Saturday, April 12, 2008

ENROUTE

I’m writing this from our hotel in Washington, D.C., the first stop in the Troublemakers’ Tour o’ Tokyo. I arrived Friday evening, checked in, and found my way into the District to meet up with Elder Daughter for dinner.

The streets were boiling with young people enjoying the first warm spring night of the year. A brief (but violent) thunderstorm drove everyone indoors for a few minutes, but it was a superb evening for strolling around and people-watching.

We had a pleasant repast at the local French bistro. Smoked salmon, Salades Niçoises, a few Ricards, fresh raspberries with a dab of crème frâiche, and Espresso with Calvados...a perfect start to our Long Journey.

I am so happy to be traveling with Elder Daughter, who is a true Chip off the Old Block. Who else would join me in celebrating the works of the late, great Frank Zappa by singing “Florentine Pogen” in the D.C. Metro?

The next stop on the Tour is Chicago, from where we’ll catch our flight to Tokyo tomorrow afternoon at 12:50, putting us in the Land of the Rising Sun Sunday afternoon at 3:35. We want to get to Reagan National early, just in case American Airlines cancels our connection to Chicago out from under us. We’ve already had to move our departure up from 10:00 am to 8:15, putting us in Chicago at 9:15...a three-and-a-half hour layover. Any Chicago-area blodgers want to visit?

Internet contact from here on out will be sporadic at best. But I’ve recruited a stable of excellent Online Journalists to fill in the gaps while I’m away, so stop by regularly. Especially because the crap they write is generally better than mine.

Enjoy. And sayonara...for now.

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