"A soldier under the sea."

          The trip to Washington was quiet. We stopped in the capital before going to the hotel, first visiting the Air & Space Museum. Most of us decided to go in the flight simulators, and Maddie and I paired up for the fighter jet simulation. I flew the plane (including a few sequences in which we turned upside down) and Maddie fired the machine gun and air-to-air missiles. We got three kills, which was a low for the group but still felt baller as hell. After this, we walked around in pursuit of a quick, cheap lunch and settled on a place called Johnny's Deli. Jake S picked up a sandwich called the Robert E. Lee, ironic given where we were eating it. We sat in an outdoor park and enjoyed lunch, watching the suits pass by.
          Next up: my first-ever visit to the National Mall. The Washington Monument would be the first, and I was duly impressed with its striking appearance and overwhelmingly phallic nature. A bunch of people licked(?) the monument as well. Jared and I successfully led the group through a wide swath of grass covered in mud and goose poop for our own amusement. Next, the large and ostentatious WWII memorial, which for all its grandeur is honestly forgettable. I wore my MSL/NYC Rangers shirt today (plus a Northeastern hat to represent properly) and made sure to take a picture by the New York column. The Rangers were set to play in Washington tonight, and I was debating buying a secondhand ticket.
          The Korean War monument is arresting, if somewhat understated, but I appreciate the respect it affords to the "everyman" vision of the soldier. The Lincoln Memorial is more massive than I expected and was swarming with tourists; the best parts are the inscriptions of his Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address. And finally, the Vietnam Memorial. This is the best-designed of any edifice on the Mall, and the most soulful. It's like a ragged wound in the earth, a long, tapered wall of black stone. The atmosphere around it is nothing like the others. It is sacred ground. I hung back from the group to read some of the names and broke down crying, sobbing. A young man who might have been a veteran laid a hand on my shoulder. I guess I knew this was going to happen, I had been anticipating it all day up to that point. The memorial was the only thing I truly wanted to see in Washington and it was unreal.
          I calmed down and caught up with everyone, and we got back to the bus. I'd spread the idea to see the Rangers play against the Capitals at Verizon Center that night, but I developed a headache and decided to watch it at the hotel (I'd be prevented from doing so by some inexplicable fuckery with the TV channels.) We're staying at a Comfort Inn in Alexandria, outside of D.C. -- comfortable indeed, but definitely shabbier than the appointments in Baltimore. Cheap thin doors and walls, crazy TV, and worst of all, no air vent in the bathroom. We would clearly be roughing it for the single day that our team was likely to be in the tournament.
          Soon we were off again. The dance team and the band were going to be provided with "all-you-can-eat" pizza at Uno's, which sounded like an okay proposition despite our desire for mixer money. We were led into a dining room and waited, waited, waited. Our table of completely mature upperclassmen was soon blowing straw paper around the room, and heaving the straws themselves when exhausted of ammunition. The ensuing retaliation entertained us for a little while, but we had to tone it down. People were throwing down about Uno's on Yik Yak. A picture of Jared on the group chat prompted a room-wide laugh session. As for the food... we were eventually served with salad, and then waited, then were given pasta... (where is the pizza?) and finally a plate of pizza came out. Something like 4 or 6 slices, they went to the dance team instantly, and then we waited for the next one. This, to feed 40+ people! Some tables got more than others, like one where someone had 4 slices. I had two slices total before they let us know that the kitchen wasn't making any more -- apparently this is what happens when the place has our money in advance." Sorry for the rant but this was a waste of both Athletics' money and everyone's time.
          We inquired with JL as to whether the 21+ kids could run over to a nearby Safeway and bring the drinks back. He gave us permission to go, and we picked up a variety of beers. I watched 28 Days Later with Peter, Malcolm, Ryan L (who seemed to enjoy relentlessly criticizing the movie), Mary, Alex L, and Elizabeth. Everyone was toasty and lazy; hair braiding was done, and about a thousand bad Cosmo sex tips were read aloud. Jules returned (having been home for the day) and fell asleep across my bed. I did my best to move her a little bit, then wedged in under the blanket and hunkered down for the night. I was wiped out.
          One more thing. Coming in on a back to back, the Rangers managed to slap the Caps around, 3-1. Another stellar performance by Talbot in relief for the injured Lundqvist. With this win, we moved into first in not only the Metropolitan Division, but the Eastern Conference and the whole league as well! The Habs, Preds and Ducks also have 91 points, but more games played. This team has gone from zero to hero lately and it's the best time to be a fan. "So since Friday, let's review: OT Win @ Chicago, Win @ the Islanders, and Win @ Washington, giving up a combined 2 goals, only one even strength and the other to goddamn Alex Ovechkin on the power play. 3 playoff teams, 3 wins." In other news, Buffalo managed to scrape a point, taking the Leafs to the shootout and losing predictably. Ducks deliciously roasted by Flames at the Saddledome, 3-6, to the tune of two goals from Johnny Gaudreau.
          Quotes of the day:
"I'm disappointed in our government." - Maddie
"Nothing better than eating a sandwich named after the bane of the federal government in Washington, D.C." - Jake S
"The wheel is spinning, but the hamster's dead." - Peter
"The pineapple runs in my blood." - Justin
"Spruce Bringsteen. He's a tree performer." - Peter
"...he's really branching out with his music." - Peter
"Is it a crime to lick a federal monument?" - Justin
"I need more content, dammit!" - Jared
"This has been a dark night for all of us." - Ryan L, to JL
...
Peter: "Wait, Obama doesn't use the Declaration of Independence as a blanket when he goes to sleep?"
Jared: "No, he actually poops all over it. Because he doesn't respect our independence."
...
Justin: "We pool our per diems and get a hooker."
Jared: "Yeah, we all get about a minute."
Me: "I know Peter will take about 30 seconds so we should have some wiggle room there."
Maddie: "She has hands!"
Peter: "I specifically requested a hooker without hands!"
Maddie: ".... ...I could get a hooker..."
...
Jake S: "So, this is where George Washington is buried?"
Justin: "No, just his penis."

.     .     .     .     . 

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here,

but it can never forget what they did here."

- Lincoln. The Gettysburg Address