A Very Special Weekend, Part V

Meg on the Potomac

We said goodbye to Kim and left the swap.  Aeify scored a scarf and a wonderful bracelet which she wore because it went with her dress ~ but she left it for me.  Aeify, by the way, is a big scarf fan.  I have yet to learn to appreciate the attraction of the scarf.

We found our way to Old Town Alexandria without incident.  Old Town is the waterfront part of Alexandria, and is a mix of historic homes and newer shops.  There are a lot of boutiques and few chains.  And there are a lot of restaurants.

We parked about five blocks from the Potomac river and walked up Duke street towards the water.  Duke at that spot is quiet, residential, old, and the streets are a mix of cobblestones and bricks.  I was glad I didn't have stillettos on.  My comfortable slides were not the most glamourous shoes I own, but they were without a doubt the best choice.

A shopping note: I didn't plan to get slides.  I like heel support because I don't want my shoes flapping and slapping as I walk.  I looked at several shoes and picked two pair of open-toed shoes before one of my Arizona trips.  One is the pink wedges that I love, and the other were lower heel with an ankle strap.  I picked up a box in my size, glanced inside to make sure it was the right shoe, and made my purchase.  Except I didn't notice it wasn't the right shoe: it was the slides I've come to love.

The weather wasn't bad.  We walked to the river and turned north.  We walked a few more blocks to some of the local attractions like the Cherry Blossom, a Mississippi River style paddleboat (funny thing to show a woman who lives on the mighty Miss) and we spent a little time in the Torpedo Factory.  That's a WWII factory that's been converted into a artist space.  There are dozens of studios where artist create their paintings, sculptures, and so on.  It's a unique sort of space and worth a little time.

We walked up King Street (yes, there are also Prince and Queen streets) which is pretty much wall-to-wall shops.  We stopped in some clothing and jewelry stores and looked around.  Mostly Old Town is out of my price range but it's fun to look, especially when dressed.

At Dinner

We were welcomed in various stores, got a "hello ladies" when we sat down to an early dinner at a Tapas restaurant and had a rather ordinary "girls' day out."  Yes, I used the ladies' room at the restaurant.

We also stopped in a "Life Is Good" shop and Aeify traded her cute shoes for what she said were the most comfortable flip-flops ever.  I was fine with my slides. :)

As we were walking back to the car, Aeify stopped to take several pictures of the houses and such.  Old Town is a picturesque area, and worthy of a stroll and some memories.  At one point, she took a picture of someone's house and landscaping.  The homeowner was nearby, trying to untangle a garden hose.  She came over to us and said "would you like me to take a picture of the two of you?"  We thanked her and handed her the camera.

We also went past a cupcake shop which Aeify could NOT resist.  She bought three cupcakes and took a picture of Meg and the pink cupcake box.  I didn't realise what a girly experience cupcakes are.  I thought they were just, well, little cakes.

That's pretty much it.  We picked up some groceries on the way back and I had such a great "girlfriend" time I almost feel guilty.  But it felt like my vacation as much as Aeify's.  I was relaxed and felt great afterwards.  I wish my "Meg life" was like this all of the time.  I've mentioned this before ~ the best way to go out dressed is to go with a friend.  I think dressing is such a solitary activity for so many of us that it's almost a drug high to go out with someone else.

Oh... one other thing, not t-related.  Aeify drove her rental back to the airport the next morning and I tagged along, figuring I could take a cab home before going to work.  We dropped off the car, checked her bag and saw a massive line for security.  We were hoping we could grab a bite first, but saw that there wouldn't be time since the security line would only be getting longer.  So I got on line with her and we talked and snaked our way to the front of the line.

Eventually we got to the nice TSA lady who took Aeify's ID and ticket and checked them out.  By this time, we were pretty much in the middle of a maze.  TSALady looked at me and I said "I just came along to keep her company.  How do I get out of here?"  She directly me to cross in front of the lines and go out through an unused aisle.  She didn't seem happy.  I was surprisingly not challenged as I cut across all of the lines.

And I do need to include one more picture:

Aeify's SECOND parallel park EVER :D

---