I had one goal for the past week: to finish reading the Douglas Wilson book required for teacher training. As of today, I have finished 90 pages out of 143. I have to read 53 more before tomorrow morning. It is almost the first thing on the schedule.
So what else have I done this week? That is exactly what I am about to tell you.
Sunday was a day of adventure. The night before I had gotten an email from Lisa, the dear lady who used to be my neighbor and wants to adopt me, asking if I'd like to meet her in DC for a late dinner. She had a meeting the next day and her flight was supposed to get in at 7PM at Dulles. I could stay the night in her hotel so I wouldn't have to take the Metro back until the next morning. It sounded great - until her flight got delayed. I decided to go for it anyway because it was a lot more fun than sitting around the apartment with nothing to do (okay, except reading). So rather than having a late dinner, we had even-later cocktails. And Lisa tried to convince me that every human being deserves health care and that government was the best means of providing it. Overall it was a fun evening, though. I got to explore Dupont Circle and order room service. Her room was at the Hilton on Embassy Row, right across from the Indonesian Embassy. I thought of Tessa.
Monday was a day of exploration. I forgot to mention that Hannah Mahan was in town! She actually spent most of the summer here in Maryland, visiting with Laura and working. She has decided that her next life adventure is sailing, and spent the last several weeks getting her sailing certification at a summer camp in New York. She's been back over a week and has already started her job aboard the
Woodwind, a schooner that takes people on tours of the Chesapeake. Monday was the day for getting all her job-related paper work done, as well as for moving into her new apartment (which is close enough for her to bike to work).
Around 9AM she picked me up at the Metro station and we set out across the Bay Bridge - the first time I'd actually been on this beautiful, 4-mile bridge - towards Kent Island and outlet mall that can be found there. Hannah needed khaki shorts and I needed khaki pants. We were both successful. After grabbing a quick bite at Wendy's, it was off to the dock where Hannah's boat lives. That is where we discovered that there were actually three seperate places we needed to be, and none of those places was the dock. So in between finding all those offices, not to mention helping Hannah move into her apartment later that evening, I learned a lot more about Annapolis and its environs.
Tuesday was a day of nothing. And I do mean nothing. Now, I know most of my readers are industrious folk, and may not be able to concieve of a day of nothing. Let me tell you how it goes. First, one sleeps in until noon - at minimum. I can't actually remember when I got up Tuesday, although I'm sure I did. Second, one eats at a liesurely pace. If one is eating breakfast around noon, and wants to fit in a couple more meals before, say, 8PM, eating actually takes up a of one's day. Please note that one should probably not eat so much on a such a lazy day, though I chose not to heed this useful bit of advice. Third, and perhaps most important, one must have a television, or better yet, a computer, at his or her disposal. Computers are best for a day of nothing, for they provide many activities which make one feel as if one is accomplishing something, e.g. blog-reading.
Wednesday was a day of joyful reunion. First, I reunited with Laura at 9:30AM at the airport. She had spent the weekend in Oregon, visiting Hillsdale alumni and celebrating the wedding of one Brittany Wilkens and the nephew of Ravi Zacharias. Second, I joyfully reunited with real life, partaking in such activities as exercise and grocery shopping. Oh! and I also reunited with the Bay Bridge, as Laura and I went to a movie night at her church which is across the bridge. We watched The Mission, and I found it to be quite good and also sad. Has anyone else seen it?
Thursday was a day when nothing went as planned, but was a good day despite it all. I went in for an oil change, expecting some extra scheduled maintenance (e.g. tire rotation, air filter change). I was somewhat surprised that the scheduled maintenance also included something called a "transmission flush" which cost over a hundred dollars. After doing a little research on Google, I found out that this is something done for cars once they reach 100,000 miles and doesn't have to be done that often. So that's good. And I have money set aside for car maintenance, which is also good. Just unexpected, that's all.
The second escapade happened later. Hannah had invited us to go on the sunset cruise on her schooner. (By the way, if you are ever in Annapolis, this is kind of a standing offer. She can usually bring friends aboard for free, provided that all the tickets for that particular cruise haven't sold yet. It's a great deal, if you're flexible.) Because Laura and I are Laura and I, we ended up being late, and made it to the dock just as the boat was pulling away. We acutely felt the meaning of the phrase "missed the boat". Since we were planning to stay the night with Hannah in Annapolis, we spent the next three hours in a bookstore/coffeeshop where we got to chat with one of our students who was working that evening. Laura caught up on
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire while I learned all about wine. Then we caught up with Hannah and enjoyed a late dinner of pancakes.
Friday was a day of transition. After returning home in the morning, Laura began to prepare for another weekend of travel - family vacation this time - and I began to move my stuff to a more permanent location. You may be asking yourself just where that location is. And the answer is. . . that I have decided not to move at all! I shall be living with the Stevens for at least another year, and possibly longer since they are actually building a tiny bedroom adjacent to the downstairs kitchen and Laura's apartment.
I admit that it took me rather a long time to decide to do nothing, but I think Laura and I needed that week or so of living together to realize that yes, we still enjoy being roommates in close quarters and yes, there would be enough space provided that we each had private space to which we could retire - hence the tiny bedroom. So we're back to sharing a bathroom. Laura commented that it felt like being back in Whitley. I think that's what I was afraid of at first, but now I see it as nothing but a positive thing. Remember I was comparing each housing option in terms of cost and location? This one beats all, and comes with the added bonus of staying with the Laura, the Stevens, and kittens. I can't forget the kittens. I'm glad I won't be losing them.
Saturday was a day of shopping. Sitting around the apartment all day with nothing to do (okay, except for reading) was not my idea of a fun weekend, so I decided to make another excursion into the District of Columbia. I hope that nobody is offended I did not notify him or her, but I actually had a very specific mission and knew the weather was supposed to be bad and did not think anyone would be interested in coming along. So despite the forecast of thunderstorms and flash floods, I set out. I wanted to visit Urban Outfitters to try on a couple couple items I had seen on the website, as well as its sister store Anthropologie to look for some decorative doorknobs to send to my sister as part of a birthday present. We have an Anthropologie in Annapolis, but they did not have the doorknobs I had in mind. Unfortunately, neither did the Anthropologie in DC. I do think I saw an old friend from Tennessee, but it was a little to weird so I didn't go up to her. I know she's living in the area. Maybe I'll email her to meet in more deliberate circumstances. Oh, I probably should have gone up and said hello. I'm so silly.
We do not have an Urban Outfitters in Annapolis, for some reason, so I was particularly looking forward to that leg of the trip. Sadly, I was again thwarted in my search, but I did find a pretty skirt and jacket that prevented the trip from being completely unfruitful. After leaving that store I ran into the weather. It was pouring. Fortunately, I was prepared with an umbrella. I did almost lose a shoe in the middle of a crosswalk. The light was about to change, so I picked it up and carried it across to the sidewalk. I felt kind of gross crossing Pennsylvania Avenue unshod, but it was better than getting run over.
Finally, back in Maryland, I had to go to Old Navy to get the second part of my sister's present. (I forgot to mention that I got a different pair of doorknobs at Anthropologie. I know that doorknobs are a strange present, but towards the end of the summer a handle on our closet door kept falling off and I told Julie that I would send her some pretty decorative ones. So I am going to put them in her birthday package.) On the way home I almost got swept away in a flash flood. It was very exciting, but I did make it home safe and sound.
Sunday, or today, was a day of rest. It was not a day of nothing - doing something usually makes me feel far more relaxed than doing nothing. So this afternoon, besides composing this blog post, I went running, washed my hair, did a couple loads of laundry, and made dinner. I think I've gotten done everything that needs to be done before we go back to school tomorrow. Except finish that book - which is what I am going to do right now!
