Holidays other federal employees celebrate

Yesterday as you all know was Memorial Day.  A day to honor those who have sacrificed to bring us freedom.  And if the weather were better around here, a good day for the iconic all-American BBQ.  And at the very least, if the weather is uncooperative, such as it was, a good day to have off.   (Be sure to enjoy the pictures of the fun and weather we didn't have on Memorial day.  Can't post without pictures to share even if they aren't related except to demonstrate what we wish we were doing yesterday.)

Uriah, being part of the institution of the defense of freedom, was graciously willing to sacrifice the day that honors the past sacrificers in order to train more sacrificers who are on their way to do more sacrificing.  And being the wonderful and supportive army wife that I am, I oh-so patiently endured this holiday weekend of non-togetherness hoping to have my soldier home at least by dinner time on Memorial day so we could hang out with my brother Jason and our friend Lindsey.  He was only 2 hours later than expected.  Okay, fine.  Dinner at 7 pm.  Eating out it is.  **Grumble, grumble, grumble.**

We got some Chinese/Thai food and then spent 20 minutes getting Jason and Lindsey a pass to get onto Fort Lewis--Oh excuse me, I mean Joint Base Lewis-McCord...stupid name change.  We arrived to a completely empty bowling alley parking lot...closed.  Oh yeah, Memorial day.  Oops.  No bowling.  That's okay.  Let's get some ice cream at the commissary and go home and watch Avatar (yes, the blue people.)  On the way there I bet Uriah that it was closed.  But when we arrived the parking lot was about a quarter full of cars.  Great!  About 10 steps away from our cars a voice from the direction of the front door called out, "It's closed."  Uriah called back in a forlorn voice, "Really?"  The voice: "It closed at 5 for the Memorial holiday."  Then why the heck is the parking lot so full?  Okay, back to the cars.  Throw the kids back in, buckle them back up.  Good thing coming on post was completely pointless!


As a last resort we decided to go to Forza back in Dupont because they sell gelato.  As we drove up I said, "Uh, oh."  They were closed.  Is the universe aligned against us?!  Uriah stopped in the middle of the street, threw the car into park and jumped out.  Flinging his hands up at the coffee shop sign he let out a great moan of dismay.  He turned back to Jason and Lindsey's car and moaned again.  Why?  Why, oh Forza, did you let us down?!?!  It closed 15 minutes before we got there.  They were not closed when we finished our dinner 45 minutes ago.  This was entirely hilarious because there was a car parked facing us a few feet away with people in it.  Probably Forza customers or employees.  I could perfectly imagine their reaction to the freak in the middle of the road, waving his arms and groaning in pain at the coffee shop: "Dang, that guy really wants a latte."

We made one last ditch effort at the gas station, but didn't want to pay $6.50ish for vanilla.  Home we drudged, smitten, defeated.


Popcorn with salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesan (yum!) and the oatmeal cookies I made earlier managed to salvage the evening as we watched Avatar on blu-ray.

Memorial Day is, after all, really a holiday for dead people.  I know, I know, that's not very euphemistic.  Sorry.  But it really is about dead people.  As I tactfully consoled Uriah, "Yeah, it's a federal holiday and yeah, you are a government employee and you're even a soldier, but you're not dead yet, so you don't really need to celebrate it.  You can do that when you're dead."