georgetown visit
As most of you know, Nadeem and I went to Georgetown.  It gets hemingway-esque at the end.



It is my intention to keep this from being too dry a tale.  Anyway.  This excursion to DC was rather spur of the moment.  Our original intention was to visit Georgetown and George Washington University, with Georgetown being the first stop (9AM information session)

On Sunday we had friends over for Easter (none of whom were Christian, but who really cares?)  And we were set to leave at 6 pm.  I told Nadeem to wear a raincoat, because it was going to rain.  (Sorry the satellite wasn't at the time, but the red spot was right over the DC metro area)



In any event, Nadeem told me he wasn't going to bring a raincoat.  I quote:  <tr><td valign="top" align="right">me:</td><td> the weather's going to be really nasty </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">apro2k5b:</td><td> imma bring a hat</td></tr>

Oh, the clouds are building to our climax. <thunders>  Sorry about that.

So, we start driving around 6 (I'm behind the wheel)  I drive to the border, some two hours away, with minor congestion.  You can ask Nadeem about my driving skills.  At around 10:15-30 we arrive at DC, where we discover that George Washington University is not on the map. Neither is the hospital.  Grand.

The hotel apparently didn't have lessons from the Parkway/NJ turnpike signage authorities, the RESTRAUNT had a bigger sign than the hotel.  The outside looks decrepit, but the inside is warm and cozy.  Inside, the first person we hear is a guest, "I'm cold, I'm wet.  I just want milk.  I circled the block, five times, I couldn't find parking, I couldn't find the place.  Are you sure you don't have milk in your kitchens?"  The bellman/valet (he wore multiple hats) responded, "Yes, I'm sure.  I'll go get some."  "No, that's okay.  You'll have some in the morning?  "Yes." The man walks away.  We walk to the front desk with luggage.  "Yes?" she asked in a rather inquisitive voice, as if we were just visiting the hotel.  Normally people walking in with luggage precludes the check in process.  So we get a room, a rather spacious room at that.

We set out at 8 or so.  And walk.  A short walk, we're told.  Okay.  A mile, that isn't too bad.  It was raining lightly, and gradually, the stattaco of the rain increased, and our clothes got wetter.  By the time we reached the Georgetown campus (1.5 miles as the crow flies), we lightly soaked, splashed by certain BUSES that happened to FIND every single PUDDLE and SPRAY 5-7 feet sideways.  I narrowly dodged the first, but the second and third hit me square on.  Nadeem was wearing a hat and a sweatshirt.

Upon our arrival on the campus, we spot a shuttle aptly named with a three letter acronym which escapes me.  We hop aboard and arrive at the undergrad admissions office.  Yadda yadda ya.  Turns out that they aren't going to count the writing portion of the sat...the presenter was a robot.

The worst part is yet to come.  The tour was so poorly planned/executed and inflexible.  It's raining, people have umbrellas, it's windy, and the flight path for national airport is right overhead.  We can't hear, I'm cold, I'm wet, and I'm hungry.  The rain picks up to a downpour.  We step outside a hall, but we can't go in, because we have to hear about how you can sign up to walk the mascot.  Then, we go in.  How utterly ridiculous (no the mascot isn't a cow).

Exit the hall, stand in the rain some more.  Talk about wifi.  Walk to another place.  Stand in the rain.  Talk about wifi.  Move again.  Talk about food that isn't as good as your mother's but can be if you want it to be as good as your mother's cooking, depending on your expectations and your mother's cooking.  If the Jesuits invite you for lunch, go, because it's almost as good as your mother's cooking, if your mother's cooking is cooked better than the cooking at the dining hall.  (It wasn't open, by the way)

Meanwhile, I'm eyeing a large alcove that is dry.  I look.  I stare.  I foam at the mouth.  We could be there.  Guess where our next stop is? There.  Nadeem is still clad in his soaked sweatshirt that weighs more.  And my raincoat is leaking.  At least my underwear is dry.

Let's ditch.  We ditch.  We run to the mess hall.  It's closed.  We run to a bus stop.  The bus doesn't stop here.  We run to another discharging bus.  We don't take passengers.  We hail a taxi.  I drop the camera in the case.  It squishes.

We tell the driver to go somewhere, closer to DuPont circle.  And find us somewhere to eat.  We eat at a sandwhich place, which has one of those hand driers.  I hail the inventer as genius. We eat.  It stops raining.  We exit.  We walk aimlessly, circling the circle twice, then realizing that we're at the wrong place.  We also realized that although planned, DC is haphazard.  And then it starts to rain.  And rain.  And no one knows where the hell George Washington University is.  Brilliant.  Nadeem is still in his hat and sweatshirt.

We find the hotel, collect our luggage, and change.  I change my pants.  Nadeem, having no pants, changes into pajama bottoms.  My dad changes into sweatpants.  It pays to be prepared.  Nadeem walks barefoot out of the hotel with pajama bottoms on.

I go to sleep in the car and wake up in New Jersey.  We arrive at 6pm.  24 hours.

Moral of the story....don't visit colleges in the rain.

I had rain pants.