It's been a very full weekend. After a Cajun lunch on Saturday of alligator stew, she-crab soup, and crawfish and shrimp beignets, Peg and I drove out through Fauquier County to the Skyline Drive, entering at Thornton Gap and then driving the 30-some miles north to the Front Royal entrance, stopping along the way at various overlooks but braving the clouds of bugs for only a short hike. I took a few pictures, and was particularly pleased with the closeup of the thistle
. We saw a turkey sitting on an overlook wall and later, while on our brief walk, came across a doe and her two spotted fawns; I had my camera in my bag at that point, and got it out in time only to catch the two fawns just disappearing into the woods.
From Front Royal we drove back to Arlington for dinner at Aladdin's Eatery, and then headed home to watch The Manchurian Candidate on DVD; I'd not seen this Cold War classic before. Angela Lansbury, a favorite anyway, made a deliciously evil villain. I don't understand why Janet Leigh got a starring credit while Ms. Lansbury was listed only as co-starring; the latter's role seemed both larger and more pivotal.
After a late start this morning, we enjoyed a wonderful dim sum at Fortune Restaurant at Seven Corners, and then took the train downtown to see the Korean War Memorial. Afterwards, we walked the Mall (way too many cute shirtless men out today; I have got a bad case of spring fever), stopped by the fountain in the sculpture garden across the street from the National Gallery to rest a spell and dip our hands, and then spent an hour with the impressionists of the National Gallery before making our way back to Arlington for margaritas and Tex-Mex, and then home to watch the end of The Manchurian Candidate and all of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which Peg hadn't yet seen.
Now Peg's in bed, and I'm preparing to go to sleep myself. I'll head into work in the morning, but come back home to pick her up and drive her back to Union Station for her 11:00 train back to New Haven before returning to work for the rest of the day. It's been wonderful, albeit exhausting, to have her here.
And now I've also got the past three days of unwatched TiVo recordings to try to catch up on before heading down to see my folks this coming Friday (assuming my boss will let me take the day off; she's waffling a little depending on whether the spate of office moves ends up really taking place this week); and tonight (Monday night) already is scheduled for taking in Screen on the Green with Jeff. I need a studly husband cum fellow couch potato so I can have someone to cuddle up with--besides Alex, furry and sweet though he may be--while vegging out with all this TiVo bounty.
