Treasures

It was quite a weekend, my babies. Epic. One for the books.

Right. In actuality, I really didn't do much. I did start running again, which was nothing more than a horrific assault on the senses. And the muscles. And the brain. Oh sweet Lord, I forgot how much muscles could hurt.

I haven't really run since high school track, which was... erm... a long time ago. My body was PISSED. But since I had thrown myself out of bed at 7:00 a.m., and was back in the house by 7:30, I had no choice but to shower and get the hell out of there.

Ever wonder what Eastern Market looks like at 8:00 a.m.?

Temporary East Hall. It's nice!

It obviously lacks the charm of the original structure (as well as the enticing smell of mildew), but it's great! I'm happy for the vendors - they got a nice, clean space. And there is a ton more room to walk around. I bought bacon!

Next, my breakfast. It's my version of the English breakfast. Now with more aspartame!

Oh mylanta, it's so beautiful I could cry.
And possibly not eat anything else for the rest of the day.
I didn't.

Sunday, I got out of bed and was out the door by 9:45. I was determined to see the American Treasures exhibit at the Air and Space Museum before the place was flooded with visitors. Also, I need to work on my camera skills:

C-3PO looks much better in this setting...

...then he did here.

The scarecrow and the ruby slippers.
Now with reflect-y goodness!

M*A*S*H signpost

Kermit.

The curators had a tough task here, because "treasures" can mean so many things to so many people. They did do a great job of including American History's most popular items, like Kermit, the ruby slippers, and Mr. Rogers' sweater, but recognized that America is more than just pop culture, television, and movies. It's about who we were, who we are, and who we will become.

The best areas of the exhibit were those related to "National Challenges." From our beginnings in the American Revolution to slavery, from women's suffrage to the Civil Rights Movement, these times illustrate our complexity as a nation. I guess it's sort of a 'that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger' kind of thing, because these moments in American history were more than defining. These moments contributed to our national identity.

Of course, there were many, many other items -- more than I was expecting, really. George Washington's uniform, Abraham Lincoln's writing desk, the Greensboro lunch counter... they're all here. You can see Jackie Kennedy's gown, Ali's gloves, and Ray Charles' sunglasses.

I think that it was absolutely brilliant that these items were brought to Air and Space during the American History renovations. These are the things that people travel here to see. These are the items that give us a collective identity. And what better place than the world's most visited museum? Everything is presented well, in low light, and spread out enough so that you aren't right on top of other visitors. It's very well done.

It's not a huge exhibit, and it won't take long to browse your way through. Make the trip if you can.