Big big big update

Why haven't I been updating, you may wonder? Well, it was because of that trip to New York I've been talking about. It was more trouble than it was worth to bother my dad for use of his laptop and to get online with it (especially since the only connection we could get was very slow), so I'm updating now. I'll cover most of the interesting points on my vacation.

( Since this will be an insanely long post, I'll use an LJ cut. )

And one more thing...

We have a cleaning lady named Pamela who comes in to tidy up the house every Tuesday. After I got back home Thursday night, Mom told me that Pamela hadn't been in because her son had died. He had gotten into an argument with someone else and it turned violent. He wasn't much older than I am. Mom sent Pamela some money to help pay for the funeral. I never met Pamela's son, but I feel very sorry for her. I don't know what I should say next time I meet her.

Something very strange happened at Decatur House yesterday. We're on Lafyette Square near the White House, so we're near Pennsylvania Avenue, which has been blocked off for a long time. In the afternoon, at 3 PM, some police and Secret Service people blocked off part of H street and cleared everyone out. We kept looking out the windows, wondering what was going on. One of the Secret Service people came in and said that we should stay inside. At four, they told us that a bomb-sniffing dog had detected some explosives or something suspicious, and they wanted us to leave Decatur House and the cordoned-off area. I helped Sarah and some of the others take the silver plate and cups from the parlour and put them in the storage room below the carriage house. Then I got on the Metro and went home. The whole thing was rather confusing and a bit scary.

Later that afternoon Mom took me to Cabin John, where there is a small health club. I signed up for a membership, and I will go three times a week on my way back from work. Since Daniel isn't around, I'll be able to drive back from the Metro instead of taking the bus, so it won't be such a hassle.

Speaking of driving, I finally have a real grown-up driver's license instead of an under-21 license. Mom and I just got one at the DMV this morning. She helped me do my hair and put on makeup (I hardly ever wear makeup, but I might start wearing a little in the near future). It didn't take us that long, since there weren't many people in line at the DMV, and my picture looks pretty decent, although I wasn't smiling so it's not great.

Dad is going to order my laptop on Monday. scifantasy wanted to help me tweak it on July 4th weekend, but I don't know if it will be here by then. I'm also waiting for my Ruse TPBs to be delivered. They won't come for about 11 days. I'll just have to wait...