Thursday, July 26, 2007

I'm Back!

I had a great trip to the Washington, DC area to visit my mother – a long “girls’ weekend” filled with shopping, cocktails and dining out. I was surprised to learn at Weight Watchers that the price I paid for indulging for 5 days was a gain of only .4 lbs. Notice the decimal. Point four pounds. WOO HOO! Actually I’m sure I gained considerably more, but I really hunkered down and got serious about my diet – oops, I mean lifestyle change – as soon as I stepped off the plan on Tuesday afternoon.

Because I lived the DC-area for most of the 1990’s, we don’t do the tourist-y stuff (although I highly recommend it if you’ve never been there). We mainly meet up with friends at our old hangouts, or at the new hangouts that replaced the old ones. And shopping. A LOT of shopping.

I generally try to avoid checking baggage so I’ve learned to pack lightly and bring a single carry-on bag. When that plane lands in D.C., I want my vacation to start that very minute, rather than hanging out at baggage claim. For that reason, it’s become a tradition that on my second to last day there, my mother and I go to the post office or the package shipping place and send boxes containing my purchases (and occasionally my dirty laundry) plus all the stuff my mom bought the kids and just hadn’t gotten around to shipping. Never mind that the “bargains” aren’t really bargains if we pay $50+ to ship them. I was impressed though. We shipped 3 boxes from the post office on Monday, I returned home on Tuesday, and the boxes arrived on Wednesday. Some of my goodies do come home in the carry-on.

Since returning home, I’ve settled back into my usual non-routine. I’ve been reading Son #1’s new Harry Potter book. He’s much further through it than I am, but I’m quickly catching up. We hope to see the latest Harry Potter movie soon before school starts on August 10th! I can’t believe it’s almost that time already.

Well, I’m off to check out your blogs. More later.

9 comments:

Sue said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sue said...

Welcome back Elle!

Wow - August 10! Summer is just way too short.

Sounds like you had a good time in DC - more details!

(reposted because I had a typo...)

KAYLEE said...

welcome back.i am glad you had a good time

Paul Champagne said...

I lived in NYC for 19 years and then later on for 2 years. I went back about 5 years ago with my wife (who had never been to New York) and did all the tourist stuff for the first time ... I couldn't believe all the stuff I missed out on.

Shionge said...

Hey you are back and I'm glad to see you at my blog too :)

Glad to know you have a good time and yep..I think I'll ship back my shopping too if I visit America again kekekek...

Joy said...

I enjoyed my visit to DC in July 2001 - though it was quite unforgettable in one sense because Northwest lost my suitcase from Vancouver. They later found it and that was that.

Certainly did the round of museums but for some reason I was half asleep as I crawled from one to another.

I loved the restos and the slight excitement when they thought there was a bomb in one of the cars parked in front of the White House.

Joy
The Goddess In You

Nadine said...

Welcome back. I'm so glad you had a good trip. It's always fun to go back to where you onced lived and visit the old hangouts.

Elle*Bee said...

Thanks, everyone, it's good to be back!

Paul, one these days we'll drive to DC with the kids so they can visit with their grandmother. We'll do all the tourist things then. My older two were born just outside DC but were 4 and 2 when we moved back to Louisiana.

Welcome, Joy, what I love about the DC is that the zoo and the Smithsonian Museums are free. Plus the Metro is inexpensive and clean. I can't say I've ever been around during a bomb scare, but I've heard about them.

Full-On-Forward said...

AUGUST 10 th?????

That's my Birthday and I was 1 year- well almost because of the cutoff when I went to school. Remember when We started School the day after Labor Day-- Remember that? Well whatever the Holiday is at the 1st of September...we maybe went a 1/2 day like Aug 30th and we got out in Mid May or something.

Dang,

No summer at all!!

John