Some of Those Thoughts I Was Supposed to be Writing About...

I've read back through my blog and too many posts have been of a political nature. My sister-in-law and step-mom keep blogs that include posts about life and events with the family, and I'm always grateful for the updates. So here is my update:

I recently returned from Washington D.C., and it was a great trip. I spent the first night with the Beynon clan out in Fairfax, VA and it was good times! Zach and Darbee are up to three kids now, and each one is growing so fast. Darbee told me that hanging out with her energetic bunch is a good form of birth control. I told her that between her beautiful kids and my adorable nieces, I think that I've got a look at how much of a blessing kids can be. Anyway, we went to the White House and hung out at one of the local sandwich shops on day one.

The next day Leilani arrived and we headed to some dive hotel near DuPont Circle that the Army had set her up with called the Ritz-Carlton. Don't worry folks, we paid the government rate; so a big shout out to all you tax payers out there:) Leilani was there in part for business, so I took half of one day to marvel at some of the sights. I then took the amazingly clean and efficient metro out to the Pentagon and met Loni for lunch. A brief update on Loni's life: She has recently become the Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General for Army Intelligence Command. I know, that's a lot to fit on a business card. I'm really proud of her, and you should see her in action at work. She's also recently found out that she will be moving to Ft. Belvoir, VA and I'm jealous that she gets to go to such a beautiful state.

Some highlights from the rest of the trip. We went to the Kennedy Center to watch a performance by the National Symphony. It is a beautiful building, but I have to say that Abravenal Hall in SLC is every bit as nice on the inside as the KC's performance auditorium. The musicians were incredibly talented, but I have to confess that I nodded off in the middle of one of Mendelssohn's pieces. A humorous part of any symphony performance is watching the guys in the percussion section. They stand up, hit a drum a couple times, then call it a night. I'm sure those guys wish they could be in a recording for the Star Trek soundtrack, they know how to use a drum in space movies. Later that night we had an amazing dinner at the restaurant inside the Ritz.
One of the best parts of the trip was going to the National Mall at night. Loni and I walked past the Vietnam Memorial on our way to the Lincoln Memorial, and it was very moving. The Lincoln was spectacular, and there were lots of little details that make the monument interesting. I did have to shake my head in mild disgust at one point though. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is etched in stone on one side of the memorial; however, I overheard a parent explaining to his young son that it was the Constitution. I was tempted to correct him, or slap him on the back of the head, but I held my tongue. Hopefully the young lad's teachers will pick up where the Dad fell short.

Another highlight was our trip to Mount Vernon. I can sense Leilani's eyes rolling as I recount historical field trips as "highlights," but at least I had a ball. Gen. George Washington was an amazing man in so many respects, and to see the desk where he made some of the most meaningful decisions in history was a humbling experience. They also have a great museum there that includes a display of some of Washington's dentures.
Final story from the trip. I was supposed to leave on Monday to get back to Vegas. Zach was nice enough to drive me to the airport, and I gratefully accepted. Before we started driving, Zach looked down and noted that we would need to stop for gas. Well, we started driving, and then Zach got sidetracked talking about how awesome I am. Then, about two miles from the airport the car starts to sputter and we spent the next little bit waiting for Acura's roadside assistance. Southwest didn't have another flight out that night, so we head back to Casa de la Beynon for night number two. It all worked out for the best; we headed out to see some waterfalls the next day and I got to hang out with some of my favorite people for another day.

Other than that, I can't think of what anyone would like to know. I'm still at Stryker (sans the tuition reimbursement), I finish grad school in December (can't wait!) and I'll be heading to Hawaii for work in June. I'm also starting to workout more like I used to. I want to lose weight, get stronger and all that business, but mainly, I just want Steve to post on his blog how proud he is like he did for Amanda.

Good times and Go Utes and Dodgers!