An Old Friend

I have been out-of-pocket for the past week attending the Psychotherapy Networker Convention in Washington, DC. I attended some very useful workshops at that convention and was able to hear some excellent national speakers. Following four days at that convention, I attended a one-day session that was strictly for Air Force therapists.

The workshops took most available daylight time, including Saturday and Sunday, so I didn't get to do much tourist stuff. I did head out for adventures most evenings on the Metro. The Metro itself was disappointing. The last two times that I was in D.C. the subway system ran flawlessly. Not so this time. I encountered regular delays, escalators that were out-of-order, and, in one case, our train broke down and we had to disembark and wait for a replacement. The Metro was new during the Bicentennial of 1976, so I guess it is starting to encounter the infirmities of aging.

One night I went to the National Mall and walked from the Smithsonian to the Washington Monument. Later that night I rode over to Union Station for shopping and supper. Another evening I went to Kramerbooks in Dupont Circle. It is a favorite bookstore of mine, and I manage to get there every time that I am in town. They also have a nice restaurant at the bookstore. I travelled to Chinatown two different evenings. I also enjoy visiting there, and manage to find something new with each visit. This time I stood in front of a small Chinese restaurant reading the menu, when I noticed a nearby street sign that identified that building as Mary Surratt's boarding house - where the plot to assassinate President Lincoln was hatched.

It was at National Airport as I was waiting to leave where I had my only celebrity sighting of the trip. I was sitting outside of Gate 42 at US Air as passengers began coming off of a plane that had just arrived. One of the first off was a nice looking lady who was clutching a large carry-on bag to her person. As soon as I saw her, I felt like I was running into an old friend. It was Cokie Roberts of ABC's "This Week" and National Public Radio fame. She was chatting with a male passenger, and he said, "Well, you're home now." Cokie replied, "Yes, I'm home, but only for a very brief time." And I kept quiet. (That's as it should be!)