Family Time

Alrighty, I finally have a few minutes to attempt to put some coherent thoughts together.  I hope you all have reactions to the Communication Post that I posted this morning.  I like to take a break every once in awhile from telling you about the ways in which I keep busy to talk about some different issues, so hopefully you liked the change!!

This was a truly relaxing weekend spent largely with family, and boy, did I need it! It had been a really exhausting week at work (it seems as though they've all been that way lately, with fires to put out everywhere!), so it was not hard to convince me to take it easy.  On Friday night, when trying to decide what to do for dinner, Dan and I looked at each other and said, "Do you want to get Mellow Mushroom again?".  I would be embarrassed, but what would the point of that be? We braved rush hour traffic and came home triumphantly to eat our pizza and watch the Nats game (although I was initially enthusiastic about going to Game 5, I was not willing to pay a minimum of $75 for standing room only tickets)...which, sadly, they lost (as did the Os, killing my dream of a Nats-Os World Series).  Oh well, if we're being serious, I would have wanted the Red Sox in it.

Dan had to get up VERY early to leave for a weekend trip home, but I slept in for another hour, went for a run and then met up with my parents to go and visit my grandparents for the day.  I always love going out to visit them, both because of how much I love them and spending time with them, but also because the Shenandoah Valley, where they live, is such a beautiful swatch of the country, particularly at this time of year.  It was a really nice day, and it was good to reconnect with the two of them while spending time with my parents as well!  Once we got back to the city, my parents and I went to Fontaine, pretty much the cutest crêperie of all time, conveniently located right in downtown Old Town!  They have delicious sweet and savory crêpes (for my main course, I got the "Moroccan" crêpe, with spinach, feta and a yogurt sauce, and for my dessert, I got an apple crêpe with vanilla bean ice cream and apple liqueur, both of which were amazing), the ambience is incredible (seriously, you feel like you're in Paris!), AND they play French films every Thursday night!  Is this place real?!?  My parents had been there a few times and knew that I would be all over it.  I felt like I was walking on a cloud when we left!!

On Sunday, I got up early and ran with my dad, after which I did some more running on my own.  Then we had a nice family walk (I probably ran 6 mi. and walked 3-4 mi., so I wasn't messing around on Sunday morning!).  In the afternoon, I went and saw a friend's play, had dinner with my parents, and stopped by Dan's for a bit after my weary traveler got home.

This week, I have an uncharacteristically light week, which I am fully embracing!  I am planning on going home tonight to cook myself something delicious and maybe watch a movie.  I am going to try cooking for myself more often (especially healthier things!), because...I AM RUNNING A HALF-MARATHON IN MARCH!!!!!!! I was thinking of running the Rock 'n Roll Half in DC, but, after talking to Dan's and my friend Lindsay (who is running the marathon with her bf), I decided to run the marathon too!  March 16th is the day, so I'm already strategizing about healthy food options and long running routes.  I couldn't be more excited, and I am so lucky to have such an amazing cheerleader (I think you know who!).  Speaking of Dan, we are hoping to get good news from the doctor this week in terms of whether he is allowed to get back to life as normal.  I'm really hoping we can go on a short run together this weekend, because I miss my running buddy!