Okay, so I had a bit of a gain this week. Not surprised, and not too disappointed as I was mentally prepared for it. Especially considering we ate at Port of Call last night. Ohh, the burgers. Ohhh, the baked potato. Ohh, then blue cheese dressing on the salad. (Did I also mention the sour cream, cheese, and butter on said potato?)

Anyhooooo, today is a fresh start. A new week. Going to go to Curves at least four times, plus tap-dancing starts next Tuesday, so I’ll get plenty of exercise. (Not to mention we’re going to paint the porch on Saturday and I have to mow the lawn this weekend too.) And next week, when I start my new job, I won’t be around so much temptation as I am here. (i.e., no more cookie day.)

And now I am going to tell (without leaving out details, but you still gotta go to the picture page to see photos) the story of…

My trip to Washington, DC

Thursday: George brought me to the airport, met my mom there. Direct flight to DC, supposed to arrive at 7:11 pm. However, we sat on the tarmac for an hour, and then when we finally got to National, our luggage took forever to arrive. So finally I got outside and waited for Kristina and Anne. Anne was driving, and they almost drove right past me when Kristina didn’t believe it was me standing there. Tee hee! She jumps out of the car and we just giggle at each other. Me at her tiny hips and waist, she at my supposedly tiny head.

So then we head to IHOP for dinner. We were going to go eat Ethiopian, but it was pretty late by the time I finally got there. I had pancakes and bacon. Yum. After that, Anne brought us back to Kristina’s house. When we got there, I gave Kristina the stuff I had brought for her (her tennis racket, some old X-rays, a bunch of popcorn) and then we made chocolate chip cookies (using her new Kitchenaid mixer) and fudge to bring to Ren the next day.

Friday: That morning, we baked more of the cookies. I was getting ready to take a shower when Kristina said my sister was on the phone. So I take the phone and my brother is there. Huh? My brother lives in Los Angeles. So I think Kristina must’ve thought my sister-in-law was my sister (and anyway, they have the same name.) Anyway, I am talking to my brother, not getting it. Then he gives the phone back to my sister and that’s when it really hits me, that he’s in town. Yay! Turns out he flew in at about 2 am that morning and no one knew. Not my sister, not my mom. Just Rob, my future brother-in-law. Very exciting.

Kristina and I leave for Richmond to see Ren. We stopped by the pawn shop her boyfriend Mike manages and he let me try on diamond rings. Yay! That is fun. I especially like trying on the really cheesy rings. (Hey, it may be a suburban pawn shop, but it’s still a pawn shop.) We got to Richmond about an hour late (sorry Renny!) and picked her up at her office. Holy cow! She’s all belly. One month and I’ll have another faux-niece. I can’t wait. I gave her the blanket I made for the baby. I hope that it becomes the blankie in the manner of Linus’s security blanket.

We went to an Indian buffet and stuffed ourselves (but not too badly, I wore a skirt that just fits so I wouldn’t be able to eat too much) on naan, jasmine rice, korma, and my favorite, vegetable pakoras. Yum, yum, yum. Took some pictures outside the restaurant (thank you Indian waiter and don’t tell George I let a stranger use the digital camera) and then brought Ren back to work.

Headed back towards Woodbridge to Potomac Mills and IKEA. Yay, IKEA! I got lots of stuff there – picture frames (for the bathroom), shelves (for wherever), a pot lid holder, etc, etc. Love IKEA. Then we headed over to Potomac Mills and went in lots of stores and tried on lots of clothes. Didn’t find anything I liked, but did get some cheap earrings at H&M. Kristina got lots of clothes.

Then we went to my sister’s house. Hung out with my sister, Jenny, my brother, Evan, my sister’s fiancé, Rob, his mom, Bernadette, my mom, Bernadette’s friend Sam, and Kristina. Ate yummy food (when did my sister learn to cook?) like grilled salmon, salad, snap peas, french bread. Yum. And Kristina and I raided the leftovers my sister had brought home from high tea at the Ritz. Yum. Tiny muffins and cheesecakes and other assorted pastries. Never put pastries in front of me. They will disappear. Watched some of the Olympic opening ceremonies, then went back to Kristina’s.

Saturday: Got up, got dressed, wore the dress Kristina wore to her graduation that fits me now yay! Walked to Georgetown for the bridal brunch that was the main reason we went to DC in the first place. 40 minute brisk walk – activity points! Got to the restaurant, saw my cousin Monica, her husband Tom, and their 14 month old son Max (they’re moving to New Orleans soon!) Also my aunt Mary, some of Jenny’s friends, ohhh, lots of people. Kristina and I were sitting waay down the table from each other, which I think she was upset about (and so was I), but what could I do? As it turned out, Monica sat her next to Jenny’s friend Shona, and they got along like proverbial houses on fire. I sat next to Tom and tried to catch Max’s eye and make him giggle. However, he was having none of it. No matter, I will have plenty of time to charm him when they move here and I babysit him. Yay!

When the brunch was over (I ate French toast and Kristina and I shared a lovely fruit tart) and I had met everyone and chatted, Kristina and I went to some shops. Went to another H&M, stood in a ridiculously long line for the dressing room (the attendant was leisurely hanging up rejected clothing while dressing rooms stood empty and the line grew longer) and tried on more clothes that fit poorly, if at all. We went in some more shops, the last of which was Dean & Deluca, which I’ve always wanted to visit. We bought some wine gums there (though the girl working the candy counter didn’t know that they were called that – “ummm they don’t have wine in them! They’re not gum!” and ate samples of yummy cheese and some other yummy candy. Then walked back to Kristina’s house. This time at a more leisurely pace. Took an hour. More activity points, but not nearly enough to offset what we had eaten (and would eat later.) Stopped at a cute corner store. Was all European and adorable. Wanted to put shop in pocket. But dress had no pockets.

When we got back to Kristina’s house, we put on Bring It On, our favorite movie of all time (I mean our favorite movie as a pair of friends, not necessarily each individually). We polished off a bottle of white wine and the wine gums while we played the Bring It On drinking game we invented when Kristina lived in New Orleans.

After a little while (and a bit of sobering up) we headed to my sister’s house and hung out some more. Chris came over (yay! Chris! I haven’t seen him since December!) and Monica and Max and Tom and we ate lots of food and got stuffed again and I drank lots of wine. Yum. Shona brought some assorted cheesecakes. Yum. Went back to Kristina’s, passed out on the couch.

Sunday: That morning, Kristina and I drove to Fairfax to meet everyone for lunch before heading to the airport. Annie came over and we got to hang out a bit, then I had to take a shower and get ready. On the way to Macaroni Grill, we went to Trader Joe’s. Yay! I have been dying to go there and I bought lots of fun things – simmering sauces, wasabi peas, some mini pitas, and a box of organic steel-cut oatmeal for George. Packed the unbreakable stuff into my big suitcase.

Ate yummy stuff at Macaroni Grill – a Portobello mushroom sandwich with the bread made of a pizza crust. Yum! Was very full afterwards, possibly due in part to bread we ate before as well.

Got to airport in plenty of time. Made it home with no debacles. Am picking up my luggage at baggage claim. My big suitcase comes along on the belt. Trailing behind it is some organic steel-cut oatmeal. Sigh. My suitcase was full of oatmeal. At least the cous-cous didn’t also break. That would’ve sucked.

The End!