I didn’t make it inside the Monument. It turns out that it doesn’t matter if you have the whole day to yourself; you need to reserve your place for the day by getting tickets, and today’s tickets ran out at 9.20 this morning. Oh well, I managed to get a few pictures, at least, and I spent the day walking The Mall and lurking around the National Museum of American History. Lots of interesting exhibits and displays to see there. Now I feel more patriotic. (Yeah! God bless America, dude!)

I walked through the crowds of people around the White House to get back, passing a huge pro-Palestine rally in front of the Reagan Building, and am now at Kinko’s on 16th Street. (It turns out I’m just a block from the Third Church of Christ, Scientist.)

While I was away, the world saw the death of still another famous person: The Queen Mother.