A long time ago (in knitting time it was a hat, two mismatched socks, two washcloths, four mouse booties, and several unfinished objects ago) in a galaxy far, far away (Louisiana), Amanda of Clothesknit had an idea. A good idea. A very good idea. Her idea, you ask? Why to start an exchange of sock yarn all around the world. And, thus, Yarn Aboard! was born.

I had never joined an exchange before. But I wanted to. And even though I originally thought I would have to knit socks for my secret pal, I still wanted in. Amanda patiently explained that I would not be required to knit for my pal but just to buy for her. Huzzah! thought I, that’s even better!

So Amanda drew up two lists. She sent out a Drill box that Alison had mailed her from Massachusetts and Alison of the blue blog sent out a Radio box that Carola of sheep and no city had shipped her from Iceland.

I promptly went out and bought yarn and needles for my pal. And then I sat down and waited for the box.

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Three beautiful things from the last week:

1. One of the houses that adjoins the back of ours has a cat they let out into the backyard periodically. The cat enjoys coming over and peering in our bedroom window. Jeremiah and Della took affront at this when it first started happening, but Della has grown bored with the whole thing. Jeremiah still likes to defend our honor, but in a non-bushy kind of way. He stands on the inside window sill, Neighbor Cat stands on the outside window sill, and they box back and forth as if they could actually reach one another. Jer looks just like he does when he’s rassling with Posey in real time. I think he won this morning’s bout because he looked very proud of himself when he eventually abandoned his post by the window.

2. Pericles was an enjoyable romp in the woods Saturday night. It was obvious that the National Shakespeare Theatre enjoyed putting it on, particularly when you saw a pirate character emerge dressed like Captain Hook from Peter Pan.

3. When I was out on the C&O Canal path this weekend, I kept my eyes open for ducklings because I hadn’t seen any yet this season. I did eventually see some on the way home — two little yellow fellows swimming by themselves as well as a wood duck family with three tiny babies (about the size of a Peep, but not as easily melted). I also saw some Canada Geese families, or maybe daycare centers. One pair had 14 young’uns; the other had 17! They were all swimming in lines, just like you see little kids in on field trips. They were utterly adorable.

Bonus beautiful thing: Our favorite Ben’s Chili Bowl counter man, David, was back at work when we stopped in last night. We hadn’t seen him in months and were afraid that he’d left Ben’s without saying good-bye. But instead he’d just gone home for 2 1/2 months for a visit, so it was good news all around.

The Senate did not manage enough support to force the Federal Marriage Amendment bill to a vote. (Thank goodness!) Now that we’ve taken that waste of time and energy off the table, can we please insert a federal finger into more important pies like an exit strategy for Iraq or a plan to institute the Kyoto Protocol environmental standards or a national living wage act?

Or if we’ve given up all hope of our elected officials actually trying to solve federal problems, maybe we can ask them instead to consider equally wacky federal amendments to appease other key constituents, such as the amendment that all adults over the age of sixteen must drive an SUV made in the United States.

Somewhere along the line (and I can’t point exactly to that point when it happened), this week has been booked solid:

Monday: Mayoral candidate’s forum (see below)
Tuesday: First meeting for volunteer knitting gig
Wednesday: D.C. for Democracy Meetup
Thursday: Movie (Tentative; this may be my respite day yet)
Friday: World Cup kickoff party

No, none of it is onerous. Yes, much of it is fun. But it’s still exhausting to contemplate…

I also think that there are plans for the weekend, although, for the life of me, I can’t remember what they are right now. I know there are two baseball games next week…

Rudi and I went to one of the mayoral candidate fora tonight and I thought I would share a couple quick thoughts about the five major candidates running for office:

• Linda Cropp, D.C. Council chair, is grandmotherly. She speaks quietly and may use her Southern charm to win votes.
• Vincent Orange, Ward 5 Councilman, last used Metro last week when he had a flat tire. He also says that he and his wife regularly use the system to come downtown on the weekend.
• Adrian Fenty, Ward 4 Councilman, had very succinct answers to questions. It was nice to hear a politician answer questions unambiguously for once.
• Marie Johns, former head of Verizon, speaks very quickly. I suspect she spent some time in New York, because no one down here speaks fast. This may cost her some votes, since no one will be able to understand her when she speaks at her normal cadence.
• Michael Brown, lobbyist, demonstrated the most flexibility when he was the only candidate able to switch from his planned closing remarks to actually answer the question as posed by the moderator.

My question was one of three from the audience chosen by the moderator to be asked of the candidates. I was proud, but unsurprised, given I was pretty sure it combined the right elements to be asked in such a venue.

Finally, I remain undecided about whom I like best. I know which two candidates I don’t want to have win, but the other three remain in contention for my vote. I went expecting to like one candidate best, but came away with a much better opinion of a different one. So who knows? They’ll have to work hard to woo me.

The first full weekend of summertime has come to a close, and, if it serves as an example of what’s to come, it’s going to be great. We rode our bikes, went to the farmers’ market, sat out at local eateries, read, visited a museum, and saw a Shakespeare play.

I feel it’s important to make home plans as well as travel plans for the summertime. It’s so easy for the time to slip between your fingers — and it physically hurts when you get to the end of August and realize that you haven’t done anything fun or outdoorsy.

1. Go to the beach. Any beach. It does have to feature sand and water (where I can swim). Salt water is preferable, but at this point I’ll take a pond.
2. Read interesting books. In addition to Pericles (which I read yesterday), I’d like to read Peter and the Starcatchers (before its sequel comes out in mid-July), Fly By Night (which I own but which Grey Kitten read first and liked) The Accidental (because it takes place during summer vacation), The Fourth Bear (because I will buy anything that Jasper Fforde writes), American Vertigo, Democracy in America (because how will I know what Levy’s talking about in American Vertigo if I haven’t de Tocqueville first?), and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Just to name a few…
3. Go to a drive-in movie. There are several in the area. And there’s really nothing like watching a movie from your car. I realize those of you with portable dvd players will not feel the same way. And that’s fine. I would also like to make sure I get to see one of the screens on the green and to just see more movies in general. There are several outdoor movie venues within Metro distance of the house and it’s just a matter of not being lazy — and not having alternate plans the nights they’re scheduled for. And there are seven different theaters within the city limits, more just outside, and several venues (like the Library of Congress and the National Theatre) that show movies as treats during the summer. I have no excuses.
4. Make jam. My breadmaker claims to have the power to help me make jelly. I’d like to test its capacities and see if it will work. I’ve never made jam, but I have remarkably fond memories of raspberry jam Gramma made when I was a girl from the berries we’d pick off her bushes. I asked her about it recently and she has no recollection of ever having made jam. Do you think she was passing off fairies’ work as her own?
5. Knit a tank-top. I have the yarn. I have a pattern I think will work with the yarn. Now I just need to do the math to make one work for the other. It also would be nice if I actually went to one of the public knitting groups instead of just lurking on their email lists.
6. Ride 100 miles on my bike. Rudi would like to ride 100 miles in one day. That’s crazy-talk. I would like to ride 100 miles in one season. By my calculations that’s 33 miles a month or just over a mile a day. Sounds reasonable to me. (And, since I did 16.3 today, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.)
7. Avail myself of the outdoor recreations afforded me in D.C. For instance, I have never been to the National Arboretum. Nor the Friday Jazz nights in the Sculpture Garden. Nor the D.C. pools (which are free for residents this summer thanks to some deal they worked out with a corporate funder). I have never rented a canoe to paddle up and down the C&O Canal. Nor have I rented a paddle boat and spent an hour in the Tidal Basin. I have not gone on a Potomac Pedalers ride, not even the one that goes to the ice cream shop up in NorthEast. I have never mini-golfed at Hains Point. Nor have I played tennis (despite having a racquet down here since we moved) at any of the free courts. You get the gist. There’s lots to do and I should do more of it.
8. Eat outside more. I haven’t taken full advantage of the restaurants that boast outdoor seating. And we bought a grill last summer and haven’t used it other than last summer’s camping trip. I think it would be a ton of fun to organize a couple of barbecues in Rock Creek Park.

Yes, it does sound busy. But none of it is really strenuous. I mean, really. Eat, read, knit, learn things, see friends. But, as I said to Erik this afternoon, I just can’t see that I’m going to look back on my life and think I should have done less of those things.