Maybe I documented too soon. Maybe I cast a curse?
Wednesday's adventure in vacationing involved plumbing, as in crawling out of bed, heading directly to the bathroom -- as you do -- to be waved off by Dad. Early, frequent riser that he is, he discovered that the gurgling on the pipes was the sewer lines backing up in his ground floor apartment's bathtub and toilet.
And not just his, but the neighbors', the laundry room, and other area buildings.
I can't make this stuff up.
Things weren't awful, but the potential was there. Fortunately, they also got creative so we could complete ablutions. Luckily some 2nd floor apartments are vacant awaiting tenants, keys available, and building management is VERY proactively involved. Thankfully gravity runs down, so Mom and I ran up and down stairs to vacant units in jammies and robes, with shower caddies and towels to get ready for the day. I was having dorm flashbacks. (And previous apartment flashbacks. I've had to deal with that mess before. And tried to bleach my memory of the experience and cleanup.)
Then, we deserted the field for shopping/retail therapy and left Dad to man the fort and monitor the situation.
This is not an accurate photo of how briskly cold the wind was in the parking lots.
Thank you Kohl's, for your clean, working restrooms. I did my annual winter vacation stocking up of jeans and unmentionables, usually in UT but this year in MD. MD where they sell you the ubiquitous plastic shopping bags you usually get at purchase. Yes, I will pay a nickel for a bag to cart my bras and undies out to the car, thank you very much. No one needs to see my granny panties... Oh wait.
Then it was off to another series of shopping strip malls on the other side of town. Don't ask me where. Even my mother got temporarily turned around in Rockville, which she never does. We ended up at one of those Marshalls/TJMaxx/Ross' discount stores where you never know what you'll find or see. Random things just amuse me, things like:
Lurking skeevy santas
Yikes!
Or this, which I wish I could get for a yard or a office entrance.
Why do you keep your poisons artfully arranged under glass?
Why would you bronze up a big fish, a Buddha, and a squirrel?
Big Fish turns to Buddha and asks: What do you think of Squirrel over there?
Buddha: He's a tough nut to crack.
Big Fish: Buddha, your jokes flounder.
I didn't ever claim to be funny, funny.
I think I was hungry.
I do silly things when I get hungry.
After a pitstop in a Carter's baby outlet so Grandmary could buy presents and I could snap pictures of these onsies but not "snap them up," it was time for lunch.
Diners are both excellent and awful things when people can't make food preference choices.
Menus are so varied, it's hard to narrow down. Thankfully the Silver Diner lunch specials insert helped us, and the Amtrak ambassadors' not-so-subliminal suggestions helped me decide.
Me: Crab cake platter with Old Bay seasoned fries
Good conversation with Mom
The rest of the day involved an early birthday polish-free (my choice) pedicure
Yes. My annual parental vacations usually involve annual shopping stock ups, quarterly hair shearing, and/or beautification rituals. You have your traditions, I have mine.
Plus, your family has a way of cutting through things ...
But I digress. It's late and my blog and I'lll digress if I want to.
Also to note, someone pictured above was NOT best pleased with their pictures yesterday and I got a NO just as this was NOT taken.
Posterity needs must, I say.
What, aside from frigid cold and winds will tomorrow/Thursday bring? Almost afraid to ask.
~post and photos iTouch, late to publish 1/7 wednesday
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