I got a taxi cab today in a hurry but who really looks inside a cab before getting into it? Anyway, in a hurry to a meeting on Capitol Hill, I hailed a cab and got in. After telling the driver where I wanted to go, I looked down and in some disgust saw a discarded sweaty slightly soiled undershirt -- presumably the cab driver's -- in a basket between the two front seats. Now I've been in cabs with broken seats, cabs with litter, cabs with windows that won't close, or open, cabs that stink of cigarette smoke, cabs with drivers who won't stop talking at you, cabs with blaring radios, but this was the first time a cab driver had his underwear there for passengers to enjoy. AARGH!
We visited the Museum of Natural History recently. It's on Constitution Avenue North West at 10th Street NW and quite easy to find and get to. Better to get there by bus or taxi as I could see no parking whatsoever. We took a look at the Hope Diamond and all the other crystals and gems there, among other things (such as bees, butterflies, mummies, grasshoppers, cave men). Apparently these crystals and gemstones -- I learned that gems are merely cut and polished crystals! -- are worth millions of dollars, naturally, but maybe they are better off behind glass. There's stories associated with all of them but I just don't remember. I just photographed the ones that caught my attention.This museum is one of the Smithsonian museums and very interesting. There's a cafe there too, where we had a snack and some quite decent coffee.
