March 13, 2011

I don't know why we still do this whole daylight savings time thing. Normally I would look up why it all started so I can come to the conclusion that if it stayed lighter later in the day that would be better than more light earlier in the day regardless of the facts because the former is what I prefer, but I'm too tired to do that. And I blame DST for that because I am never this tired on Mondays.

But let me tell you about Sunday March 13, 2011.

I honestly thought about going to church.

But I didn't.

I haven't gone to church on my own accord since my senior year of high school and even that wasn't really church but a youth group that met at a church. Now the closest thing I come to church is the actual thing every Christmas Eve.

Anyway, the National Cathedral was next up on the subject of this blog's docket. And I was thinking "well if I am going to a church on a Sunday maybe I should just go for a service to get the full experience." I proed and conned it for a second and cons won. Pro didn't stand a chance though. I cannot tell you how irrationally I dislike tucking in my shirt and I have to do that four days a week at work (thank god for casual Fridays--maybe I would have had I gone to church). And I try to do the most I possibly can to not draw attention to myself so there was no way I was being that guy at church that's like "jesus loves you regardless of what you wear" while everyone else is like "Jesus would love you more by dressing up to church. Heck, even poor people find nice clothes to wear to the house of god. You don't look poor. You know what? I am going to judge you on behalf of jesus with a glance that lasts a millisecond longer than is comfortable for you." Yea I'm not being that guy wearing jeans and a t-shirt at a service at the National Cathedral.

Let's also thank god for the Circulator. It gets you where you want to go in the city for a dollar. And my feelings of self-worth increase every time I act like I know my way around this city, especially by bus. So I get on the Circulator at 14th and Columbia and head towards Woodley Park.

Have you ever seen the pandas at the zoo here or pandas at all in real life? If you answered no, you're wrong. You need to rearrange your schedule a little to get to a place and go see a panda. I love animals more than I hate tucking in my shirt but I am pretty sure most people would have at least half a good time watching a panda bear eat bamboo as I did and that would mean it would make like the top 10 of greatest things you have ever seen in life because it certainly is in my top 5. (Just there I tried to think of something better that I have seen in life and I couldn't think of one.) Do yourself a favor and get to a zoo and watch a panda be a panda, which includes sitting splayed out surrounded by bamboo and stuffing its face as if it has opposable thumbs but really it just has a dexterous wrist (I heard somewhere that had dolphins been evolutionarily blessed with opposable thumbs they would be smarter than humans). Yea, I don't have much to say for myself in life but I can say that people should see pandas.

Anyway, the zoo in DC is in Woodley Park and that is where you get off to walk to the National Cathedral and that is what I was getting at. So I get off the bus and since it's a nice day weatherwise people are out and about. There is a guy walking around with two different shoes on and a bird on his shoulder. There are people holding hands ambiguous enough that they could be lovers or father-daughter (but not both because that's illegal). There is a child laughing, which is a lot like watching a panda eat bamboo. There is a man playing a violin and singing a song that goes:

sometimes the wind will blow you in
without regard for where you land
strong gusts often come about
exposing new light behind the clouds
brace by leaning this way and that
trying not to topple from its wrath
but as wrath it does not qualify
for wind allows the kites to fly

Or something like that.

So I get to the cathedral eventually and its imposing. How do I begin to pass the time here? As I am just standing there staring at this structure thinking how unfair it is that I will never possess anything as architecturally stunning as this, a guy stands at my side and says, "They just don't make them like this anymore, huh?" I'm thinking that might be a fitting statement for a car but it's pretty inadequate in this instance. "Well," he says, "it was actually completed only 20 years ago." "Seriously?" "Yea, construction began at the beginning of the twentieth century but the last stone wasn't laid until 1990." I'm feeling a little better about humanity. "Geez, I was under the impression everything built in the last 50 years was built with cost minimization as the primary goal." "Yea, but who could argue with a clear conscience that a building whose sole purpose is exhibiting reverence to god isn't worth a little splurging." His shirt is tucked in. "Good point. But what about the humanists? Can we not at least a little consider public buildings a reverence to humanity then and impose some guilt on the public for skimping on those nowadays?" "That seems a little idealist and ignorant of public finance, but in support of that you do see a trend in angular, open glass edifices that could be interpreted as a sufficient testament to the transparency that is required of legitimate public affairs." "Yea I guess so. But it just seems so much more effort and artistic ability is required in the construction of something like this and it is the lack of effort and artistic talent that is a shame is missing. But really gothic architecture is probably more aesthetically appealing to me than any other, except maybe Tudor, but I've a pretty base knowledge of architecture." "That's obvious."

Yea that didn't happen.  I don't talk to strangers in real life.

Are you familiar with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Basketball Tournament?

Yea, I didn't leave the house yesterday except to get a coffee from a place like two blocks away. And that in addition to all the immediate and requisite research to fill out my perfect bracket is probably why I am so tired today.

But seriously, it just seems so antiquated to move your clocks back and forth yearly. I don't know anyone that likes turning back the clocks so let's be democratic here and just keep them "ahead" forever. Light is right.