In Which I Bowl

Happy Early Halloween everyone! I was supposed to write progress reports tonight (well, ok, I wrote some), but got distracted when I opened my e-mail and was sent a link to a website that was pure stress relief. Click for Cat Bowling!!! I love cats. I always had cats growing up. I hate cruelty to animals. However, this was fun and silly. So bowl away. Have great Halloween!

In Which I See Prada

I went to Tyson's Corner Mall today. It was a luxury shopping experience. I did not quite realize what that meant until today. I'd never been to Neiman Marcus before. I should have dressed up. Next time, I will wear nicer shoes. I also went into Saks Fifth Avenue, and stores I've never heard of that sold evening gowns for more than I earn in 3 months. It was kind of fun to look. I do have to admit; really expensive clothes look and feel very nice. Cheap knock-offs are not quite the same.

What amazed me was the sale bins for handbags. My current purse cost $11 from JC Penney's about 5 years ago. The prices on the sale bin purses were crazy. These are the purses that are just thrown into a bin, with no order. They are not displayed on racks or shelves or anything. Just thrown in a bin. Check it out. There were lots of shoes that I've only heard of from movies, television, and those chick lit books where the main character is addicted to shopping. Like Prada. I felt like I was in a television show.

After 3 hours, trying on a few rediculously priced jackets, and rubbing elbows with elegantly-clad sales staff, and admiring evening gowns that were works of art, I was almost tempted to spend $750 for a pair of shoes. Almost. I really did like this handbag, though. Now I understand why the people in those books go bankrupt over shoes and clothes. There really is a difference between a $80 dress and an $800 dress, especially when you are surrounded by people wearing $800 dresses.

In Which I Watch Television

My new favorite tv show is The Big Bang Theory. It's on Monday nights at 8:00. It makes me laugh because the characters are like my students. It's like watching what they will be like in another 10 years. Well, some of them. Not all of them. I just have to laugh. If you've ever been friends with a nerd or been a nerd, or known someone with Asperger Syndrome, or owned a comic book collection, you should definitly check it out.

In Which I Walk with Ghosts

I went on a ghost walk last night. It was kind of a fun idea. I got to walk around the old part of town with guides from the museum, all dressed up in costumes. The stories weren't great. Or maybe it was the story teller, who seemed very unsure of herself. But it was still a nice evening to walk around and see some of the old buildings. Apparently when Siam first opened to the West, the king of Siam sent his sons to a school in this area. That had nothing to do with ghosts, but it was one of those little factoids I picked up.

Today I went to a wildlife refuge on the Potomac River. There are some pictures of it in this post. It was a nice day to be out. Temerature in the low 60's. Trees starting to change color. I got bit by a black fly, though. Ouch! For an area with so many new developments, and people practically falling over each other because it's so crowded, there are a lot of national parks and wildlife habitats.

In Which I Buy Furniture

First, I added a couple pictures to previous entries.

Yesterday I went to IKEA. I have been needing bookshelves for a long time. I have had boxes of books piled in my closets, on the floor, in the trunk of my car. So, I trekked off to IKEA, where I bought two bookcases. I even managed to fit them in my teeny tiny car (it's only slightly longer than I am tall). I got them up the stairs, one plank at a time. And I even put one together in about 3 hours.

That was my big adventure for the weekend. It took most of the day. I was going to go to the park, but by the time I unloaded the boxes, I was too tired. But I like my new furniture. It makes my little nest look more finished. Mostly because I bought doors for the bookcases, so all the clutter is hidden. I still have one more to put together, but it'll have to wait. I think I have to buy another screwdriver. For those who are wondering what to get me for Christmas, a toolbox, fully stocked, and an electric screwdriver would be great.

In Which I Win

Yesterday, I came home, tired, weary, achy, after sitting through a long and ridiculous meeting (yes, silly, and even my supervisors will admit it), I had a message on my answering machine. This is always very exciting for me. I was even more excited when I heard the message.

I had won the grand prize drawing at Border's Books and Music! I entered during Teacher Appreciation Weekend. I always do, though I've never won anything. I was so excited, I skipped through dinner and drove right over. I won a book bag full of children's books!!!! Yay!

I know. You are thinking, "What does she need more books for?" Well, ok, that's a good point, but they were free. I won them. That's pretty cool. And I won a blue book bag.

Just an aside, I had two people today tell me that I don't sound like I have a NY City accent. Sigh.

In Which I take in Some Culture

Over the weekend, I went to the Kennedy Center to go to a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. I made it downtown using the metro, and found the shuttle that runs right to the Kennedy Center every 15 minutes. It was easy. I got to see Watergate Towers on the way. It looks like it does on tv. Then I was there! It's big. It's impressive. There is a big hall with flags of nations hanging. There is a huge bust of JFK. Actually, it's kind of a scary bust of JFK but I didn't want to say anything. It kind of looks like his skin is peeling off from a weird nuclear disaster.

The concert was Beethovan Piano Concerto #4 with Helene Grimoud as guest, and Shostokovich 5th. Our seats were in the chorister loft, above the stage behind the orchestra. It's weird to look down on the conductor. I could see his every expression. We sat above the low brass, so the Shostokovitch was quite a treat, though a little unbalanced. I don't think I would buy tickets in that locatio often, but once in a while, it's kind of fun to be able to watch the audience.

In Which I Find Books

There is a library around the corner from my office, at the entrance to a big park with an exercise walking trail. It's a teeny tiny neighborhood library about the size of my apartment, but it's connected to the county system. Inter-library loan is a wonderful thing. I went in today to get a library card. Now I am all official. I have a local driver's license, a library card, and Blockbuster has my new address updated. I even checked out a couple mystery novels, though I really don't have time to read them right now.

I went to an all-day autism training today. It was all stuff I already knew, but my whole department was there, so it was nice to see them. We spend so much time on the road that I think this is the first time we've all been together in the same building this year. I got recommendations for a lot of good books to use with my students, and just spent a lot of money on Amazon.com. It's all a tax write-off, right? Um, if anyone needs a coloring book about autism, I know a good one.

I got cookies from my mom today. Have any of you heard about the presidential cookie test? Supposedly, the candidates wives submit a cookie recipe, and people choose which one tastes best. Oddly, the winner of the cookie contest has also won the election for the last four elections. There's some food for thought. Thanks for the cookies, Mom. I vote for McCain.