There's 'Dead People' Everywhere.

Last night I attended a very swanky reception at the Smithsonian Postal Museum. That's the big building down on Massachusetts Ave right across the street from Union Station (and just coincidentally right upstairs from one of my all-time favorite breweries, the Capitol City Brewpub). Great food and plenty off free liquor - nothing to sneeze at - plus it's a very historic site with all kinds of fun things to do that are post office related (no, we didn't play Post Office). 

On the way home we had a two car police escort down Massachusetts, up Pennsylvania past the White House and then over past the Capitol back to the Wardman Park Hotel out in Adams-Morgan. What a hoot that was. Anyway, long story short (too late), somewhere along the way I lost my phone. You can't appreciate how much you depend on these electric tethers until they're gone. No phone, no calendar, no clock - you're just out there.

So this afternoon, when it became apparent nobody was gonna return my old Motorola Q, I headed downtown to the Verizon store for a replacement. I hate that. 

Anyway, since it was a little cool and overcast I threw on my old t-shirt that says 'Play Dead' across the chest. Before I was even out of the hotel I'd had three of four comments from a variety of folks including a couple of suited-up dudes even older than myself. One old guy gave me the clench fist salute and repeated 'Play Dead, yeah'. Several others just smiled. 

I got the same thing walking down the street and in the metro. Two young Black fellas commented on the 'cool shirt'. I'm in the Verizon store and some street-looking gentleman comes over and tells me about seeing the Boys a couple weeks ago on their current tour. Another one tells me about seeing the Dark Orchestra last summer. 

I could wear a tuxedo down the street or walk around nekkid and nobody would give me a second look - but the Grateful Dead? That's a horse of a different color, my friends. Fans of the greatest touring band of the last half century are all over the place. They're white, they're black, they're old, they're young. When you hear the slogan 'They're everywhere', you'd best believe it. If I didn't know it before, this afternoon certainly would have made a believer out of me. A long strange trip indeed.