Tuesday's Activities

Nick and I had a great time on Tuesday! It has taken me a while to download all of the pictures, but here they are. I went to work with Nick and sat in on a few court cases. The first two I understood mostly what was going on. The third case, however, was really confusing because the lawyers talked the entire time about some blow-up pictures of patent figures that none of us could see. They talked in circles and no one could tell what they were trying to get at! It was so much fun to be there--my first time in a courtroom. The judges were laid back and making some jokes (Nick says not all of the panels are that way!) It was very apparent which lawyers had a good case and which were fumbling over their words trying to prove something that couldn't be proved.

Nick took me around the office to meet everyone and we were able to talk to Judge Rader for a while. He is a very energetic man.

While Nick worked, I spent some time walking around the city and going to a couple of museums. I saw the National Geographic Museum and then walked up to Dupont Circle and found a Textile Museum. I really enjoyed seeing some of the Embassies as well as the homes in the area.

After work, we took the metro over to the U.S. Capitol and stopped at the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court on our way. We saw an Air Force Band concert on the steps of the Capitol which was really fun. We were expecting something a little more traditional, but the band was really rocking! They started out with some Metallica and sung everything from country to Earth Wind & Fire. They sounded great and we had a wonderful time!

Nick's Work:

The sign in front of Nick's building.

There is a beautiful courtyard with a fountain and some plants as you walk in.

In order to get to the offices, you first have to go through a security check, then you sign in a book and take a badge. In the elevator, Nick has to punch in a code in order to get to his floor. Another code has to be entered in order to get from the elevators into the offices.

Here is a picture of the courtroom. It is a very beautiful room-just like you see on tv.

This is us with Judge Randall Rader. Nick is enjoying working with him. He has a great sense of humor and makes the office a comfortable place to be.


Textile Museum:

This is the Textile Museum. They had two displays. One was of tent bands . . . tapestries nomadic people would use to decorate their tents when they would travel. They were so intricate. It amazes me that they had such amazing skills. The other display was about uses of the color red. It was interesting--but it's a good thing I went without Nick! They had a large garden in the back of the museum where they host tea parties. How cute!

Feeding Squirrels:

While I was waiting for Nick to finish up at work, I bought a cookie and sat in Lafayette Square. There are squirrels everywhere and one of them must have smelled food because he ran up to me and started standing on his feet and begging for a bite. I couldn't resist, so I gave him one. A little while later he had jumped right up onto the bench and was begging again. This time he ate right out of my hand. I know I probably shouldn't have been feeding them, but he and his friends kept coming back and I was having so much fun I couldn't stop.

The White House:

Nick and me in front of the White House.

On the way to the metro station, we passed a flower stand and Nick bought me pretty daisy!

Library of Congress:

This bulding is amazing! There is incredible detail work on the face of it and they have busts of people like Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln as well as a large Greek fountain in front.

Supreme Court:

Nick was so excited to see the Supreme Court building! He took so many pictures, but these are my favorites. The building is large, as you can tell from the picture at the right. I think he might have had dreams of working there someday . . .

Washington Monument:

Nick and me standing in front of the Capitol with a view of the Washington Monument in the background.

U.S. Capitol:

While we were waiting for the concert to start, a big group of people sped up the ramps on Segways. Something about it was really funny, although I don't blame them for not wanting to walk all over the city. An interesting business idea--"Segway Tours".

Here is the band starting things up with Metallica. I think Joseph would have enjoyed the concert.

We met up with another one of the interns and his wife. William and Sophie (I can't remember their real names). They are from Taiwan and are wonderful people.