The Franciscan Inn, Santa Barbara, CA

Chilly out today, and I walked about 11 miles yesterday, so today I am playing with my built-in web cam thingee. Scary jet-lagged...or perhaps even LIFE-lagged, eye.  :)  Thanks for the bottle brush info, Mom. Damn if they don't look like bottle brushes...

The Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA

Marc Irwin explaining to me that, no, I don't sound like Tony Bennett. This the theatre that John Cleese came to see us in, once.

Santa Barbara, CA

OK, Mom, what the heck kind of tree is this? They're everywhere here!

Harbor, Santa Barbara, CA

Here's me looking New York-y and out of place.Awfully pretty place. Three days here! Woo-hoo! I kiss at you!

LAX

They're refurbishing the old-school Jetson's-style space-age restaurant out front of the airport that no one has time to go to.

Tower Theatre, Bend, OR

Crowded backstage area.

Thump Coffee Cafe, Bend, OR

I had a hot chocolate with cayenne pepper in here. Curiously delicious!

These are wishes children have drawn on shingles and then had hung from the ceiling. "I wish I could drive the Batmobile..." "I wish the world was peaceful...." "I wish my parents weren't fighting..." Kinda sweet and poignant.

Dulles Airport

The disconsolate throng teeming in front of my gate tells you gettin' to Bend, Oregon ain't gonna be no picnic. Off to a great start!

Ballston, VA

I am positive it's been at least several days since I brayed my praise of Bob & Edith's most excellent diner.

Downtown

The Atrium of the Ronald Reagan Trade Center. Designed to metaphorically resemble Reagan's head, it's large, impressive, and utterly empty.

Getting onto the 14th St. Bridge

It's rare that you feel sorry for a motorcycle...

Sterling, VA

On the way to Lansdowne for a show. In your old neighborhood, the cranes commiserate at dusk...

Washington, DC

The anti-semites are getting subtler...

Around here...

...even the gas pumps are not native English speakers.

Club Nine, NW DC

Jon's tour hits DC. This is him manipulating extremely loud music at his noise gig. Even with quality earplugs, it made me half queasy. The headline act was even louder.

Bailey's X-roads

I wonder if I'll ever need to rent the Fresh Meat, Beer, and Wine Banquet Room? It's right across the street if I do!

Meanwhile, out back...

The dirty, filthy, empty pool is now the dirty, filthy pool full of dirty, filthy water.

Progress? I say yes!

National Harbor, MD

Once again a lovely view of the sun setting over the new Wilson Bridge from the Gaylord at National Harbor.

Arlington

If you blow this up, you can see the surliest, funkiest, attitudinous, cigarette-smokin'-est Lady Liberty you've ever seen. The local Spanish tax preparer has had some kind of character out on the street in front of his place here all month. I also highly recommend the elderly Uncle Sam with the ear buds and Napoleon Dynamite dance routine...

Tyson's Corner, VA

This is the hideous, rotted, infected, abscessed tooth that has been killing me for six months.

And the woman who labored mightily with a full complement of terrifying hardware for 45 minutes to pry it out of my mouth: Dr. Kristina Nguyen, 4'11", 98 lbs. with the face of a model and a smile that could melt lead. Again with the women who hurt. I am one sick puppie. And really, really sore right now. But once this heals, it'll be the first time I don't have a wanging toothache for six months. So I got that going for me...

Arlington

Jo and Matt about to head back south.

Springfield, VA

Bob and Matt Hazzard, Jo and I, and introducing...Midnight!

Bailey's Crossroads

This is a skyline view of the Skyline Building in the heart of the Skyline complex. How deliciously and pointlessly recursive.

Probably cost almost as much as this!

Which is a very nice and groovy thing. Good eye, Dad. But we knew that from seeing Mom. Love you guys!

Sometimes you find the darndest things!

HP-21 calculator: I'm guessing circa 1977-8? How much was this, Pop? Now you get them free from realtors and the like...