Here's to the Ladies Who Lunch and Pedi

The wives of Tom's classmates decided to get together for a girls day out last week. As I mentioned we have several expectant mothers who needed some pampering...especially Danielle who is expecting any second now. One of the other moms-to-be went into early labor so she wasn't able to join us as she's at home on meds and bed rest to keep the baby put for as long as possible. She's not due until Jan. We're all doing dinners for them so she can keep resting. I'm about to go roast a chicken when I finish up here.

I've mentioned that Tom has a classmate from Saudi Arabia. His wife has been shy about joining us because in her country women do not fraternize with men other than a husband, father and brothers. Abdul has come to dinner and bbq's with the other couples but she has not. With this being just the wives she was more comfortable. I picked she and her 4 1/2 year old son up and we arrived earlier than the others. I was glad because we got the two female manicurists. I'm sure she wouldn't have let a male work on her. She is still struggling with English but we managed to communicate and I think she's doing amazingly well. She didn't however want to be photographed which according to the internet is not uncommon. She also happened to pick something out on the lunch menu at Mimi's that had bacon on it. She wasn't even sure what it was when she saw it so we had to send it back and have them remake it without. Anyway, I think she had a good time getting out of the house and am hoping that she will join us for more outings. I'm sure this is a huge transition for her. Apparently in Saudi Arabia she has a driver, a maid, people who come to her home to do manicures, pedis, and anything else you'd have done in a salon. Given the photos she showed me from her phone, their home is also quite lovely there. It's so much fun to get to know these very interesting people and their cultures!
Bonnie and Karen
Danielle

The Weekend

Yes, I'm a week behind but here's the wrap up on the North East trip:

Friday, Dallis and I headed into DC. She hadn't seen the MLK monument yet so we went there first then headed to the National Portrait Gallery for a couple of hours. Never enough time to see everything but given my Civil War audiobook on the way into town I was especially interested in that section. Suddenly all those portraits meant something as I had recently learned about each of them. Loved the president's section as well. I have an actress friend who portrayed this woman (Margaret Fuller) in a play so that was kind of fun. And of course, the gorgeous stained glass. I could do a full museum of just that! After our visit we hit a restaurant for Mexican food then headed home to settle in. I tried to stay awake for the World Series but couldn't keep my eyes open so hit the sack.

Margaret Fuller

Saturday, we spent the day running around in the rain doing real life things. We took Dalliss's daughter Jalene to the river where they worked on their boats getting ready for the upcoming crew season. We had a few hours to wait for her so we went and sat and had a leisurely breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Later in the afternoon I also got a chance to go visit my cousin Vicky who just happens to live within walking distance of Dalliss. It was nice to spend a little time catching up on family then the rest of evening packing up then even more visiting (yes, we DID have a lot to catch up on!) before heading out the next morning.

I left early Sunday morning around 6:30 and set my GPS to take me home a different way. I went through VA, Tennessee, then into Alabama. I did have the two audio books to keep me company. One was Anita Shreeve's RESCUE (definitely a pass on this one), the other was Maya Angelou's LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER which is really a book of essays. It was okay but neither was earth shattering. Love Cracker Barrel's library idea (you can pick it up at one location and drop it off at any other on your travels) but they really need to improve the selection. Arrived home safe and sound around 7 pm, very happy to see my studious husband!

Wandering

Got up around 4:30 AM to take Kim to the airport. Brent started his meetings that day, David was catching the train back to NYC, I was headed to a friend's to spend the rest of the week and Kim was flying out of BWI so I volunteered to take him as it is quite a trek from downtown DC. Dropped him off around 6 AM then tried to decide what to do until later in the afternoon when I was scheduled to arrive at my friend's house in VA. As I was driving, it suddenly occurred to me that I was still plenty tired so I pulled over into the lovely Maryland Welcoming Center parking area, laid my seat down, wrapped a sweater around me and slept quite nicely amongst the truckers, RV's and other single cars who were parked in the patrolled area. Woke up a couple of hours later, grabbed some breakfast on the run and began to plan my day.

I decided to just drive around until something struck my fancy. I don't usually have a car in DC and since the National Cathedral is not near a metro I rarely get there. Decided that was the perfect place to spend a few hours but on my way there, suddenly this gorgeous building appeared out of the gloomy skies and I knew it had to be the LDS Temple. I followed the signs and made my way there. It was still early and they had just barely opened the visitors center so it was very quiet and I pretty much had the place to myself. It was nice to browse through the displays as I had never been in there before. The temple itself is gorgeous!


I was so looking forward to going to the National Cathedral as I may have mentioned I do so love old churches and could spend hours just poking around, looking at stained glass, reading every plaque & engraving and just sitting in the quiet. Unfortunately, I didn't know that the cathedral had been damaged in the earthquake so is now being repaired and is closed. I was resigned to walking around the outside in the rain but still enjoying the glory of it all.


I also heard from a friend that Cracker Barrel Restaurants have audio books you can check out. Basically you pay for the CD, but when you return it they put the amount back onto your card minus $3.50 a week. I went looking for the one Cracker Barrel that had a decent inventory but had no luck. I met Dallis at her home in Oakton, VA around 2pm and we yacked and yacked. Had a quick dinner then ran her husband Tom and her nephew over to their church for a weekend retreat. She showed me around the church (Vienna Presbyterian Church) which also happens to be her place of employment. Just love lookin' around those churches! We stayed for a little bit of the beginning of the retreat then back to the house for more yacking, a hot bath and bed.

Doing DC

We met in the hotel lobby early the next morning. Raymond couldn’t join us, as he is president of the International Council of Fine Arts Deans so his meetings started earlier than Brent’s. Stopped for a quick breakfast back at the mall’s food court then hopped the metro for a day of sight seeing.

We got off in Arlington and had a lovely, long walk. The day was perfect for being outside and we headed toward the Lincoln Memorial. It’s impossible to see this place too many times I say. The reflecting pool is under construction and is basically non-existent so we veered off and headed toward the Korean War Memorial. There is something creepy about this one to me. I think it’s the ghost like figures and Kim (ever the artist) pointed out the patina on the figures is probably made that way for a purpose. I think the first time I visited it I was alone and it was dusk…thus making its eeriness that much more so.

Our specific destination was the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Monument. At first arrival it’s two big white rocks with a cutting out of the middle. It’s not until you make your way up further that you find the piece that is missing from the middle has the sculpture of MLK on the backside. I hadn’t even seen photos of the monument so it was all a surprise to me.

Many MLK quotes line the walls and given my recent studies of the civil rights movement, they were especially moving. There was a large group of elderly African Americans having their photo taken in front of the monument and many individuals were asking Kim to take photos for them. He ended up spending several minutes there.

Next up, the National World War II Memorial which was also new to me. They now have postings near the monuments with phone numbers you can call up on your phone and get information on each of the monuments, but there is nothing like tagging onto a group being led by a park ranger who knows the monuments well. There were also plenty of veterans at this one, which I found very moving.

We walked through the Vietnam Memorial (by the way, I always learn something new about each of these when I see them) then past the Washington Memorial which apparently had workers recently repelling down the sides of it examining it for damage after the August earthquake. I can’t imagine hanging off the side of that thing! We made our way to the National Gallery and spent the rest of the afternoon there.

I will just say I’m not crazy about modern art so the boys delighted in getting my comments on entire rooms filled with beige canvasses. No, I’m sorry, that is NOT art, but there were plenty of wonderful things to see. We hurried through a Warhol exhibition and spent most of our time in the regular collection which contain my favorites anyway! Had a leisurely lunch in the museum café, shopped a bit, looked at the downpour which had started outside and lingered awhile until it stopped.

Hopped the Metro back to the hotel, regrouped and headed for the Skydome at the Doubletree where they were staying, for happy hour. It’s one of those slowly revolving rooms that give you a great view of the city. So we relaxed there for a while before catching a cab to King Street in Alexandria for dinner.

Kim had a place he wanted to go that his brother loved when he lived in the area so we hit The Fish Market. King Street is near where Tom stayed when he was stationed at Coast Guard Headquarters for a year after 9/11. I was very familiar with the area and love King Street that is lined with great restaurants, shops, and gorgeous architecture. The bottom of the street leads to the Potomac. We had a wonderful dinner then started walking. And walking. And walking. Though I was in comfortable boots, I hadn’t worn them since last spring so after I don’t know how many miles we walked I had developed a few blisters. Finally found our way to the metro, back to our rooms and after a hot bath….fell fast asleep.

Note cute scarf Kim bought for me at the museum gift shop!

The Wedding

Our friends Kim and Brent having breakfast with us at Marketstreet Grill before we left Utah.

I went on this trip so I could be in attendance at the wedding of two of our closest friends. Kim and Brent have been together 25 years and as associate dean of the University of Utah’s School of Fine Arts, Brent had a conference in DC this particular week and since it’s one the few places they could legally marry, they decided to do it. Tom couldn’t join me because of classes but it was important to me to be there. I realize that all may not be comfortable with this issue but I just want to say publicly that these are two of the best people I know. Kim and I met in college doing theatre together before he left to serve an LDS mission in Germany. Brent served in France. They met doing theatre at Sundance after they both returned and have been together ever since. Brent is also a choreographer & director and has choreographed shows that Kim and I have done together over the years. They have known our kids since they were babies and have been a part of our lives for over 30 years.

I met them at their hotel on Tuesday morning and we (our friend Raymond who is the dean of the fine arts dept. was also there as was our friend David who is an actor in NYC) had a leisurely breakfast before hitting the metro to head to city hall. Another friend had done all the pre-wedding paperwork for them so after a security line check in, we headed into the building.

Yes, as soon as we saw the stunning flower-laden archway in the “chapel” of the office we burst into laughter. So much so that we had to leave the room momentarily to contain ourselves. The ceremony itself was short and performed by a lovely gentleman who hobbled in on crutches as he had had surgery on his leg the Friday before. I was a complete boob and cried my way through the thing while trying to snap photos.

Michael Mitchell, another friend that they had worked with at Sundance and I had performed with at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City but who now works in DC was in attendance as was Steve, another friend of Kim’s that he had known from the mission field. He’s now an attorney and lobbyist and lives in Fairfax, VA. Michael and me

We left there and hopped into a couple of cabs then headed off for a luncheon that Steve had planned at The Tabard Inn. It is a beautiful old hotel & restaurant that looked very English and was chocked full of eclectic art and furniture. Steve, David, Brent, Kim, me, Michael and Raymond.

It could not have been more perfect! We had a private room for a quiet ring ceremony performed by Raymond (who also happens to be a former pastor) and then our own space just outside the room for a heavenly lunch that was Steve’s treat. The surroundings were gorgeous, the conversation lively and the company purely wonderful. I love these guys and couldn’t have been more grateful to be a part of this special day.

After a long walk and metro ride home we did a quick trip to the mall in Crystal City for some minor shopping (David and I sat and chatted in the food court) then I headed back to the metro and my hotel to crash.

Road Trip

After we got home Sunday afternoon from New Orleans I packed up, loaded the car and prepped to leave bright and early Monday morning to head to Alexandria, VA. Started my 13 hour drive about 7:30 AM but my GPS had a hankering to go a different way than mapquest had laid out. Obeyed the GPS and headed toward Atlanta, Georgia.....then continued on up.
The day could not have been more gorgeous (before I hit a major rain storm in Virginia) and I loved driving through states I had never seen before. Unfortunately there wasn't time to stop and sight see but I enjoyed the ride!
Fortunately I am not a sleepy driver and did quite nicely with the help of two books on tape. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR which was fascinating given the route I was taking and Joel Osteen's YOUR BEST LIFE. Yes, he's a little over the top perky, but a good self-help book is always a productive learning tool via the road.

“N’Awlins”

Tom needed to go to New Orleans for a day long US Coast Guard “All Hands” so I rode along. We took off Friday after he got out of school and I drove while he read. We stopped someplace between Mississippi and Louisiana and purchased a pizza to go from a busy restaurant, ate on the way and crashed once we reached our hotel.

I dropped him off the next morning and went to meet an old friend from Utah. Tanner was the resident stage manager at Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) for about 7 years but moved to New Orleans (he grew up in Alabama) to help a brother in law with his construction company after Katrina wreaked havoc in the area and has lived there ever since. Tanner had run a breast cancer 5 K that morning so I met up with him soon after at a little coffee shop then he took me on a 2 hour tour of a city I’ve never set foot in. We had a great time reminiscing while he drove through the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, The City Park, The Audubon attractions, the gorgeous architecture, The World War II Museum, downtown and some regular but beautiful streets. The streets were crammed with people as it was election day (Saturday?) and they were passing out flyers, shaking hands and trying to get people to vote. One of the elections was for coroner. Really? Is the average Joe in a position to be choosing the coroner? Anyway, Tanner was a great tour guide. He shared a lot about the history of the city and all the European, African and Caribbean influences. Made me want to get a history book on the area. He was also very honest about the crime that continues and the homeless population that remains.

Tom and I went out that night feeling we really should see Bourbon street in it’s glory. Half an hour later I had seen enough. I’m not a good “crowd” person in the best of circumstances but you add a crowd who has been drinking, young girls in very little clothing, mostly tourists in for conventions or NFL games and you’ve got a street full of people who took me way out of my comfort zone. I guess I thought the bead-throwing and such only took place at Mardi Gras but apparently this is an on-going affair.

Tom could see I wasn’t much into the local scene so we walked up into town, headed toward the river then found our way back through the crowd (by then there was an ambulance and fire truck), and back to our car before heading home. Looked around a bit for a place to eat but I’m not a big Cajun fan and we decided we weren’t really hungry so we went back to our room, where Tom studied and I read. Hmmm, perhaps we’re (I'm) getting old.

We took off early the next morning after breakfast and traveled casually. We stopped when we felt like it to look around and went to the beach in Mississippi and took a long walk. That was my favorite part. Can’t go wrong on a beach!