see matt run

The fourth of July weekend was my first time in Washington, DC, and I quickly concluded that it is not a city for rat lovers. I’m not one, thank god, but I know they exist. I knew a guy in high school who had several rats in a cage in his bedroom (that’s right, his bedroom) and the cage itself was a massive contraption of wires and plastic like a twisted Ken and Barbie dream house. Gah. I remember I went over to his house one summer to work on a school project and his eyes lit up when he asked if I wanted to see his pets. To my horror, he pulled out a rat by its long, squirmy tale and deposited it on his shoulder, giggling softly as it playfully nuzzled his neck with its fidgeting mouth and long whiskers. God it was disgusting. Still, coming from New York, I felt lonely in the subway’s big rounded tunnels with no small critters to scuttle around for my amusement. Perhaps DC needs my old classmate to husband the local rodent population.

As far as the aboveground geography is concerned, DC feels flat and spread out. Entirely too much walking was needed between metro stops, especially on this weekend of high 90 degree weather. The sort of conditions that can make a man chafe in the worst possible way. I say that hypothetically, of course.

One positive to the hot, burning weather was the complete lack of clouds. For most of my time there the sky was a rich blue that started dark and lightened up near the horizon, like somebody was using a single brushstroke but ran out of paint at the end. It looked pretty and came out well in some of the pictures I took.

The White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial were not what I expected. The White House and Vietnam Veterans Memorial were far smaller than I imagined they would be, though the Veterans Memorial had by far the greatest emotional weight. I don’t remember any signs that said people talking loudly would be stabbed with rusty nails but it sure felt that way. Lincoln, by the way, looked bad ass on his huge white throne. I’ve always heard that he was an ugly son of a gun, but, based on his statue, the man could wear a suit. Also impressive: the Washington Monument. That thing is biiiiig. My reverse fear of heights stopped me from fully appreciating just how damn tall it is. And it feels old too with its base smoothed down by sweaty, groping hands.

I also ate at restaurants, saw the zoo and caught a part of the fireworks show. At some point I peed on a wall, thereby marking DC as mine. Eventually I shall return and explore more of the city, further solidifying my claim. And if you want to see more pictures of my trip there (not of me peeing, though), you can check them out at the following link. [Awesome photos of DC on the fourth of July weekend]