Still just a couple of tourists ... part 2

If you haven't yet, you should scroll down and read the previous post -- it's a two-parter.

After our tour of the Jefferson Memorial, we headed over to check out FDR's site. On the way over, we spotted George Mason sitting on a park bench, so we made a quick detour.


It's a small memorial, but a nice one -- and he looks so content sitting there on his little bench, doesn't he?

On the way to the FDR monument I took what might be the coolest picture I've taken in D.C. yet.


At left is the Capitol building, at right Jefferson Memorial (and you can even see the statue inside), hovering in the sky - a government chopper, and flying over a building below - an American flag. Does it get any more Washington, D.C. than that?? Short of the president walking right by me, I just don't see how. Click on it so you can see it enlarged. It's cool!

Anyway, FDR isn't too far from Mason's tribute, but unfortunately, we went through it backwards without realizing it. It's quite a HUGE memorial, broken into sections for each term FDR served (that's 4 -- for those of you who didn't know that, and shame on you, too!).

This is from the FDR Memorial web site: The memorial traces twelve years of American History through a sequence of four outdoor rooms-each one devoted to one of FDR's terms of office.

What a cool memorial! It's absolutely worth checking out -- I just wish the water had been turned on because it looked like it would have been beautiful. All along the walls are beautiful quotes from Roosevelt, mostly regarding the plight of the lower class and the duty of Americans to care for their fellow man. Always the bleeding heart, of course I loved it!


Here's Eleanor Roosevelt, a champion for civil -- and human -- rights.


Here's FDR with his beloved dog, Fala.


And here's Andy showing Fala some love :)

So as not to end on such a light note with what is actually a very moving memorial, I'll close with a few of my favorite quotes inscribed on the Memorial's walls:

"In these days of difficulty, we Americans everywhere must chose the path of social justice, the path of faith, the path of hope and the path of love between our fellow man."

"I never forget that I live in a house owned by all American people and that I have been given their trust."

"I see one third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad and ill-nourished. The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

Still just a couple of tourists

Last weekend Andy I took another trip to D.C. Lately Andy's been infatuated with the city, and since I'm still in awe of it too, it's an easy sell to get me to go downtown.

We've been to the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument so this time it was Jefferson and FDR's turn. We parked in front of the Washington Monument (which I took yet a dozen more pictures of) and walked over to Jefferson because the view from there was amazing.


If you look in the center of the memorial, you can see Jefferson's statue in there. Pretty cool picture, huh?


Front and center


Here's a shot from inside the memorial. These statues really are quite humbling. Surrounded by some of Jefferson's most powerful quotes, it's easy to get wrapped up in the history here.


"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." That's what it says at the top of the memorial near the celing. What a great quote!

After a brief tour of the museum in the base of the memorial, we headed over to FDR, but not before snapping a few more photos.


Yes, that's the Washington Monument framed by the pillars of the Jefferson Memorial. Yeah, I'm that good.

On that note, I'm going to continue the blog in a new entry so I can post pictures from the FDR memorial too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know, I'm a day late. And I'm even later than that on catching up with my blog. Why do I feel like I start every blog with an apology and a promise to blog more frequently?

Anyway, I have a very nice day yesterday and hope you all felt the love, too. Andy sent me flowers at work, which I'm an absolute sucker for! They were beautiful and a nice surprise.

After I got home, we went to a nice Italian restaurant on the waterfront in Annapolis called Maria's. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was very nice. As we left, I got a rose and a Happy Valentine's Day greeting from the manager. I thought that was a nice touch -- well done, Maria's Ristorante.

The most exciting news of the day was delivered by Amanda -- who told me she's having a little girl! Congrats, Amanda -- what a nice Valentine's gift for you guys!

Well, I know I have much catching up to do, so look for more blog posts this weekend. Honest. They're coming.

Not feeling very Patriot-ic

So it's been almost a week since the New York Giants stunned the New England Patriots for a 17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII last Sunday. I'm still amazed the G-men were able to do it.

I know I picked it -- though my 35-34 prediction was a little high -- but I wasn't sure if I was picking with my heart or my head. After all, despite the awesome defensive line and effective running game, New York had a quarterback who didn't seem to inspire anyone and a secondary I was concerned couldn't keep up with Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

Did the pressure of putting up the 19-0 in NFL history get to New England? Was Tom Brady's ankle a legitimate issue? Were the Giants just a little better on that day? Probably a combination of all that. As a result, the first two-touchdown underdog walked away with the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams in 2002.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning (19-of-34, 255 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) played more like Tom Brady then Tom Brady (29-48, 266, 1, 0) and won the game's MVP award -- just like older brother Peyton did last year. Eli also was at the center of one of the best Super Bowl plays of all-time when he eluded the Patriots pass rush and found (former Syracuse receiver) David Tyree downfield for a 32-yard gain on third down. Tyree even caught the ball in spectacular fashion, trapping it against his head as New England safety Rodney Harrison did everything he could to knock it loose. Was this a more amazing play then the Immaculate Reception? Montana to Clark? It's certainly in the top 3. And a few plays later, Manning found Plaxico Burress in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the winning score with 35 seconds left. Woo hoo!

The Giants' defensive line led by Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora as every bit as spectacular as it made the Patriots' offensive line look old, chased Tom Brady all over the desert and limited New England to 274 total yards. In the end, it proved to be the determining factor in a game that disappointed Patriots fans everywhere and prompted coach Bill Belichick to disgrace the game yet again by leaving before the game was actually over.

But for Giants fans, the past week was memorable as much for spoiling 19-0 as it was for winning the game. But what a game!
Guest blog by Andy MacAlpine

Ready for a Giants upset?

So the Patriots think they can become the best NFL team of all-time, do they? It won't be as easy for New England to beat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl on Sunday as a lot of people (including Vegas) think!

Now, don't get me wrong. The Patriots are a spectacular team -- especially on offense. Tom Brady's MVP season is arguably the best ever by a quarterback (even that previously best-ever season Peyton Manning put together in 2006). Randy Moss has done nothing but catch deep passes for touchdowns this year. Wes Welker rejuvenated a stalled career with his best season yet. And the offensive line/running back combination has been fundamentally effective. The offense is so good, the Patriots are 18-0 and on the verge of becoming the first NFL team to run the table and put up a 19-0 record after the Super Bowl.

But, as a Giants fan, I actually like the matchups Sunday. I think the running back combination of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw could do a good job of controlling the ball and the clock to keep that legendary Patriots offense off the field.

I also like the Giants' defensive line. With veteran Michael Strahan on one end, Osi Umenyiora on the otherside and Justin Tuck in the middle, I like New York's ability to put pressure on the Patriots' trigger man -- especially up the middle where Brady likes to go under pressure. Add linebacker Antonio Pierce, and I think the Giants will give Brady a tough time Sunday. They'd better, because if Brady is able to exert his will in the passing game, the Giants could struggle in the secondary to match up with Moss, Welker, Donte Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney.

Now everyone knows that I'm a big Yankees fan and I root against everything Boston. This is no different. I'd root against the Patriots if they were playing the Dallas Cowboys. I definitely don't want to see the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick lay claim to that 'best-ever' tag that they will have earned as a team if they pull off a win. I'm going to predict a 35-34 Giants victory, hopefully with a last-second miss by Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski (who's no Adam Vinatieri).

But even if New England does beat New York, Brady will have a tough time measuring up to this guy in the argument of best quarterback ever.
Guest blog by Andy MacAlpine