So Friday morning we loaded up the car and headed north. We took 29 through Virginia - so pretty, what we could see of it, through the fog and the rain - to 64 west for a little while so we could hop on 81 north so we could get on 70 east. It was a gigantic circle, and less direct than 85 to 95, but we avoided the ugliness that is 95 into DC and 95 from Washington to Baltimore. And it worked, too - we made good time until we hit the 70/695 junction. We left at 9:30, and with a half an hour lunch break, multiple bathroom and gas and coffee stops, and spending an hour on 695, we were still at yesthatjill and flummox's house by 6:15. I've had much worse drives north.

We went out for Mexican for dinner, and then sat around and talked until it was time to crash.

Yesterday morning, we got up and wandered over to Starbucks for caffeine and breakfast and more conversation and knitting, and then came home and made up a grocery list and headed back out to Safeway (Jeff was happy; we stocked up on his favorite enchilada sauce). We came home and made crack bacon wrapped dates and gingerbread and lemon sauce (which I tried to turn into caramel by accident, but we saved it), and then trundled off to a party some of yesthatjill's coworkers were having. They seem to be of the geek tribe, so after eating taco salad and this chocolate covered rice chex stuff that was wicked good, we embarked on an epic 4 hour game of Apples to Apples, which the grad student who didn't know anyone but the hostess and who came in late ended up winning, but madgenius was awfully close, too, and only knew 3 of the people there. It was pretty funny.

We came home and had gingerbread for dinner, and watched Iron Man, and chatted and knitted (I'm working on a fish blanket for a pregnant coworker's to be daughter, and I'm up to 4 fish, woot), until everyone turned into a pumpkin.

So far, it's been a lovely weekend, and just what we all needed, I think.