How badly do I want that sign?  I want that sign, alright.  Gimme the sign, Smithsonian!  GIVE ME THE SIGN!

Scott and I ended up with an unexpected block of unplanned time and nice, clear weather last weekend, so decided to spend it on The Mall.  We visited the renovated National Museum of American History. 

Our first visit was to their lovely exhibition on book illustrations, which included a fantastic copy of William Morris’ The Wood Beyond the World and the Liber Chronicarum.  I was in bookworm heaven.  I took a number of pictures but none compare to those on the museum’s site.  Glass cases beat simple camera lenses every time.

This Turriano clockwork monk (a.k.a. creepy doll) is a one of the coolest automata I’ve seen.  A creepy one, but a cool one.  It’s in the Robot exhibition, of all places, alongside intimidating vehicles that don’t need drivers that probably blow things up on command. 

If they make me the head curator, I’m taking this and a bunch of other things and making one big steampunk exhibition.  Somebody needs to. 

Between the illustrated books and Julia Child’s kitchen, I was worried my geeky little brain would short right out.  And then we got to go see Andy Goldsworthy’s Roof. 

It’s astoundingly beautiful in person.  I’m a huge fan of Goldsworthy’s, and had wanted to go watch him and his crew build this but missed my chance.  I am a bit frustrated that you can’t get to most of the sculpture–the terrace has been closed to the public, so you can see this protrusion from the sidewalk outside and similar extensions in the lobby of the East Wing, but most of the installation is behind glass.  Stupid glass. 

I spent the rest of the weekend working, tinkering with a new original knitting pattern, and spoiling my dog.

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