Date: July 28, 2001
It is just on 1:00 p.m. and the three of us are heading down to Alexandria, Virginia for an overnight.
It is interesting to experience getting ready for this trip compared to what
it might have been like a few years ago. We would have discussed what
time to leave, but Elsa would inevitably have wanted it to be 11:00 a.m.
or noon at the latest, which made sense since we would not want to get
to our destination too late. Unfortunately, what seemed best to her was
inevitably too early for John.
We actually left in the early evening for our most recent jaunt, out to Strasburg, since John had to get his display set up bright and early the
next day.
This go 'round, Elsa suggested we skip any estimated time of departure - just leave enough time for lunch at the Classic Diner (about
an hour away), which closes at 3:00 p.m.
I like being able to leave without an estimated time of departure. Many
many years ago, when the Lockhart family headed to the lake for a week,
Pete and I would agree on an estimated time of departure; the children
would get more and more excited as the designated hour approached,
only to have their spirits flag more and more as the time came and went
with no sign of Dad, who had inevitably gone down to Weitzel Lumber
"for just an hour or two" which always stretched into far more.
Yes, I like this 'we'll leave when it is the right time" approach. We will trickle our way down to Alexandria, with our first stop at Great Harvest Bread in Wayne for a chunk of their marvelous bread. We cannot
be within striking distance of Great Harvest and miss out on that treat.
Then, we will be onto the Classic Diner (really a classic and quietly classy roadhouse). John & Elsa are great favorites of the staff ~ when they
stopped in for lunch last week, one of the waitresses asked, "Where is
the bear?" They will take Jessie Bear (the stuffed bear beloved by the
Classic Diner staff), while I will bring along Spring, a large white stuffed
bunny, one of my "headboard" crowd, to keep my snug at night.
From there, we will work our way down to north Wilmington, where we'll
drop John off at his beloved Mitchell's (model trains and railroading
magazines); we will head to the AC Moore on the Kirkwood Highway -
Elsa is still scouring the countryside for hexagonal papier mache
boxes (21 down, 7 to go!) for the ANC/GS Freshmen Tea.
Back to pick up John, then we will put in some serious drive time,
between Wilmington and Whitehall Town Center (outside my hometown,
Baltimore), where there is another AC Moore. When will we arrive in Alexandria? None of us has the vaguest idea.
We do know that we are staying at the Olde City Holiday Inn, which
Elsa and Mim and I have popped into on previous bops to Alexandria -
this is the first time we actually get to stay there. Why are we heading down? I am playing host tomorrow at a Sunday
brunch with my granddaughter Whitney and her husband Chad, with dear
friends Judy and Paul Orvos, and - fingers crossed - Erin and Chris
Connors. (Deena Odhner could not make it, because she is at a family
church camp in the Laurel Highlands - we will miss you, Deena.) It will
be wonderful to be with so many young people I love so much. When we get home, it is just in time to get excited about Bob and
Kathryn Ripley's suppertime vist on Monday. Bob and Kathryn and kinder
are stopping at Squirrel Haven on their way to catch a baseball game -
they are touring East Coast ball parks. Bob, who coaches in the
Sacramento-Auburn CA area, loves baseball; he played for ANC when
he was here for his junior and senior years. We will have a laid back
supper - hoagies from Premier Pizza served on paper plates in the living
room. It is the company, not the food or fancy dinnerware, that matters. What a lucky lady I am, to be surrounded by so many loving and much
loved family & dear friends. I must live right.
Well, Elsa has to be getting the car packed, so I must say my farewells.
Have a wonderful weekend ~ and wherever you are, take a moment to
give a loved one a call. I am smiling from ear to ear just thinking about
love and family of all sorts & persuasions.
Life is good.
Love - Hitting the Road Momma
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