Ms. Smith (and K-Rock, Special K, NayNay and the Suz) Return from Washington

There's a moment, in any city, just as the sun is peeking over the horizon, when most of the city is still asleep save for a few garbage and delivery trucks-- maybe the odd taxi-- when everything is quiet, and if you're lucky enough to be out on the sidewalk, it feels like the whole place is yours alone. This is the most beautiful moment in the urban day, and at a moment like that even Washington D.C. looks pretty damn good.

NayNay and I got to be part of that magical morning time today as we made our way from our dodgy hotel to the parking garage. It felt like the right way to end a weekend that turned out to be unexpectedly wonderful. But the weekend was mostly about politics and baseball for me, so, really how could it get much better than that?

I said I was too apathetic to make a sign, and I was. Luckily, other people were more industrious than I. So I went with the panda hat, one more time. As a result, I am happy to announce the discovery of Giants Nation. Mine was one of three panda hats I spotted on the Mall yesterday, and people kept coming up to me for fist bumps and stopping on the street to cheer at me. Nobody thought I was celebrating the National Zoo, which was a concern for me going in. I'm not going to lie.

That's the Money Shot-- which is why I look so serious. When I accomplish my plans to take over the U.S. Government, I'll have that photo put on all the currency. Yeah, I know: "Manda, why don't you just make it easy on yourself and take over some marginally stable Third World country?"

And I say to you: "Where's the fun in that? If it was easy, everyone would do it."

Or I could say that the U.S. is pretty close to being a marginally stable Third World country already, as evidenced by the angry morass of humanity milling about out there.

I'll break down more highlights (the Garden State Parkway, Waffle House, Mulletwatch 2010, the glorious glorious signage, my regrets at not bumping up against Eddie Izzard) as the week continues, provided something more interesting doesn't happen. Right now, I have more than 250 photos to edit, the Game is on, and I just spent 18-21 of the last 48 hours driving a car up and down the Northeast Corridor.