Welcome!

Welcome all! This blog is going to be a photo account of my life and times in the great District of Columbia. It'll have everything - my neighborhood, my friends, touristy stuff and monuments; all the best of the randomness that happens here every day.

We're going to try a thumbnail photo, see how it works. Click on the image below to enlarge it:

Well hey, for not having a tripod, that one came out pretty good!

That was my view of the fireworks on the National Mall. It rained just before dusk, but turned out to be fantastic weather for the fireworks and not too crowded, either. Jess and I brought a mutual friend Rob and picked up a Hill intern who was there by himself, so the four of us ooh-ed and aah-ed and then went home.

We had to huddle beneath a metro awning while the thunderstorm passed by, and when we walked out to the Mall we found they'd evacuated everyone while it rained. So we got decent seats - too bad for the families who'd been there since the early afternoon! - and spread out blankets and set up our chairs. I actually walked home from the Mall that night, with a huge group of tourists and families. The DC police were trying out their city evacuation plans again (it was a minor disaster last year, I believe) and it seemed to work much better this time. They have to plan where the traffic flow will be diverted, and I'm sure they were working overtime in the command center in the headquarters that I visited once.

So! Well, it looks like this has been a success, so I'm going to sign off here. Mom and Dad, I hope you enjoy this blog - it's like me babbling at you over the phone, only with pictures!