Happy Spring! Looks like it is warming up a bit. The daffodils have started poking their heads up out of the ground. It is so nice to have more sunshine at the end of the day, especially to take Cookie for a walk after work. Its also nice not to have soda bottles exploding in the garage anymore because the temperatures were so frigid!
Allison and I had the house to ourselves at the end of the week as Tom went off to Rhode Island for work for a few days. We both had a Girl Scout meeting during the week to start wrapping up the last minute planning for our upcoming jamboree scheduled the first weekend in May. Then Allison had a GS Gold Award committee meeting the following evening-approving possible Gold Award projects. She also spent an evening playing Ultimate Frisbee.
While Allison was playing Frisbee Tuesday night, Tom took me to see the Captain Marvel movie for our $5.00 AMC Stubs night. Tom had seen it with Allison when Scott was home on Spring Break, but he did not mind sitting through it again. I really enjoyed it too. Afterwards we stopped in to dinner at the Shake Shack for burgers.
Scott has been very busy with lots of projects and tests as school starts to wind down. But he had to take a small break to look at the Fall 2019 classes! He was not able to get an appointment with his counselor, so we looked over the program and Scott was able to piece together a schedule on his own. He will be finishing Physics(it is split into two terms) with a lab, two engineering classes with labs and two electives. I think he will be busy! If he can squeeze in an appointment with the counselor, he'd like to review his choices. Registration for classes is all done online. He is scheduled to sign up Monday morning, March 25th.
On Friday, Allison and I spent a very busy day together. We started the morning early by dropping off my car for an overhaul and a recall repair for the air bag. Tom noticed my van was idling a bit rough, so I wanted to make sure it was running smoothly before we head to Michigan to pick up Scott at the end of April. We dropped the car off and headed to the Y for the swim aerobics class. Afterwards we tried the new Chick Fil A fish sandwiches. Something new for Fish Friday during Lent. Very good for a chicken place! After lunch we drove out to Frederick MD, about a 30 min drive. We wanted to visit the MVA in Frederick since it is not as busy. Tom decided it was time for Allison to take over her own car insurance and title. On Thursday night they called Geico and got a terrific deal. Much better than staying under our coverage! So now we had to go to the MVA to get a title and registration in Allison's name. Tom believed we would have to get new license plates too, but there was a new policy in Maryland that allows cars to be gifted. So we really only needed to do the paperwork and get a new registration. So we could not make an appointment and there was a very long line of people waiting for all sorts of tasks. Fortunately this MVA is very organized. Two women would walk up and down the line checking to see what everyone needed and sending them in different directions. When they got to Allison and I, the woman announced that we were there for Allison's driving permit! Allison was a bit offended, but I took it at as a huge compliment! If Allison looks 8 years younger, then so do I! After Allison corrected the woman, she gave us a number and we sat down to wait. They said there was a 2 hr wait-Allison and I were prepared with things to read and our phones. Turns out, we only had to wait 1/2 hr! And it only took a few minutes to get the paperwork signed, pay for new registration and get a tag. The title would be coming in the mail. Done!
We headed back home and my car was almost ready. We stopped into the grocery store to pick up a few items before Allison dropped me off to pick up my car. I then rushed home to change, pick up Tom and we headed to the Guinness Brewery to meet Tom's cousin Scott Conrad and his wife Gerry. The two of them were visiting family on their Spring Break here in the mid Atlantic/South from Santa Rosa, California up near Napa Valley. They actually flew into BWI airport the week before and visited with family in the Virginia area. Although there appears to be some family members in the Ellicott City area! (adult kids of cousins). The group visited Olde Ellicott City last Friday night, just minutes from our house. Some of the shops and restaurants have reopened since the flood last May, but many buildings are still under renovation, or in limbo. The county board has still not decided if they should tear down some of the most damaged and flood prone buildings or not due to the historic nature of the town. So far they are trying to renovate a few of the small streams and rivers north of the city that flooded and rushed through downtown to the larger river below. And they put in alarms to let you know if the town is going to flood again. Wonderful.
During the week of their visit, Scott and Gerry mostly spent their time in the DC and Virginia area, touring the capital. On Friday, they made their way back up to Ellicott City to meet us for a tour and tasting, plus dinner at the country's only Guinness Brewery outside of Ireland. Tom and I had dinner at the brewery before with friends, but never did the tour. I signed us up for the free tour and the tasting afterwards. Turns out, Scott and Gerry were stuck in DC traffic and missed our 530 tour and tasting afterwards. The tour was very quick-not much to see, but very informative. Tom and I stayed for the tasting and as we finished around 730, Scott and Gerry arrived. We all sat down for dinner on the 3rd floor(brewery on the 1st floor, bar and souvenir shop in the 2nd floor and restaurant on the 3rd). We had a wonderful dinner and had lots of time to chat, including a first hand report of living through the California wildfires. Afterwards, Scott joined another scheduled tasting(Gerry does not drink). And Tom and I gave them both the nickel Brewery tour. They picked up some souvenirs for their kids before we headed out. Their oldest son cooks in a restaurant in Napa valley and was especially excited to hear that we were visiting the brewery. Seems that the kids keep up with everything new and hot. Even from the other side of the country! It was getting late and we were all tired, especially Tom who had recently returned from his trip to Rhode Island. Tom checked them into a local hotel which was covered by Tom's travel points and we said goodbye. They graciously shared a box of See's chocolates from California and a lovely scarf for me as we headed out. They were flying out of BWI Saturday morning.
Saturday was spent finishing housework(for me) and getting school work done(for Tom) On Sunday, while Allison was off playing frisbee and then participating in a Dungeons and Dragon game, I had picked up my mom in the early afternoon to get her hair done and have lunch. Afterwards we both enjoyed seeing "The Wizard of Oz" at the high school. I had bought tickets ahead of time and was very glad I did since there was a very long stand by line of people hoping to get in with any leftover tickets. The play was sold out and packed with kids. My mom loves seeing all the kids and enjoyed the play and the music, although we did not have the best seats. A few tall, wide men sat in front of us and it made it very hard to see the stage. Overall, the kids did a fantastic job and mom and I had a good time. I just had enough time to drop her off to her apartment for dinner afterwards.
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