Where’d Everyone Go?

After a weekend of visitors, I am alone at the moment.  My parents, who flew in Thursday evening, left yesterday afternoon, Michigan-bound.  Today, although he was very much reluctant to, IP left for New Orleans on a business trip.  He looked a little sad—I think he felt that a perfectly nice weekend was slipping away from him, and he clearly didn’t want to leave.  However, I’m hoping that the business trip, which will bring him into closer contact to the leadership of his office, will be a fruitful and productive one for him.  He’s not gone for long—coming back Wednesday morning—but he will be leaving again next week for another trip.  We’ll try to squeeze in as many gym visits and relaxation before he has to go away again.

He was a peach, helping me to entertain my parents during their visit.  He picked up dinner on Thursday night for us.  Together, we gave my parents a tour of the Mall, IP joining me by slipping away from a lazy Friday morning at work.  My father was keen on seeing the Museum of the American Indian, so we spent some quality time there (the exhibition setup, however, made my mother feel dizzy).  After grabbing something cool to drink, I took my parents to the National Portrait Gallery, and they loved it—my mother was gaga over the building.  IP met us again for dinner at Gordon Biersch, where my mother ordered a margarita (!) and my father had some beer.  I ordered my typical Golden Export, but wasn’t able to drink much of it—IP happily consumed the rest of it for me.

Saturday was spent enjoying the culinary delights of the Parkway Deli and checking on the John Paul II Cultural Center at CUA.  My mother drove me crazy with this, since a) spotting a church near IP’s apartment got her on my case about attending Mass, and b) the JP II Cultural Center’s gift shop afforded her too many opportunities to goad me into buying a crucifix.  She kept on asking me if I wanted anything at all, which I didn’t.  After the fifth inquiry, I finally left the shop and joined my father and IP, who were waiting for us by the cafe.   One thing I failed to point out to her that I was not, indeed, a Catholic according to the Center and to tradition—I have not been Confirmed, so I am not even a lapsed Catholic.  I guess at one point I was a proto-Catholic, but those days are long over.

When 3pm rolled around, I loaded up the parents and we headed to the Metro.  I dropped them off at DCA, then was lucky enough to catch a Yellow train shortly afterwards.  I nearly fell asleep at the train, I realized I was so tired.  I walked a hell of a lot, got up early on a Saturday (horrors) and introduced my parents to Washington, D.C. as best I could over the course of a couple of days.  My father says he’ll be coming back for the next anti-war protest, too.  It was fun to finally show them what home is for me nowadays.

Today, a bit of a sleep in, an hour at the gym, and I was as good as new.  I also tried to cheer up IP, who was definitely dreading the travel and wasn’t able to finish his workout at the gym.

Now, as the sun sets and one of the most beautiful days we’ve had in a long time comes to a close, I’m sighing at the idea of having to spent tomorrow cooped up in an office, getting ready for an event that will leave me cooped up in a hotel for a day.  Well, at least it’s only a day.