Memorial Day at Arlington

Hello Red, White, and Blue

So I got up early on Memorial Day to attend the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington but apparently I did not get up as early as others. Times like these I wish I was 6 feet tall and could see over people's heads. Being short SUCKS some times.

Anyways, so I headed off to Arlington Cemetery and just kind of followed the masses since for the most part this seems to work. Well, this time not so much. At first I was standing in line for like three or four minutes only to find out that its the line to find out where people are buried...oops wrong turn number one. This is where I met my new friend, who also like me, were just following the masses. So we stand in another line to ask where we're supposed to go (line two). Turns out its just outside. We only had to go through the visitor's center to turn the corner to go out another door back outside...wtf? So then the third line was to wait for a bus to take us to the ceremony site (line 3). Well, being impatient that I am, my new friend and I were just going to walk. So we ask this guy in uniform (duh) if we could walk up there and he was like ok, fine. So we walk for like 5 minutes only to come up to another group of guys in uniform (duh) and they tell us we are not allowed to walk. And I pipe up and say well the guy back there told us we could. His response, "what did he look like?" I just stare at him and sarcastically tell him, "he looked just like you." He smiled (knowing what a dumb question that really was) and was like a guy in uniform told you that? And I wanted to be like you really should have all communicated that it wasn't allowed to walk. So whatever, we had to turn around again and stand in the same line again (line 4). Needless to say its like in the 90s that morning and I thankfully wore a dress because I had some serious boob and everything else sweat. I finally get up there and the try to find somewhere to stand. This is where being 6 feet tall would have helped. Or maybe perhaps if I wasn't wasting time standing in incorrect lines and walking I'd have been closer. Or if I had gotten there at 8 like I planned. Oh well.

So I watched the Changing of the Guards (always beautiful). It really grates on my nerves when people don't respect the ceremony and talk through it or heaven forbid their damn cell phone goes off. Can you please be more respectful. Anyways, then I find out where I'm standing isn't good because they have to clear out the area for the band to come in. Great. Oh well. At this point I've been outside for like 2 hours in the blaring heat. I say screw it and go sit in the shaded area where I can kind of hear what's going out at the Tomb of the Unknown and also in the Memorial. Taps came on and I teared up, something that I rarely do. It was very moving being there on Memorial Day and what it really meant. I was able to hear some of the speech by Vice President Biden but it was kind of hard to hear where I sat. But anyways, at least I accomplished my goal for the day and can mark one more off the bucket list.

I might even try running through the grounds since I haven't found a good spot to run where I can't quit or potentially get run over by millions of cars. Kind of creepy to run through a cemetery? I think not. I loved walking through my cometery in London, it was very peaceful. And I wouldn't get honked or hollar'ed at there either...double score!

You could really get lost in there.

The neatness of the burials really appeals to my OCD.

It really is beautiful.

Where the VP stood to give his speech.

Just look at all of those people. And this is after some people already left.

Soooo many people.

Love, love, love a man in uniform...especially those with guns!

I got a much better view when everyone was listening to the VP.

Guarding the tomb with the wreath Biden donated to celebrate.

God it must have been miserably hot for these guys.

Beautiful background.

Mass of people.

All the different flowers from different organizations.

Different wreaths.

Preparing the gun to be handed over.

I get chills every time I watch this.

Not sure what he's doing in the little hut. But he def made a call...polling the audience maybe? Phoning a friend? "Yo dude, get yo' ass out here, I'm burnin up!"