Andrew Made His Own Corned Beef and Other Stuff

Home-Corned Beef and Cabbage, New England Style

Serves 8 with leftovers. Published March 1, 1997.

If you prefer a leaner piece of meat, feel free to use the flat cut. In fact, we found more flat cut than point cut briskets in supermarket meat cases, so you’ll probably have to ask the meat department attendant or butcher to bring you a point cut. Leave a bit of fat attached for better texture and flavor. The meat is cooked fully when it is tender, the muscle fibers have loosened visibly, and a skewer slides in with minimal resistance.

Ingredients
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns , cracked
3/4 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 bay leaves , crumbled
1 beef brisket (fresh, 4 to 6 pounds), preferably point cut, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry
7-8 pounds vegetables , chosen from the categories below

Category 1 Vegetables

• carrots , peeled and halved crosswise, thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise
• rutabagas (small), peeled and halved crosswise; each half cut into six chunks
• white turnips (medium), peeled and quartered
• new potatoes (small), scrubbed and left whole
• boiling onions , peeled and left whole

Category 2 Vegetables

• green cabbage (small head), uncored, blemished leaves removed, cut into six to eight wedges
• parsnips , peeled and halved crosswise, thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise
• Brussels sprouts , blemished leaves removed and left whole

Instructions
1. Mix salt and seasonings in small bowl.

2. Spear brisket about thirty times per side with meat fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with salt mixture; place in 2-gallon-size zipper-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible. Place in pan large enough to hold it (a jelly roll pan works well), cover with second, similar-size pan, and weight with two bricks or heavy cans of similar weight. Refrigerate 5 to 7 days, turning once a day.

3. Choose 7-8 pounds of vegetables of your choice from categories 1 and 2, prepared as described in the ingredient listing.

4. Rinse the brisket and pat it dry. Bring the brisket to boil with water to cover by 1/2 to 1 inch in large soup kettle or stockpot (at least 8 quarts), skimming any scum that rises to surface. Cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickest part of brisket slides out with ease, 2 to 3 hours.

5. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Transfer meat to large platter, ladling about 1 cup cooking liquid over it to keep it moist. Cover with foil and set in oven.

6. Add vegetables from category 1 to kettle and bring to boil; cover and simmer until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add vegetables from category 2 and bring to boil; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

7. Meanwhile, remove meat from oven and cut across the grain into 1/4-inch slices.

8. Transfer vegetables to meat platter, moisten with additional broth, and serve.

9. Serve this dish with horseradish, either plain or mixed with whipped or sour cream, or with grainy mustard.

and his Flaky Biscuit Recipe from Cook's Illustrated

Makes 16. Published May 1, 1993. After stirring in the milk, this dough should feel very soft and moist, but you should be able to hold it briefly between lightly floured hands without its sticking. If it turns out wet and sticky, return it to the bowl and sprinkle it with 2 to 4 tablespoons additional flour (of any kind) on all sides, gently patting in the flour with your palm. Let the dough rest another half-minute before removing it to your work surface. It is best to discard the dough that is left over from the second cutting, as biscuits made with thrice-recycled
dough tend to be tough and flat. These biscuits are best served at once, though leftovers may be wrapped and refrigerated for a day, then reheated for a few minutes in a 350° oven.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter , chilled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening , chilled, or lard
3/4 cup milk , cold

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust rack to center position and heat oven to 450.°

2. Mix first 3 ingredients in a large bowl or the workbowl of a food processor fitted
with steel blade. Add butter; with your fingertips, a pastry blender, 2 knives, or steel
blade of a food processor, mix, cut, or process butter and shortening into dry
ingredients, until the mixture resembles dry oatmeal. (Transfer food processor mixture
to a large bowl.)

3. Stir in milk with a rubber spatula or fork until dry ingredients are just moistened.
Let dough rest for 1 minute, then transfer it to a well-floured work surface.

4. Roll the dough into a rough 6-by-10-inch rectangle. With the long edge of the
dough facing you, fold in both short ends of the dough so that they meet in the center;
then fold the dough in half by width, forming a package of dough four layers thick.
Once again, roll the dough into a 6-by-10-inch rectangle 1/2-inch thick.

5. Using a lightly greased and floured 2-inch cutter, stamp, with one decisive punch
per round, 4 rows of 3 dough rounds, cutting them close together to generate as few
scraps as possible. Dip cutter into flour before each new cut. Push the scraps of dough
together so that their edges join; firmly pinch the edges with fingertips to make a
partial seal. Pat the dough into small rectangle, fold it as before, and re-roll 1/2-inch
thick. Cut out 3 or 4 more biscuits.

6. Place dough rounds 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet; brush dough
tops with melted butter or milk. (May be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up
to 3 hours.)

7. Bake until biscuits are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

CHEWY BROWNIES
from Cook's Country

Makes twenty-four 2-inch brownies. Published March 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.
For the chewiest texture, it is important to let the brownies cool thoroughly before cutting. If your baking dish is glass, cool the brownies 10 minutes, then remove them promptly from the pan (otherwise, the superior heat retention of glass can lead to overbaking). While any high quality chocolate can be used in this recipe, our preferred brands of bittersweet chocolate are Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV and Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar. Our preferred brand of unsweetened chocolate is Scharffen Berger. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate , finely chopped (see note and related illustration)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (17 1/2 ounces) sugar
1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (see note)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Referring to directions in Making a Foil Sling (related), make sling using the following steps: Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and
fit into width of pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix
with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.

3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1½ hours.

4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

STEP -BY -STEP
Brownies with a Shiny, Crackly Top
A glossy, crackly top is one of the hallmarks of a great brownie, but achieving it can be elusive. Can the type of sweetener you use help?

THE EXPERIMENT
We baked three batches of brownies, one sweetened with granulated sugar, another with brown sugar, and a third with brown sugar and corn syrup.

THE RESULTS
Only the brownies made with granulated sugar took on an attractive crackly sheen. The other batches had a dull, matte finish.

THE EXPLANATION
Why does granulated sugar work best? It’s all due to what might be deemed “special effects.” Whether on its own or in combination with corn syrup, brown sugar forms crystals on the surface of the cooling brownie. Crystals reflect light in a diffuse way, creating a matte effect.
The pure sucrose in granulated sugar, on the other hand, forms a smooth glasslike surface as it cools that reflects light in a focused way, for a shiny effect. As for the crackly crust, its formation depends on sugar molecules rising to the surface of the batter and drying out during baking. Since both brown sugar and corn contain more moisture than granulated sugar, the surface of brownies made with either of these sweeteners never dries out enough for a crisp crust to form.

STEP -BY -STEP
The Secret to Chewy Brownies
The secret to a box-mix brownie's chewy texture boils down to one thing: fat—specifically the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat. By using both butter (a predominantly saturated fat) and unsaturated vegetable oil, we were able to approximate the same 1:3 ratio found in
commercially engineered specimens to mimic their satisfying chew.

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Watch Yourself Here!

Andrew (my son) sent me photos from his new home in Washington, DC from his iPhone. We haven't visited him yet, so I asked him to photograph his whole kitchen. The photographs are interesting in an odd way . . .

For sure, I won't anger Andrew when he is cooking when I am there! I think I'll just find a neighborhood dog to walk around the block when he makes supper!


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Wordless Wednesday: Vermont Avenue

Wordless Wednesday

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Gay Green Leaders: GLBT organizers of Power Shift '09

Gay Green Leaders: GLBT organizers of Power Shift '09 talk about event, and why our community should care about being green: Gauge at Metro Weekly magazine - Local lesbian and gay news and interviews from Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia.

Read the article for the new update on Dan and Andrew!

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The Youth Inaugural Ball

Andrew and Dan went to the Youth Inaugural Ball, for those people 35 years of age and under, on Inauguration night in Washington, DC. MTV was there with cameras. The Ball began too late on a school night so we taped it on TV. In these three photos, I found Andrew!

On historic days like January 20,
Washington is a wonderful place to live!

Technorati Tags: Youth Ball, Washington DC, inauguration day
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Heads or Tails: September 11: Hartford to Washington DC

I was at school. The girls and I all lived and worked in Hartford, Connecticut. My son, Andrew, lived then (as now) in Washington, DC. He lived within sight of Capitol Hill and worked at a research facility near the Pentagon, taking the Metro to his job every day.

In Hartford, before first period, a teacher came out of his class and told us to turn on the TV because his wife had called. We couldn't get the TV to tune to a station without a metal coat hanger. At the moment we were able to tune a station, the second plane hit the Trade Center. We stood in a circle in awe and fear until I finally realized that somehow the US was at war with somebody.

We were told not to let our students know. All morning, we surreptitiously stole into the room with the TV and shared what we learned with the staff. I heard about the Pentagon attack and panicked. The principal arranged for me to call Andrew but the phone circuits were overloaded and I couldn't get through. I called the girls and told them to try Andrew's cell phone non-stop until they got him. I finally called a friend in Michigan who called Andrew. Somehow, Michigan got the call through and created a conference call for us.

Andrew's supervisor had locked all of his charges in the basement of the building near the Pentagon and they were going to stay there until the Army told them it was safe to leave. I told Andrew to get as much cash from the bank ATM as possible but he had already done that. I told them that we would drive down and get him and bring him home (that proved impossible: the roads from Connecticut to Washington were quickly all closed down).

Andrew was scared. A friend he worked with had seen the Pentagon attack from her car on the Beltway. She was in shock by what she had seen and she (and hundreds of others) had simply abandoned her car on the highway and somehow walked to work where she was locked up with the rest. There was no food except for vending machines. They dismantled the machines in order to eat during the day. Andrew told me that the White House was on fire and related other rumors that were flying throughout the country.

Andrew's supervisor finally let all of the employees out at 10 PM that night. He personally made sure that each person got home safely. The Army was patrolling Washington, huge military helicopters were flying over head and anti-aircraft guns were stationed at most intersections. They stopped to eat on the way home. They had to walk from Arlington to Dupont in the dark, in fear, because the Metro had been shut down. But as soon as Andrew got home, he called. He said he could not sleep all night because of fear and the noise of the military activity all around, including the huge lights used by helicopters to light up the city below.

As if that was not enough trauma, Andrew was affected by the anthrax attacks. His post office was the huge Washington facility that was infected. His mail was confiscated and destroyed. He had to have his mail forwarded to another postal facility. We simply stopped sending him mail for a long time because he refused to collect it for months. He was in fear for weeks that he may have contracted anthrax in mail he had gotten before they knew what was going on.

Andrew and I have talked a few times about what to do "next time." He has an escape route planned and will not cancel his land phone account, which he considered doing at one time because he only uses his cell phone. I reminded him that cell phone service was shut down on that horrid day and that land phones were the only phones working.

I am grateful that this is the only way in which we suffered on that day. I pray that we find a solution to the anger and hatred in this world so that this never happens again here or anywhere else.

Technorati tags: September+11 9/11 Washington+DC Hartford+CT Heads+Or+Tail
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Andrew Went to Brooklyn (Long)

Last weekend, my son Andrew went to New York City as he usually does to see Dan on alternate weekends. This weekend he also visited Danielle (not our Danielle) in Brooklyn. She has a baby daughter, Amira, and is a social worker. Andrew introduced Danielle to her husband, Max, at the University of Maryland, College Park. In fact, Max and Danile's first kiss was in Andrew's apartment at UMD. They were on the balcony alone when everyone else was inside. Andrew takes credit for this match. The three were undergraduates there.

Max is from Africa but raised in America. His father is an ambassador from Mali. When the kids were in college, Max's father was in the United States. He was then transferred to Italy so he and his wife life in Rome now. Danielle goes to Italy at least two to three times a year and has even studied there for a semester. She has been to Tuscany often and has persuaded Andrew and Dan to go to Tuscany this October. She may ever accompany them.

I am haranguing Andrew about having a camera in Tuscany, opening a Flickr account and posting to Flickr daily. As young as he is, Andrew still is not facile with the web 2.0 applications!

This weekend in Brooklyn, they (Andrew, Danielle, Amira, and another friend) went to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Danielle had a digital camera and now I finally have recent photographs of my Andrew! As a new mother, Danielle is accustomed to taking photos and updating her family with them.


Andrew enjoyed the Japanese pond. The Koi (the huge goldfish) were kissing the turtle and the turtle didn't like it. The turtle took its "hand" and pushed the fish away from its face. Fish were also bothering the turtle by eating algae off of the turtle's back. Some fish jumped completely out of the water. After they left the Gardens, they had some very rich chocolate cake at a cafe. Dan met them there.

While in Brooklyn, Allison, Dan and Andrew went to dinner and then to a bar for cocktails. During the evening, Andrew ran into four people with whom he went to college. One person he had not spoken to since his freshman year. She came up to him and said, "You went to the University of Maryland! You were a piano major and you used to have long hair!" (Andrew was a double major: piano performance and psychology. He is now a psychologist.) This woman was in his freshman music theory class and was a piano major. However, she could not handle the pressure and soon switched majors. She is now a physician. Go figure.

The classmates that Andrew met this weekend are doctors, lawyers, and one (who also attended Tanglewood with Andrew) is a pianist. This pianist plays at the church across the street from Dan's apartment in Greenwich Village. Her church is Dan's view.

Andrew returned to Washington, DC on Monday morning on the bus. Everyone was asleep on the bus. There are a lot of people who live in NY and spend weekends in DC and vice versa. Three of the fifteen people at Andrew's office are in a NYC/DC commuting relationship. Andrew therefore sees a lot of the same people on the bus. There are a lot of couples kissing goodbye.

Andrew and Dan are coming here to Vermont in September for his birthday. All his sisters are also coming so we can celebrate his thirtieth birthday together. He is the youngest in the family so this will be a big occasion.

If you like, you can view all 18 of Danielle's photos in my Flickr set here.

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Andrew At GWU

I found a pdf file from George Washington University from the time that Andrew was a graduate student there. They featured him in order to advertise their graduate programs. I used ImageWell and Apple's Preview to edit the pamphlet for this new image.
And now? Andrew is a practicing psychologist (research, not clinical) and is planning his Ph.D. studies!
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Metro train derails

CNN: Fire fighters respond Sunday to a Metro train derailment at the Mount Vernon Station in downtown Washington, D.C.

Story today from CNN:

Train passenger: 'I felt a very violent impact'
•Washington Metro train derailed Sunday, authorities said
•There were no major injuries, fire official said
•Mount Vernon Station shuts down
•Metro officials guided passengers off the train

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Metro subway train derailed Sunday afternoon in a tunnel near the Mount Vernon Square station in downtown Washington, shaking up passengers but causing no serious injuries, authorities said.

"At some point after leaving the Gallery Place Metro station ... the train seemed to slow down," said Amadi Boone, a passenger in the last car of the train.

"At some point, we started hearing some strange noises. The train felt very jerky. We started weaving back and forth, and then I felt a very violent impact."

The derailment occurred about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, acting Fire Chief Brian Lee told CNN. Some passengers were taken to hospitals after the accident, but it was not believed there were any major injuries, he said.

The cause of the crash was still under investigation, Lee said.

Another passenger, Keith McCoy, said the train hit a side wall of the tunnel, smashing in the front end of the lead car and knocking at least one door off the train.

Metro officials guided passengers off the train and out of the tunnel one by one, McCoy said. Some passengers remained aboard for up to 40 minutes, but there was no sense of panic among them, he said.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/07/dc.train.derail/index.html

Andrew says he uses that station every day to go to work and that the feeling they described on the train is what he feels all the time. On Friday, in fact, he was wondering if that jumpy feeling on the track could make it derail.

Another thing to worry about. :-(

The Great Tile Debate

in order to use this article at school, I have copied it here..... photo by Mark Greenwald

The Great Tile Debate

Metro, the subway system serving Washington, D.C., has a distinctive look. Underground stations resemble immense, minimalist concrete bunkers. The tiles covering the floors are six-sided—large, terra cotta hexagons. Now, the board in charge of Metro is debating whether to switch to square tiles, like those typically found in most other subway systems around the world.

From a mathematical perspective, both square and hexagonal tiles do the job of tiling the plane. As do tiles of many, many other geometric shapes. And the choices get even wider when you consider using several different tile shapes together. My own bathroom, for example, is tiled with octagons and squares.

So, the decision on which shape of tiles to use actually hinges on practical considerations. One of the problems with the Metro hexagons is that they get slippery when wet. But that's a function not of their shape but of their composition and glazing. Still, the companies that manufacture safer square tiles apparently don't do hexagons. And lopping off corners to turn squares into hexagons would be extremely costly and wasteful, a representative of one tile manufacturer told the board.

Then there's the problem of broken tiles and water leakage. Metro officials claim that floors with square tiles would be easier to maintain than those with hexagonal tiles. Fewer sides mean fewer joints, and fewer joints mean less water leakage.

That's an interesting claim. The most efficient way of partitioning the plane into units of equal area with the smallest possible total perimeter is a hexagonal (or honeycomb) grid—not a square grid. So, to minimize the amount of grout required to fill the joints between the tiles, a hexagonal tiling would be more economical than a square tiling, provided the hexagonal and square tiles each have the same area.

However, if the issue really concerns the number of points at which grout joints meet, then a hexagonal tiling is at a disadvantage.

There's also the task of laying the tiles, especially when they need to cover large areas. One Metro board member who had tiled two bathrooms and a foyer in his own home argued that, as a practical matter, square tiles are much easier to handle and place than hexagonal tiles. Indeed, complex tiling patterns can be expensive and time-consuming to install. But are tilings or regular hexagons really more difficult to work with than are tilings of squares?
In the end, the Metro board put off the decision for another day.

References:
Peterson, I. 1999. The honeycomb conjecture. Science News 156(July 24):60. Available at http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc99/7_24_99/bob2.htm.
Sun, L.H. 2006. Board of 2 minds about 6-sided tiles. Washington Post (Oct. 20).

To see the Metro tile recommendations, go to
http://content.wmata.com/board_gm/board_docs/101906_PlatformRehab2.pdf.. You can find an audio recording of the Metro Board Planning and Development Committee meeting on Oct. 19, 2006, at http://wmata.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2.

MathTrek 10/20/06 6:00 PM Ivars Peterson

Home on Sunday

We left the hotel at 6:30 AM and thought we would grab a taxi. We got a limo instead (actually just a large black car) but the price was the same. We drove by Vermont Avenue and Martin Luther again.

Now that I was awake and was to spend so much time waiting in Union Station, I had an opportunity to appreciate how large and beautiful it is. This small photograph of the barrels and arches inside is linked to a page with more photos. (You have to look up the history of the station yourself.) I kept imagining Louisa May Alcott arriving here to nurse the Civil War soldiers so the whole experience for me had enormous romance. When you leave the station the Capitol dome is visible straight ahead.

Finally we boarded the train (Amy never left the waiting area!) and as soon as the train began moving, I fell asleep. I woke up at various times to see Wilmington, Delaware; the Delaware Memorial Bridge, New York City, and New Haven. We changed engines in New Haven and I wish I had called ahead to Anna to ask her to meet us, if only for a few minutes. It was much colder by then and I wished I had worn something warmer.

In Springfield, we went into the station and got a couple of Pepsis and stretched our legs.

We got into White River Junction at 6:30pm, just as advertised. It was very cold and wet. We tried to find a place to eat but everything seemed closed and we got lost, so we went home. The weather deteriorated as we went north: from rain to fog to snow. Lots of snow at Sheffield Heights, and during moose season, too. So I took it easy while Amy fretted and called Andy to pick her up at my house (so she wouldn’t have to spend anymore time with me as necessary!). He came soon after we arrived: with my cats!

And the next day I went back to work exhausted, disoriented and sad.

Saturday in Washington

I was pretty hungry by the time Amy and Andrew wandered in Saturday morning so that we could go to Whole Foods for breakfast again (the photo with the purple sky above). It was colder and beautiful out. Hundreds of people rushed about and the food was great. We decided to go to the National Portrait Gallery and then see what else we could do. We planned on going out to eat that night.



We began walking, just as we did yesterday: I still don’t know which streets or direction. But we went past the old convention center site where the Cirque de Soleil had set up their beautiful tents for their shows. Then we walked under the Chinatown arch and found the National Portrait Gallery (free admission).

I was very very hot so I viewed the Civil War area (where I was fascinated by John Brown and the submarine inventors and models) and then waited outside to rest and cool down. I soon left to get ice cream and cokes. Also some popcorn for the birds which were very used to people. It was fun watching them communicate to the others on the street that there was food. At one point I had attracted over eleven birds! Sparrows, pigeons, and another bird that I had seen all over the city and originally thought was a young starling. But having hundreds of birds the same age and markings meant they were not young starlings, but another type of bird.



As we walked back to the hotel we went by Ford’s Theater. It was closed for tours because of an actual performance, so we went inside the house where he died (top left photo above). It was a very powerful experience to be in the same spot that Lincoln died.



We continued to walk in the direction of the White House again and passed many architecturally wonderful buildings, including the Sun Building (Baltimore Sun) (the tall photo on the right). It was the first “skyscraper” in Washington.

I napped and rested for the upcoming long walk to Georgetown for Ethiopian food at Zed’s. Then I walked over to Whole Foods to get a strawberry cream cake that I had drooled over in the bakery. Eventually we started off down Vermont Avenue and past the Martin Luther statute again (a strange statute for a city to erect!). I wanted a photo of a Vermont Avenue sign and Andrew grudgingly took one on his phone and without even trying it came out unusable.

Photos of Hillary are in the entrance of Zed’s. The prices on the menus outside were very reasonable. We had a reasonable wait (no reservations) and had a great time learning how to eat with the sourdough steamed bread and no utensils. We shared a mishmash of different dishes between us, had some good conversation, paid the bill and walked all the way back to Dupont. The whole way! I certainly enjoy dining now: conversation, experimentation with food. No rushing in order to eat before my next class while I do many other things. Just talk and food.

I finally got into Andrew’s apartment (which, he had been saying, was disorganized and not ready for visitors). But it was great to see the work he had done and the electronic piano he has. He played for us (oh the memories there....): some Debussy, Chopin and Beethoven. Then we all walked to the hotel, had dessert very fast, the kids left, and I fell into bed dead tired.

For two whole days now, the kids have refused to walk with me but have been two blocks ahead of me. Very very irritating. I prefer Indian food, and while I am glad I experienced Ethiopian, I don’t like the bread and won’t seek it out again.

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Friday and the White House

On Friday morning I got up early as I usually do. I spent an hour or more downstairs and outside with my Coke, cigarettes and new NCTM publication (it turns out that while Rosenstein at Rutgers told us all that it is not a back-to-basics manifesto it is a back-to-basics manifesto: I am to focus on division and fractions in my classes). I returned upstairs and took a shower.

We went to Whole Foods for breakfast. But breakfast was over, so we had lunch for breakfast and then set out for the White House. Our tour was at noon. We walked the whole way. Amy, of course, was speed walking ahead of me. But for some reason I was never far behind. I have no idea what her rush was.

On one street the police suddenly roared to life in front of us, stopping and diverting traffic. Suddenly we realized that the president was going to drive by and they were "securing" the area. We waited and there he was! Of course we could not see him inside his limo. There were several SUVs behind him, bristling with antennas for the Secret Service. It was very impressive. But Amy? She wanted to hold a protest right there I guess! Anyhow, we continued on and got to the White House in time for our tour.

Our tours were arranged by the office of Bernie Sanders. As we walked down to the White House Amy told me the rules for the tour: no cameras, no bags, no nothing. I protested and decided that I was not going to go on such a thing. It turns out that I have my obstinate side when it comes to these things. I would wait outside while she toured. It was becoming so burdensome to tour our nation's first house!

The Treasury Building

But finally we decided that I would go while Amy held my stuff and then she would go. I stood for a short while in a short line. The agent at the line had my name on a list, crossed me off, and I was allowed on the grounds. I went into another building for those metal detector machines and was allowed through there. And finally, suddenly, I was in the White House! My first visit!

Portraits hung everywhere. That is my impression of the White House. Tall ceilings, rich carpeting, way-too-serious Secret Service men standing like statues everywhere. We did have to stand in a queue for awhile. There were photos of previous presidents along the wall. But inside every group of photos was a photo of Bush. Andrew had warned me of this section.

A congressman came through the hallway we were lined up in. He was too animated and friendly. His sidekick assistant began, in this awful jocular manner, to announce to us who he was and where he was going! My mouth dropped in astonishment at this embarrassing show they put on.

We finally got to the touring part. We were self-directed. There were guides within each room to tell us things that I could not hear. The Pink Room, Blue Room, this room, that room. They all run together in my memory now. The most memorable thing for me was Kennedy's portrait of him standing alone during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Tears came up in my eyes. The memories of my past, of Kennedy's life, of the whole era, and of being here now made this time so special for me that it caused tears.

The Press Area on the White House Lawn (but when we saw it, it was on the opposite side of the White House).

We left through the front door and walked down to Pennsylvania Avenue. Then I had to walk around the corner past the Treasury Building to where Amy was waiting. Now it was her turn to take the tour. But wait! The president was returning! So everybody out! We were all scooted out by more agents (how many are there anyhow?) and had to wait near this huge statue on the road. Finally we could return after all of those cars we had previously seen returned. Amy took her tour and I waited for her after I walked back to the front of the White House.

There was a big protest in front of the White House. We assumed it was against the war in Iraq but it was about another, older war: Vietnam. Vietnamese were protesting that they were losing their rights. They would come across the road, turn, and return to the park. They continued doing this all day despite the heat. When Amy joined me, we walked to the Bread Line for lunch. What a great place. My favorite part was the water: chilled with mint leaves, lemon and lime. It was wonderful. The sandwiches were great too, but I was so dry because of the heat and walking that the water was the best thing. The wind had picked up and kept blowing over things as we ate outside. But I was with Amy and couldn't be happier.

I returned to the hotel to rest. Amy took off by herself (I think she went to Union Station for my camera). My walk back to the hotel was wonderful.

Later, I returned to Whole Foods for sandwiches and snacks. The kids did something else; I forget what. I played computer and watched TV and had a wonderful time. Oh I wish those times had lasted forever.

The Ride to Washington DC (Thursday)

Now I know why business on Amtrak is disappearing. There is little separating them as a passenger train from a cattle car. We arrived in White River one hour before the train was to arrive. Amy argued with me about every single thing I was taking, especially the 2nd computer that I brought for her in case she wanted to play a game alone or play a networked game with me.

We all got our stuff to the train station and parked the car in the long term parking area. If you leave your car overnight, a man comes and tours the lot and leaves a bill on your car for the parking. When you return you have to figure out how much you owe them and mail it in. If you don't, and if you ever want to park overnight there again, they have kept track of your license plate and will tow you away.

The train was over an hour late. It was cool outside, but it was exciting. A whole four days together with the kids! I didn't even blink an eye at a twelve hour train ride. All of my previous (short) train rides had been fun. So this would be even more fun.

We sat backwards until Springfield. The scenery was great in most areas of Vermont. But the trip dragged on and on and on and on. There was a smoking stop in Springfield. Then in New Haven. It was not dark yet. I wish I had told Anna we were going to be there so that she could meet us. I still missed her nearly every single day.

The bathrooms on the train were just awful. Small and filthy. They were never cleaned the whole trip. The food was worse! The train was cramped. After 8 hours you begin to feel it. Amy had brought food but not enough for this length of time. I had made many assumptions: that the food on the train would be better, that there would be longer stops so that we could buy something somewhere. I assumed that Amtrak had actual train stations that served a purpose. But none of that happened.

The conductors changed occasionally. The last one we had wanted to set the world's land record to Washington so that we would not be late. How do you make up 90 minutes on a train? Somehow he managed to cut the time lost down to 30 minutes. He was reasonably good tempered but I still didn't like him. He was too familiar, and played favorites with too many people.

We finally got into Union Station about 11:30 PM. We got a cab to Andrew's building and he came down. Then we all walked to Rhode Island Avenue, with all our bags, to the Helix Hotel. Nothing about this reunion came about the way I visualized it. I had no time with Andrew, and Andrew seemed tense. He did not want us upstairs. All I wanted was to go to bed. Andrew and Amy walked way ahead of me as if I had cooties (that continued the whole weekend).

The Helix is a fun hotel. Clean, pretty, very fifties retro. The furniture in the rooms is flimsy but the bed was great. The TV was great. But you could barely turn around in the room because it was so small. My room was on the tenth floor overlooking the front of the building, with the patio area for the restaurant/bar directly underneath.

Once in the room, I could relax and be myself. The tension left me. This was going to be a great trip! I didn't get to bed until after 1 AM.

But I had left my camera on the train at Union Station. So all the photographs for these four days are from my 2003 airplane trip to Washington or are from flickr photos.

Technorati tags: Amtrak Washington+DC Helix+Hotel
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