night by a group who had laid food and toiletries beside us while we slept. We were intrigued by a group that looked like a small military school in uniform who stood in front of the White House and yelled "CANADA!" and even considered the implications for doing such a thing in their country?! Denton was preoccupied for the most part with watching the snipers atop the White House and Matthew made a pal in one of the fat, gray squirrels in the park area where we sat.
After sitting on the bench for a while, we started getting rained on, at which point, we huddled underneath a metro station and teased ducks waddling in and out of it. Although we had had supper, we were offered three different opportunities to acquire food and blankets. I think that was a really affirming experience for all of us to see those generous with their time and rich in compassion caring for us. But I think what I was even more astounded by was the community that exists among the homeless. Those people not clean from drugs and alcohol are frustrating to their peers who are trying to get off the streets. We were so well taken care of and so loved out guides that we couldn't stop talking about it!
We walked from one metro station to another to call it a night while John and Anthony watched over us. Anthony gave us all little souvineirs and Denton and I were both lucky enough to get some "Mr. [Malcolm] X sunglasses (ka-pow!). We huddled up a little more for warmth that night and were ready to go for the remaining six hours of our plunge!
Monday began at 5 AM under Anthony and John's direction. We rolled up our bedding and made a bee-line for McDonald's to use the restrooms and get some coffee. From what John and Anthony explained to us, 5 AM is the standard wake-up time for someone living on the streets because the business owners usually kick them off their property at any time later than that for making their business an eye-sore. Mickey D's was an experience all its own, as one of the other plunging group's guides nearly had his bag pack stolen and we were all cussed out by an big, angry customer, but I still don't know what we did. I think he was just generally angry, no harm done!
After warming up with a cup of coffee at McDonald's, we trekked to St. Matthew's Catholic Church for breakfast. The weather seemed to be off to a nice start, but it was a bit chilly as we waited to get in and get our food. We were served dinner foods for breakfast (I'm talking a tossed salad with a turkey and cheese sandwich!), it was good and unconventional...and I don't know if tomatoes have ever tasted that good to me before! We listened to a Bible reflection following breakfast and were able to interact with and observe the small percentage of the homeless population that was present. Most of the homeless in D.C. are single, Black males. We were told that statistic before we began and breakfast alone was enough to prove it. We all seem to be struck by some of the Church volunteers who seemed extremely condescending and witnessed the anger the homeless had for their pleas falling on deaf ears when a councilman from Housing First stopped by to say a few words about how much the government was doing for the less fortunate. Needless to say, between 5:30 and 10:00 AM, I got a lesson in obscenities!
We heard from one of those served at St. Matthew's that there was a job fair going on at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, so the four of us sought to find it. Although the job fair didn't appear, we did manage to find a nice place to rest for a bit (though we were warned that sleeping was NOT allowed!) before checking in with Jonathon, the NHC director at 12 pm.
After leaving the NHC office, the four of us stuck together and went back to the Interim library because we'd had such a positive experience with the kind librarians there. We spent most of the afternoon there and Denton even tried to apply for a library card, which was unsuccessful without an I.D..
After we got tired of sitting, we journeyed to the White House and gazed on it from the park across the street while eating dinner provided to us the previous night by a group who had laid food and toiletries beside us while we slept. We were intrigued by a group that looked like a small military school in uniform who stood in front of the White House and yelled "CANADA!" and even considered the implications for doing such a thing in their country?! Denton was preoccupied for the most part with watching the snipers atop the White House and Matthew made a pal in one of the fat, gray squirrels in the park area where we sat.
After sitting on the bench for a while, we started getting rained on, at which point, we huddled underneath a metro station and teased ducks waddling in and out of it. Although we had had supper, we were offered three different opportunities to acquire food and blankets. I think that was a really affirming experience for all of us to see those generous with their time and rich in compassion caring for us. But I think what I was even more astounded by was the community that exists among the homeless. Those people not clean from drugs and alcohol are frustrating to their peers who are trying to get off the streets. We were so well taken care of and so loved out guides that we couldn't stop talking about it!
We walked from one metro station to another to call it a night while John and Anthony watched over us. Anthony gave us all little souvineirs and Denton and I were both lucky enough to get some "Mr. [Malcolm] X sunglasses (ka-pow!). We huddled up a little more for warmth that night and were ready to go for the remaining six hours of our plunge!
Playing Catch-up!
Hey y'all, it's Kendra this time, working to get you up to speed on our trip! It's been super-busy the past couple days, but we're doing great and really enjoying every minute of this trip! So, here's the scoop, from Sunday to today, Thursday, March 19th!
Sunday--The Plunge Perspective!
Doug mentioned above the Mass we attended Sunday morning (which, I might add, had a most welcoming community!). However, shortly after Mass (and on stomachs full of Pop Tarts) we set off for the National Homeless Coalition, NHC, (22nd & P Street NW) which we found with a limited amount of trouble (we were only lost for a few minutes--just long enough to make us a little late!). At the NHC, we met Jonathon who heads up the program and Jennifer and another lady (Claire?) who were both formerly homeless and who shared their experiences with us. After they were finished speaking to us, the four of us plungers (Bridget, Denton, Matthew, and I) put on our homeless garb and bid the other half of our group goodbye! Then we got a briefing on how to live on the streets for 48 hours. And with this briefing session came our first encounter with our guides for the evenings (we were very grateful to know that someone would be showing us the ropes on where the best places for sleeping are!): Anthony and John (they will most certainly be mentioned again). We surrendered our cell phones, watches, and Metro cards and set off in pairs--Bridget and Denton, Matthew and me--to immerse ourselves in homelessness.
I can't speak for anyone but myself, but the first day was so scary. I don't think of myself as a vain person, but I was extraordinarily self-conscious walking around with greasy hair (we boycotted showering the two days before to look legit), un-plucked eyebrows, and sweat pants and a jacket that made me, as Matthew said, "look like you're going running." Most people we encountered simply pretended as though we did not exist, which at the time I was unsure if they thought I was invisible or the majority of the population just wasn't interested in making eye contact.
Our plunge officially began at noon, but without a lot of directional orientation yet for the city, we ended up not eating lunch. Bridget and Denton were able to panhandle $3.80 to buy some pretzels and dry beans (which they gratefully feasted on!). They found that when Bridget approached other women to ask for change, they were much more generous (the female-to-female bond?). Matthew and I opted to stay out of the rain and happened to stumble upon an interim Public Library, where we spent most of the afternoon immersed in books (I went with James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces"...Matthew, a book by the same author as his favorite book of all time, "Fight Club"). That evening our groups met up looking for Makenna's Wagon, a traveling soup kitchen thing, which we did not find. We shared our experiences with each other (Bridget and Denton caught a few Z's under a parking garage's overhang...and were jarred when the garage door opened with them leaning against it! We then went our separate ways, with Matthew and I feeling a bit sheepish for not even attempting to panhandle yet (if you don't ask, you won't receive!).
Matthew and I then tried our own luck at panhandling, which did not go quite as well as Bridget and Denton's effort (we made a grand total of $0.31!). I really, really hated the panhandling part. I can't remember another time I've ever felt so helpless--and humbled! We needed to eat (those Pop Tarts we had at 6:30 AM weren't cutting it by 6:30 PM!), but people were going out of their way to avoid passing us on the sidewalk and if they even acknowledged our existence, they hastily stated "I don't have any change," with a half-hearted "sorry!" I was faith in humanity by this point (so that's a bit dramatic, but I'd gone so long without eating that pretty much everything seemed like the end of the world!), but then I watched a cute middle-aged woman with graying hair and a big smile approach me while MAKING EYE CONTACT with a kind-looking, young Asian gentleman. They asked Matthew and me if we knew anyone who was looking for a meal and we were grateful to receive a ham and cheese sandwich, an orange, Oreos, and Cheez-its. We saved our Oreos and Cheez-its for later, but few things have ever tasted as good as that sandwich and orange in that moment!
So, morale boosted, we met up with Bridget and Denton and our guides at 14th and New York Avenue--the site of a Starbucks coffee shop--at 9 PM. From there, John and Anthony led us to a hiding spot where they kept blankets and then proceeded to show us how to make a bed on the concrete at the nearest metro station. We quickly realized that Anthony and John took their responsibility as guides very seriously and wanted to protect us and show us the ropes. Anthony was on his umpteenth cup of "plain, black Starbucks, mm'mm, you-can't-beat-that" coffee so he could stay up all night watching over us. Anthony and John, as we later learned, had both been homeless themselves for long stretches of time (though they're both happily employed and living in apartments now) and knew what to do and how to do it.Their connections with people were incredible: they got free Starbucks coffee and leftover food (which they generously gave to us!), they hooked us up with the bathroom at the metro station we slept outside of ("Oh yeah, I know Alan [the metro employee] and he'll let us use the restrooms!").
The first night was definitely a little chilly and hard to get used to noise-wise, but we were so fortunate to have John, Anthony, and each other that we did manage to get some sleep and were pretty warm thanks to some thermal blankets!
Sunday--The Plunge Perspective!
Doug mentioned above the Mass we attended Sunday morning (which, I might add, had a most welcoming community!). However, shortly after Mass (and on stomachs full of Pop Tarts) we set off for the National Homeless Coalition, NHC, (22nd & P Street NW) which we found with a limited amount of trouble (we were only lost for a few minutes--just long enough to make us a little late!). At the NHC, we met Jonathon who heads up the program and Jennifer and another lady (Claire?) who were both formerly homeless and who shared their experiences with us. After they were finished speaking to us, the four of us plungers (Bridget, Denton, Matthew, and I) put on our homeless garb and bid the other half of our group goodbye! Then we got a briefing on how to live on the streets for 48 hours. And with this briefing session came our first encounter with our guides for the evenings (we were very grateful to know that someone would be showing us the ropes on where the best places for sleeping are!): Anthony and John (they will most certainly be mentioned again). We surrendered our cell phones, watches, and Metro cards and set off in pairs--Bridget and Denton, Matthew and me--to immerse ourselves in homelessness.
I can't speak for anyone but myself, but the first day was so scary. I don't think of myself as a vain person, but I was extraordinarily self-conscious walking around with greasy hair (we boycotted showering the two days before to look legit), un-plucked eyebrows, and sweat pants and a jacket that made me, as Matthew said, "look like you're going running." Most people we encountered simply pretended as though we did not exist, which at the time I was unsure if they thought I was invisible or the majority of the population just wasn't interested in making eye contact.
Our plunge officially began at noon, but without a lot of directional orientation yet for the city, we ended up not eating lunch. Bridget and Denton were able to panhandle $3.80 to buy some pretzels and dry beans (which they gratefully feasted on!). They found that when Bridget approached other women to ask for change, they were much more generous (the female-to-female bond?). Matthew and I opted to stay out of the rain and happened to stumble upon an interim Public Library, where we spent most of the afternoon immersed in books (I went with James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces"...Matthew, a book by the same author as his favorite book of all time, "Fight Club"). That evening our groups met up looking for Makenna's Wagon, a traveling soup kitchen thing, which we did not find. We shared our experiences with each other (Bridget and Denton caught a few Z's under a parking garage's overhang...and were jarred when the garage door opened with them leaning against it! We then went our separate ways, with Matthew and I feeling a bit sheepish for not even attempting to panhandle yet (if you don't ask, you won't receive!).
Matthew and I then tried our own luck at panhandling, which did not go quite as well as Bridget and Denton's effort (we made a grand total of $0.31!). I really, really hated the panhandling part. I can't remember another time I've ever felt so helpless--and humbled! We needed to eat (those Pop Tarts we had at 6:30 AM weren't cutting it by 6:30 PM!), but people were going out of their way to avoid passing us on the sidewalk and if they even acknowledged our existence, they hastily stated "I don't have any change," with a half-hearted "sorry!" I was faith in humanity by this point (so that's a bit dramatic, but I'd gone so long without eating that pretty much everything seemed like the end of the world!), but then I watched a cute middle-aged woman with graying hair and a big smile approach me while MAKING EYE CONTACT with a kind-looking, young Asian gentleman. They asked Matthew and me if we knew anyone who was looking for a meal and we were grateful to receive a ham and cheese sandwich, an orange, Oreos, and Cheez-its. We saved our Oreos and Cheez-its for later, but few things have ever tasted as good as that sandwich and orange in that moment!
So, morale boosted, we met up with Bridget and Denton and our guides at 14th and New York Avenue--the site of a Starbucks coffee shop--at 9 PM. From there, John and Anthony led us to a hiding spot where they kept blankets and then proceeded to show us how to make a bed on the concrete at the nearest metro station. We quickly realized that Anthony and John took their responsibility as guides very seriously and wanted to protect us and show us the ropes. Anthony was on his umpteenth cup of "plain, black Starbucks, mm'mm, you-can't-beat-that" coffee so he could stay up all night watching over us. Anthony and John, as we later learned, had both been homeless themselves for long stretches of time (though they're both happily employed and living in apartments now) and knew what to do and how to do it.Their connections with people were incredible: they got free Starbucks coffee and leftover food (which they generously gave to us!), they hooked us up with the bathroom at the metro station we slept outside of ("Oh yeah, I know Alan [the metro employee] and he'll let us use the restrooms!").
The first night was definitely a little chilly and hard to get used to noise-wise, but we were so fortunate to have John, Anthony, and each other that we did manage to get some sleep and were pretty warm thanks to some thermal blankets!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
A Mass for all Seasons
This morning we woke up bright and early at 6am...gross. We got dressed and ate, then we were off to church at St. Augustine's. It is the largest black Catholic church in the country, so I felt a little out of place at first. But mass was incredible. The homily that the priest gave was phenomenal...he put the 10 Commandments in terms that everybody could understand, and explained how they relate to us today. Good stuff. On top of that, St. Augustine's has about 20 people coming into the church this Lenten season; needless to say, I was impressed.
My favorite part, however, was when we were exchanging signs of peace. About 10 people came from across the church to greet us, and asked us questions about where we were from and what we were doing in Washington. We told them that we were from a church in Iowa, and they were very impressed. Then they gave us cards encouraging us to come back to the Catholic Church...a little weird, considering, you know, we were with a church. But above all, a very unique experience...it was good to be welcomed by so many smiling faces.
My favorite part, however, was when we were exchanging signs of peace. About 10 people came from across the church to greet us, and asked us questions about where we were from and what we were doing in Washington. We told them that we were from a church in Iowa, and they were very impressed. Then they gave us cards encouraging us to come back to the Catholic Church...a little weird, considering, you know, we were with a church. But above all, a very unique experience...it was good to be welcomed by so many smiling faces.
Lesson 2 - Grocery Shopping
OK, so I learned that grocery shopping is a LOT harder than it looks. Props to all the moms and dads who go grocery shopping for families (planning meals for 8 people is ridiculous!). Even worse, I had to make them healthy; my dad would be so proud of me. Just a couple of notes on grocery stores...
1. Why are aisle headings so vague? Why can't they say, for example, taco seasoning, aisle 3? It took us 10 minutes to find it...it would take less time to fall asleep in physics class!
2. How come things can't tell you how much it will fill you up? I have no idea how many tacos a pound of ground beef makes (seriously, I had to call my mom to find out). It should say "makes [this many] tacos" or something along the lines of that nature.
ANYWAY, my first real grocery shopping experience was pretty successful. With help from Brittany, Frances, and Alex, we got food for almost the whole week, for eight people, for under $150! I was pretty impressed...but we'll see how much food we actually have once Matthew and Denton get their hands on it!
1. Why are aisle headings so vague? Why can't they say, for example, taco seasoning, aisle 3? It took us 10 minutes to find it...it would take less time to fall asleep in physics class!
2. How come things can't tell you how much it will fill you up? I have no idea how many tacos a pound of ground beef makes (seriously, I had to call my mom to find out). It should say "makes [this many] tacos" or something along the lines of that nature.
ANYWAY, my first real grocery shopping experience was pretty successful. With help from Brittany, Frances, and Alex, we got food for almost the whole week, for eight people, for under $150! I was pretty impressed...but we'll see how much food we actually have once Matthew and Denton get their hands on it!
Lesson 1 - The National Mall is NOT a 'Mall'
OK, I'm going to write about this before someone else does. That way you get the facts, and not some exaggerated story. So, last night we decided we were going to go out to eat...I, thinking that the National Mall was a real mall with shopping and the like, suggested we go there. 7 people thought it was a good idea. 7! We took the Metro down to the Mall area and started walking...we walked probably a mile (in the rain mind you), past the Department of Commerce and the Washington Monument (it looked SO cool!), and no one said a word. Finally, someone (I think it was Denton) asked if we were going to eat somewhere. I said, "Yes, as soon as we find the mall." At this point, about 4 people come out of the wordwork, telling me we were in the mall already. I was like, "What? Where are all the stores then?" People started laughing at me. Apparently, the National Mall doesn't have any stores...it's just a bunch of monuments and a reflecting pool...No shopping, and more importantly, no food. And remember, 7 people agreed to go to the Mall for dinner!
I have 2 things to say about this. First, who names it the "National Mall" if it's not a MALL???? That's ridiculous, and frankly, pretty confusing. Second, if half the group knew this already, how come no one said a word while we were walking around???
Well, there you have it. The facts, without any spin whatsoever...at least we know where to go on Friday when we go sightseeing.
As for today, we're off to Mass at St. Augustine's in a minute. After that we're heading to the National Homeless Coalition Office for a presentation. Once we're done with that Bridget, Denton, Kendra, and Matthew are starting their homelessness plunge, where they'll be on the streets for 48 hours with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Keep them in your prayers please!
Until next time!
I have 2 things to say about this. First, who names it the "National Mall" if it's not a MALL???? That's ridiculous, and frankly, pretty confusing. Second, if half the group knew this already, how come no one said a word while we were walking around???
Well, there you have it. The facts, without any spin whatsoever...at least we know where to go on Friday when we go sightseeing.
As for today, we're off to Mass at St. Augustine's in a minute. After that we're heading to the National Homeless Coalition Office for a presentation. Once we're done with that Bridget, Denton, Kendra, and Matthew are starting their homelessness plunge, where they'll be on the streets for 48 hours with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Keep them in your prayers please!
Until next time!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Murphy's Law
You know how no matter what, nothing ever goes exactly to plan? Well, rest assured, the rule is still in effect. The day started quite well. My mom cooked us breakfast (love ya Mom!) and we were off shortly after nine. We got to Midway, where Bridget had a little trouble getting through security (her driver's license was expired and apparently the officer thought she could be a terrorist). Then we found out that our flight would be delayed by almost an hour. But we got through it, grabbed some lunch, and took off. The flight was pretty quick, plus we had probably the funniest flight attendant ever!
We landed at BWI and made our way to the bus to take us to the Metro. It was about a twenty minute ride, and we had a few really good conversations with other bus riders. We got to the Green Line station; that's where the fun began...
First, I tried to run our trip credit card through as a debit by mistake, which forced a hold to be put on the card. I had to call the company and get that taken care of. Then we found out that the DC Metro machines only allow for two credit card transactions per card, per day. We freaked out, then remembered that we, indeed, have credit cards ourselves. Crisis Averted...barely. We went through the gates, then Bridget realized that she forgot her bag on the other side...she went and grabbed it, then couldn't get back through! Fortunately, the guards let her back in.
Bridget took the lead from there, guiding us through two Metro transfers and a short walk to our destination. We arrived at Hilltop Hostel around 6pm, which is splendid. I really think we will enjoy our stay here (no sarcasm...seriously, this place is super nice! There are definitely worse hotels that cost more!)
Tonight, we're off to the Mall to hang out and eat dinner...sounds like a night of fun!
We landed at BWI and made our way to the bus to take us to the Metro. It was about a twenty minute ride, and we had a few really good conversations with other bus riders. We got to the Green Line station; that's where the fun began...
First, I tried to run our trip credit card through as a debit by mistake, which forced a hold to be put on the card. I had to call the company and get that taken care of. Then we found out that the DC Metro machines only allow for two credit card transactions per card, per day. We freaked out, then remembered that we, indeed, have credit cards ourselves. Crisis Averted...barely. We went through the gates, then Bridget realized that she forgot her bag on the other side...she went and grabbed it, then couldn't get back through! Fortunately, the guards let her back in.
Bridget took the lead from there, guiding us through two Metro transfers and a short walk to our destination. We arrived at Hilltop Hostel around 6pm, which is splendid. I really think we will enjoy our stay here (no sarcasm...seriously, this place is super nice! There are definitely worse hotels that cost more!)
Tonight, we're off to the Mall to hang out and eat dinner...sounds like a night of fun!
Friday, March 13th - The Send-Off
This evening at 5pm, 8 college students set off on an extraordinary adventure. Well, it's not that extraordinary, but it's still pretty cool if you ask me. Anyway, our voyage to Washington, D.C. began with a quick trip to Wal-Mart, followed by a wonderful Lenten Meatless Dinner at Wendy's. That was an adventure. First, it took us 30 minutes to find Walkie-Talkies at Wal-Mart (which we found and bought...we all have codenames, too. See the Handle post for more)...We then proceeded to clean Wendy's out of Fish Fillet Sandwiches (like, really...we waited 15 minutes for them).
Once we had our dinner, Bridget started a chain reaction...She spilled her drink, Matthew dropped his trying to save Bridget's, and then Denton lost his in an attempt to rescue Matthew's...all in all, it was a pretty sticky situation (pardon the pun).
From there, the trip was your run of the mill road trip: a long drive, good music, snacks...oh yeah, and we even got mooned! We started the 5 1/2 hour drive to Glen Ellyn, where we are staying tonight until our flight tomorrow. Alex showed off his amazing DJing skills in the car, Kendra took a nap, and Denton made commentary about how Bridget and I should be dating (which is NOT happening).
A quick stop in Coralville for gas and drinks and we were on the road again. Shortly after we waved goodbye to Iowa and hopped on I-88, which we took the rest of the way. We arrived safe and sound at my grandpa's house at 11:30 pm, right on schedule...All in all, a pretty good way to start off the week. Whoa, it's 12:30...I'd better get to bed. You know, big day tomorrow!
Peace!
Doug
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