Parties and Concerts and Travels, Oh My!

What a full weekend!

Friday night was my office party. (Who woulda thunk?!?!) I give Tater two thumbs up for going, though he knew only one other girl there besides me. He seems to have held his own, though and didn't look bored the entire evening. We were home before midnight, and I think the Japanese Party Gods all said a prayer in quiet disappointment.

Saturday morning there was no sleeping in for teenagers at my house. Dillon had a dental appointment at 10, we had to be dressed... (Mackenzie in a dress:)



...packed, and at Jeff and Lisa's by 12:30 and to the Kennedy Center by 1:30. The kids and I went with Jeff to a Christmas Concert that Lisa was singing in and I really, truly, enjoyed myself. There was no "Winter Wonderland", "Jingle Bells", or for Lord's sake, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer". It was all pretty high-brow, which, I in general, try to avoid at all costs. But nonetheless, whether sung in French, Latin, or Spanish, the music was beautiful and the singing jaw-droppingly impressive. (Check me out, like I'm writing a critique for The Post...)

We left the Kennedy Center and headed straight for Frederick, Maryland, to spend the night with friends whom (who? - damn, The Post's not going to like THAT!) we hadn't seen in 6 years. I missed them so much and didn't realize how badly until we started jabbering away and poking through Antique Shops. Her name, not to further confuse my narrative, is also Lisa. I call her Scientist-Lisa and her husband's name is Dr. Tim (sort of). We met in San Diego, exactly the same way Rachelle and I met in Japan 6 years later*: For months, she and I stood outside the kindergarten waiting for Dillon and her daughter, Kirsten, and not saying a word to each other. Finally, one day one of us spit something out and became fast friends. Dillon and Kirsten got along beautifully. They had many of the same interest, the same temperament, and even looked alike. They still do:



In San Diego we spent holidays, birthdays, and many, many other days together shopping, playing on the beach, going to the pumpkin patch, out to dinner, in for margaritas, and in general, finding fun wherever it was to be had. And then they moved to Portland, we moved to Japan, and neither one of us is any good at keeping in touch. We probably could have lost touch with each other, but as Fate would have it, they moved to Frederick about 2 years ago, only 50 miles from where we landed for this tour. I plan to get busy and fit 6 or more years into the next 2 so as to stock up for the next tour to God-Knows-Where.

When we got home, it was 5:30 Sunday night and the weekend was over. But what an excellent weekend it was.

*Rachelle and I stood outside Mac's kindergarten waiting for Mac and her daughter Torrey for months as well, before saying the first word to each other. But once we started, we didn't shut up for almost 4 years.