When I graduated in the late 70’s, Senior trips always included Washington, D.C. Traveling by a tour bus, we also visited New York and Philly.
I should’ve been paying greater attention to the history of those cities and their historic landmarks, but was much more involved in other things going on at the time. Like… filling our room’s bathtub with ice to keep beverages cold without getting caught; the fact that Tim S. hired a hooker in NYC; and that Arv Koontz, the husband of our sponsor, asked the Senior boys in the bathroom at the same time as him, “Is this where the big dicks hang out?“
I was convinced that Philly was the armpit of the world.
I remember the tour took us through homeless camps in the streets in NYC, but what I remember most was how filthy Philly was at the time. I remember visiting the US Capitol building, but not for the reasons you might think. There was a big Hare Krishna movement at the time, and followers were on the steps chanting and handing out carnations. We were told in advance not to interact with the cult. No way would I have even touched one of those carnations.
Jerilyn, my favorite cousin, graduated 3 years after me and her class went to Florida for their Senior trip. 10 or so years later, she and I took the same tour by rental car so she could have the experience she missed as a Senior. I remember much more about the landmarks from that time – still, what I remember most vividly is that I was always the driver and she was the navigator. Parking was stressful for this rural girl.
Fast forward to today in D.C…
In 2024, Washington DC’s murder rate was almost double that of Bogota, Columbia?
President Trump said yesterday he was putting Washington’s police department under federal control and ordering the National Guard to deploy there to combat crime.
Now we wait and see what this action looks like in the coming days and weeks. One thing I know for certain is the more I listen to Pam Bondi, the less I like her — and the more I listen to Jeanine Pirro, the better I like her.
Now you know: In 1984, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith heard a song on the radio. Tyler liked it and told Perry that they should do a cover version. Perry turned to Tyler and said “That’s us, f*ckhead.” Tyler didn’t remember writing or performing their ’75 song “You See Me Crying.”