In yesterday’s blog I wrote about the details of a plane crash that killed an entire soccer team as though the crash was very recent. What I subsequently discovered (thankfully) is that there was not a recent crash. At least a Google search last night did not reveal the facts as I presented them. The only thing recent was my friend’s viewing of a documentary that described the investigative findings of the 2016 crash that killed 71 people.
The findings associated to the 2016 crash citing egregious pilot errors on several counts was very disturbing. Seriously, you have to wonder how things like that can happen? The deaths were avoidable and prudent judgment could easily have altered the outcome that forever altered the lives of many.
I am grateful that my reporting of another similar incident to the Brazilian plane crash on a Colombian mountainside in 2016 was false news. It certainly was not purposefully written to mislead anyone. The storyline is still extremely sad. The good news is that history has not repeated itself.
Yesterday, I made reference to the “early bird gets the worm, but at the end of the day it is still a worm”. My friend Moe and I met at a location for dinner on Monday evening that was approximately halfway between the hotels where each of us was staying. The restaurant was actually advertised as a grocery store, although it is not what anyone would think of as a grocery store. It is a restaurant/bar combination. Seriously, had I ordered from the menu what I initially locked onto with my eyes, I would have needed a double. Actually, I’m not for sure that would be enough.
Initially, I scanned the menu and didn’t see anything that closely resembled anything I wanted. On the second reading, it was the word “catfish” that lured me to the food item like a hummingbird seeking nectar. I like catfish. Unfortunately, the word catfish was followed by “/chicken liver…”. There was no way under the sun that I was eating anything linked with chicken liver. Consequently, I settled for a burger of sorts. The waitress recommended the meat be cooked medium rare. I opted to go with done.
To my surprise, the burger was good. It was the only thing on the menu that I had any idea of knowing what to expect. I ate the burger using a knife and fork. That is not the best way to eat a burger, but without a stack of napkins, it was the only way to make it work. Seriously – I looked around and the folks at the table closest to ours were also eating burgers. They, too, were using a knife and fork.
I’ve been traveling to D.C. for many years, and I have to say that I don’t remember it ever being this hot. I’m even willing to suggest that it is miserably hot. To make matters worse, the tunnel going into the Dupont Metro station yesterday morning resembled an oven. Hot – Hot – Hot doesn’t come close to describing the intensity of the heat. It was like a blast of hot air hitting you in the face as the escalator carried you deeper and deeper into the cave.
Apparently, the cooling system was not working. I noticed some fans scattered on the lower level to circulate air, but the heat was stifling. I actually thought I was going to get sick before the train arrived and the coolness of the metal tube offered a contrast to the stifling heat.
I have never been on Capitol Hill without wearing a coat a tie. I debated yesterday about leaving the coat behind. Tradition won out. Yesterday proved no different despite the heat. For that matter, I plan to wear a coat and tie again today. Okay, I don’t always make good choices and I have “STUPID” tattooed on my forehead.
Yesterday, I came close to taking a photograph of one of the visitors in a Senator’s Office. The man looked to be in his mid-thirties. He, too, was wearing a coat a tie. He was almost dressed to the nines. The thing I most noticed about his fashion statement was his feet. He was sporting dress shoes without wearing any socks.
My first thought was that the guy probably forgot to pack socks and discovered at the last minute that he was without. Seriously, what would I do in a set of circumstances like that? I guess you have to give the guy credit for wearing shoes. My friends from Arkansas joke that shoes are optional in their state. At least, I think they are joking. Regardless, it looked strange. It was my full intent to take a picture of the guy’s feet for today’s blog. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out a way to indiscriminately do that. I figured a man without sock might not think twice about punching me in the nose if he didn’t want his picture taken.
I had a flashback seeing him to a man wearing a coat and tie on a plane along with matching shorts. He too was wearing dress shoes and socks. That, too, looked really weird. The guy was probably near my age. Sadly, it isn’t infrequent that you see old men wearing shorts, shoes and socks. Please God, don’t let me ever be seen in public looking like that.
Would you believe that eliminating socks and dressing without them is a fad in men’s fashions? The only thing that is off-limits for opting out of wearing socks is work boots. Dress shoes work. Seriously, I think whoever came up with that idea needs to give it a second thought.
As a matter of record, I saw three men on Capitol Hill yesterday wearing shoes and dress slacks without a complimentary pair of socks. Having been a member of the Sock of the Month Club for the past three years, I have lots of choices when I pick out socks for the day. Since the membership to the Sock of the Month Club came my way as a gift from my daughter and son-in-law, I don’t plan to switch to the other side. I’m not going to become a fan of the sockless generation.
All My Best!
Don