1269 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Maryland

Friday thru Sunday, May 25-27, 2007

The Man picked me up at the East Brunswick Hilton at noonish on Friday, and we headed for the Maryland/Metropolitan Washington Mensa regional gathering. Friday was The Man's 47th birthday.

He hadn't been too happy with the social aspects of the NJ gathering in March (the first such he had attended), but I convinced him that the Washington bunch were rip-snortin' fun, so this one would be different.

Boy, was I wrong! It was pretty sad. I was a member of the Washington group 25 years ago. Looks like all the fun folks moved since then.

The "executive suite" in the hotel ($20 more per night than the standard rooms, even at the gathering group rate) was small and ratty. The "banquet room" was IN the heated indoor pool area, which made for muggy eating. And the cast of characters was the usual set of misfits.

Friday evening we ate dinner in a restaurant next door to the hotel, visited the hospitality room, attended a "play reading", where a row of people just sat and read the parts, and the pool party. The Man took one look at the pool and decided to lounge and watch. I went into the pool, wearing my bathing suit top and yoga pants. The "party" consisted of four groups of three or four people standing in the pool talking about past gatherings.

Saturday morning we didn't get moving until almost noon, so we missed the one presentation either of us was interested in, on sociopathy. There was pizza in the hospitality room, so that did for brunch. The Man and I were sitting at a table looking at the schedule of programs, and he said "Wanna go for a ride?" That sounded like more fun than anything on the schedule, so we headed for DC. Put the top down and wandered around Washington, stopped at a racetrack and placed two bets, and returned to the gathering in time for the banquet (banquet? Typical "what is this stuff" buffet) and keynote speaker (topic, Benedict Arnold, there's a lot to his story that's not well known), and then the pool party again. More standing around in the pool until someone threw a beach ball in, then it got fun. This time, The Man got in. (Oomph! He's got a great body!)

Sunday morning we wandered around the Mensa stuff a bit, and then met an old friend of mine and his wife for lunch, and then headed back to NJ. The Man dropped me off at the Hilton again, and headed for Connecticut to visit a cousin. I was half thinking about heading home, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Daughter and Hercules joined me for dinner, and then I fell asleep at the computer and didn't wake up until 6 am, when I crawled into the bed for another three hours.

And that was the weekend. I very much enjoyed my time with The Man, but I doubt that I'll ever be able to talk him into another Mensa gathering.

All that road time in a convertible has earned me some mild sunburn, but a lot less than I expected.
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1268 Thursday, Travel

Thursday, May 24, 2007


Ran around like a headless chicken today, trying to finish up everything before leaving for the weekend.

My ATM card had disappeared a few days ago. I wasn't worried about it, figured it had to be in the car (fell out of purse on one of those occasions when the purse went flying off the seat) on the floor, under the seat, between whatevers, or IN the purse in a strange spot, or mixed in with the mail, or ... wherever.

It had become more and more critical that I find it, I mean, going out of town and all that.... So I made a list of all the places it could be, and then checked every one of them. You know how something is always the "last place you look"? (Of course, because after you find it you don't look anywhere else.) Well, I always make lists of where to look, and it's always the last place on the list. Even when I randomize the order, every place but one is checked off before I find whatever I'm looking for.

Oh, well. My purse got cleaned out and organized, both vehicles got cleaned, all the mail that had piled up in the vehicles and inside the front door got sorted and filed before I found the ATM card. It all needed doing anyway.

I didn't get out the door until 6:15 pm, and got through the village before I realized I'd forgotten the power cord for the laptop. Back home, get cord. Back on road at 7:00 pm. There was almost no traffic the whole way. Amazing.

I am now in a Hilton in East Bunswick, NJ. The hotel is impressive, best lobby I've seen in a while. My room is on the 14th floor, and it's HUGE! It won't meet The Man's requirements, though. No Jaccuzzi, no refrigerator, no microwave. But I've got the requisite five pillows, a great view, and IT'S HUGE!

He's going to pick me up tomorrow morning (probably actually around noon), then off to Maryland. I'll be leaving my car here, returning Sunday night.
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1267 Wednesday's ToDo List

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Wow! So much to do before I can leave for Maryland for the weekend.

x Laundry, white, red, and dark loads
x RSVP for the middle school penpal picnic
x Change the reservations for Maryland - we won't arrive until Friday, now
x Take the garbage down the driveway
- Clean Miss Thunderfoot's litter box
- Water plants
- Coordinate the wall and purse calendars
- Get the stock transfer form notarized and mailed
x Select and mail some birthday cards
x Online arrangements for a birthday gift for Hercules
- Locate the flippin' ATM card!
x Get cash
- Shovel out the car
- Sort the week's mail
- Select the wardrobe for the weekend
- Hem the black caftan
x Wash hair
- Pack

I'm sure there's something I've forgotten. I got some stuff done today (the ones with "x"s), but there's quite a lot to do yet tonight and tomorrow. Does everyone have so much trouble getting out the door?

Went to dinner with Mensa this evening, Zig, Angie, Bebe, Eric, and me. The Pixie and the Dark Prince were sitting a few tables over, so they came over to say hello and talk a bit. Haven't seen them in a long time.

Tomorrow I finish the ToDo list and head for East Brunswick, NJ. I'll be staying in a Hilton convenient to the NJ Turnpike tomorrow night, and The Man will pick me up there on the way to the Maryland Mensa gathering Friday morning. I can leave my car there, and he will drop me off there Sunday night. I'll drive home Monday.

I'm looking forward to the weekend.
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