Washington D.C.

Well we finally made it to D.C. around 10 pm. We had to circle around twice to the airport because we got lost finding our way to our new apartment. It was dark and the signs are so confusing! Joe had looked up directions on google maps, but they were wrong. The directions refer to exits differently than they are listed on the road and there are so many different freeways! We were lucky enough to find a corporate aparment in Rosslyn just across from the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Arlington Cemetery. You can look out our balcony and bedroom window and have a great view of the Washington memorial and the Key Bridge. It is quite spectacular.

We spent today trying to find a Wal-Mart and grocery store. We had heard from a friend that it is less expensive if you shop in stores outside the loop and the main DC area where we live. So we ventured down the highway about 20 miles and eventually found a Wal-Mart and Shoppers grocery store where we were able to buy food and supplies. I had a visiting teacher that was sweet enough to type up things I should know for living in DC. One of the things was that the water from the tap is horrible. It is apparently loaded with pesticides, prescription drugs, and hormones that get flushed and recycled in the water. People have noticed when they drink the water they mysteriously gain weight and as soon as they stop, they lose that weight. So Joe and I bought a filter and some bottled water to keep on hand. Man, it's expensive to start over again, though! We were limited in what we could bring so we had to buy essentialsthat were left behind. We may be living off of peanut butter sandwiches for the next 3 months! :)

Our layover was in Denver for 3 1/2 hours so we stopped at a restaurant airport called the Mese Verde or something like that to eat lunch. We split a hamburger and some soup that eventually came back to haunt us. A couple of hours later I had an intense headache, stomach pain, and nausea. Pretty soon Joe was feeling the same way. Let's just say that we were glad to get off the plane and be next to a toilet for the rest of the night. Note to self: never eat at an airport restaurant that is not well-known.