dateline: washington

my friend k is leaving washington, the capitol city, next week on account of her job was getting her way down and time was afoot to change her lifestyle and have adventure and so she is about to embark on that and i am here in the capitol, warm as it is, some blooms on trees, to wish her bon voyage on the journeys and also mazel tov on the jump. 

and so, last night, when i walked from the metro to the bar where she was holding court i heard this guy harrassing a young lady. she was on her cell phone and he seemed a little of out sorts. and he finally yelled, very loudly, 'down with selassie!' and she seemed surprised and also, she looked like she might be ethiopian, there is a big ethiopian population in this area. that is heckling i haven't heard in nyc (i do recall once my friend a walked out of a deli in nyc and a fellow on the street said to her, 'i'd like you to sit on my face'), and is selassie still in charge? and what does such a heckle even mean? i don't have any idea. she looked as flummoxed as i.

then today we went to the national portrait gallery, cause there are good museums in this here town and there was an exhibit of love letters from or to famous artists and their lovers or spouses or friends. some were illegible, tiny handwriting, others were quite legible, romantic as the day is long. the one, especially, my favorite was from eero saarinen to his wife, aline (i think that was her name), the first part of it was so funny and sweet. 

then, we went to a bar and had some wine and cheese and oysters, which were delicious. k says she apologizes to any readers who think that this bar, ebbets, is a cliche but that really their oysters are supreme. and i agree. the ones from martha's vineyard especially scrumptious.

we did not, however, go to a disco which i somehow imagined we would.