Someday I'll learn to wear my walking shoes.

Sorry about the delay in posting. I've been nursing my extremely sore legs.

Last Friday I took a bunch of teenagers up to the Pentagon for a tour. We followed another mom in our home school group. The directions we were given had us parking in a Macy's garage across the street and taking the footbridge across the interstate. Now, I'm normally pretty thoughtful about things like this, and I don't usually drive my big van into the city because of parking issues. My usual routine is to take the metro. But this time, since I had other people's kids with me, I followed directions. Bad move.

We found the parking garage and pulled up to the ticket dispenser, Becky's car being in front of me. I knew we were in trouble when the sign said 6'6" clearance. Now that I was in that lane, I had to back out into traffic on Army-Navy Blvd. The people in Arlington love me. So we went around the block and found a parking meter. I should have been alarmed that ALL THOSE SPACES with parking meters were available, but we had a long way to walk so I didn't stop to think about it. I started demanding coins from everyone, and together we were only able to come up with enough to buy us an hour and 48 minutes. I should have saved it all for the parking ticket we got for being 10 MINUTES late. Like I said, the people in Arlington love me. Especially the traffic cops.

So we had our Pentagon tour, then decided, spur-of-the-moment-like, to zip over to Arlington National Cemetery. If you've never been, you should seriously go. The place is enormous, and I really think every American should visit it just once. The enormity of the sacrifices made for us hits home in a big way. Anyway, one boy's grandfather is buried in Arlington, so we went to see his grave first. Of course it was ALL THE WAY at the bottom of the hill. Then the girls wanted to see the guard change at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is, of course, at the opposite side of the cemetery. I am not kidding when I say it is uphill. All the way. Both ways. And I was not wearing my walking shoes, hence a good case of shin splints Saturday and Sunday.

Then Sunday was "Friend Day" at church, so we cooked a big breakfast for our Sunday School class (lots of standing), then the teens (of which I have two, so I help) served dinner to around 400 people. Yeah. Lots of standing. So today instead of my 30 minutes on the elliptical, I swam 800 yards, which is almost half a mile. And I think I'm beginning to prefer the swimming over the sweating.

So there. That's my excuse for not blogging since last week.

I found out today that something like 55 people from our church are going camping with us next weekend. I hope they don't kick us out if it rains. The 10-day forecast only goes up to next Wednesday, the day before we go. And Wednesday it's supposed to rain. *sigh*

Be thankful ~

Karen