Sightseeing Without A Camera

I know, I know. What's the point of blogging about things you've seen if you can't prove you've seen them? Well I'll tell you. The point is...I'm bored and I feel like blogging, K? Mmmkay.

As you might recall from previous posts, my roommates and I are all on a frantic search for new digs. We have to vacate the sweet 925 premises as soon as possible, so we've been viewing houses and emailing potential landlords and sending email after email to each other in attempts to get this thing settled! Ack! Well, we think we've found a place, but I'm not going to blog on that until it actually happens and the ink on the lease is dry. Until then, let me tell you why the stress of finding new housing led to an incredibly relaxing and wonderful weekend.

You know when you're super stressed and you just can't handle it so you decide you need to spend money to make the pain go away? No? That doesn't happen to you? I don't believe you. It happened to me on Saturday. I was talking with Roomie K about housing and we went from hero to zero in T minus 2. In other words, we got all frustrated and overwhelmed as we tried to figure out the housing crisis (not the nation's housing crisis, thank you). "I think we need pedicures," says K, "You want to?" Who am I to slap a good-suggestion-horse on the flanks? (???!!!) Of course I said yes! So we two-stepped on down to Modern Day Spa and got ourselves some pedicures. And they weren't just a buff and polish situation, either. No, no - we got the foot and calf massage and the hot water and all the buffing and then some more massaging and all that awesomeness. And then they painted my nails a delightful color that I like to call "Cranberries and Creme." I'm sure O.P.I. likes to call it something else, but I didn't take the opportunity to look at the label. Creativity wins.

After the pedicure we got a bite and walked home in the rain. Yes, the rain that suddenly fled the sky on some secret mission to pelt Arlington to death. Soaked. So that was relaxing weekend activity number one. Now are you ready to hear how I not only pampered myself but did something awesome for my body as well? Well we'll get to that in a second. Let's start with Sunday morning.

Sunday dawned clear, crisp and bright. I went to church, watched the tots for a bit during children's church (they were crazy!) and came home. Wait, back up. How about them tots? The toddlers? As we were understaffed yesterday, I had about 8 kids to myself and a few of them were NOT happy. I was running around like a fiend, some child on hip at all times, singing songs and making finger puppets sing opera-style to get these kids to dry their eyes and play like civilized 1, 2 and 3-year olds. Not the easiest job in the world. Those kids never cease to find great entertainment in pulling my hair and hitting me in the face with Brio tracks and trying to shove finger puppets in my mouth. Oh, they also like to turn on the TV and scream when they hear the loud static it makes when it doesn't get a signal. Ack! Alright, I love the little boogers. They're all cute and stuff and they generally seem to like me so I can't complain.

Anyway, on to the part where I impress you. Yesterday was the Marine Corps Marathon.

................Okay, I can't do it. I was trying to find a way to make it seem like I ran the marathon and stuff, but I have no words to even begin to craft that kind of falsehood. Suffice it to say that Roomie K and I went running yesterday and passed a LOT of people who in fact HAD run the Marine Corps Marathon and they all looked near death and we applauded them as well we could whilst jogging past them at a brisk pace. Yes, we jogged (on our 2 mile run) past people who'd just run 26 miles. How's that for feeling like a dud? Blerg. I mean, most of the people I saw were at least 20 years older than me. Maybe that's what inspired me to not be my usual wimp self and keep up the pace for as long as I did. And I'll tell you, I impressed myself by keeping up with Roomie K. I'm usually the one who says, "Let's walk now....and again.....and again." But yesterday was different. I wanted to keep going! Hey, how can you not get a little extra running energy when it's an absolutely gorgeous day and you're running over the Potomac and by the Lincoln Memorial, up the reflecting pool and to the WWII Memorial? I mean, right?! Then when you reach the WWII Memorial maybe you run up to the Virginia post and high five it. That's right, you don't high five your running buddy, you high five the memorial. But no, I won't be doing that again soon. I'm so sore today I can barely function. Cut to me never, ever running a marathon. Mind over matter, you say? Yeah well my mind says heck-to-the-no and I'm sticking to it.

Okay, now we're finally to the sightseeing part of the weekend. After our run which, to be honest, afforded some good monument/memorial sightseeing, Roomie K suggested we stop by the Pentagon to see the Pentagon Memorial for 9/11. That was amazing. Sobering, for sure. I didn't have my camera and I was kicking myself. (Not literally cause that would be weird.) I metaphorically kicked myself again when we decided to stop at the Air Force Memorial because that is probably my favorite (or second favorite - I can't decide) memorial in the city. The three spires that represent planes speeding off in flight - pure awesome. I kept making plane noises with my mouth and shooting my cupped palm off in the air to trace the spires. Shoooooop! Seriously, did that probably ten times. I was like a little kid in that place. A stinky little kid, mind you, because this was right after a run. Ew. I again wished for my camera but my "Accio camera" spell wasn't working properly. Gotta work on the swish and flick motion, I guess. (If you're confused, read Harry Potter #4.)

So there. It's boring, but it's my life. Actually, it's not boring. It was a really fun and eventful weekend. Now my task is to pack up my house ASAP and get things ready to move this weekend...if all goes well. Providing I get a moment to catch my breath you'll be hearing from me next week about the move and maybe I'll have some pictures of the new place.

Maybe.