Lots of Stuff. And Things.

On Tuesday I had to get up at 6:30 so I could go to an 8 o'clock doctor's appointment.  I set the alarm incorrectly and got up at 5:30.  The reason for the early hour was my blood glucose test.  Mom wanted me to have the test done while I was fasting since the last time I had a test done the nurse hadn't been able to find my vein, heard I hadn't eaten much that day and decided to give me juice and a graham cracker first.  That of course made my blood sugar a little high.

After the appointment I went to Decatur House a few blocks away to see the First Neighbors exhibit and talk to Sarah.  The exhibit looks very good, and I was proud to see the text I had written on the plaques.  The layouts were different from what I'd made, but that was to be expected.  Sarah had also combined the William Appleton and Judah P. Benjamin exhibits because they were both involved in the same issue (secession and slavery) and there wasn't much to be found on either of them.  I should have brought a camera to take pictures with.

I also said hello to some of the people around the house.  Tony, the gift shop manager, was in.  So was Tammy, one of the guides.  I also talked to Sarah, of course.  She told me to look at the American Association of Museums, which has a curator's association attached to it (the Careers in Culture tour on Wednesday was actually more helpful).

After leaving Decatur House I went to see the new National Museum of the American Indian.  The museum was great - I didn't get to see all the exhibits because it was so crowded, but I was very impressed.  The displays of stone tools, garments, peace medals, pipes, pots and baskets didn't have plaques, which changed the whole viewing dynamic.  Instead there were little terminals where you could look up information if you wanted to.  There was an exhibition of Ben Nighthorse Campbell's jewelery, some contemporary Indian art, and a display dealing with modern Native American communities and how they practiced "survivance" of community and culture in the face of modern challenges.  It's refreshing to see a museum that deals with modern Native Americans and doesn't give the impression that they and their traditions are all dead and gone.

The cafeteria is interesting because it has different sections for different indigenous areas: Northwest, Mesoamerica, Woodlands, Plains, and one I forgot.  I got different parts of my lunch from different sections.  The food was expensive in true Smithsonian fashion.  And that brings me to the gift shops.  There are two - one with low- to middle-priced stuff, like what you buy for your kids, and one with mondiferously expensive baskets, pots and sculptures, some of which were replicas of items in the museum exhibits.  I didn't buy anything.

There's a computer resource center in the museum, and one of the things you can do there is send virtual post cards to friends.  I sent one to Katherine, with a promise to tell her all about the museum when I get back.

I also tramped around D.C. the next day during the Careers in Culture tour, meeting Haverford and Bryn Mawr alums.  One worked at the Smithsonian, two as curators in the Capitol (for the House - the House and Senate have separate staffs for everything), another in a theatre, and the last in a special administrative office of the Holocaust Museum.  I got some good advice from all of them, particularly the curators, who said that most employers prefer to hire people who have worked a few years before graduate school and about how to get a job in the institution you want by doing volunteer work there first.  Now I have an idea of how the whole job thing actually works.  I'm glad I participated.

Since I went around with my backpack and in rather uncomfortable shoes on both days, I am now rather sore.  At least I got good exercise.

I got my hair done at Tyson's Corner today.  It looks quite nice.  I also got new pantyhose, but Mom and I didn't have enough time to shop for a suit.  She said I should wait until Christmas anyway, since most of the jobs I'm interested in do interviewing in the spring.  Mom's in a meeting right now, so I'm in the lobby of her Kaiser Permanente building (first time I've been here) keeping myself entertained.  When we get home I have to do that oral history interview with Grandpa.  And then I'm going to see Pippin with Mom and Benjamin.  I forgot that she talked me into it earlier this week.

Also, I took the plunge and told Mom about the breakup.  She didn't react as badly as I'd expected, although she's feeling the need to give me lots of advice, some of which is helpful but some of which also seems like it comes out of her sense of paranoia.  At least she's being supportive.

Saturday is the Rennaissance Festival.  I plan to be the prettiest wench at the fair!