After this morning's blood draws, breakfast, and 2 hour post-breakfast blood sugar check, I made a break for it. The weather was beautiful here today. Not too hot, not too humid, and sunny. Perfect for a slightly unsteady walk for the Fabulous Pink Cane and I. My goal was to find the Medical Center metro stop. Based on the NIH campus map, I figured it would be a good, challenging (given my current condition) excursion. It took about 1/2 hour each way, and while I was dripping with sweat and pretty pooped by the time I got back to the Clinical Center, I had a smile on my face the whole time.
The NIH campus is like a college campus with security on steroids. The entire campus is fenced, but it's so big that you don't even notice it from the inside. Here is a picture of the exit of the complex that made me think for a minute that once you get into this place, they may not let you out!
You pass through a heavy security checkpoint to get into the campus, but once you're in, it's just like a small college. Buildings of every style, each named after some generous patron, with open space or parking in between. The best building I passed on the way to the metro stop was this one:
This is a Government institution, but there are remarkably few industrial grey buildings here. I suppose the people who give the money to erect the buildings and support the research that goes on here have the power to say "there will be no ugly!". It makes it a very nice environment to feel like crap in. It's nurturing from top to bottom.
So the Fabulous Pink Cane and I made it to the metro stop (it was actually where I thought it was...and I followed the very clear directional signs along the way...) as planned, and after a little sit down, hoofed it back to the Clinical Center. Of course, we did take a moment to smell the roses...
We hope you took the time to do the same...
No comments:
Post a Comment