Almost Back to (Ab)normal

With S.L. gone and the pace slowing down a little, I had a chance to catch up with some everyday matters, like laundry, etc., on Thursday, and then yesterday S.M. and I drove over to Old Town Alexandria to have lunch at Bilbo Baggins - smoked duck salad and vegetable gazpacho - and drop off "Equity Rules: Be Fair, Be Fair, Be Fair" at Old Town Editions, so they can make prints when they get the deposit check from the Feminist Majority Foundation. We also, of course, did a little shopping - shoes, tea - before we came back. On the way I let Carey off at the new National Museum of the American Indian, so she could explore it before dinner. I came home to rest and reconnoiter. She and Jim arrived home about the same time, and we all rested a bit before having dinner at El Tamarindo and then cruising around Maryland in the Honda listening to Allman Brothers cd's and checking out the houses for sale. They walked up to Parthenon to get rice pudding after we got home and then we all hit the sack fairly early.

It's nice to be getting back on schedule a little, sleepwise, though I'm still pooped. I did get to Curves this a.m., for the first time in several days, though Carey declined to join me, wanting to save her energy for a trip to the National Gallery of Art this afternoon. I dropped her at the subway, but since my sciatica is acting up so badly and we are going to (another!) party tonight, I thought I had better try to stay off my feet a little this afternoon. So I regretfully let her go off by herself. Jim went off by himself earlier this morning to visit Spring River and then do some mountain biking on the towpath, which I was glad of because he hasn't gotten much exercise since he came home from the cabin.

Tonight is our friend Dave Schless' 40th birthday party, and we are looking forward to helping him celebrate.