Play by Play

In the spirit of Gwenergy I'll give a day by day of the life and times. I like Gwenergy's day-by-days. They make me feel like we've gotten to hang out when we are really both too busy to actually make that happen.

Any editorializing is totally up to you.

Right, so, last we met was like, last Thursday?

Wait. What have I been doing since last Thursday?

Thursday I saw the Solas Nua play, I mentioned that already. I was thoroughly impressed. The ride hope was a bit interminable (last trains so hold at the station, hold at the next station, hold at Metro Center...) Good times.

Friday I worked with the Box Office Babes over at the Folger, and was glad to see Miss Hillary up and running again. Hil sun-burned her eyes playing beach volleyball a couple of weeks ago. Did you know this could happen? I didn't. Lesson to be learned: get proper sun protection for your eyes!

Later, I met my DALI designer for dinner, and he told me very funny stories about his brother-in-law. Funny in retrospect, probably not so funny when they were actually happening. I consumed the largest salad known to man at Luna Cafe and we talked a wee bit about the show we are working on next spring.

Then festivities out in Shirlington to honor the birth of the fabulous Mr. Rhea. I was happy to raise a glass to my fellow Cancer--and I have now almost been won over by the charms of Cap City. Soft pretzels with the horseradish dip? Yes. Addictive.

It is, however, still in Virginia.

Saturday we had book club out at HPMelon's, I got us lost on the way. Apparently when you are looking for an exit for the Dulles Toll Road and there is a giant sign that says DULLES TOLL ROAD that is where you are supposed to get off. Who knew.

Nobody really liked the book: GHOSTS, by John Banville.

It.


Moved.


Really.


Slow.


Discussion was still fun, digressions were had, and a mini-concert by the mini-Melons capped the afternoon. Huzzah.

Then I worked some and later met the equestrian for a drink? Some food? I don't remember. One or both.

The next day included another journey out to the suburbs, again not without some distress. Brother of the equestrian lives out in one of the Virginia 'burbs that all sound a little bit alike and his mother was down from up north. We headed out for a mid-day lunch and visit. Or so we thought.

We made it along the 395 stretch but as we were exiting the highway there was a bump-bump-bump-suspicious-tire-problem-noise. We inched along to a gas station and sure enough, one back tire was shot. The other back tire was on it's last leg. Errr, tread. Because these were special "ride flat" tires, they are not the kind of thing you can buy at any service station.

We walked to the Merchants up the road. Can't buy them there either. A great idea in theory--you can drive fifty miles on a flat, safely--but when it comes to actually getting a new tire you have to go to the special dealership that exists only in a magical land somewhere past the second rainbow and just beyond the babbling sparkling spring water brook. Or something.

This is where things start to feel a little tense. I don't deal well with tense. I also don't deal well with cars.

I would say about 88% of the familial tension I experienced growing up had something to do with an automobile. Getting and giving directions. Road trips. Getting lost. Buying a car. Selling a car. Getting to drive the car. So my pavlovian response at this point was "Give distance. Get far away."

I volunteered to walk over the the nearby Whole Foods. "I'll get a bottle of wine. For lunch. Or, I mean, to drink with lunch. Good idea, right?"

The equestrian, meanwhile, tried to find out if he could put another non-magical-leprechaun tire on the car.

I stalled at the Whole Foods. White or Red? Rose's are hot now. Green wine from Portugal? I felt bad eating samples when the equestrian was sitting in the sun on the phone with AAA now. So I restrained. Or I had, like, one piece of cheese. Maybe two.

Back at the ranch (Shell Station) AAA has been called. They say ninety minutes. "Oh, it never actually takes them 90 minutes!" I say, quite sure of my prediction.

About two and a half hours later (yes, 150 minutes) AAA shows up. Between my famous-last-words and this event we have made another trip to the Whole Foods, consumed fruit salad and vegan jerky, read the Washington Post, sunned on the heavily landscaped Shell front lawn, and otherwise wiled away several hours of the afternoon.

Alas, alack, sometimes life throws a wrench at you and nothing can be done but to wait for the men with the wrenches to come.

The end result was a very relaxed, very-late lunch with family of the equestrian. A large back deck surrounded by trees, late afternoon sunlight mixed with the slightest drizzle, good conversation and wine.

Lovely.

Okay, I'm beat. Three days of recounts and I'm ready for a nap.

You all are probably dozing already. Sweetest dreams.