The good, the bad, the blah. And MCM!

Happy Friday!  So happy that it is almost the weekend.  Particularly so because I'm not working tomorrow.   If you've been wondering why I haven't posted since last Thursday, it's because I've been working since last Thursday.   That's the blah.

The bad?  Tuesday I went to track practice even though I really didn't want to so of course I promptly strained my achilles doing lunges.  Which I hate.  Lunges, that is.  Although to be honest I don't really like straining my achilles either.  Okay, I hate straining my achilles.  Especially when Sunday is Shamrock and I'm running a 15K.  I also have been coming down with a head cold that keeps hinting it is going to migrate into my ample bosom. 

And now for the good.  Last night I took a hot bath and a big dose of NyQuil and I'm feeling better.  I'm planning to sleep in tomorrow and hopefully that will push me even farther down the road to recovery.  Did I mention I don't have to work tomorrow?  Plus I have friends coming in to town -- the Fly Girl and everyone's favorite imaginary friend Kim (whom I love even if she is a big smelly DAWG) -- for Shamrock and we're all getting together (with those of us already cool enough to live in PDX) for a pre-race dinner and most likely a post-race brekkie. 

But wait, there is even better!  Marine Corps Marathon!  Come on, like I wasn't going to mention it?  I've been having fun planning out some of the details.  Ideally, I'll fly in to D.C. on the Friday before the race, and I've got my hotel booked.  I was originally going to stay with a friend the whole time I was in D.C. but realized that (a) it was kind of rude to invite myself for a week and (b) I'm going to be keeping somewhat odd hours through race day.  So after consulting said friend (plus that pink bitch *snerk*) I found a hotel with discounted MCM rates close to a Metro stop and the Pentagon where the race begins.  After the race, then I'll invade my friend's. 

The top things I want to do in D.C. are tour the White House, go to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, etc. -- did I ever mention that one of my ancestors was a signatory? -- and the Smithsonian.  For the Smithsonian, I'm thinking the American History museum (the pop culture exhibit is a must), Air and Space (everyone recommends this one, plus I grew up with Boeing practically in my backyard), and Natural History (rocks!  gems!  dinosaurs!).  I'd like to do one of those sightseeing bus tours that lets you on and off at various places, to see the monuments up close that I'll be running past on race day.

After D.C. and all it has to offer, we've been talking about invading the next set of friends in Pennsylvania.  Wine country!  Amish too?  Mmm, pie.  Amish-made pie even.  Then up to New York.  This may be where a bunch of us will meet up, being as it should be the weekend and all.  And last but definitely not least, I hope to descend on Rhode Island and all surrounding areas to finally meet in person a good friend I've known online for almost 20 years now. 

I haven't plotted out the New York/New England part of the trip yet as I've been focused on D.C. and, you know, it's still over six months away.  But in New York I'd like to go to the Met for sure, which is why I'm so far not planning to visit any of the Smithsonian art museums.  I also want to do the Staten Island Ferry ride and see the Statue of Liberty up close and personal.  Oh, and of course a trip back to Ground Zero.  My first and only trip to NYC I was there on the third anniversary of the attacks and actually visited Ground Zero on September 11.   For New England, we've been having such weird weather this year that I might still be able to catch the end of leaf peepah season.  For other stuff, I'll let my friend flam make the suggestions.  Definitely lobster though.  And there's something called  clam cake that I'd like to try.

Cheers (keep clam!!),
the CilleyGirl