Block Party!

I had to spend a couple of days in Washington, DC for work last week, which gave me the opportunity to stop at my brother's house in Maryland. It was great to stop by, but there was a problem. I couldn't leave. I just couldn't. I stayed three extra days.

You see, my brother and his fantastic wife live in a picture-perfect neighborhood. And I found myself sitting on their deck, overlooking trees and lawns. Birds sang, rabbits hopped, as I sat there under a blue sky reading my book. It struck me how incredibly peaceful this was. No one was stomping around the house sneering at me, wishing I would suddenly drop dead. No one was playing rap music upstairs just to bother me. No one was painting a costume on so they could go out to pick up guys.

And I didn't have to hide in the basement, although I really like their basement. I could walk upstairs and there would be someone smiling. Smiling!. Awesome. Sometimes I would walk outside and a neighbor would wave to me. It really was like living in a story book.

Below the 1st floor deck there is a basement-level patio, with very expensive paving stones, landscaping, cushy furniture, and a ceiling fan. The view is beautiful and relaxing. I tried reading my book here too, but I fell asleep instead. The peacefulness was almost unbearable.


On Friday I sat around and relaxed. Friday night I hung out with the other parents of the swim team. None of them tried to kill me or throw out my stuff.

On Saturday I relaxed some more. Then I enjoyed the Block Party that took place right in front of the house! My brother's sister-in-law and husband live across the street, as do his best friends. They all made me feel welcome and so did the 15 families that attended. It was great.

We all ate hamburgers, chicken, and hot dogs. And we drank lots of beverages. We even lit a few fireworks, but only after using alcohol to reduce the perceived danger. And afterwards we hit the hot tub across the street--or so they tell me.

On Sunday I forced myself to go home. I had things to do and I was out of clean underwear. But it was a Fantastic weekend, spent relaxing, reading, and enjoying some really great relatives and friends. Call them anytime and they will put you up.