We could not recall the last time we were in DC. We were still contemplating going or not until 3PM Friday when we got confirmation for the room. Finally. I later found out the reason why it took so long to confirm was school was still closed until Tuesday. Therefore, no faculty was around to sign for the room. In any case we were going to go...
We left around 4:15PM Friday. Traffic was very heavy leaving the 757. We were crawling out until Lightfoot. We stopped at the Rest area since Edwina was getting sleepy. The first thing we noticed was how nice the facility presented....clean, spacious, well-lit. A tremendous improvement. I took over. The Ipod was hooked up at 87.7 FM. Traffic was somewhat light until we got on 95N. It was moderately heavy. I played it safe since there really wasn't any opening for a nice run.
As we neared DC, I could not help how much the roads improved. When I first came, there were only 6 lanes...3 and 3. Now...an easy 12 lanes. Traffic moved well. As I positioned myself to the left for the 395, I noticed the on-ramp changed. It is now on the right side. After all that construction, they finally fixed that dangerous 95N exit. With 395 on the right, it was a clear shot into the city.
The Crystal City Marriot has changed. For the better. We got in around 8PM. Checked into room 1436 and went to dinner. Immediately we noticed the hardwood floors and some really cool lights that served as a wall. These changes made things brighter....cleaner....instead of dark and distant when it was red carpeted. Even the room was nice. A huge work area to easily hook up computer. The 48 inch HD flat-screen TV was a very nice addition. All-in-all the remodeled freeway and hotel really demonstrated how things changed over 25 years. Fortunately, the change is for the good.
On Saturday, I woke up at the normal 5AM. I went to the workout room and was greeted to TV mounted treadmills....new freeweights and machines. The water cooler really brought class to the area.
Ray called earlier for a meeting at 1PM. I googled the GMU/Arlington campus and realized it was a short cab ride. We decided to hook up with Ferdie prior to the presentation.
Ferdie has a nice position at Washington Golf Center. The mega store was filled with all kinds of golf equipment. In addition, there were indoor driving cages and an area for club custom fitting. With all this new golf technology, any avid hack should be able to score pretty decent on long courses.
Ferdie looked great. I was planning on trading in my Calloway irons for the graphites but I was sporting a sore left trapezuis. We chatted and later agreed to have dinner after work.
We went back to the hotel to change. I rechecked to see if my pics were loaded in sequence. This was to be my first lecture going high tech. Naturally, I was a bit on edge.
The cab ride was short. We were dropped off two buildings away. During our walk, I began to realize just how cold it was. Later, I leaned it was in the single digits. Therefore, whoever showed up had to be pretty hard core.
Joe was the first one we saw emerging from room 226. I hoped he had the proper cords to hook my laptop to the LCD projector. He didn't. Ray was going around all nervous about the presentation. Nothing was really planned except for me to show pics of the ones that gave the opportunity for me to live the American dream
By the time I started, many of the attendees were past FACS students we worked with over the years....Wendell, Alex and Jay S were there....then, Jojo (who was really looking good) and her husband, Mikee with wife and Xavier...Wilma, Eleonor, Joan...even Tony Sarmiento...the labor union officer was there. The gathering was quite impressive given the dire circumstances. Charlene and Jian did a great job in hooking us up. Dexter, the chair for FFO, was also there along with Brad.
As I started the show, I decided to set it on automatic slide show....to let the pictures speak for themselves. Afterwards, we had a great discussion centering on sharing where each of us are on their personal journey of community activism. There was this one lady who kept talking. Ray eventually cut her off enabling all the scheduled speakers to speak.
It was an inspiring gathering of kindered spirits....relationships nurtured since the '90s when we were involved with FIND, FACS and students in general. Like the hotel and freeway being upgraded, all of us were given the succesfull professional makeover. We are not the same individuals but we still all have the passion to make a difference in our community.
Ferdie took us out to this Chinese restuarant that served past Presidents and celebrities. Peking Gourmet Inn off Leesburg Pike (King street exit of the 395) even donns a website....www.PekingGourmet.com.
After a 40minute wait, we drank red wine. This was the most crowded Chinese restaurant I ever went to. So many white people that the only Asians were us. Elisa, our waitress, greeted us with a warm smile. I made fun by asking her to join us. That remark validates just how toasted I was off the red wine. The table we had was perfect. It guarded a private room that was adjacent to the 2nd main room. The Peking duck was awesome. We had the best dude to carve up the duck. Elisa made my first serving that featured their home-grown garlic shoots. Later, she told me I sat in the same chair as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Wow!!!
This was a memorable weekend. We come full-circle at a much higher place of consciousness. Things change. Fortunately, change smiled on the hotel, freeway, friends and ourselves. Life is great!!!
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