songbird's crazy world

or, more properly, a yellowjack. I'm standing on the platform waiting for the train, and something yellow with a stinger is buzzing around me....wants my coffee... follows me onto the train! it left me alone after that, don't know where it went after the doors closed. (I was going to post a pciture, but looking at one of those things up close....ewww....)

just broke an earring. a stupid, $26 for the pair earring that I bought about 4 years ago. that I bought 4 years ago, in Macy's, because I wanted big, dangling earrings. I wanted big dangling earrings because I needed to feel feminine. because I was about to start chemo. I was about to lose my hair. because I was scared. how different my life is, 4 years later. funny how cheap costume jewelry can evoke such deep emotion.

so our Washington vacation is over, and we are already planning the next adventure. I will be celebrating a milestone birthday in February. so I told Drew that I wanted to be someplace, anyplace that it NOT HERE. and he suggested Cancun. Feliz cumpleanos a mi.

we had four very busy, very full, wonderful days. Drew teaches high school American History and I have a BA in History, so Washington was the perfect place for us. In many places, Drew was given packets of information to use in his classroom, and he was able to find lots of additional materials in the various gift shops at each site. rather than give a day-by-day itinerary.... transportation: If you watch old movies, you see how train travel is romanticized. reality check -- Amtrak is not much different than flying, and train stations are very similar to airports. Still, for $49 each way, the trip down was uneventful. The trip home -- well, we hit a major delay between newark and New York, very frustrating to be sitting on tracks in Kearney, NJ, looking at the Empire State building and not moving. ...for 30 minutes. still, Drew was happy not driving back and forth, so the fare was well worth it. within the District, we relied on the Metro system. I'm an intrepid New Yorker

is that you, Pete Werner? saw this snake at the National Zoo. a lime green snake? all I could think of was the Disboards.

So Drew and I spent 4 days in our nation's capital...great place for two history geeks. I'll have to write a complete trip report when I get a chance. In the meantime, here are the photos from the trip. a few of my favorites:

Suzanne is running a contest for a Walmart your zone gift card. there, I'm signing up for it.

There is a fog that clings to the cliffs that mark the edge of Collinwood, a fog the sun cannot disburse. There is a man more frightening than the fog, more threatening; a man who was thought to be gone but who still remains; a man who clings to Collinwood with more tenacity than the mists from the sea; a man whose presence inspires more unrest than fear, more mystery than anger...." If you recognize the quote and the reference... The year was 1966. three cult classics premiered on TV: Star Trek ("to boldly go..."), The Monkees ("and people say we monkey around, but we're too busy singing..."), and.... Remember this guy? Gotta wonder what Depp and Burton are going to do with it.

seagulls on the beach (click to enlarge) the water tower at sunset, the East Bath House

We had such a good time Saturday! We drove from Long Island up to Tuxedo, NY to the New York Renaissance Faire . I used to love to go, but it's been years since I've been, and I was so happy when Drew suggested a day trip. We ate breakfast in tuxwdo, at a diner that hasn't changed since the 1970's -- but the food was wonderful. I ordered scrambled eggs with sausage, he ordered scrambled eggs with bacon. I gave him half my sausage and he gave me half his bacon. then it was on to the Faire! click on the photos to enlarge. there is so much to do at a Renaissance Faire. First of all, there's the crowd. Many people come in costume -- mostly Renaissance, some medieval, some venturing into fantasy with (era-appropriate) elves and fairies. A lot of the younger ladies like to wear belly dancing attire. And since "Pirates of the Caribbean" has become so popular, you see a lot of pirates at the faire too. Then there are the craft merchants -- you can buy period

Paul McCartney and Billy Joel at Citi Field

two weekends in a row, same story. Jen and Becca work at the day camp where they both used to be campers. when Becca was a camper, she became very good friends with two other girls, Jamie and Paige. both friends also work at the camp. for most of the summer, Becca's been hanging out with Jamie and Paige. Jen's best friends at camp are her co-counselor Cassie and another girl, Amanda. so far so good. three weeks ago Jen, Cassie and Amanda started hanging out with Jamie and Paige. at first it wasn't a problem for Becca, but last weekend she became very unhappy with Jen. last summer, when Becca was hanging with Jen's friends, Jen didn't have a problem. but Becca has a problem with Jen hanging out with Jamie and Paige. so tonight Jen went to a party and she's sleeping at Jamie's house. and Becca is home in a foul mood "because Jen ruined my night." I told her she was being foolish and cutting off her nose to spite her face. so now she's mad at me.

so yesterday I had to pick up Drew at the airport -- he'd been visiting his father in Florida. so as we turn onto the street where he lives, he must have forgotten that he was in my car...he looks at his house and asks -- in a really outraged tone -- "whose car is that parked on MY driveway?" uh, yours?