happy 442

here are three phrases from today that i enjoyed:

• "falscher Fünfziger" courtesy of isa at lunch.
  
• "whisps of bliss" courtesy of a teenaged boy who a victor of the sonnet contest at the bard's bday party
  
• "the darker the better" courtesy of tom during our conversation about laser hair removal over drinks at the tabard

i got to practice with meagan today at flow, a class that came not one second too soon. i really think that she is quite a good teacher. i am not sure, but she might be anusura or iyengar based because she is so precise and deliberate with her instructions. i also like practicing with her because she inspires me to work through my body. i was reminded today, an idea i shared with isa while we ate our vegan treats at whole foods, how much yoga is about your own body. it really is just you on the mat. i think that it is also a metaphor for our writing and research. the ideas are there, but i am the one to tend to them and shape them.

today, i was reminded of d.c. things that used to bug me: the federal presence still looms large. and not just all the big office buildings that row on pennsylvania avenue. i mean the two dozen police cars i watch blare through the traffice lights -- probably leaving the World Bank/IMF meetings. the helicopters that circle above. and i shared my practice with a former cabinet secretary today.

i squeezed a hell of a lot in today -- a trip to the folger, to african art, to five guys, and a visit with pals.

i felt fragile and nostalgic for much of the afternoon, but i am looking forward to the architecture reviews tomorrow. on tap, one on new orleans with students of michael sorkin + coleman jordan; and one on a museum in accra, ghana with students of jim chaffers.