1. I began my day of travel by getting off the Metro at Dupont Circle and sauntering down P Street to Whole Foods. I wanted to check out this store and the traffic on P Street because it's on a fairly direct route into D. C. from our apartment home. My visit was worth the effort for two reasons. I enjoy the VA and DC Whole Foods stores that serve beer at their coffee bars (this can't be done in MD) and it was very satisfying to enjoy a slow pint of Brau Pilsener from the local brewery DC Brau. In addition, as I scanned the bottled and canned beer inventory, for the first time since moving out here, I laid eyes on one of my favorite beers ever: Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. Today was not the day to be carrying a six pack around, but I'll get back there and, hopefully, the Fresh Squeezed IPA will still be in stock. (The thrill of seeing Fresh Squeezed IPA in DC could be topped in only one way -- how about if Hop Valley decided to distribute Citrus Mistress IPA [or 541 Lager!] out here? I doubt that would ever happen, but it would be awesome.)
2. I jumped back on the Metro and sped up to the Tenleytown station. From there, after sitting in the public library for about ten minutes to cool down, I strolled to the National Presbyterian Church for a Whitworth College (now University) alumni reception. I wanted to talk with both of them longer, but the highlight of the reception was seeing Fred Bruner (his wife Signe Schilperoort couldn't make it) and Kathy Pecka. It got some of my now often dormant Whitworth liberal arts education juices flowing to listen to alums around the table talk about their jobs and how their Whitworth liberal arts education had prepared them for what they were doing. I thought about all I owed to Whitworth for my success as an instructor -- every day at LCC, I tried to teach, in a secular way, as if I were still teaching at Whitworth. First as a student, and then as a temporary faculty member, it was at Whitworth where the intellectual and spiritual foundation of my teaching career was formed. Students often responded positively to the spirit I brought to the classroom and the formation of my teaching spirit happened at Whitworth. My spirit was nourished by my fellow teachers at LCC, but the great inspiration happened at Whitworth.
3. After the reception, we made our way to the National Presbyterian Church sanctuary for a concert given by the Whitworth University Symphony Orchestra. It was a delightful program featuring the Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor, Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, and Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 in D. I'm not a learned listener of symphonic music. I don't listen critically. I just respond and this performance moved my hands and arms and made my head bob and left me feeling emotionally whole. It was a great evening.
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