Just got back from a lovely business trip to D.C.

For those of my friends that live in or around D.C., I apologize that I did not try to come find you, but I was existing in a symbiotic relationship with the former president of the Virginia Country Music Association and a championship lawn bowling chief librarian.

No really.

We had a marathon session with our architects and exhibit design firm folks where we discussed such important issues like should the floor be troweled or not and where we need vapor barriers and such.

I'm not really sure what a vapor barrier is.

Of course, we also discussed placement of artifact tanks and should we have a full-scale replica of the USS Monitor or not.

The meeting lasted long into the night and me and Susan and John ended up at Kinkeads on Pennsylvania Avenue eating the most heavenly scallops imaginable and discussing architectural philosophy and trying to figure out how we can make each other's lives less miserable at work. After a bottle of Pinot Noir, I think we had solved those problems as well as answering those timeless questions such as 'What's it all about, Alfie?', 'Where is Waldo?'(personally I think he's with Jimmy Hoffa), and 'Is it faster to New York or by bus?'

We were guests at the Hotel Lombardy (sorry - they appear to have no website)and we continued our meetings there in the Venetian Room where they have...

STELLA ARTOIS ON TAP.

Only the greatest beer in the world (except for all the other ones).

Anyway - more issue were resolved, more questions answered - and then the meetings resumed at 8 a.m. this morning. After breakfast we went to a biological lab somewhere near Manassas, where if they told you what they did there, they would have to kill you. But we got a tour of the place regardless since it is the size and budget of our conservation lab for the Monitor. They were kind enough to tell me that they did indeed have bubonic plague there, but they wouldn't let me visit it nor pet it.

So there you have the latest news that isn't.