Alicia invited us to run the Bay Bridge Run in Annapolis, Maryland. It’s a big race – 18,000 people over a four-mile suspension bridge.
This was my fifth time visiting Alicia’s house, and we do new activities every time!
Alicia picked me up from the airport and had a cold Diet Mountain Dew in the cup holder for me. She also did this last time she picked me up from the airport, and I can hardly tell you how delighted I was and am. Please, other people in my life take notes that it takes very little to earn my undying love. My love language is apparently ‘Brings you pop after you got up at 1:45 a.m. to make it to the airport and also gave you their points to get there.'
Alicia, husband Bobby, son Billy and I went to the Tug of War in Eastport. (They call it The Tug, and promote that it starts at the crack of noon!) Our high school has a tug of war during their pep assemblies and I always comment on how wholesome I find the whole thing. This was next-level wholesomeness! The towns of Eastport and Annapolis challenge each other to a tug of war, and then they have a whole evening’s worth of them. Like the Eastport fire department vs. the Annapolis fire department. The Eastport real estate agents vs. the Annapolis real estate agents. Just good, brute strength fun.
There were a ton of people there, food trucks, a marching band, art for sale, interesting people watching, and basically everything that makes up a good festival PLUS a tug of war. I liked the atmosphere.
It began with our national anthem, and when it got to the line, ‘Oh say does that star spangled’ – the crowd that was not previously singing really yelled the “OH” loud and hard.
I asked Alicia and Bobby why, and they told me it was for the Orioles. I’d not heard that before.
As soon as we got there I reached in my jacket pocket for money and learned that my driver’s license and credit card, which I knew I had put in there, had fallen out because I had failed to zip the pocket.
“That’s because you just told that story about Cole’s phone falling out of his zippered pocket,” Alicia said. It was true. I had just told that story. I locked my credit card online.
I put it out of my mind, hoping that they were actually back in my room, even though I secretly knew they were not. After we were done at the festival, (who won? Lots of men wearing gloves), I searched my room and saw they were indeed…not there. I emailed the fire department, searched ‘how to fly without your license’ and hoped for the best.
Laurie arrived from North Carolina! We three went downtown to eat at The Goat. They had great burritos. As we were sitting there, I got a phone call from a 413 number. It was Monica at Bread and Butter, and she told me she had my driver’s license and credit card, and I could pick them up at her restaurant anytime. Oh, people are so nice. Thanks Monica!
We next went to the Annapolis Market House, where we ran into Alicia’s friends, and then upstairs to Middleton Tavern, where a guy plays piano and everyone sings along. We were going to call it a night when we got a text that the race for the next day was cancelled. They cancel it if it’s going to rain, and it was predicted to rain.
We had all trained so hard for this race and were basically in our athletic primes, so this was a big disappointment. Just kidding. We had not trained at all but were disappointed because it was going to be fun. We quickly recovered by realizing now we did NOT have to call it a night, so we listened to more songs there, and then ended the night at the Annapolis Yacht Club. The boats and the moon were so pretty, and Alicia and Laurie are always a lot of fun.
Day Two
Alicia drove me to Bread and Butter Kitchen to pick up my ID and credit card. So easy, so happy.
Alicia had the great idea of going on a golf cart tour of the U.S. Naval Academy! First, we decided that we would put on our race shirts and bibs and go running. Then it started to rain really hard, and we decided that they would drop me off, I’d run in the rain, and they would drive back because they are smarter than I am. Alicia lives right by water and it is always a beautiful run on the beach! I saw lots of people in the same race shirt and we all cheered each other on. Who needs an organized race?!
We got ready, parked downtown, and met up with our tour guide June. It was just her and the three of us in the golf cart. The tour was super interesting, and she was a great guide! I cried a few times when she told about people who had died while serving. (My brother Gage graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and I’m very proud of him.) The grounds and buildings and facilities were beautiful, and I loved seeing the little midshipmen all over. After the golf cart ride, we walked into the building Billy swims in, the crypt, and the chapel. Totally recommend.
We ate lunch at McGarvey’s, which has a tree growing in the middle of it which is somehow very charming.
We walked into the city and there was a festival going on – some sort of fall tasting festival. I said to Alicia that they just had a festival yesterday. She said there is a festival every day. What a blast!
Alicia walked us around to a few shops that she likes, and they were cute and interesting and had different items than I usually see.
We went to the Yacht Club and looked at the boats and that water. Alicia, who is not from Annapolis, really appreciates the beauty of where she lives. It makes it even more special.
We had dinner at Adam’s on 4th and talked about football with the people there. Ravens won and Lions won! Let’s see if we can work it into the national anthem.
Day three
Alicia and I went for a walk on her beach. We saw a bald eagle. I see eagles at home but am always excited by them. A few minutes later we saw a fox, and I never see foxes! It trotted right up the stairs of a person’s home, and I thought – did I just take a picture of a dog? But Alicia reassured me it really was a fox. Maybe they have a fox as a pet.
We said our goodbyes to Bobby, Billy, and then Laurie, and Alicia drove me to the airport. After I went through TSA, I realized that I only had my backpack. I did not have my roller bag. I turned around and saw my roller bag coming through the conveyor belt.
“Oh!” I said to the people there. “That’s my bag.”
“That teal one?” the woman said. “We just figured you forgot it and put it up on there. I mean I guess it could be a bomb, but we hoped not.”
“Thank you!” I said, wishing she hadn’t said ‘bomb’ so loudly while in line with TSA people who had not been paid for 41 days. I certainly did appreciate her doing it, thinking about how they could have sent it back into some office that would require me doing an entire song and dance to get it back. I was happy that people were so nice.
Also, I wondered – what am I doing? Why am I tossing my possessions about, like scattering flower petals into the wind?
I’m a free spirit, I decided. Those social norms aren’t holding me back. I’ll make it through without ID, credit cards, or a suitcase of clothes. But happily, thanks to nice people, I didn’t have to find out if that was true.
It was another great trip to Annapolis, and I’m sure it’s not my last!
