And The Streets Are Paved With Cheese

America! I'm back in America! Okay, yes, I've been back for several days, but you know when it really hit me? It wasn't seeing the White House. It wasn't beholding a giant American flag made of Lego. It was when a clock in D.C. struck noon, and the bells began chiming, playing -- and I am not making this up -- Yankee Doodle. You don't get more American than that. Heck, that even wins over Denny's Red, White & Blue pancakes, by gum.

I'm having a pretty good time in D.C. so far. Aside from the rain. Well, rain is fine. It's the wind that turns umbrellas inside out and the puddles that drench your socks and the slippery surfaces that try to kill you... those things aren't so great. Oh, and I keep getting temporarily lost. But when I'm not getting lost or getting drenched or falling down, I'm taking in the sights. Some sights I plan for, like the Smithsonian Museum Of Natural History and the Museum Of American History. Others... Like the parking garage where Watergate secrets were spilled... I've happened upon by accident.

 I've been blessed with many little happy accidents on this trip. The good has far outshined the bad.