Friday morning I woke up and realized I really had not made any plans for my birthday on Saturday. So I decided to go to DC for the night. I love Washington, especially the National Gallery of Art so I booked room at the Hyatt Regency, one of the closest hotels to the gallery. It was storming really hard when I got there around 3 p.m. but the people couldn’t have been sunnier! When the young man checking me in came back after copying my i.d. and credit card he said, “It’s your birthday!” I said “Yes, tomorrow.” The young lady working with him at the registration desk said, “OMG, mine too!” I said we must be twins then. She laughed (could have been because she was a tall, beautiful, slender Black girl and I’m a dumpy white middle aged chick) and told him to upgrade my room. Then he gave me a coupon for breakfast. She told him to also give me a $50 room credit since I was 50! WOW! I felt really special.
I spent a wonderful evening having dinner and then relaxing and reading about the Chester Dale exhibit that I was planning to visit at the NGA the next morning. I wake on my birthday, have a wonderful breakfast (on the house) and start out for the National Gallery. The capital view above is right out of the front door of the hotel. As I walk closer I
realize there is some kind of rally going on at the capital. I walk right up to within about 30 feet of the stage and see that it is the Dalai Lama. He was in town for a conference on world peace. So I listen for awhile and get a few shots.
It was really crowded. You can see the capital lawn was full of people.
What a surprise and joy to get to hear his message about making a better world by making a better self. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. What a wonderful birthday message.
Come back tomorrow for Birthday Adventure Part II – National Gallery of Art.
The Studio 