Author: Doris

We’ve known for 18 months that Vince was going to spend a week in the Florida Keys with the scout troop, but it was only a few months ago that a space opened up for Jeremy.  He had signed up, but there were too many adults that wanted to go and Jeremy’s pretty far down the list b/c he doesn’t volunteer that much with the scouts.  But one kid decided to drop out and Jeremy was first on the waitlist and we pounced on the opportunity to go!

The boys went to a remote, undeveloped island south of where they had stopped in the Florida Keys for the night and had to row 7 miles in open ocean to get there.  A power boat brought in enough water and food for the week.  This island was donated to the scouts from someone and it is in the middle of paradise.  Jeremy said every moonlit night and every sunrise was so beautiful it was verging on being cliche.  The island next to the boys’ island was a fancy beach resort – you could stay there for $1500 a night and fly in on sea plane.  The next island on the other side was rumored to be Beyonce’s.

Vince is an expert pancake maker.

Kayaking through the mangroves.

Jeremy, ever fearful of sunburning his pale, white skin, remained the most dressed.

Paradise.

A group photo.

Fishing!  Vince and Jeremy have orthogonal interests.  Vince loves to fish and to snorkel.   Jeremy loves the rowing and kayaking.

Weighing anchor.

Gutting fish.

Cleaning out the sleeping bag.

Snorkeling (this isn’t Vince, it’s just a nice photo.  Good job Jeremy!)

Collection of hermit crabs.

Peach cobbler baking contest.

No boy scout camp is complete without some boy/night/scare/ritual thing.

Headed home!

Back to civilization/internet.

They arranged for a stretch limo to take them back to Miami airport.

Sue was in town for Easter with her family, so we all got together and headed out to dinner.  These two actually manage people for a living, so it’s interesting for me to hear their managerial stories (because I think I should be a manager someday because how does one go through life without managing someone?) – which just usually boil down to people are so annoying.  Which I did know, but I don’t really have to deal with on a professional level.  Like ever.

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That Easter day, I went out in the woods,  Usually when I go out into the woods, I go on an intermediate course and there are so many landmarks, I don’t have to use a compass and I just run around looking for the large road or building or pond or river or power line and just go from there.  Like so:

But this weekend, they placed only advanced courses and I thought I’d give it a go (because why not?) and it was basically just one huge hill with no landmarks and so you had to do distance estimation and compassing and I’m not really good at either, so I got lost on the way to the first one.  So there I am, lost in the woods by myself, everything looking the same in all directions and then, 100m away from me, I see a large, black lumbering object running diagonally across my field of view and I’m like – holy crap! – that’s a bear. And then I’m like, it’s totally going to come over here and maul me and I’ll be dead in the woods by myself.  But I’m still alive and so therefore I must have outwitted the bear (who probably never even noticed me).

I tried three times to find the first control.  I got lost, backtracked back to the start, got lost again and then was about to give up until I realized I was in the only gully that ran north/south near the first control and I made a third and final attempt to find the first control again when I bumped into a stranger who I asked if I could go the rest of the course with him and he was nice enough to let me tag along.  As we walked in the woods, I found out he’s been orienteering for as long as I’ve been alive, that he’s a mathematician and that his name is Sid and he’s 80.  So he taught me about pace counting, compensating for downhill drifting, coming from the control from up high and attack points.  When we had to climb a uphill to find a control, he’d rest on a log and I’d go scouting up the hill in a few directions to find it and then he’d follow me uphill.  A nice team.  He is a reluctant selfie photo taker.

The boys are back & it’s Easter Sunday and we are already back to the old routine.  Edda up early, Vince still asleep, an early run for me, an early ride for Jeremy and — taxes, laundry, baths, meals to plan, projects to finish, lessons to go to, outings to agenda-ize.  Everyone came back safe to me, thank goodness.  <3, <3  I was trying to teach Jeremy to take a good selfie.  He’s surprisingly not very good at it.

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Last night (Saturday), was the last night of just me & Edda – so we headed out to Habit Burger.

I love the Habit Burger – they play quieter music than Five Guys and their meals are cheaper and I might like the fries better.  Two burgers & fries for just about 10 dollars.  We sat there a long time and we were surrounded by families with little kids.  I do sometimes feel a little awkward when I’m out just me and Edda – we are a bit of a show with the wheelchair, the huge bib, the hand feeding of Edda and the various random flinging of food bits –  so it does take me some momentum to overcome the inertia of staying home.  We were sitting there at the HB (at one of their numerous handicapped tables (also a plus)) and Edda was almost done with her burger when a couple came up to me and told me that I was doing a great job with Edda and then said hello to Edda – this happens every once in awhile, especially when I’m out alone with Edda.  They told me that they did the same thing with their son who passed away last year at the age of 25, lots of feedings at restaurants.  Anyways, it was a nice conversation, I’m happy they stopped by and said hello.  Sometimes I’m not in the mood for this type of interaction, but today it was fine.  Actually it was very nice.  We wished each other a Happy Easter.  I think inspired by this little conversation, the toddler at the next table ambled over to say hello and give me a high five and then looked a bit at Edda.  Then his mom crouched down and told him to say hello to Edda and blow her some kisses.  Which he did and then offered me his fire truck.  Very nice.  Happy Easter all!

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I wasn’t ready to go home yet, so I ordered a sundae which was $2.50.  At that price, how big can it be?  It can be enormous apparently.

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Nat came up to use our oven and made a million of these delicious Easter cookies.  She bent each bunny arm into an embrace of each chocolate egg.

The boys are off the non-electricity, non-internet island and at the scout base in the Florida Keys with intermittent wi-fi.  Enough wi-fi to get this photo.  Trip was great, but they are looking forward to coming home tomorrow night.  Me too!

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I took a photo of Edda’s back today for my pals.

I know I’m short on time when I cut out making the beds, but maybe it’s OK as Maxi prefers the unmade bed.  Making the all three rumpled beds in the house takes 2 minutes tops, I don’t know why I haven’t been doing it.  I started making the beds a while ago because I realize it makes me feel like I’ve started the day with a clean slate.  I’ve been loving the bed rails which have allowed me to get a full night’s sleep every night knowing that Edda is safe.  Many nights I don’t hear her at all, but some nights, I hear her wake up and then she goes back to sleep quickly.

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In my efforts to not be a total hermit, I did see two friends this week – Deb and Marla, both photo adverse.  I will take a picture of pastries instead.  A poor substitute really.  Both friends I haven’t seen in many months, I’d love to see them more often, but both lunches ran over two hours and know this in advance and I schedule them (mainly making sure I have both childcare coverage and I can get enough hours in at work) that way.  

It’s Wed night.  I should take out the garbage.  I’ll be right back.

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I’m about halfway done with the week.  It’s been fine.  Quiet.  I’ve had more time to read and listen to podcasts which I don’t usually do.  I feel like I haven’t read a book all year.  I’m reverting back to children’s books which give me the warm fuzzies.  I’m reading the One and Only Ivan – Ivan’s a gorilla.

Edda in the am.

Jeremy usually does all the dishes in the house.  I don’t really realize how many dishes I don’t do.  This week, I’m doing a lot of dishes and I’m sure I’m cooking a lot less than he usually does.

I’m making Edda’s lunch, French toast and fruit.

It got hot today!  Almost 90.  The blossoms are beautiful though.

Edda in the pm.

I did the first lawn mow of the season today.  There is a City of Rockville person who drives around and gives citations to folks with overgrown lawns.  I’m often on the receiving end of these citations.  I’m hoping not to get one this season.

While the boys are in Florida, it’s me and Edda here at the homestead.  Though it’s MCPS spring break, it’s not nursing school spring break, so I’m still working/studying through the week.  I have a help though, even though it’s hard for me to remember everyone’s schedule.  Edda’s after school camp runs most days of spring break (except for Good Friday) for four hours in the afternoon from noon-4pm.  Kitachi is helping me out in the mornings and evenings Mon-Wed and then she’s off for her own spring break.  Adriana will be around on Good Friday mid-day and for a few hours on Sat.  I worked most of this past Sunday so I can work shorter hours during the week.

On Sunday, the first day the boys were away (and I always get this feeling the first 24 hours after they are gone), I find myself returning to the feeling of living on one’s own.  I know Edda’s around, but in some ways, she’s like a well behaved roommate.  She’s neat, quiet & kind of keeps to herself (most of the time, though some days she’ll hunt you down and hit you on the head while you are trying to play Candy Crush).  She doesn’t move things around or take something that’s yours and eats it.  She never argues with me.  Anyways, this old feeling that I remember, but didn’t know I had when I had it.  This feeling of independence and total control over my environment.  Of making decisions without consulting anyone or telling anyone.  Even going for ice cream with everyone around, I can’t just sneak out of the house without telling anyone where I’m going.  I mean, I could sneak out, but then I’m sneaking out which happens only when someone cares that you are leaving the house or cares about ice cream.

Anyways, I’m telling you, on Sunday Edda & I snuck out of the house for some ice cream.  I suspect we’ll do it later on this week as well.  

I recently discovered Jeremy is constantly sharing his location with me on Google Maps.  So here he is at BWI on the airplane.

Here he is in Miami.

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And finally to the keys.

Here’s the non-Google map version of the trip.  Boys got up at 3:45 am and made their way to BWI with the rest of the boy scout troop.

Here they are, a little groggy still.

Jeremy didn’t lift anything at all because he’s all obsessed with his hernia which is bothering him more and more.

They loaded onto 2 buses to head down to the keys.

At about 3pm, they reached paradise.  They all passed a swimming test and then they had dinner are go to sleep in bunks here.

Tomorrow, they canoe 7 miles to the island with no cell service and no electricity for the rest of the week.  No more photos from them for a week!

Ready?  Busy day.  Boys are off to Florida at 3:45 am tomorrow morning, so I squeezed as much as I could today.

Morning run:

Brunch at Mark’s Kitchen in Takoma Park.

Then to IKEA to try out mattresses.

Then to Vickey’s house to see my quilting coach – Gina.  You see?  I’m almost done with a quilt top!

Vickey and her amazing $10 Trader Joe’s orchid which just won’t quit blooming.

Jeremy made me chicken liver for dinner.  <3

Vickey gave me a Harry & David pineapple.  She said it needed a few more days, but we couldn’t wait.

Beer with the liver.

Almost falling asleep at night.

Boys are done, ready for their flight tomorrow.

We had a tornado warning a few days ago – my phone alarmed at me to find shelter for the next 30 min.  I don’t mess around with that.  When we first moved into the house, I was never nervous about the tall trees all around the house.  Now that the weather is changing into stronger, more sustained winds, I’m often terrified of being in our bedroom/office during any strong wind storm.  I have a very persistent feeling that I’ll die in some sort of compression accident which includes being hit by a falling tree.  Max and I were the only ones home at the time and we scurried into the basement while the warning passed us by.

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I’ve heard about these safety statuses on Facebook, but I hadn’t seen one in action until now.

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We went out to dinner tonight.  Everyone was looking at their electronic device.  Vince went to play Dungeons and Dragons this afternoon with a new group of friends.  A group of friends involving girls – the gathering actually was at a girl’s house.  He failed to mention this and I (sexist that I am) imagined that Dungeon & Dragons was a boy thing.

Jeremy and Vince discussed the history of D&D.