Tourists

With every yellow leaf we find on the ground curling up toward the sky, the trees are dropping hints.

Fall is on its way.

Then, as a good moody woman will, I lament a summer that hasn't yet ended and the open flip-flop schedule we've been able to fritter away when not otherwise occupied at the doctor's office or a swim lesson.

 Someone is not happy to wait for her turn in the big pool.

Giving love to the one who can't join us the pool.

We chose not to do summer camp this year but instead fill our time with a week long trip to Ithaca, picnics at the pool, and surprise visits with family.  It's been a good way to go but this week I feel the need to make an agenda.  Another theme week like last summer with more DCtonian thrown in for good measure.

This will be our last summer here.  Next summer we move to undisclosed location for an undisclosed duration.  With love from the military.  They have to keep you guessing right up until your skin itches with the need to surf Realtor.com nonstop while packing up a four year chunk of Virgina life.  Our Virginia life that will eventually and magically transcend into another world of normal somewhere else with the help of a moving truck and Verizon's tech support.

Some of my friends think we are accustom to this way of life.  Moving every three to four years, that is.  Not in a mean way but in a giving-me-too-much-credit kind of way.  I take pride in that because (hopefully) it means I don't complain about it constantly (like I do in my head).   

Truth is, we're not.  Since Andy and I have been married we have moved seven times.  Every single time it seems cruel and difficult as hell to uproot all our connections, networks, and friendships made in the time it takes to sew them all together.  To replant new ones in a place where you swear the roads never easily lead to a Giant or a Wegman's.   But, you get over yourself, do the sh*tstorm that you must do and move forward to get on with things.  After so many years, it is senseless to buck the system.

The good that comes from these moves is that you don't take your geographic location for granted very often.  You see what you can see while you're there because there's a time limit.  When you finally figure out how to hit the grocery store, gas station, and dry cleaners in a fifteen minute loop, you can relax into the adventure of discovering your whereabouts. 

My job for the rest of this summer is to find out what we've missed so far so we can fill in the blanks before it's time to change the page.

Have any favorites around town that you can suggest?

We're low maintenance and willing to travel for good custard if that helps.