You think you know art?

I know I don't, but I went to the National Gallery this weekend. While I immensely enjoyed all the pieces they had there, I found myself extremely annoyed by my fellow art viewers. I have to say that taking your kids to an art museum is a lousy idea. Of all the places to go in this city (and I don't believe that you've already seen all of the monuments, the Air & Space Museum, swam at the hotel pool, AND taken in the Natural History Museum), an art museum is probably not where you should take your young kids. The last thing I want to do at an art museum is have to dodge children running around, let alone listen to them all day. If you want to teach them about the art, fine, but don't walk around pretending like they're going to enjoy themselves on their own.

Furthermore, stop taking all those damn pictures! It's not like you're going to remember what you were looking at later, and honestly, none of your friends will know what the hell it is either. Besides, that picture you took standing a foot away from the beautiful Monet in the corner is not going to do it justice. All you're going to get is a nice digital picture of a bunch of random dabs of paint, and it won't really look like anything from a foot away. Idiot.

Would it kill you to be more friendly?

I'm really glad that I've been fortunate enough to live in places where the people are decent. I've recently taken up running in the park where I live, and I've always found it pleasant that people there say hello to you when you run by each other. It makes the whole experience more enjoyable.

Today, however, I went running on Lake Michigan in Chicago, and I don't think one person made eye contact, let alone said hello. It made the whole experience less enjoyable if you ask me. I don't know what makes one town one way and this town another. It's like people move somewhere and then take on the mood of that town, further perpetuating an unfriendly (or friendly) atmosphere. But if you move from a place like, let's say, Nashville, to a play like, let's say, Chicago, why can't you bring your Tennessee friendliness with you? Really, it wouldn't kill you to smile and say hello to people every now and then.

My Two Cents' Worth

1. Waiters have to earn their tips. That's their job, no more no less.
2. The worst drivers I've ever seen are in Montgomery County, Maryland.
3. When you go to parties with the same people all the time, you can't say, "I have a bottle of liquor in my car" every time.
4. People should use the phrase "stupid bimbo" more often -- not my point, but I certainly agree with it.
5. The guy who decided to put wheels on the bottom of office chairs was a genius.
6. The thing they say about Wrigley is that you went to a party and a baseball game broke out . . . it's absolutely true (of course, it helps when the Cubs are winning).
7. Chicago pizza might actually be better than New York pizza.