afternoon

This afternoon Gavin and I headed down to the campus area to visit Aileen, who has just started classes there. Before going to campus, we stopped at Wild Oats (where I bought some Dr. Bronner's liquid soap - lavender scented, mmm- which they sell bulk for $4.29/lb instead of the $12-something/lb you pay if you buy the pre-packaged bottles), and then at the Half-Price Books on Lane Avenue. I'd never been in the Lane Avenue HPB before (just the Bethel Road one) so I was quite impressed by it. Found many, many books I wanted, but bought none since the one I wanted they didn't have.

Campus was, as always, much changed from when Jason and I were there as students. It was different even than the last time I was down there six weeks ago. So much construction going on, so every week it looks different.

Aileen met us by the Central Classroom building and we walked to High Street, where we were going to eat at Beekman's, a bagel sandwich shop where Jason and I ate many lunches during our time at the university. We walked down High Street and were assailed with political flyers and people wanting us to sign pledges and petitions. Most of the flyers were from Lyndon LeRouche's organization, which oddly seems to be supporting Kerry. Last I heard, which is admitedly a long while back, LeRouche was running for the presidency, so I was baffled to see that, but whatever.

We walked to the south edge of the campus area of High Street before I realized I hadn't seen Beekman's yet, so we turned around and walked back, managing to avoid having yet more flyers and petitions thurst at us. We were careful to hold the flyers we had taken before out in front, our tickets to being left alone apparently. When we got to where Beekman's should be, I was sad to discover that it is no longer there! Jason and I just ate there last year, but now it's gone. No more yummy Beekman's sammiches. At least we got to eat there one last time.

We bought pizza at the Flying Pizza insteas, and took it across the street to sit on the steps by the Wexner Center. There we sat in the shade, eating our pizza and talking. Or rather, Aileen ate her pizza, and I stole bites while wrestling the pizza from the grip of the Gavin in my lap. As we talked, I noticed a girl walking around and around a few feet away. She seemed to be looking for something on the ground, so I asked her if she'd lost something. She responded that her boyfriend had been here just five minutes before and said he had left a key for her on the fifth step, but that she was having trouble finding it. Aileen and I got up and helped her look, but we couldn't find it. Eventually the girl thanked us for our help and said she had to go or she would be late.

After a while, we left to walk back to Aileen's dorm. It was a gorgeous day, warm but not hot, with a clear blue sky, and I was really enjoying all the walking, but by the time we got to her residence hall, my hip was really hurting. I'm not sure why, except that I haven't exactly been Ms Exercise lately and carrying Gavin all that way in the sling must put extra stress on various bits of me. In her room, Aileen showed me around and introduced me to the suitemates who happened to be there. We talked some more, but after an hour, Gavin was getting restless and fidgety and needed a nap, so I got up to leave. Aileen mentioned needing to go to Target, so I offered to drive her there. We went and shopped a while. I found a lovely orange backpack style purse that I really, really, really wanted. It was even on clearance. But I resisted. Still fighting that urge, actually. I really liked that purse. It would have doubled as a mini-diaper bag. It was orange. It had a little pocket on the front for my keys and cell phone so I wouldn't have to fish for them. It was large enough to carry a book with me but not so large I would lose Gavin in it. It... ahem. I digress. All in all, a wonderful, perfect kind of day. One of those days that I look back on and feel all warm and fuzzy about.

Posted by allison at September 30, 2004 11:09 PM