Am wrapped in cozy down duvet right now, feeling *really* sick, chilled, pukey, and ridiculously exhausted... so rather than the WordFest I generally bombard you with, may I instead present to you, dear Reader:
The Continuing Adventures of Saint Cat and Kerawin!
Saturday Night: Saint Cat arrives to great fanfare and massive hugs! (Photo credit: SiKay, age 2.83)
Sunday: Wandered without hurry through Downtown and Capitol Hill. Gleefully indulged ourselves in beautiful things to wear from Fluevog's and Anthropologie. Contentedly lost several hours at Half Price Books and bought amazing tomes to devour. Got cozy and warm at a café. Read to each other. Walked and talked and caught up on a year's worth of adventures, wonders, and heartache. Reminisced through fourteen remarkable years of friendship. Planned ahead and renewed ~ with a firm handshake ~ an ancient pact, this time with a deadline. Regaled tales and laughed explosively. Wept bitterly while the other listened and comforted. Feasted bountifully at Pho Cyclo and the Capitol Club, where we dove into sumptuous tapas and fell in love with our sweet and darling server, Joshua. Drank wonderfully effervescent young white and deep ruby red wines and finished off with lovely pear kazi cocktails. Came home overflowing with life and love. Couldn't have planned a more lovely, perfect day.
Monday: Ate more fabulous food, picked up the kids from various schools, bought more gorgeous things to wear, listened to wonderful music, talked, laughed, cried some more, and drank copiously. Were informed that we had waited for the #5 bus outside Benaroya Hall on Sunday night just hours after Sigur Rós had performed there. We had no idea they were even in town, and Saint Cat had just come back from a mindblowing vacation in Iceland in April, where she says their music sounds exactly the way the landscape looks. Indeed, her pictures are incredible. So yes, we were bummed. More Mike's, please!
Tuesday: Saw Saint Cat off for more adventures in Vancouver before she returns to us next Monday, just for a night, before she heads back to DC and Doha. *sigh*
My very first indispensible find at Half Price Books. We came upon the store completely unexpectedly, and it was our very first time in. Seeing that both Saint Cat and I are unapologetic Bookstore Wenches (we met and bonded while shelving fiction at a fabulous indie bookstore in Vancouver where we both worked during university), we went absolutely N-U-T-S finding treasures everywhere. I didn't even end up having enough time to go downstairs to check out the massive fiction section. At the end of several hours, we both ended up sitting on the floor with massive piles of goodies and had to mercenarily plunk the majority of our thrilling discoveries into the "Put Back" pile. It was heartbreaking, but we weren't feeling *that* wealthy... or strong.
However, this Smithsonian tome on astronomy was not only my first incredible find, but a necessary one: A great frustration for me is that I sometimes have a really hard time mentally grasping concepts in subjects I'm intensely interested in, like the intricacies of astronomical physics. However, this book not only breaks down the history and science of space study into easily digestible components, but is also written in a wonderfully warm, congenial tone. The amazing irony is that this book came my way just two days after I decided to go to visit Saint Cat in DC, with the absolute intent to visit (among others) the Smithsonian Museum of Aviation and Astronomy!!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!
Shite, I hope these two titles aren't too telling. There were *a lot* of books that didn't get to come home with me, but these two happy finds simply couldn't be left behind: "Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for Women Who Are Changing the World" by Holly Morris, and "A Woman Alone: Travel Tales from Around the Globe."
This final little treasure (and it really is the sweetest bijou of a book) is called "A Venetian June," written by Anna Fuller and printed in 1896. Yes, that's right, folks, 1896. And if you can believe it, they were selling this pristine 112-year-old book at Half Price Books for a smashing $3. Truly unbelievable. Not only is it an utterly enchanting and engaging tale about a feisty young lass travelling through Italy, but it also has the great fortune of being in fabulous shape. How lucky am I?
And as for Saint Cat...
Saint Cat went a wee bit nuts compensating for having absolutely no time to go shopping at home due to her insanely intense schedule (ie 12-hour days for 14 days straight) and simple lack of good, funky clothing to be found in DC. Fortunately, during this incredibly well-deserved vacation, she not only has time to relax and recharge, but this native Montréaler also possesses a fabulous taste in clothes and a terribly-neglected credit card!
First stop was Fluevog's, where the shoes are so awesomely and eclecticly cool it's hard to believe that Form does indeed Follow Function in John Fluevog's incredibly creative mind.
"Not *boobies*! I said, 'I love my new booties,' you silly."
Must get that branding in!
Does this shot exude a bit of S&M dominitrixy bad-assedness to you, or is it just me?
Okay, time for coffee."
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