Sam Cummins' Bar Mitzvah was on the horizon, so we drove to Maryland in the rain and when we awoke and Ben got dressed
we saw the remains of dinner on the table
so we took the elevator
down to the breakfast spread
where we skipped the eggs
and pears
but had some juice
and bananas if not apples
and these were our plates
before we began the drive to Bethesda where we left the car
at this meter
and gathered our stuff
to leave the lot
via this door
overlooking the air rights center
on the street below
and took the infinite escalator
into the station
and as we waited for the train
we recorded out location
until we emerged in Georgetown
as Suzanne called Audrey
so that we could walk past this statue in the park
and make our way to the Westin Grand
where we saw Joel
Cara
and Suzanne and Audrey chatted
over the chess game before I had to leave my camera so that we could see where George lives (and miss out on literally thousands of pictures).
When I was reunited with my camera, Audrey
Alan
and the boys in their odd posture
led the way to the restaurant
where this was my sangria martini
as sangria
bread
and more sangria
kept Audrey and Cara
Alan
Suzanne
me
and Ben and Joel going
as the appetizers came
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The next morning was the Bar Mitzvah itself which we were unable to record on film but back at the hotel as we looked down on things,
Suzanne and Ben posed at the elevator
as Harry and Carol's Uncle emerged
and in the lobby below
Joel
Joel, Alan and Cara
and the Alan and Joel
and Alan and Cara gathered
as we waited for Audrey's elevator
so that we could take the infinite elevator
down to the station where everyone watched
as Alan negotiated the ticket machine
and Ben posed
by the map
as Joel, Audrey and Suzanne
then Joel, Audrey, Suzanne and Ben
then Joel, Cara, Audrey, Suzanne and Ben posed
but then the group broke up
and all reassambled -- Ben, Suzanne, Alan, Audrey, Cara and Joel
before I posed alone
and then with Suzanne, Ben and Joel
as we entered the metro station
took a shoe picture
and then this picture of Joel and Alan
and this self portrait of me and Ben
before we rode the escalator up
and saw the sign for the zoo
which had statuary
even as we followed the signage
but once at the zoo
we saw the lion
and then Joel, Ben and Cara posed in the zoo sign
before we went in and found other places where they
could imitate
as we learned about cooking with dung
checked out the cheetah
and the animal that was on vacation
before catching more cheetah pictures
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When we entered, Suzanne and Harry posed
along with some of the appetizers
and drinks
and I tried to capture the blink of my tie tacks without success
before Suzanne and Audrey
and Joel and Ben posed
and we saw Ben's head
and Joel
and then Joel, Sam and Ben
and Ben, Joel, Sam and a girl
and then the girl posed with Joel and a boy
and then I was back with Audrey and Alan
as Ben Cummins posed
as this woman took his picture
and then Emma Cummins posed for some pictures
before doing her dance
and then Arnold Cummins and his wife posed
and then we were seated and Carol Alter came and sat with Audrey
and then Sam greeted the couple who had grown up in Poughkeepsie with Alan
and Carol posed with Audrey and the woman from Montreal
and then with the woman from Montreal
and they were joined by the daughter from Motnreal
when the food came
and I put on a mask
and then Alan put on a mask
and we admired the movie gregors (it being Purim and all)
which led to the Purim play
which Ben watched
and all of this led to a period when I forgot to flash and so the pictures are dark
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Next morning, we looked down on brunch
where we saw Sam and his uncle
and then as Cara and Alan made their way down
we sat with these relatives from NYC
as Arnold and one of the twins ate
as did Alan
and Cara
and Ben and Joel
who had this plate
as Sam joined us
for bagels
and cream cheese advertised by Joel
as Joel and Sam posed
and Suzanne conversed across the room with Samantha's mom
and the bagels got spread
so that Joel could eat
and we could enjoy fruit
The boys played in the elevator chute
as Alan and his friend chatted
Suzanne held Arnold's baby
and I took pictures of the three musketeers -- Ben, Joel, and Sam
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Later that week, Eve Tominey came to our staff meeting
and then I had lunch with Yaskuo Makino, Pat Gibney, Dottie Pearson, Karin Trainer, Lin Ferrand, Julie Arnheim, Stephen Fergueson and Mary George from the library.