Communications – Page 183 – Fooyah

April 15 2013April 17 2013

Bridge Construction

When I was in America I did some running. On my last day in the USA I ran past some bridges. While running up to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge I noticed a curious linkage design in the side of the bridge.

In the UK the majority of bridges are built on rollers so that when they expand in the summer, warmer months they don’t crack and break apart. These rollers can be observed from under the bridge and the expansion joints can be seen on top of the bridge.

This particular bridge in Washington DC is hanging from the cantilever end parts of the bridge to allow expansion in the structure. A close up below:

A close up with my annotations:

This is quite a clever solution to bridge expansion. I also think it is quite clear that I would make an excellent dinner guest, not boring at all! One of the things I love about civil engineering is that it is Meccano but just bigger. Big bolts, big nuts and big cables!

April 14 2013April 14 2013

They Are So Mine

Here’re my boys looking at Rochester Airfield. They loved waking around and seeing the planes. We were going to go on a river trip but all sailings were cancelled because the river was flooded!

April 14 2013

Lego 12 Model 60001

Here’s a Lego fire car kit that we just made for number 2 son.

April 14 2013

Lego 11 Model 60016

Here’s the latest addition to our Lego City. It’s a fuel bowser.

April 11 2013June 2 2019

DC Day Six

My last day in Washington DC! I knew I’d be leaving for the airport at around 19:30 so I had all day and plenty more to see. Another sunny day in DC and slightly warmer than the last week or so.
Got up, had coffee and then prepared for another run. I hadn’t seen the World War II memorial so far and that was my destination for today.

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On the run I saw a coast guard helo. My helicopter total for the trip was as follows:

Black Hawk
Marine One
Coastguard
Park Service UH-1

Back to Georgetown and time to get ready for a busy day. I had lunch organised at midday and so I wandered in to town at about 11. I was planning to get the metro from Foggy Bottom and go two stops to McPherson Square but I had plenty of time and so kept going on foot. I got to 14th and Eye just on time and walked a little further to The Hamilton bar for lunch.

After a Hamilton burger for lunch I walked towards the Newseum. I hadn’t quite decided whether to go there or the National Museum of American History. I happened to wander past the FBI Headquarters building and didn’t blag my way in to that place. I figured if I wanted to see inside I could try and get arrested somewhere, although that would probably not be worth the effort. I like my body cavities as they are!
I saw a sign indicating Ford’s Theatre and so I walked to see that. There were many many school children waiting outside. I understand, it’s the place of assassination.
I decided that the Newseum would wait and so I walked to the Museum of American History. Half of the museum was shut for the year to be refurbished which was a shame. I saw the original flag that inspired the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner and some pieces of American History. Again, much like the Natural History Museum, I have a feeling that we do museums far better than the Americans and it all seemed a little “not quite the nation’s museum” even though it was.
I headed for the National Aquarium close to the White House and waited in line to be searched and pay my entry fee of USD10. I’m glad it was only a small amount of money as the Aquarium was pretty rubbish. The London Aquarium is far superior. Apparently there is a branch of this aquarium in Baltimore and I would hope that one is much better. Maybe another trip.
It was time to start wandering back to GT. I was feeling a touch peckish and thirsty and I wanted more coffee so I found a bar on M street in GT. Mr Smith’s saloon fed me coffee, buffalo chicken sandwich and a Goose Island beer.

Much refreshed it was now cupcake time. There are two shops in Georgetown that feature in their own TV shows on some small time channels. I though it might be worth buying a cake from there however, the queue was around the block and I don’t like cupcakes enough to wait that long. Instead I had a muffin and coffee from Saxbys.
Packing my suitcase in Winfield Lane was methodical and calming and then I played some guitar hero Metallica while I waited for Rich to come home from work. The journey to the airport was uneventful and the flight home was boring. I tried to sleep but don’t think I managed it.

It was great to see my boys and spend the next few days with them in the UK.

April 10 2013April 24 2023

DC Day Five

On this sunny day spent in the capital city of the United States Of America I had an appointment with a Segway tour company. I had to walk to Foggy Bottom. I could have ridden in a cab or bus but the weather was nice although blowy and walking means you see so much more. It’s also free! I arrived about an hour early and so I went to a coffee shop, ordered a ciabatta sandwich which came with crisps and drank a caramel macchiato coffee. The coffee was lovely and might become my standard although I am reminded of a former colleague’s t-shirt that said “Latte means you’ve paid too much for your coffee”.
I proceeded to the Segway Tour offices and signed all the relevant disclaimers and bought some water to take on my tour. We had some instruction from Rory, the female tour guide, and although I was quite happy once on the Segway I wasn’t very good at getting on and off. I needed a little extra help to do that, although I didn’t care. Better that than falling on my arse! Once everyone was ready we visited the following buildings and monuments:

Vice-President’s Ceremonial Office Building
First Division Monument
White House – South Lawn
The Washington Monument
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
FDR Memorial (saw Marine One fly over while here!)
Lincoln Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial

All of these were stunning and beautiful buildings or monuments. It was well worth the money to experience the Segway and see these sights. Really good value.

After the tour I needed some food and also wanted to see the White House a little closer so I walked to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and took some pictures of the front of the White House or the North Face. It’s quite small in comparison to the other buildings in the area but much bigger than Number 10 Downing St. Although really the comparison should be made with the official residence of our Head of State which is Buckingham Palace. I could see the West Wing and plenty of people milling in and out of security. I didn’t think it worth the risk to blag my way in. There was a sniper on the roof!
I bought a hotdog from a street vendor and headed to the National Museum of Natural History. It was, again, a lovely building but I think I may have been spoilt in the UK with our museums. I didn’t think the museum anything special although I guess it is probably the best of its kind in the USA. Science and natural history are definitely the way to go people. The museum was ok. Lots of families there again as it was spring break.
I wandered back home and met Kate at around 4. Sorted out my photo uploads and then waited for Mr O to return so we could get to the baseball game.
I had bought some tickets for the baseball as we were hoping to meet some friends there, as it happened we didn’t managed to speak to each other but it was really well worth going to the Nats ballpark. We arrived just as the game was starting after trying to find a left turn way into the parking and having whistles blown at us and lots of waving hands but no instructions about an alternative route. I found that just a little rude! It turns out that baseball is a lot like cricket. Not a lot happens in quite a long time. The Americans just sit and eat and drink and occasionally cheer. Pretty similar to cricket. It’s a game full of statistics (like cricket) and involves trying to hit a ball thrown at around 90 mph. We should import cricket and regain our colonial rule! I saw someone reach 1st, 2nd and 3rd base. Also saw a home run by a Nats pitcher, Gio Gonzalez. The Nats won the game against the Miami Marlins by 3 to 0. We drove home and just went to bed. It had been quite a busy day.

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April 9 2013April 8 2013

DC Day Four

Tuesday morning in DC and I decide to run to the Pentagon. Now, I’m in the top left bit of Georgetown and so this was going to be a biggy. I headed straight down 35st NW and over the Key Bridge. From there I had to find a footpath by the Potomac and that took a little while. Once down by the river I had a short diversion onto T. Roosevelt Island to see his memorial and then carried on my way to the Pentagon. I got reasonably close and was impressed with its great size. I also could see the Air Force memorial in the distance but decided if I ran there I probably wouldn’t make it back to Winfield Lane so passed on that one. I ran over a bridge to the Lincoln Memorial again and then headed home. A lovely chilly morning and a really enjoyable run.

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Upon my return and shower in Georgetown it was apparent that we were running slightly late for our scheduled Capitol tour time of 11:40. A cab was hailed and we arrived to join the queues [line] at the Capitol Visitors Centre. A quick search and metal detector later and we were in the line for our pre-booked tour passes. Some “locals” weren’t too happy about a foreigner having been able to book a tour but I didn’t care, the website allowed me to do it. To be honest I had just bought some of their currency and was spending my foreign money everywhere, they couldn’t have been more lucky!
The Capitol building is lovely, stunning, beautiful and massive. It’s also a long way from the Lincoln Memorial. In fact everywhere in DC is a long way from everywhere. I’m quite jealous of a country that has so much space. The tour took us into the rotunda and then the former house of representatives. The Brits might have got the blame for burning down the building in 1814 which in all fairness is fair as we did! Just a wonderful space.
Through the tunnel to the Library of Congress and WOW. Perhaps one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen in a long time. Such wonder. I loved the quotations around the main hall. My favourite being:

Science shall inform books and not books science.

Funny how the religious right are trying to gain control of the laws of the country where God is absolutely NOT mentioned in the Constitution.
Folloing this we walked to the National Air and Space Museum on The Mall. It was nice to see the X-15-1 on display along with the Apollo XI Command Module. That and an F-104 just about made my day. The problem with the museum was how busy it was. Spring break in the USA sure brought the tourists out. I could only manage two hours and then needed to get out!
We caught a cab to Georgetown and I bought an Up by Jawbone iPhone thing to moniter how much I move. Then we walked back to Winfield Lane.
Tonight’s dinner was fajitas and Rich and I rounded a lovely day off playing Metallica Guitar Hero.