(not a "day off" at all, but you follow)
First stop: Social Security Office
Otherwise known as "a day in hell". What a parade of humanity that was. The office is open from 9am-3pm and is located in Manassas. MAN-ASS-AS. For those unfamiliar with the sprawling suburbs of Northern Virginia, that means a 45 min drive for me (with no traffic). It also means that a tiny government agency, with 4 service windows, is meant to serve 3 counties worth of citizens, which totals about 1.9 million people, with a huge immigrant population (people who need SS cards). Here's the short story:
I arrived at 11am (first mistake) and the line was out the door and down the sidewalk in the blazing heat. I stood there for 30 minutes and didn't move a step. A very kind officer told us that it would likely be over an hour just to get in the building, then probably about 2 hours waiting inside. (Makes you want to sit down and cry, right?) BUT, he said, if you come back at 2:45, right before "closing", the line goes much faster. You see, they don't "close" at 3pm, they close the line at 3pm. They serve everyone who is still in line, and they get people from other parts of the office to help process everyone through. So, are you kidding me?, I bounced.
Little Man was at grandma's and having a grand time, so I went to do my grocery shopping. I was listening to NPR, as I often do. Kojo Nnamdi was hosting an awesome show about the DC music scene, and I tuned in just in time to hear them talking about house concerts and local venues. So I called in, knowing that it is very rare to be let through, but thought it would be fun to participate in the conversation. And, whaddya know!, I got through and talked on the radio about house concerts and other nervous, rapid ramblings--it was thrilling! You can listen here, I called in with about 8-10 min left of the show, I think.
Wegman's grocery shopping. Uneventful. Unless you count the heavenly vanilla streusal muffin.
Back to the SS Office
Yup, I went back. Arrived at 2:30. Huge line, but about 15 people less than the morning. Everything moved very fast. Was finished with my business at 3:45.
I picked up Little Man and came home. We have taken to playing in the water on our deck just about every afternoon, but this time he added another element. Earth.
Kyle had to go in to work, so I was on my own with the child. Dinner. Bedtime.
SURPRISE!
When Kyle got home we snuggled down to read Lord of the Rings out loud (cause that's how we roll), and what did I find under my pillow? A big box with a BRAND NEW MACBOOK PRO INSIDE! I could have wet myself! I've been bothering him about a new computer for ages because my trusty Macbook has barely been turned off in over 7 years and has begun to limp along. Turns out, he didn't go to work at all, but went to pick up my present. Oh, this new computer is glorious! Light! Sleek! Quiet! Updated! Clean! I can't believe how stuck in my old ways I've been and how much has changed in the new stuff. It is just thrilling.
CAKE
Kyle worked on installing ALL THE THINGS on my new computer and I started baking a lemon wedding cake that will be assembled and gorgeously decorate<id by Saturday. (Said with unfailing faith, as I've never made this kind of cake before and time this week is majorly crunched by the upcoming holiday...it'll happen, it'll happen, it'll happen...)
So, not the best Ferris Bueller Day, but an eventful one none-the-less. And I shall get through this busy week and clean ALL THE THINGS and pack ALL THE THINGS and finish ALL THE THINGS before we leave on our trip out west next week. Major road trip. First in 7 years. With a toddler. I CAN'T WAIT.
