Father's Day Weekend

Tom only went to work for 3 hours on Friday so we had an extended weekend.  Got up and went to swim laps at the pool.  This gym is in our complex so it's very handy though we do have to pay a monthly membership.  We DO use it plenty though.

 A few steps out the door is the outdoor pool so we took in a little sun to enjoy the warm day.

 Tom headed to work and I cleaned the apartment.  After a couple of hours of cleaning I go to jump in the shower and realize I have the bottom of my swimming suit on inside out!  Fortunately it's a solid black color and has a little skirt to cover the panty liner part of the suit but REALLY?

Southwest Duck Pond across the street from our apartment

 Tom got home and we decided to walk over to the Riverfront/NavyYards for the Friday night free concert.  Great band called Cazhmiere was playing.  Very fun cover band playing tons of great dance tunes.  It's just fun to watch all the little kids get up and dance plus there's the swimming pond and lots of dock space for scooters and general frivolity.  Great people watching.

 Saturday Tom got up to go on a bike ride and have lunch with a couple of other guys from church.  They ended up putting in 39 miles.  I went to the outdoor pool and finally got brave enough to do laps in that pool.  It is NOT very warm water, but it was VERY warm outside so after reading in the sun for a while I was ready for a cool off.  Once I got used to it, it was actually very pleasant.  Went back to the apartment and watched a documentary while I cross-stitched. Thought I had made a giant mistake and was either going to have to tear out a whole bunch or somehow incorporate it into the design.  That's a sick feeling in the stomach.  Turned out it was just a couple of stitches so I was able to fix it. Phew!
Tom came home, we watched another doc then decided to go walk the city.

Started at the National Mall but ventured off a block onto Pennsylvania Ave.  Plenty to see there as well with the Newseum Bldg and the National Archives.  Love these statues in front of the Archives.

 After worship service Sunday morning I stayed and taught Sunday school so Tom headed to Dupont Circle to read as we were supposed to meet up with Taylor before he went to work for brunch.  Turns out he read the schedule wrong and was supposed to be to work at 8 AM so when they called he DASHED to get there on his bike.

Wesley, Miss Cathy, Hailey, Kiley, Nylah, Grace, Elinor (with her back turned), Hayden, Eli and Cooper. My cute Sunday School class along with co-teacher Cathy.  Yes, there's quite a little united nations mix of cultures in that class!

 Tom and I met up at Union Station (We were working that Metro big time!) and grabbed a slice of pizza to hold us over till dinner.  Tom enjoyed his NCC Pop Happy Father's Day root beer they handed out to the father's at church.  There's always great people watching at Union Station as so many travelers, tourists and locals come through there.  We killed some time before walking down the street to Ebeneezer's where we had a meeting about Sprint Triathlon training (yeah, I'm sure you'll hear more about that in the near future!).

Food Court at Union Station

 After our meeting we headed home, went and swam some laps then walked into town for our Father's Day dinner with Taylor and Logan.  Had some great conversation about the way of the world, religion, and anything else you can think of.  Both Jess and Nic called to wish Tom a happy day and I got to talk to my dad as well so all in all it was a pretty great weekend!

Malls, Casinos and The Amish

Tom has been working at Fort Meade in Maryland on this the past couple of weeks.  He was there several months ago doing the same thing.  He leaves Monday morning and is scheduled to be there all week but since they have to fly in witnesses from all over, once they get through the witnesses for the week, they wrap things up. Tom is working with the media....checking credentials, making sure they can get on base, getting them inside the courtroom and who knows what else.  Said it's interesting because there is a huge group of well known bloggers and journalists attending who are Manning's allies and are there supporting him.  

I decided to go spend the end of the week with him.  It's only about a 40 minute drive from DC but because they have to be there early and sometimes stay late, they put them up in hotels for the week.  He's staying right across the street from Arundel Mall which we always drive by on our way to NJ and I've always wanted to check out, so this was the perfect opportunity.  I arrived about 1 PM on Wednesday and after settling into the Townhome Suite, I walked over to this GIANT mall!

This was my first stop.  I've never been in a Neiman Marcus before so was anxious to check it out.  I looked at about 2 things.  Here you could get one of those bargain blouses that normally run $230 for a rock bottom $157!!!  What?  Yeah, I've never in my life spent that much on a blouse.  I could easily purchase 2 complete outfits for that amount.  

I really have lost a desire for shopping almost across the board.  I don't know if it's because we have no room for anything in our small apartment, or if it's because I can rarely find anything that appeals to me on a fashion level (hey designers....hows about you make something with sleeves?!) or if it's because we're trying to be frugal.....anyway, even window shopping is tiresome to me.  So yes, even though this place had something like 200 stores, I still ended up in Books A Million....reading.  I did meet a new friend named Claudia.  A sort of odd little lady who seemed to follow me through the store and wanted to show me photos of cats.  She loves cats but wanted to make sure I knew she was not impressed with the hairless Sphynx because they were creepy looking.  After about 5 different meetings throughout the store, we went our different ways.  I sat and enjoyed my 3 dollar bargain book with a fat free yogurt. 

Tom hadn't been to the mall yet so I only covered a small area as he said he didn't want me to ruin the "magic" of us enjoying it together after he got home.  I headed back to the hotel and settled in with my cross-stitch and watched the movie channel as Tom said he would be home at 6:30.  At 8:00 he finally got there and we headed over to the mall, walked the length of one side until we got to the Casino where The Cheesecake Factory was.  We'd never eaten there and I had a gift card so we indulged on their "lite" salads.  Do these look LITE to you?

 We made a fairly quick loop through the casino without even stopping for a game of video poker.  It's a non-smoking establishment and was very clean which was a nice change from most casinos.  Seemed to have a large Asian clientele and I noticed that the entertainment seemed geared towards that.  One whole night of 10 Vietnamese performers and Asian Karaoke?

 Walked back through the other half of the mall trying to work off the pound of vegetables we'd just had for dinner.  Oh, and did I mention that when Tom got home from work he said they were done for the week?

Next morning we got up, checked out and drove about 15 minutes to Laurel, MD.  Co-workers had told Tom about the Amish market that was only open Thurs thru Sat.

 We walked through everything (which looked wonderful!) but decided to have breakfast in the cafe before shopping.  I didn't photograph the Amish people working the stands but we had a very sweet amish girl waiting on us.  She said they drive from Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the morning and then go back at night each of the three days.  A two hour drive each way!  There are some who come and stay for the weekend in hotels but the majority make the daily trip.

 After a yummy breakfast we did some shopping.....fresh veggies, warm rolls and cream pastries,...sampled lots of cheeses and pickles, bought fresh milk and a small strawberry pie along with some bulk packages of flax seed and some pre-made soups and gravy.

After arriving home we were complete slugs and after clearing off the patio to prevent the coming storm from sending everything flying, we settled in and watched documentaries on Netflix. Later, after I had assured my mom we were not swept up in a tornado,  I fixed a dinner of fresh corn on the cob, red potatoes with country gravy, fresh green beans and fluffy dinner rolls.  Oh, and strawberry pie for dessert!

72 Hours

Anita, Me & Shellie and in front...Betty and Edna.

Recuperating from an awesome 72 hour non-denominational spiritual retreat in Vienna, VA.  I attended my first one in Oct. and returned to serve on the team this time around.  These are the lovely ladies I shared the Table of Rachel with.  All from different backgrounds and faith traditions. We laughed, cried and prayed together.  Slept on blow up mattresses.  Stayed up late and got up early.  Great food, talks, worship and more food. Think of being surrounded by love in a constant stream of giving and sharing of God's grace.  It was wonderful.  But now, I need to get my sleep schedule back in sinc!

Being By The Water

Mariah, Taylor's friend from Utah visited last week so he had a great time showing her the sights and sounds of DC.  It was her first time on a plane and she was amazed at all DC had to offer.  They hit the memorials, museums, shops & restaurants but wanted to spend her last full day at the beach.  After doing some research, it looked like Ocean City, MD was the closest with a boardwalk, but it was still a 2 1/2 hour drive each way.  Fortunately it was a beautiful drive over the Bay Bridge and through other lovely scenery.  It was a nice day but there was a coolish wind, and that mixed with coolish water is not conducive to ocean swimming.  It was nice to get in up to our knees though!

Yes, the beach porta-potty shot

 I took a long walk up the beach then back down the boardwalk.  My left leg and foot were still bugging me from the many miles I logged Monday at Arlington (in flat sandals) so I hobbled my way back.

We're used to Italian Ice.......?

 These giant kites were along the beach in front of the Kite Shop on the boardwalk.

This sailing billboard advertised throughout the day along with the airplane banners in the air.

Mariah's last night in DC before they headed out to dinner in DuPont Circle

 Friday night we had our friends Jeff and Denise over for dinner then walked over to the Marina to catch an evening cruise. It was a 90 minute ride around the city by Fort McNair, the Nationals Ballpark and the Navy Yards.  Beautiful night (daytime temps have been in low 90's) and just perfect for a boat ride.  Nothing like being on or near the water!

Got a good Groupon deal to ride the Patriot II

Jeff and Tom worked together at HAFB in joint leadership over the 2nd Combat Camera Squadron

In the meantime Jessica and some friends went to Southern Utah to hike in Zion's so I had her stop and say hello to our friends Mark and Joe who own and run a gorgeous bed and breakfast in Springdale. Mark and I have been friends since the late 80's when we did theatre together at Salt Lake Acting Co and his partner Joe, has been a friend almost as long.  They had a beautiful home in the avenues in SLC then up and changed their lives transferring all their good taste and cool stuff to Under The Eaves.  They have always been great hosts so this is right up their alley and they are SO happy there!

The rest of our weekend was pretty low key.  In fact it felt like we had been on the go every single day so we actually just sat around this weekend.  Swam some laps, laid around the outdoor pool, sat in front of the tv while I worked on cross-stitch and Tom worked on family history.  Our sermon yesterday was entitled "Selah" which in the book of psalms is referred to as taking time "to pause".  We were fasting and praying for Paige and her family and seeing as we were taking plenty of time to pause this weekend, it seemed a fitting way to spend a couple of days.

Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery

Tom had to work Monday for the ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery.  The president always lays a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns and then there's a short program in the amphitheater which is directly behind the tomb area.

Taylor's friend Mariah is here visiting from Utah and I thought they might want to go but they decided to do their own thing so I went by myself.

 As you came in the gates you were given two roses, one to put on a grave and another to keep.

I decided to walk up to the tomb rather than wait for the shuttle which had a huge line waiting.  Whenever the president appears anyplace, security is crazy tight and because of this the short way to the tomb was closed off and so it was quite a little trek to get there. It is really a gorgeous and special place though and well worth the walk.  This display was at the entrance of the tomb.

So my plan was to watch the changing of the guards at the tomb then just wait there for the wreath ceremony then just listen to the program from outside the amphitheatre because I knew I couldn't do both.  There were zillions of people pushed up against the tomb area however, and I've discovered that some people just aren't on their best behavior at these things so I backed out and watched this little girl sing and dance to this tree!

 Then I worked my way over to see if I could get in the amphitheatre (which I did) however it was so stinkin' crowded I thought my claustrophobia was going to get the best of me.  I had visions of flipping out and security taking me down in front of thousands of people.  I went back towards the tomb and suddenly they started making everyone clear a path on the sidewalk.  So I assumed they were bringing the president through.  I thought, if nothing else I'm going to get a great picture since I'm standing right here!  Then Tom sent me a text to find out where I was and came and plucked me out of the crowd and walked me in through the special entrance and right down front of the theatre to sit on 4 big open seating areas.  Yeah, people who have been sitting in the hot sun for a couple of hours aren't crazy about the person who gets whisked past them to the front rows.  That didn't make me turn it down however.

 This young soldier performed a gorgeous national anthem and later got a standing ovation for America the Beautiful.  He came and sat down right in front of me afterwards.  I put my hand on his back and told him what a gorgeous job he did.  He gave me a big smile and thumbs up!  Yeah, it had to be pretty cool to knock it out of the park in the front of the president and on national tv.

Michele Obama

The president and Chuck Hagel with other distinguished guests

Tom looking very secret service like

So this is the press corps who I was sitting with.  They didn't come in until right before the president and they came in from that door Tom is standing next to.  They all sit, then get to go up one at a time and take 2 photos while the president is speaking.  It must be annoying to have your every move documented.

Taps at the end of the service

Retiring of the colors

 At the end of the program Tom had to stay with the press corps so he helped me out a back exit and then took off.  We have a friend who is buried at Arlington so I decided to try and find her grave.  A marine had downloaded an ap on my phone that was supposed to help but I was struggling with it.  PLUS, I had lost my glasses and for those of you who struggle with poor eyesight, that was very frustrating.

There was a large coalition of people in these red TAPS shirts.  Families of fallen soldiers who were in DC attending a seminar and grief camp for the children.

This woman was out putting roses on graves and as she placed each one she said out loud...."Thank you".

 I found the same Marine again and he tried putting in the name but for some reason it wasn't working.  I had to walk all the way back to the visitor's center where they looked it up and gave me a map to find her.  Of course, it was all the way back up to where I had been and further........but I finally found it!
Deb was an awesome lady that Tom had worked with on some projects at HAFB but I knew her from church.  We also served together on the Davis County Arts Council Board. She and her husband were a little older but adopted this darling african-american baby they named Anthony.  He was in my Sunday School class for a couple of years from the time he was two. Smart as a whip and cute as a bug.  Anyway, Deb got cancer and it grew pretty quickly.  Such a loss.  Anyway, left her some roses and got a photo to send to Dave and Anthony.

 I thought I would catch the shuttle on the way down since there were still people waiting in line and to save myself another mile and a half walk.  I waited about 20 minutes and just kept watching this little boy who moved from stone to stone and just stood and looked at them. But he spent like 5 minutes at each one.

 Finally I decided I could walk faster than waiting for that shuttle so down I headed again!

Tomb of the Unknowns

 I got home and Tom had already been there for over an hour napping, but we decided to head downtown and see what was going on.  The parade was just wrapping up but we still got to see some fun things.

 We got separated and Tom ended up in the tent where the dignitaries had been sitting (yeah, go figure) and came out with an official program and a white chocolate covered graham cracker with the parade insignia on it!

 We made a big loop around town, watched the paddle boats, and stopped to water our plants before heading home and crashing for the evening.