quiet weekend
May. 4th, 2009 12:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterbadgerSummary: WWII wargame Saturday with Bryan and Eric, DC United beats FC Dallas in the evening. Sunday a trip to the farmers' market, dinner with neighbours, and the island of Mull on TV.
Bryan and Eric came over Saturday morning and we fought our way through the rules of a new game, and then fought our way through a battle and then played it again switching sides. I think we had a pretty good handle on the rules by the end of it. More discussion coming shortly on my gaming blog.
After they took off, I headed down to RFK for Saturday night's MLS game. DC managed to stamp out the FC Dallas despite the latter scoring first.
Sunday I got up late, pottered about, called my mum, and met a friend at the Takoma farmers' market, where I got a few things for dinner (plus a loaf of the Struan bread I can never resist from a good local bakery). We had lunch at Savory, and then I headed home to potter some more and make dinner for my neighbours Kevin and Christy. Brisket, glazed carrots, and what were supposed to be potato and celery pancakes but ended up being potato and celery hash (I'm giving up on making stuff out of potatoes other than mash). They came up with a big jug of beer from the Flying Dog Brewery, I served up some cheese and biscuits for starters (a nice Huntsman--combination double gloucester and stilton--and a mild gruyere. We emptied off their growler just in time to sit down to dinner, and I had a nice Manischewitz to go with the brisket. ;-) Most of the food, plus some sorbet for dessert, polished off and everyone yawning, they headed off for bed (or some late TV) and I watched the "Eagles of Mull" program that![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
redactrice had tipped me off to.
It was lovely, both seeing all the lovely beasties that the guy was documenting, and seeing the island itself through the eyes of a really capable cameraman. He seemed surprised that he was having so much trouble spotting otters, but having been briefed by folks at several of the nature sites in the area, I knew that Scottish otters are usually nocturnal! The pictures of the eagles (both sea and golden) were wonderful, and the shots of the whale(s) and dolphins were great--I've yet to see any of these guys in the area. And the scenes of him swimming with seals were enough to assure me that, as I thought, there is *some* point to me taking my snorkel gear with me!
Mostly, though, it was lovely to see so many different views of an area I love so much. I can't wait to be there again! Every once in a while I wonder if it's worth all the hassle and heartache I've gone through (and that lies ahead of me), but hearing Scottish voices and seeing that wild, incredibly moving countryside really answers that any time I wonder. I know there's no way that I could (or would even necessarily want to) live out in the country or the islands full time (at least as long as I have to work). But being closer than a thousand miles to it is important to me. I don't think being close to the Blue Ridge, or (were I) to the Berkshires, the Adirondacks, or even the Rockies is the same to me. I've been in those places and they all have glories of their own, but they don't keep pulling at my heart the way the Highlands and Islands do. It doesn't feel like "home", but it's where I want to be. I just have to figure out how to make that work.
Bryan and Eric came over Saturday morning and we fought our way through the rules of a new game, and then fought our way through a battle and then played it again switching sides. I think we had a pretty good handle on the rules by the end of it. More discussion coming shortly on my gaming blog.
After they took off, I headed down to RFK for Saturday night's MLS game. DC managed to stamp out the FC Dallas despite the latter scoring first.
Sunday I got up late, pottered about, called my mum, and met a friend at the Takoma farmers' market, where I got a few things for dinner (plus a loaf of the Struan bread I can never resist from a good local bakery). We had lunch at Savory, and then I headed home to potter some more and make dinner for my neighbours Kevin and Christy. Brisket, glazed carrots, and what were supposed to be potato and celery pancakes but ended up being potato and celery hash (I'm giving up on making stuff out of potatoes other than mash). They came up with a big jug of beer from the Flying Dog Brewery, I served up some cheese and biscuits for starters (a nice Huntsman--combination double gloucester and stilton--and a mild gruyere. We emptied off their growler just in time to sit down to dinner, and I had a nice Manischewitz to go with the brisket. ;-) Most of the food, plus some sorbet for dessert, polished off and everyone yawning, they headed off for bed (or some late TV) and I watched the "Eagles of Mull" program that
redactrice had tipped me off to. It was lovely, both seeing all the lovely beasties that the guy was documenting, and seeing the island itself through the eyes of a really capable cameraman. He seemed surprised that he was having so much trouble spotting otters, but having been briefed by folks at several of the nature sites in the area, I knew that Scottish otters are usually nocturnal! The pictures of the eagles (both sea and golden) were wonderful, and the shots of the whale(s) and dolphins were great--I've yet to see any of these guys in the area. And the scenes of him swimming with seals were enough to assure me that, as I thought, there is *some* point to me taking my snorkel gear with me!
Mostly, though, it was lovely to see so many different views of an area I love so much. I can't wait to be there again! Every once in a while I wonder if it's worth all the hassle and heartache I've gone through (and that lies ahead of me), but hearing Scottish voices and seeing that wild, incredibly moving countryside really answers that any time I wonder. I know there's no way that I could (or would even necessarily want to) live out in the country or the islands full time (at least as long as I have to work). But being closer than a thousand miles to it is important to me. I don't think being close to the Blue Ridge, or (were I) to the Berkshires, the Adirondacks, or even the Rockies is the same to me. I've been in those places and they all have glories of their own, but they don't keep pulling at my heart the way the Highlands and Islands do. It doesn't feel like "home", but it's where I want to be. I just have to figure out how to make that work.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 06:09 pm (UTC)I'm lucky: I feel this way about Oregon. I hope you can get to your heart's home soon, my dear.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 05:31 pm (UTC)If you set up your Skype I can also provide a Scottish accent too - otherwise you'll have to make do with emails :-)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 05:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 07:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 07:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-05 07:44 pm (UTC)"Geez, that must be a REALLY tough section--she's really panting now!" :-)