I wonder if I’ll get a bill for my 911 call…

11 Apr

Well hello there...

There’s something about the first warm days of the year that compel me to spend every possible minute outside. This weekend we as no exception – DC served up two perfect summer days, made even better by my recent exposure to Chicago’s 28-degree temperatures.

Yesterday Alan and I packed a picnic and walked over to the Shirlington Dog Park, which is all of ten minutes from his place. The dog park borders a creek, so it’s not uncommon for people to walk their dogs down the steep embankment and throw balls into the water for their dogs to retrieve. Alan and I spread our blanket on the other side of the bank, where we had a perfect view of all the activity without the smell of dog crap.

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Prior to this, the only PDA I liked was my iPhone…

9 Apr

Tuesday night, my friend Margaret hooked Alan and me up with seats at the Washington Wizards game. Margaret’s husband is a marketing director for the Wizards, so he was able to score us some pretty incredible seats right on the floor. Even a blowout (poor Golden State Warriors) is exciting when there’s a good chance one of the players might crash into your chair. (See how mature I am? I refrained from using the phrase “taking a ball in the face.” )

Anyway, sometime in the second half (OK, according to the jumbotron it was with 7:13 remaining), Alan and I were chatting when I looked up and noticed a camera on us. “Let’s get a kiss for the Kiss Cam,” I heard the announcer urge.

A quick glance up confirmed that we were, indeed, on the screen. Despite being caught off-guard, we obliged:

As it turns out, it wasn’t as random as it seems. Margaret’s quite a conniving little planner. Not only had she scored us seats, she’d asked her husband to direct the Kiss Cam our way and had her phone out ready to snap a shot of the monitor when it happened. She’s a slick one… I can’t imagine what she’d do for a surprise party!

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And that’s how I got an eye-patch.

6 Apr

Growing up, I thought I was fairly athletic. I might not have been the FIRST person chosen in a game of kickball, but I was definitely closer to the beginning than the end. At least, I don’t remember ever having to nervously kick at the dirt wishing I were invisible.

Two great things about being an adult are that a) you never have to worry about being THE LAST PERSON CHOSEN for anything, and b) thanks to Oprah, you can always find someone less in shape than you trying to perform an athletic feat. (Seriously, google “oprah marathon stories” and you’ll feel like a turd for not being able to run 26 miles if you weigh under 300 lbs.)

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Doing what comes naturally…

4 Apr

After I left for college, my parents moved to the country and built a house that backs to woods and a river. They’ve spent a good portion of their retirement staring out at the river through binoculars or a spotting scope, monitoring the wildlife. They both enjoy it, and for my dad – who is a retired biology teacher – it’s about as good as it gets.

It’s wood duck mating season, and to help with their population efforts, my dad has constructed wood duck houses and attached them to trees all through the woods. In years past, we’ve seen the down-covered hatchlings emerge from the house and drop 15 feet to the ground in their maiden “flight.” This year, I’m here in time for mating season, and the river is wild with activity as ducks shop for mates.

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Michigan: Just needs a little CPR and a set of earplugs.

3 Apr

Talk to the hand.

I’ve been in Michigan this week for work. For some reason, people always apologize when they hear I’m here. The conversation usually goes something like:

FRIEND: Where are you this week?
ME: Michigan.
FRIEND: I’m sorry.

Poor Michigan gets an undeserved bad rap. Aside from Detroit (and the flat southeastern corner where I happen to hail from), the state is actually quite pretty. Last time I checked, it was the only state bordered by fresh water on three sides. What’s not to like about that? And the people here are ridiculously nice. Strangers actually say hi when you pass them on the sidewalk, or wave if they’re in a car. Definitely NOT something that happens in DC.

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