King Triton of McPherson Square

...and we're back. Temporary blogging hiatus due to busy life. But I've been composing blog entries in my head while walking or on the metro, so eventually all my blog thoughts will be posted.
But first, the best random person I've ever seen in DC. I named this man King Triton of McPherson Square. The 3rd Friday of August around lunch time I was sitting in my boss's car with my boss. She was talking on the phone. We were in front of Georgia Brown's on 15th right across from McPherson Squre, when I saw a man crossing the street. He was barefoot. His skin was dark, I couldn't tell if it was from sun exposure or ethnicity. He had on a jean loin cloth, or a least that what it looked like to me. From the side I saw the jean short like bottoms had a slit up to his thigh. This was completed with a rope belt and no shirt. He had blond dreads and was holding a long stick with a curved something tied at the end. Not unlike a spear. He walked across 15th Street and on through the traffic. My boss didn't see him. But I was left with a solid image in my head. I kind of hope I see him again, so I can say hi and maybe take a picture.

Please, no fanny packs

At lunch today I saw a man wearing a fanny pack. Which reminded me of the man I saw last week while walking to work. He also had donned a fanny pack, but the pack part was on his backside, so it looked like he had a weird extra hump on on his back. I was walking behind him, so I had a great view. Sadly I was without my camera, so I was unable to catch photographic proof.

ECC Update

Last Wednesday night as I walked past the ECC, I saw two men sitting on the side walk, one was playing a keyboard and the other was singing. A couple stood to the right side listening, waving their hands in the air and a family with three small kids was just crossing the street anxious to see what was going on. I didn't recognize the song being sung, but I'm willing to bet money it was aMichel Jackson.

'God bless'

This past Saturday I stood on the corner of F and 9th waiting for the light to change so I could proceed on my quest to Zara. I had a clear view of the US Treasury building (White House is on the other side). A man next to me on the corner kept shouting out phrases to no one in particular, it went something like this:
"Whites are learning to get along with Blacks, God bless" (clap hands twice)
"Got Barak in the White House, God bless ya" (clap hands twice)
For two blocks I kept hearing "God bless" with the handing clapping and I couldn't help but smile.

Let Me Introduce you to the ECC

The ECC or Erin's Crazy Corner, as named by one of my roommates after I told her 2 or 3 things that happened at this corner. Specificity the corner is the intersection of 7th & H Streets NW, right by the Friendship arch in Chinatown. One of my favorite crazy stories is as follows. It was right after Christmas and just before New Years Eve of 2007, I had just had dinner with an old roommate at Clyde's down the street. I stopped at the corner waiting for the light to change when I felt someone tapping my head. I looked up, expecting maybe some strange person asking me for directions or that someone had tapped my head by accident. But no, it was a slightly drunk man who then asked if I wanted to get in the next cab driving by with him, I replied "No, I'm fine, thanks", just then the light changed and on I walked. So now whenever something happens at this corner I just attribute it to the ECC factor.

Presidental Motorcade...

..I'm pretty sure. Also last night, after dinner with the same friend, we were in Woodley Park standing on the corner of Connecticut and Calvert talking. I noticed a police car, but didn't pay attention until it started blocking off traffic. Then I noticed on the bottom of the car, below Police was written, Secret Service. Two or three minutes later a motorcade came along and turned on Calvert. I've seen several motorcades and Marine One flying, but every time, I still get super excited. It's kind of retarded. But it's all part of the crazy realness of living in DC.

The Mohak

Yesterday while walking to dinner with a friend, I was stuck walking behind a family of tourists. The best part was the 4 or 5 year old boy with a mohawk slipping on a kiddie Slurpee running back and forth and around his family. Both sides of his head where shaved and the mohawk was really spiky. He kind of looked like a little porcupine. I tried to discretely get a picture with my phone, but I was unsuccessful.

Random White Girl

Every once and a while I am keenly aware that being 'white' makes me a minority DC. I did not grow up this way and being in the minority here has been a fabulous eye opening experience. That said, I still feel awkward and out of place sometimes. In these moments I'm usually thinking, "Don't mind me, I'm just the random white girl".
I felt this today as I was yelled at by a bus driver for getting on a bus before a wheelchair could get off. In my defense, I was trying a new route to work, had just missed a bus and was over joyed to find a second bus. I've spent a good amount of time in this part of DC before and was surprised to feel so stupid, white and out of place.

Greenpeace

Almost every time I see a Greenpeace person stopping people on the sidewalk to talk about Greenpeace and ask for donations, my gut reaction is to escape as fast as possible.
Last summer one such person dared to talk to me, the conversation went like this:
Greenpeace Guy: I know you like Polar Bears!
Me: I do, but I don't want to talk about it!
Today I was again stopped by a Greenpeace Guy, different guy this time, after listening to his explanation of Greenpeace using Apple Computers and Kimberly Clark not being environmentally friendly and having to high 5 him ten times, I kindly escaped to go get lunch.
On my way to get lunch I pondered why I feel like I must use other people as shields, whip out my cell phone or listen to my ipod in order to avoid being stopped on the street, my conclusion was this:
I have no problem with Greenpeace, I just don't like being stopped while I'm walking on my way somewhere, epically when it's the precious hour of my lunch break.
Conclusion: I learned more about Greenpeace today and points to all Greenpeace people who try to stop unwilling pedestrians on the sidewalk, it's a hard job.

H&M

A few weeks ago I was walking across the street from H&M on F Street NW. I passed a teenage girl carrying candy to sell, she was walking with presumably her Dad and her brother. When her Dad pointed across the street to H&M she said "OMG, I love the H&M".
Indeed, we love the H&M.

How Unfortunate

On my way back from lunch, I saw a 7 or 8 year old girl wearing leggings walking back from the zoo with a stuffed panda, stuffed down the front of her leggings, like a pouch, only it wasn't cute, it was unfortunate.