First Trip Back to Virginia

I'm back!

I'm blistered and stiff and have a healthy loathing of I-81, but I'm back.

So officially we went home to work the gift shop at the Claude Moore Colonial Farm's Colonial Market Fair. And no, I didn't have to dress in Ye Olde Fashions, since I was in the gift shop, which is decidedly not time period appropriate. But, considering it's $100 to sit behind a counter, knit, eat delicious sausage sandwiches, google Lady Gaga videos, and occasionally answer a question about Colonial times while Addie does the actual work, I think it's a pretty sweet deal.


All in all, I'd say it was a pretty successful trip. And the next time I'm sad, sitting in a corner watching Say Yes to the Dress, eating spoons full of peanut butter and feeling like a friendless loser, I'll remember that I was home for 7 days and still couldn't fit in all the hanging out I wanted to do. my friends>your friends.

But yeah... walking into my old bedroom, which is now a sweet guest room, with my big packed bag was definitely an odd feeling. When I came home to visit during college, it always felt like I was going 'home." And when I was in my apartment, I only lived 25 minutes away, so it still felt like going "home." But now that I have a home with Addie, far away, my parent's house feels like, well, my parent's house. It was adulty in a way I wasn't really prepared for. It wasn't a bad feeling, just different. 

OH AND WE GOT TO PLAY WITH BABY KITTIES! 

Addie's little sister Leah came to visit and brought her cat, Bow Tie Kitty, and her babies. Aaannnnd, I know I'm not a cat person, but we might adopt the last un-claimed kitty. UHHHOOOHHHH. The kitty's name is Conner (inside joke), and he's awesome. But, we have a month to think about it, since he's only a few weeks old. I need to decide if I want to adopt Conner, or keep pressing Addie for a puppy. Oh and figure out how to afford an animal. /frivolous detail


And my dad finished his master's degree, with something ridiculous like a 4.0 GPA. I'm glad he could copy my under grad papers and turn them in as his own. ;{) BIG UP'S, DAD! 

In other discovery news, I'm pretty convinced that I can't drive a car for more than 8 hours at a time. I remember when I was in college in on Long Island, I hit traffic on every hi-way, and it took me 10 hours to get home (a typical 5 hour trip). When I got out of the car, I was stiff as a board, and snappier than a pregnant woman with a dead beat boyfriend. It took me 2 days to unwind from that. And let's not talk about the 13 hour drive to NW Ohio that I unfairly subjected on my friend Paul. And yesterday, at exactly 8 hours on the road, all my muscles started to tense again. bleh. But the best news is, I get to drive back to NoVa next month! And the month after that! But for July, I hope Addie's car is taken care of and he can drive back. And by hope, I mean, I will demand that it is.

It seems like a lot of driving back and forth, but my mom's birthday is in June, and a bunch of friends and family are going to celebrate it at Wolfe Trap (an amazing pavilion/performing arts center in Mclean), seeing a Beatles cover band performance. I can't wait for lawn seats, finger foods, wine, and my dad embarrassing everyone in a 50 foot radius with his air guitar and post-Mod-pre-Republican-Tree-Geezer dance moves. It's going to be awesome! And then in July, we have another market fair to work. Woo, very limited source of income!


And now, for some pictoral highlights.

overpacking!

new hair! same smugness

dinner with big sister Mary, Mom and Mary's boobs!

digging for art in my big brother Shayne's basement!

lots of cuddle time with Lucy and Ellie

afore mentioned delicious sausage sandwich! ignore lack of manicure

baby piggies at the Colonial Farm!

re-teaching myself to knit! this will be a shawl.

drunk dress-up with Daron!

Our favorite Vietnamese place where the owner has memorized our order!

My grandmother's ring, professionally cleaned and Edward-sparkly!

bangin' pedicure!

 

Bart and his Kitty Kongregation!

sweet little Alien looking Conner!

Sleepy kitty!

Conner being adorable!

Bart being adorable!

kitties with their Mom, Bow Tie Kitty

Addie covered in kitties. and Bart!

So yes, hooray to the Commonwealth. But now it's back to slacking off. I was so busy running around and working that I didn't get any writing done while I was home /shameshame/ and now I'm looking at my white boards with dread... so tomorrow is 
Re-calibrating and Getting Back on Track Day!
also, it is laundry day. woop, woop.