Roads Closed, Staking Out A Fireworks Spot, a Dandy, and Union Station

It probably was a mistake to leave the house for lunch today. The town is packed with visitors and parades for the holiday. The traffic was awful, with all the streets we usually take blocked by buses. Along the George Washington Parkway, one lane was completely eliminated for traffic use. Someone staking out a spot for the fireworks actually had a hammock with an umbrella set up, and it was in use. We finally made it to the restaurant on Wisconsin Avenue when a dandy in white shorts, blue blazer, pink shirt, and pink pocket square arrived with his wife, who matched him perfectly. They insisted on a booth and made for quite a scene waiting for it to be prepared. Coming home was not any better, and I was surprised to see that Union Station was so very quiet, and so very pretty as the setting for the flags blowing in the wind as though celebrating the holiday. We usually trek to Wisconsin for the weekend, but couldn't this year based on alternate travel plans. Perhaps we should resume that Wisconsin tradition next year because I forgot how unruly it is to get around here - and how pleasant it is to see our friends there.