Philadelphia

I went to Philadelphia on Saturday, and it was a lot of fun. I got to see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the grave of the Unknown Soldier from the Revolutionary War, SAW the U.S.S. Olympia (Dewey's ship, didn't have time to actually go on it), a rose garden that was no longer in bloom, walked past a bunch of old buildings, walked through Carpenter's Hall, drove by where Benjamin Franklin was buried (they were charging people that wanted to go into a cemetery to see a grave!!! Rediculous!), and Valley Forge. The Bell had a decent line, but it was shorter in the morning than when it was closing later that afternoon (we left D.C. after 7am, and got there by 10am), and I wish I could have had more time to examine the bell, but everybody wanted to get their picture next to it. We walked to the Unknown Soldier's grave before going to Independence Hall. The hall was beautiful, and of course I couldn't help think about National Treasure since it did some filming there. I'm half tempted to watch both movies again so I could see if they actually did filming there, and how accurate it would have been. I doubt I will since I try to watch movies I haven't seen, or at least try to get off my butt and see stuff since I'm only here for about 3 more weeks (NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!).
Anyway, it was a very hot day on Saturday, and walking all over the place was very tiring. Expecially since my left ankle (which I sprained over a year ago) has decided it doesn't like me right now. It's been feeling crappy for almost a week. I try stretching it out, and I'm not sure which shoes are causing it (but I'm guessing it's my Reefs, which makes me sad, those are my favorite footwear). We walked to the U.S.S. Olympia. I would have gone on it, but it was $10, and not everybody was interested in going, and there was still more we wanted to do, so we just did a walk by where I took a lot of pictures. Across the Delaware River was the Battleship New Jersey (which is docked on the Jersey side of the river. . . And I didn't realize that till I was telling my dad about it last night). There was also a submarine and old ship (whose name I can't remember, but it was a foreign name, like something from the Pacific), and a monument to Christopher Columbus, which I didn't notice until we were leaving because I was staring fondly at the Olympia. After the Olympia we stopped for a REAL Philly cheesesteak sandwich . . .and it wasn't bad, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. It was definitely greasy like a good sandwich should be . . .
Valley Forge was . . .Valley Forge. There wasn't a whole lot to see there, except an arch (I now have a thing for arches apparently) and the Washington National Cathedral . . .or something like that. It had tours till 5, but we got there around 5:30, so we just walked around the outside. Thankfully my hearing isn't as bad as I thought it was, because as we were walking around I could hear an organ playing (it's an episcopal church, and they had a service at 5). It was a Hallelujah song that is in the LDS hymn book, so I got as close as I possibly could, which was through an entrance and right outside the door. It was beautiful, I love hearing organs being played in old churches, and it made me all warm and fuzzy inside. If you haven't heard an organ being played in an old church, I highly recommend it. It brought a peace that only spiritual things can bring, and I loved it. I was all by myself for a minute or two, and it was the kind of solitude I needed. I wish I could have gone in and listened to the service, but I'm sure it was almost over, or I would have interrupted, which I didn't want to do. So I took a picture of the church, and we were on our way.
It was a little before 6, and that's when we started to head home. We got home before 9pm, and Virinia wanted to go to a church dance, so Richard and I tagged along. At first I couldn't believe how nervous and awkward I felt. I should have been dancing with my friends, there were a few people there I knew. It wasn't until about 10 or 10:30 that I really started to get into the music. Love Shack set me free, which just sounds weird, but it's when I just let loose and didn't worry about what people would think. I shouldn't have been that concerned because there were a lot of people who didn't know what they were doing. I actually spent the first ten minutes or so laughing at people's dancing. But it was fun once I let loose. There was one guy there that REALLY didn't care what people thought. It was the goofiest dancing . . .And this guy likes doing actual dances (Cha cha, waltz and the like), and he was my last dance of the night (they only played one slow song the entire time I was there). He likes to dance, but he doesn't have the poise or moves to make it look good. He does have a good time, and it's always nice dancing. By the time we left, I was actually dripping, which was cool. It's been a long time since I've had a decent work out. After the dance Richard, Virinia, and I went for ice cream. Once we got home I crashed, which felt great.
Sunday I cleaned the kitchen, or at least most of it. Our apartment wasn't so great looking, and the lady in charge of housing from U.S.U. was coming. Nobody seems to think the mess is theirs to clean up, so it just kind of piles up. Nobody vacuums or sweeps, and it seems like I'm the only one that's taken out the trash in the last week. Rant rant rant. Rage, whine, grr. Blah blah blah, rant, rage, rant. Glare, and grr. I needed to rant, and I figured this would be more entertaining to read than the actual rant itself (plus this takes up less room). Back to work I must go now. Wish me luck!