DC

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So I'm here in DC still, it's so hot I can barely stand to be outside during the day, but I've given some motorcycle-tours at night and in the morning. The other day I jetted up to Bob's BMW in Maryland and got myself a new tire. Dave, one of the mechanics kept asking if I wanted these various little rubber plugs or plastic caps put in to replace the pipe cleaners or duct tape I was using to improvise. So I ended up getting some things fixed up and a new tire, and some new handgrips I'll have to install myself once I get the right size hex key... for the low low price of $212. But it was nice to have someone check everything and say "you know there's all kinds of things I could do... but it's fine how it is, there's nothing really wrong." Also, another of the mechanics whose name I forgot asked me where I was heading, and when I told him my only constraint was that I wanted to be in Nevada by the end of August, he right away knew I was going to Burningman and told me I'd meet some other airhead (the style of bike I have) riders there. That was a good trip for the day; when I returned, drenched in sweat, I made lasagna for my hosts and it turned out really well. Sweet. This week I watched a ton of movies, Interview with a Vampire was the one that really stood out. Wow was that a good movie. I ate dinner with my cousin Lindsay and met her new fiancee. Finally tried falafel and wasn't really impressed. Maybe there was too much buildup... I'll try it again sometime.
Yesterday morning I went with Steve to an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Oh man, what an amazing idea. As much sushi as you want! I tried every kind there was and didn't run into anything I didn't like, but I thought the crunch roll was the best of them all. Steve paid for me which was awesome. We had an interesting talk about new technologies blending senses. For example, a guy had belt with cell-phone buzzers that would always buzz in the direction of north. After a month or so he didn't even notice it was there, but had astonishing success navigating new cities because he could intuitively sense where he was and where he was going. I guess at the end of the experiment he experienced extreme depression resulting from the loss of this 6th sense.
Today I finished reading "The Motorcycle Diaries" and it made me really want to go to South America. So, this trip won't be over anytime soon. I've gotta get out of the US; I want to see somewhere really different and see if what Noam Chomsky and Che Guevera have been telling me about the US oppressing the third world is really true. It makes perfect sense, but I've gotta see it for myself, and to see what I can do about it if anything.
Also today I went with Adam, Oana, and Javi to Georgetown, a rich, mall-like area of DC where Adam wanted to get some new Puma shoes. The Puma store was really really cool, which I guess makes sense since the shoes there were really really expensive. I saw some I wanted but I couldn't justify spending $90 on them. We ate at this Iranian Kebab place called Moby Dick and the food there was deeelicious. I got this beef sandwich in a pita that started with a K. Everytime I forget my journal I can't remember any of the names of anything. Stuffed myself with my friends' leftover rice. Mmm... On the way home we shopped at the Watergate Hotel Safeway, where Condoleeza Rice and her lesbian lover shop, I'm told.
Tonite my only plans are to journal and get my things washed and together.

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