There's something about reading and studying something in a book, and then later getting the chance to see that something in person, that thrills me to the core. It's why I love living in D.C. so much. Sure, there's history everywhere in the U.S., but this is the history I learned about in my civics class in eighth grade. And somehow, seeing it now... getting to see it any time I want... is just about the coolest beans I can think of.

So the Metropolitan Museum of Art was some very cool beans indeed, because in my junior year of college? I wrote a paper on this guy:
Why do all my photos look so crappy in blog format? Click to embiggen, please.

And this gate:
OK, I didn't ever write anything about this guy, but he made me laugh because he looked like a Muppet character or two:
My knight in shining armor was there:
Some very cool mosaics:
A Tiffany stained glass window I wanted to step into and live inside (I really wish I'd brought a tripod - this would be much clearer):
The theme of the weekend, a stained glass Tree of Life panel set by Frank Lloyd Wright. (I can't find this exact one on the Met's website - you get the idea.):
I was beguiled by this statue (no picture of it on the Met website) and it reminded me of a book I read once or twice (or five times):
Maybe it's my early exposure to the idea of running away from home and living in a museum (another book I read five times), but oh, how I would love to have stayed there all night with her: