Merry in Maryland

One of the reasons it felt like the right time to leave my job had to do with the fact that Husband would be traveling to Maryland for yet another business-related command appearance this week. (Or, you know, "Management Training Session"...or whatever the crazy kids are calling it these days...) You see, school and soccer will be starting up again very soon for the boys, and this represents our last chance to visit the family, friends, and places we used to haunt "back in the day" .  So, he drove the Hyundai Express northbound on Monday, to show up for his meetings and whatnot, and the boys and I took the later, more leisurely Subaru Shuttle on Wednesday.

Since he would be tied up with work stuff anyway, we skipped stopping at Husband's hotel, and instead powered straight through to my father's house, There, we enjoyed the usual scene--mostly involving cousins running amok (front-yard baseball, Capture the Flag, street hockey, basketball...among other varieties of silliness). While the kiddos kept each other occupied, the adults--me, my siblings, and my dad--took advantage of the chance to conduct relatively peaceful chats and catch up on all the news....before the chaos that typically characterizes an Extended-WestEnders dinner...where 5 out of the 9 participants are under 16. (And...um..."loud talkers"...did I mention that?)

After the meal, my niece, my sister and I escaped for a twilight Girls-Only Stroll, while the herd of boys...I don't know...chased each other and rolled around like puppies for a bit longer...as they tend to do. Finally, my sister and I settled down on a blanket to stargaze, hoping to catch some of these much ballyhooed Perseid meteors streaking across the awesomely star-speckled night sky, uncluttered by ground lights as it remains in my dad's neighborhood. (We did spot a few, but gave up after about an hour of becoming increasingly chilly--oh, right, that would be just ME--without quite enough payoff to make a continued effort worth the time. Someone told me today that supposedly the best opportunity for a spectacular show is "just before dawn"...but this phrase is utterly ridiculous and doesn't make any sense to this sleep-loving chick...so clearly it just wasn't going to happen...)

Then it was time to say "hasta luego" but not "adios", because we're coming back on Saturday to spend the day with my family again. NOW it was time to head to the hotel and reunite with Husband...just in time to go to bed. Scintillating conversation: "Hi, dear...it's been a verrrry long day, and we're exhausted...good night!"

Thus ends our first day as visiting dignitaries from the South...or...um....participants in a Southern Exchange Program? Players to Be Named Later? Eh, whatever....we're just happy to be here!