Spinning wheel in the Saturday morning sunshine

How was your weekend?  Ours was good. 

Friday night we took El to the store to purchase the gift cards for the online game she loves (World of Warcraft) and some underwear (me) and work pants (Pk).  Everyone was tired and out of sorts so we came home and crashed.

Saturday, I spent most of the day doing laundry and working on a Christmas gift.  I felt queasy and headachy and just plain eh.  Pk did some odds and ends in the garage and then sat around in his underwear.  He figured it was hot (it was a muggy, uncomfortable sort of day) and we weren't going anywhere and underwear is comfortable.  I didn't care as long as he stayed away from the windows.

We went out for dinner for El's birthday to our favorite Chinese restaurant.  We got there at 6 and Em and Jim hit some traffic and got there at almost 7:30.  While we were waiting for them, I texted Patrick and asked him why he wasn't coming.  I got a message back asking "who is this?". Silly me, I assumed if I had his number, he had mine.  I told him who I was and told him that just because Kate was working didn't mean he couldn't come.  He did.  Then Kate texted to say she was getting out of work early (at 8) so Patrick picked her up and brought her back to the restaurant for dinner.  We got to all be together and it was great.  The food was delicious and we had cake for desert.  We sat around talking and laughing. 

Today, after a good 10 1/2 hours of sleep, I got up feeling much better.  Pk and I decided to go to the Constitution Center to see their exhibit called Art of the American Soldier.  It was breathtaking and heartbreaking.  There are no photos allowed but Pk managed to get one on his iphone.  It happens to be my favorite bit.  It's a wall with sketches and portraits.  This is definitely worth making bigger and looking at the artwork. 

I found myself standing in front of some of the art with tears running down my face.  There are some pieces that just oozed emotion. 

After we wandered the special exhibit, we went to the theater to see Freedom Rising, a short presentation on the writing/signing of the Constitution.  "We the People of the United States of America.....".  It gives me goosebumps and I don't think of mysetlf as a particularly patriotic person.  There is a really neat display called the American Family Tree.  It's an interactive exhibit where you can point to a screen in front of you and pick out a face and it tells you who the person is and what he/she did in history.  Lots of different kinds of people. 

There was a cool sculpture and it was while I was trying to take a photo of this that a young woman came up and told me there was no photography allowed.  I was disappointed because it was a really cool sculpture and I was trying not to use a flash and get a clear shot.  What's really difficult to see is that this is a roadway and there are cars and trucks on it.  Maybe if you make it bigger, it'll be easier to see. It was really cool.

I learned that Pk had never seen the Liberty Bell so since we were in the vicinity, we walked to the building where it lives and he got to see it in person.  I had to submit to a thorough search of my bag which I resented mightly.   I get it.  We're all afraid of terrorists but I felt violated as this woman put her hands all over my things.   It ruined the mood for me.

Liberty Bell with crack.

 

And Pk was underwhelmed by the Liberty Bell. 

We got on the train and came home and went grocery shopping.  It was late in the day and there's a football game on so the store wasn't crowded.  We stopped at a local sea food restaurant and got some take out soup and had soup and sandwiches for dinner. 

Now, we are crashing and trying to mentally adjust to the idea that we have to go to work in the morning.  That's a hard thing to wrap my brain around. 

Oh, and I finished a pair of socks.  They're the Hearts Abound socks (pattern by Knitpicks) in the August color from artwalk.  The yarn is a bamboo blend and I love the socks.  It reminds me of chocolate and cherries.  I modified the pattern just a bit because the top of the cuffs had a heart pattern that I just couldn't get to work.  After 3 tries, I gave up and gave them some ribbing.  I think they look fine.  These came out really nice and they fit better than the last toe up socks I made.  I learned a new bind off and it made a nice stretchy top. 

It's almost time for bed.  I have to go and figure out what I'm wearing tomorrow and get my bag packed and my stuff together for the gym.  I find my mornings seem to go better when I spend a little time in the evening being all organized and stuff.

"I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart.

Where I go, you go too....."

-ee cummings