Fun in the Sun

Today [so I totally forgot to post this Saturday; this is what we did on 27 June] was a busy, fun, warm, fun, humid, fun, clandestine, -- and did I say, fun? -- day.

To start off the morning, I spent about an hour helping load a truck at someone's move.

After that (and a quick shower), Jill and I drove into the city to meet some friends for some counter-terrorism (CT) activities.

We completed an outdoor, interactive, GPS-guided, IR-enhanced, and location-aware mission that is part of the Spy Museum's "Spy in the City" program.

We walked around part of the District, saw some memorials/sites we hadn't gone by before (Navy Memorial, Newseum, fountains by the Federal Trade Commission buillding, Ford's Theater, etc.), got messages from our Special Security Division (SSD) "handlers," and foiled a mock attempt to set off an electromagnetic device in the District. We "used" optical scanners, chemical signature detectors, radio receivers, and other "spy gear" to crack cyphers, identify the bad guys, and disarm the "bomb".

Needless to say, we had a blast.

Then, we walked over to the Safeway BBQ Battle that was going on, taking up several blocks of Pennsylvania Ave. Our friend, Clint, with whom we've had other adventures (Tacqueria Poblano), got our entrance tickets, and we wandered around with him and his friend, Megan (a very nice Georgetown law student).

We tried to rope the steer to win a prize, but they were cheating and trying to make us do it with a heeling rope. We took pictures with 3-foot long, plastic Oscar Meyer Weiner dogs in front of the Weinermobile. We sampled Italian ice, different juices (one was like an orange creamsicle in a bottle!), watermelon (served by the Misses Alabama and South Carolina Watermelon Princess), bbq chicken and pork, and steak -- all while standing in the huge, long line for the Safeway tasting booth, which had chicken, brats, hamburger, chips and salsa, juice, pineapple, this spicy tomato drink, and more.

Unfortunately, the sample line took so long--and we had parked in metered parking--that we had to run as soon as we got our fill.

In any event- we had a great day!
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