Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Foggy Bottom

So, back to more about my trip! In case you didn't know, there are several "areas" of D.C., one of which is Foggy Bottom. This is where our hotel was located, on the Potomac River, on the West side of town. This is a historic district, with lots of "rowhouses," like those pictured here. Foggy Bottom is also home to The George Washington University, and I was pleased that it meant we were also close to their Medical Center.
During our "Monuments at Moonlight" trolley tour, one of the passengers fell and hit the pavement in front of the Lincoln Monument. As he was reboarding the trolley, he had blood streaming down his face and a goose-egg-sized hematoma sprouting on his forehead. Our trolley driver took a quick detour to the hospital, and delivered him to the emergency room.

Each day, my buddy and I would walk from the Watergate Hotel to the Foggy Bottom Metro Station, which was just a few blocks away, nestled in between the university and the medical center. We always met college students and young medical students, and some pretty hot young doctors! But even more fascinating were the rowhouses. They had tiny little lawns, no bigger than 3 ft x 3 ft in most cases. I was also surprised that most folks in the area had dogs, judging by all the barking we heard as we passed by. I wondered what it would be like to live in a house like this - stacked up three stories, with neighbors right next to me. I hadn't lived like this since my college dormitory days. I also can't imagine living like that again, seeing as I feel cramped on our 66' x 150' lot and my excitement about our new house to be built on 2 1/2 acres. I joked to my friend that the yards were so tiny that residents would only have to use scissors to cut their grass. No room for lawnmowers! Well, the very next day - guess what we saw?!?!?!?







Yup! Can you see them?
I snuck this photograph, b/c I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. This lady had no clue that I was spying and giggling, all at the same time.

Here's a close-up of her hand, just to prove it.

Crazy, huh? I still think my husband would want a new weedeater for this task.

15 comments:

M@ said...

I get the feeling you don't get out to the city much. :)

Tiggers need plenty of open space... to feed, mate and sell real estate.

Schmoop said...

Glory be to God, I made it on here and it only took 6 minutes. Funny pic. Glad you had fun. Cheers!!

Anonymous said...

that is hilarious. It is amazing how quickly we become accustomed to our space!!!

Anonymous said...

sniff sniff::: I am so proud of you. You've done a Spy Mama proud.

Tiggerlane said...

matt -- Not to cities with rowhouses! In Houston, they were all run-down shacks and shanties.

As for Tiggers, well, it's usually the bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy stuff that we need space for!

matt-man - What? Are you on dial up?

karmyn - I know she must have heard me giggling. Can you imagine? "Excuse me, I have to go scissor my grass patch."

vicki - Thanks! You'll have to go spying with me next time!

Desert Songbird said...

Great job getting the photo! I could tell what she was doing w/o the close up. That's hilarious! We don't have much grass here in the desert (by choice), but even we have more than that!

I love mysteries by Margaret Truman; they're almost always set in and around Washington, DC. I knew about the different areas of the city, and I've always thought "Foggy Bottom" was such an interesting sounding name.

Can't wait to hear more about your trip (which will have to wait until I return from mine).

willowtree said...

I have to admit, those buildings do look pretty awesome, but I don't think I'd like to live in one.

As for that grass, around here we'd just tie a sheep to a stake for an hour or so.

Anonymous said...

My husband would want a weed eater too. I love how she's in a skirt and dress shoes. Ha!

Tiggerlane said...

desert songbird - Have fun in Indianapolis! I expect stories!

WT - Goats are more abundant here. But we can't tie 'em up - too tempting for local farm boys.

melissa - I forgot about the dress! Even funnier, now that you mention it!

Kila said...

LOL, that is hilarious! You'd think they'd at least have some cool tool to use, not ordinary scissors.

I love (looking at/pictures of) row houses, but it probably wouldn't be fun to live in one for long.

Pamela said...

I knew Vicki would love your spy camera.

it looks like a little sprig of cat grass.... amazing.

Her little toro toro hand mower (:

JoeinVegas said...

No riding lawnmower?

Anonymous said...

I don't live in a pretty row house, but I have 600 sq feet of the top floor, with people below and beside me. It's cramped, but it's home.

The lady with the scissors has way more grass than I do! Poor Kobe has to waddle walk up the stair mountain and to the street in the morning... poor guy.

I would kill for a 3 x 3 patch of lawn. Oh, I'll have to leave it as a dream for now.

Tiggerlane said...

kila - Yeah, sometimes I miss the low maintainance. But, I'd have to hire a young, hot gardener to scissor my patch, rather than risk being photographed by a lunatic like myself.

pamela - Judging by recent comments, I think I've missed some pertinent information about Vicki and her spying prowress! Funny, I didn't see a single cat the entire time I was in D.C. At least not any of the feline variety.

joeinvegas - I'm gonna have to get the hubby a riding mower for our new place. Then again, he might just sell it, like the bass boat I bought him. Thanks for stopping by!

marnie - I feel bad for leaving my dog in a yard that is 33' by 75' all day while I'm at work. But your dog seems very happy - so maybe the love makes up for it??

At any rate, you're welcome to bring Kobe to our vacant 2 1/2-acre patch, anytime!

Angelina said...

I think a 3x3 foot lawn is the perfect size, the rest should be fruits, flowers and vegetables!!

Seriously, I don't like caring for lawn so I find this picture kind of compelling, I guess people want to have lawn even if it's small enough to trim with scissors!

I so don't miss city life!