Now I should probably qualify this with the real story of what happened but the "mostly true" story is lots more entertaining so I'll just fill in small details. We went up camping over my birthday weekend and went to Fallingwater which was so incredible. I felt a little out, everyone said they learned about this place in high school but i certainly didn't ever hear about it until 2009. Anyway, the house built by Frank Lloyd Weber in the '30s is beautiful and incredibly innovative for it's time. The leaves were all just starting to change which made for beautiful walking around the perimeter. When we finished out tour we started back to the Visitor's Center when this man with a flannel jacket and a raggety, long blonde ponytail passed us. My friend mentioned that he thought it was someone famous, I wouldn't recognize Opera if she tapped me on the shoulder so I told him i was the wrong person to ask. Turns out he went up and talked to him and it was Mr. Kilmer! Who knew he enjoyed the great outdoors in podunk PA? Yesterday we were trying to make up a better story about him coming camping with us and brushing his hair and stuff... i think the flannel jacket part of the story is hard enough to wrap your mind around ;)

The second run-in I had last week was a much more exciting reuniting. Last Friday I was quickly walking across the hall at work from one classroom to the next and saw a very familiar face from when I was in high school. I did a double take and then a triple take and sure enough, there was Steve, in the hall with his little visitor tag on! He came into town to run in the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. I guess they were in the neighborhood eating lunch and stopped by to see me! It was great to see him and his family, it's been far, far too long. Don't tell him but i might have been more excited to see him mother that him, but only slightly. We went and checked out some museums 2 weeks when he was here for a wedding and then saw the finish line last week. I am always amazed to see marathon runners, it's a really emotional experience. It is a feat beyond anything i can describe and I send out madd props to Steve for finishing the run all around the District. We were all so proud.

(Rehydrating after the run... he may or may not have collapsed when it was all over. Lookin' good, stevie.)

I also FINALLY made my way to the National Zoo to see the colors... DC is good for a lot of things and one of them is the colors in the Fall.

And yes, it's official, i am a quarter-century old. It's caused me to reflect a lot on life, where I am, what my options are ahead of me, what i've accomplished and still want to accomplish. I'm glad to have these landmarks when i can reevealuate things that are becomming more important to me. I've decided to start making a running of list of things that make me really, really happy.

At the top of the list:

Handwritten letters from my Grandma Clark.

(My birthday cake as we camped in the FREEZING cold rain... you can even see my dimple on the cake. Must mean it's getting more pronounced as i get older...)

The B-day spent with good friends at home. D got me the boa, it's not a regular accessory. Until now. And Claire chose the wildly aerodynamic decorations over the table. Love that girl.