Fall Field Trip

 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 – Fall Field Trip

Brrr…it was chilly outside this morning, but sunny after yesterday’s dramatic stormy weather.  Perfect weather for a fall field trip, I said to Elliott when I got back from the gym.  Our destination – Assagi Osteria, an Italian restaurant in McLean, Virginia.  Bright yellow walls, fresh flowers, colorful ceramics, and a cheery buon giorno greeted us.  Of several enticing dishes on the menu, I chose something new – halibut with a sauce of fava beans and baby clams – while Elliott tried a more familiar grilled chicken paillard.  We finished up with apple cake and wonderful coffee.  So good to be out with Elliott again!

Then it was on to Home Depot.  We’ve finally decided to start the bathroom remodeling process.  At this point, we’re just looking for ideas.  If anyone has advice to share, we welcome it.  And before returning home, we stopped at the new Mom’s Organic Market in Merrifield that opened a few days ago.  It’s a great addition to the neighborhood.  (Has anyone ever tried Black Soybean Tofu?)  It was tea time when we got back to the house.  Green tea with brown rice is perfect on a crisp fall day.  

The change of seasons is often a time for reflection.  I’ve been thinking a lot about this new stage of my retirement.  First came the frenetic phase, when I tried to do everything possible – movies, concerts, restaurants, museums, hosting dinners, etc.  A blank day on the calendar wasn’t permitted.  It was fun, exciting, and exhausting.  Of course, all of that came to a crashing end when Elliott got sick mid-summer.

Most recently, I’ve been in self-imposed relaxation mode, trying to recover from the excesses of the previous eight months.  However, I’ve now had enough of this life of leisure.  I spent most of the past ten days, including the weekend, relaxing at home.  I’ve read three books and watched three movies on Netflix.  Elliott doesn’t require constant attention anymore, and I’m eager to get back out into the world.  I’ve started going to the gym again.  I’ve made a half-hearted attempt to get back to painting by collaborating with Elliott.  But I clearly need more.  In fact, I almost envy my colleagues who are still in the classroom.  Well, not exactly, but there’s something missing in my life at the moment. 

Maybe subbing at AHS on Thursday and Friday will help fill the void temporarily.  I’m looking forward to seeing friends and former colleagues, and to interacting with students again.  But I don’t think I’ll be satisfied in the long run unless I find more away-from-home opportunities for intellectual growth and social interaction.  Taking a class at George Mason University might be part of the answer, as long as I don’t end up over-scheduled and stressed out again.