THE DEVOS DO DC

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT LIVING IN AMERICA: the countdown clock at pedestrian crossings; refillable coke in restaurants; bagels.

                                              We didn't get up to much yesterday, as it was the first day when we had absolutely nothing to do, so we watched an 'America's Next Top Model' marathon on MTV and walked our bags (oh! how I'd missed lugging them around) the 3 blocks to the temporary apartment we'll be in for a week until Laura leaves. Little else to report really, other than I'm really pleased to be out of the hotel and, although we're still nomadic and can't unpack yet, it's nice to have our own flat. And our first taste of a walk-in wardrobe! I woke up coughing at 4am, so took just half a dose of NyQuil...

                                                                                                     Today felt like our first proper day here, as Max went to work and I hung out in the flat - very much the shape of things to come. The weather is STILL overcast and gloomy, so after walking Max to the Bureau, I finished up at the hotel and flopped in front of the telly at the apartment (I am extremely excited by cable. Though it's funny how many ads there are and also how quickly they go - there's no title card of what you're watching at the start and end of an ad break - it just zips straight into a commercial. The ads themselves are really quickly cut together too, so no lingering final shot of whatever's being advertised - just a really hard cut into the next thing, sometimes even cutting off the punchline of the previous ad. Then it's straight back into the programme you were watching). 

                                                                                                     After an excellent double serving of 'ER' and 'Las Vegas', my eyes felt a little heavy during 'Without A Trace' (around 1.30ish). I woke up to find it was 5.30pm. Damn you, NyQuil!!

                                                                                                     Um, there was time for little else other than wandering over to the Bureau to meet Maxy from his first day at work. It all seems to've gone very well and he was made to feel very welcome and at home by the many friendly people. He's got kind of a week's grace this week, as he's just shadowing Laura and getting to grips with what's what. 

                                                                                                        Finally unable to take another huge serving of food at a restaurant, we went on the hunt for a supermarket on the way back to the apartment. We were told before we got here that there are very few supermarkets in the city, because so many people eat out and rely on corner shops and pharmacies for their bits and bobs. But we found Trader Joe's, which seems to sell lots of organic things. It was odd to be somewhere so unfamiliar, not knowing where things are and kind of relying on displays of stuff put under your nose. Where usually I wouldn't bother looking at the special displays in Tesco, this time we grabbed whatever was most prominent, with no clue as to whether it would taste nice or was good value.

                                                                                                       However, when we got home, I ended up having a supper of crisps anyway, as we couldn't make the oven work.

                                                                                                        It's very much our ambition to make the most of being in the land of Letterman, Leno, Conan and 'The Daily Show' and stay up late enough to watch them, rather than having to make do with watching clips on the internet days after they've gone out. However tonight was not to be the night that we make that happen and we crashed out early.