Sunday Driver

I have always been the type that works just about seven days a week. Often the family just has to deal with this fact. Recently, I have been trying hard to make Sunday, family day. This past Sunday was family day for sure. We hopped in the car and went for a Sunday drive. It sounds so spontaneous as I write it, but it was actually very premeditated. We were to meet our very dear friends Jenny and Robert at the Museum of Natural History. Washington DC is about 45 minutes drive from my door to the door of the President, so going to DC is a piece of cake. Jenny is Beth's oldest and dearest friend. She is called Auntie Jenny by both our daughters and her new man Robert is an awesome guy.

Seeing your kid enjoying what they are seeing is an awesome sight, especially if they are learning something in the process. Ava is very bright and knew a lot about the fossils and dinosaurs we were looking at. She made honor role this quarter. I am still waiting for my bumper sticker that reads " my kid is an honor student at..." I told her I would put it on my truck with pride. The sticker I really have my heart set on is "my kid is the smartest kid in the whole damn school" Hey now, a father can dream.

Halle was even learning some stuff about whales. Did you know how the right whale got it's name? I do. They had a good deal of oil to them. The Whalers(not Bob Marley and Peter Tosh) sought them out due this and they were then called the right whale.

The museum was unusually quiet for a Sunday. That made the entire experience so nice. Last time we were here it was so packed you could barely move.

Since the day was so nice, we decided to walk to our next destination instead of driving and dealing with parking. If you ever go to DC the parking of the car is ten times worse than negotiating all the one way and angled streets. Being able to walk and just leave the car parked was indeed a luxury.

We took a short cut through the sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art(short cut, yeah right, we spent a half hour there. We would have stayed longer had the security guy not gotten so upset with Halle walking on the grass so I could take he picture next to a Roy Lichtenstien sculpture).

I was most enamored by this new piece that just was added. It is full size tree made of aluminum. I was so captivated I never say who it was by.

We walked up to Chinatown for a Chinese( and Yensan) family tradition of Dim Sum. For many years we have topped off a museum visit with a meal in China town. Unfortunately real estate is so hot in this area that China town has become one block long. At one time is was very large, but now it has been condensed down to just this one section of G street.

The place we usually go to has the best roast pork. I always get a plate of roast pork when we come here. Two years ago I forced some upon a friends son. He is a big fan now too. From what I understand they do not serve pork like this in Wisconsin.

For those who do not know, Dim Sum is a traditional Sunday meal in China. It is little plates of food served to you from a cart. Women push the carts around to the tables and you choose what you want to eat. At the end you pay for what you had. The meal can go on for a long time. There is always something new to try.

If anyone is looking to go try Dim Sum while at the Cherry Blossom Rally next April, I would be glad to take you. I would tell you how to get there, but then I might miss out.