America

The Arlington National Cemetery. I spent hours at the cemetery on Sunday – it was my first time. By the time I was done I felt like my guts were all shoved in the bottomest-bottom of my stomach and my heart was feeling heavy. It’s a dichotomy because I really enjoyed being there but really really thought it was awful. I saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown and chatted it up with the tour guide at General Lee’s old home. I only cried once, but because I saw a plot that was new. Son of a bitch war.

one of my pics from the cemetery

But tonight, as I sat on the steps of our nation’s capitol, I felt so patriotic that I wanted to dance. I saw The Navy Band Commodores Jazz band play. I smiled through “Sing Sing Sing” and swooned through Stevie Wonder and heard the best rendition of “America the Beautiful” that I can remember.

[have a listen: http://www.navyband.navy.mil/commodores.shtml]

The band, in their squeaky uniforms and the Washington Monument all lit up and the people, it was nice. I went with my roommate Emily and her friends from Harvard. This kind of patriotism I expect only to be rivaled by the Fourth of July in DC next week.

Another band, all be it pretty unrelated, Rooney! Who I saw on Saturday with the ASME intern from the Smithsonian Magazine. They played at a little club in northern DC. Lots and lots of fun. About half new and half old songs, they were fun guys - the band.