TDY and Turkey Hunting

The ring fingers in the studio could put a Cartier display case to shame, and I was the only person in the room who hadn’t had major (and recent) “work done,” as we used to say in LA. I had found the trophy wife hangout (a barre3 studio down the street) and I was relieved I had packed some lululemon yoga pants. I maintain that workouts like this one- a combination of ballet, yoga, and pilates- are only for skinny people who want a bit of a toning and an excuse to purchase expensive workout gear (as opposed to those of us who actually need to sweat off the extra beer and cheesecake calories), but a barre3 class at 9am on a work day is a sure way to feel like you’re on vacation.

I wasn’t, technically. I was in Madison, WI for an outreach argument at the UW law school. And we did do some heavy lifting, prepping for the argument and putting on recruitment and outreach events. But I made the most of my baby-less couple of days in beautiful Madison, and squeezed in some much-needed (and appreciated!) “Amy Time.” I went for long runs around the lake, drank Leinenkugel’s and ate cheese curds, found time to get a long-overdue haircut, and got a couple decent nights’ sleep. It was terrific.

Seth held things down at home, although- because of his Tuesday and Wednesday night classes- we couldn’t have pulled it off without my parents, for whom Finley was allegedly an angel. 

She resumed her routine of waking up starving an hour before my alarm as soon as she got home, however. Luckily, she redeemed herself on Friday, when she and Seth met me at the Crystal City Friday Night 5k for her first jogging stroller run (of course we picked a crowded and rainy race to try it out.) I was a little worried that she’d hate it and scream a mile or so in, envisioning myself carrying her back to the start line while pushing an empty stroller. Instead, she spent most of the race trying to stick both of her feet in her mouth, pausing only to crack up hysterically when we ran into the idiots who stopped right in front of us, or giggle and point when we passed someone.

That’s right, our kid is an asshole. Still, I was ecstatic, proud, and more than a little relieved that she had made it the whole way. 

We took her out for dinner afterwards, where she charmed Ted’s Montana Grill and even sampled the sweet potatoes. All in all, my perfect Friday night.

Our weekends have had a “divide and conquer” theme lately, as Seth wastes away in the library working on a couple of big papers he has due while I drag Finley outside to enjoy the spring weather. We’re still figuring out the juggling act, but I was glad we could make an opening day turkey hunt happen for him on Saturday. Especially since he got his first one in a couple of years, and was thrilled about having made the tough shot (and, presumably, finally killing something I'll eat!) The feathered victim also happened to be a “bearded hen,” which is apparently weird and rare. (Sounds to me like a transvestite turkey, which made me laugh. I’m not sure he appreciated it, as it earned me a stern zoology lecture. Love my big nerd.)

Finley and I made the annual trip out to Algonkian Regional Park for the North Face Endurance races. I had bailed on the 50k for which I had registered- since pumping mid-run is really not worth the hassle- but we hung out at the finish and cheered for Josh, who was doing his first ultra. I wasn’t sure if not having run would bother me, but I love the low-key event, and spectating was kind of nice for a change.

Sunday our sweet girl got hit with a growth spurt and what seems to be teething all at once, and spent most of the day either eating, sleeping, or screaming. We still managed a walk on the canal and a reasonably pleasant lunch at Fish Taco before Seth fled for the library. Finley didn’t let me get much done, but we did work out together (pictured here doing supermans, her favorite), which makes her laugh uproariously. I'm not sure whether I should be delighted by this, or insulted.

 Two photos of the week: too cool for school on a walk with my Mom, and

playing with her new alphabet toy. It has batteries and makes animal noises and will likely get old fast, but she does look like a smarty pants playing with it.

Oh, and one more, because we're beyond stoked for the New Mexico Walters. They got their next assignment, and they're going to Misawa, Japan!!