Just one of them days...

Last Friday was a bit of a mess.  I kept thinking about Alexander and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and that I was having one of those days, too. 

It all started with a trip to the doctor's office.  No one likes to be poked and have blood drawn, especially first thing in the morning, but there you have it, that's how I started my day.

Afterwards, even though I was not feeling well, I decided to walk from the doctor's office to the Einstein Memorial at the National Academy of Sciences.  I snapped some photos of Mayumi playing on the statue and then decided to walk to the Metro via the National Mall.

I was sore and tired, so I had to stop to rest by the duck pond where Mayumi and I had a snack and admired the mallards.  We continued on slowly towards the Washington Monument. Despite how I was feeling, it was a beautiful day and I decided to snap some more photos of Mayumi against the backdrop of the memorials.  I started searching through the stroller to find the camera.

Have you noticed that there are no photos to accompany this post?

"Where is the camera?" I grumbled to myself.

Mayumi looked at me happily and announced, "I took it out."

I stopped cold in my tracks.  Did I mention that I was already feeling pretty awful? Now I had to stop myself from losing my patience.  "Where did you put it, Mai?"

"I hung it on the bench."

I hobbled back to the duck pond (it felt like it had taken forever to get to where I was and now to have to turn back?!).  No camera.  I stopped at the concession stand - "Has anyone turned in a camera this morning?" 

No.  Tried at the Information Kiosk at the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial.  No luck.  The Information Desk at the Lincoln Memorial.  Nope.  At the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  Nothing.

I fought back tears as I retraced my steps back to the Metro, trying not to think about how this is the THIRD camera I have lost in my lifetime (the other two are a story for another time).  I endured the train ride, just wanting to get home to crawl into bed, feel sorry for myself and sleep. 

But guess what happened when I got to my front door?

I had forgotten to bring my house keys with me.

I still did not cry.  I called Mr. Q and let him know I was hopping back on the Metro and meeting him at his office to pick up his set of keys.  He did not chastize.  Instead he took me to his work cafeteria and fed us (by this time it was two and we hadn't eaten lunch yet).  Then he took the rest of the day off and escorted us home.

It had been a crummy day.  But you know what?  It could've been worse.  And at least I finally got to go to bed...

But alas, my camera is gone, despite multiple phone calls to the Park Police.  Mr. Q suggests that maybe for Christmas we'll be able to get a new one.  So until then, dear, sympathetic readers, forgive the lack of  photos!