Maryland Trip, Part I: Quality Time with the Sibs

Well, we've been back from Maryland for a few days, so I figure it's time to recap, share the good times. As an aside, while there I realized that I'd visited home once per month since the beginning of this pregnancy. Once in June, once in July, again in August, September, and now October. All blogged just for you! (. . . Mom.) Bringing some much needed excitement to your Friday night, I'm sure. 

Let's set the scene. We just moved out of our own apartment, packed our belongings in storage, and began our life of funemployment with Will's parents in a two-bedroom condo on the North Florida coast while awaiting Will's impending military orders. Ah, they'd be coming any day now, says the knowledgable man over the phone. It gets my hopes up (and thus my blood pressure) approximately 234 times over the course of three weeks. But alas, crickets. I won't go into detail, but there was a government shutdown and then a lot of feet-dragging, and . . .  still no orders.

Funemployment was becoming more and more like crumemployment (eh creativity, I'm lacking it these days, forgive me) so we packed up the Brez canines in our little SUV and headed to . . . (drumroll) . . .

Stolen from my friend, Sarah's, FB page who teaches 4th grade.
Her caption: "This kid is going to be blown away if he ever goes to Disney World." Sarah needs a blog.

Crofton. My home, sweet, home, and a magical place indeed. Because distractions. They are good. 

On Friday, we headed to College Park to visit my sister who just started as a freshman at the University of Maryland. (You may remember her high school graduation?) It was really weird seeing her in college and hearing her talk about her stressful course load, med school hopes, and dorm-life deets. It seemed just yesterday my older sister and I were giggling together trying to get Trish to annunciate the consonants in the words "yellow flower" (pronounced "yeyyow fyowyer!!") but I digress. Time changes things.

It was a good visit. Upon arriving on campus, we were greeted by Trish and her roommate, Kathleen (who was also her best friend since - I don't know - they were 8?) coming from their AM class together. 

Both in sweats! Oh, undergrad, I remember it well. Trish took us up to see their dorm room, trotting through the boys' hallway (legit smelly, you guys), and up the stairs to the second floor, whereupon she asks me if it's okay for me to be walking up steps, being that I was pregnant and all.  (She has a long way until medical school.) I barked something about pregnancy not being a disability. I know my rights. 

We got the whole campus tour. I admit, it was probably about 1/390th of campus, but it was a long walk for this pregnant/invalid. (Points to Trish, because her intuition was correct after all. Probably should have saved my steps and taken the elevator.) We hit up the cafeteria first for lunch, which was about the size of five BAC cafs. Not exaggerating. Trish is a vegetarian and she had lots of extra meal points to share with us so we went after it, carefully weighing each of the many options and deciding on some delicious sodium-infused Asian food. Then we walked around and saw the sights.

The trees were just beginning to change in Maryland. This is a PSA - now is the best time of year in Maryland to see the colorful leaves. 

The campus was buzzing with activity setting up for Homecoming weekend, which we kept having to remind Trish about. She is too busy with her studies for such hooliganism in the form of current social events. It messed up all my pictures of the fountain. So rude you guys. 

In the interest of feeling "zen", we went to the school's non-denominational/non-religious/spiritual-esque chapel. Equality, or something. It's a public university, whatcha gonna do.

Here, you pick up a literal rock that represents something figuratively weighing you down and reflect upon it in this maze and place the rock in the center of the maze to be left there forever! Or until some maintenance guy puts it back in the original pile. 

Will entered the maze while Trish and I stood (and stood and stood) and watched (and watched and watched). It took forever. Upon completion, he felt "sanctified" and "googly." 

He sure takes things seriously.

With our chi all realigned and junk, that night we headed to my little brother's high school football game. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS! (Only nothing like the TV show or the movie because this is Maryland, land of lacrosse. Hoo-rah.)

Yes, we are die-hard Redskins fans. Feel sorry for us.

No, the above picture was not taken on the same day. Because it was only 40 degrees! Which felt like -54 degrees to these Floridians, necessitating this outfit:

A beard, layers of clothing, with a doggy blanket to boot. 

They lost. 

It was sad.

But stay tuned for Part II, which involves a major VICTORY at the Marine Corps Marathon.