Back on the metro once again, watching a few people from the parking lot, then the feed into the tunnel where last week I watched the trumpet player who was playing Miles Davis, this morning quiet, almost somber like a Monday.

Yesterday was 4th July, the longer I live here, the more American I feel. Started the day as I woke up in darkness by driving to DC, down the beauty of George Washington Parkway (AKA GW Parkway), passing fallow deer on the side of the road, to visit the Jefferson Memorial. The last time I was here was on the West steps at sunset, today standing inside as daybreak loomed, reading the words inside the memorial, a reminder through life of why this country is a great one. Also a reminder of a friendship forged on these steps, a friendship that brought a great deal of joy to my life, but now that memory as I looked out over the water of the tidal basin causing bitter sweet memories, and confusion as to why we were no longer friends, but also a thankfulness that we once were, and cherishing those memories as something precious.

The remainder of the day was spent in Seneca Creek part for the most part, kayaking and then biking later, the sheer beauty of the lake itself along with its residents, herons, turtles and assorted other nature, the view from the kayak different than that of my usual running and cycling. The ride itself was brutally hot, cleansing in many ways to sweat out the troubles and niggles of life, though at the end was not sure whetther to turn towards home, or whether to throw the bike in the lake, or myself to cool off.

In the evening I suddenly, and unexpectedly got the hankering to watch the fireworks, something that in recent years I have been ambivalent about, so a parking lot to the west of 270 was found and chosen, offering a perfect view of the display at Montgomery Fairgrounds, for some reason this year they struck a resonance in me, perhaps a reflection, or mirror image of how I started the day.

The iPod has really become ubiquitous, as I look around the me, the tell tale ear buds in over half the people sitting around me, the remainder buried in the free newspaper given out each morning. The Indian gentleman sitting next to me appears to be listening to some techno...the chucka of the rhythm almost in perfect synchronisation with the sound of the train.

Today's focus is John 13:5-17 - Jesus said "I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, and nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him".

Sometimes I get caught up in helping friends and those around me, to the point it almost becomes a burden on my time. Though these days I have little personal time, I have come to on occasions resent the requests. In reality, though I might resent those requests on my time, whenever I see those friends and sully forth it is with joy at the time spent with people I care about. This applies both professionally and personally, that helping others is not a chore, but a blessing.

As I walked to the office, I saw an acorn on the ground, something symbolic to me "The greatest tree in the forest is an oak, but from small acorns do huge oak trees grow"...in and of itself it holds memories, good ones. But also symbolic to this company, and my new life over the last few months.