My parents came to visit and we had a great time! On Friday evening we went out to the Old Country Buffet, their favorite restaurant of the year, and ate the "healthy" food on the menu as well as from a selection of basic desserts. Through their extensive market research, my parents have stated that the Ohio chain is far superior to the food offerings provided in the Virginia chain AND at a fraction of the cost. Yes, this is the east coast - you pay more, get less and skimp on the customer service just to ensure you have an inferior experience.
We came home and I suggested we watch Pride and Prejudice - the BBC version. I just told my parents it was a "little long." Ha. Well, it was apparently engaging enough that we watched the entire thing. That's six hours in front of the tv! This would never have been allowed at my house growing up, but things change when parents are too tired to worry about these details and their youngest child is 19 years old. Well, and it is Pride and Prejudice.
Saturday morning was a little drippy outside thanks to Hurricane Hanna and after realizing all of our umbrellas were in the cars, we headed toward the city and actually found a parking spot right by the Library of Congress main building. I love the architecture in DC. It looks amazing from the outside. However, when you get in the building (on the bottom level) and are routed by the information desk to get a library card, you get to see an entirely different side to the exterior grandosity. We had to follow all of these underground walk ways to some abscure place to get our Library of Congress library card. The cards are intended for use, and not as a souvenor. As usual, how are they going to know? We filled out paperwork and got our picture taken before winding our way through the tunnels to another obscure room where my father asked for some help and my mom and I just checked out a poster on the wall containing the tartan plaids of different families as well as the shields for different clans. Interesting stuff.
And, down yet another winding hall to a larger place were my father requested the book he needed and waited for it's delivery to our seat number. We had to get pictures to show that we were there. I read the latest version of "What Color is your parachute?" while my mother found a real estate book and started taking notes and making calculations. My parents are quite the researchers and I'm amazed that we didn't sit there all day. So many libraries are becoming so advanced that they've lost that authentic feel and the old book smell, but this place felt the way you would want a library to feel. Quiet, a little musty, big tables and your own personal lamp.
Of course, we were able to go to the main public part of the Library of Congress as well and see the Thomas Jefferson library and stand in awe of the intricate ceiling and solid marble surrounding us.
We drove home in the pouring rain and to my parents secret happiness, the BYU game was available on my tv.
My mother gets a little excited about sports. I must mention that during this time my parents kept dropping food and popcorn around my house. Goodness. I finally had to say "children, what is going on!" You don't expect to have to clean up messes made by your parents! Especially my parents who are always cleaning, re-arranging, organizing, clean, etc.
On Sunday we did the usual - church, eat, talk - and then went on a walk out in one of the Manassas Battlefields and came back and watched the Les Miserables movie.
Good weekend with my parents. Too bad we didn't have more time, but there is always more to see on another trip.
