Amanda got here on Wednesday, and for the next couple of days we enjoyed a sort of quasi-vacation:  We ate out at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, and a fun latino chicken restaurant.  Amanda spent the days wandering the halls of the Smithsonian, and I came home early from work (8pm) and didn’t check my Blackberry until the next morning.  It was kind of fun.

Except that the apartment was still a mess — which bothered me on both the aesthetic/organizational level, as well as from a hospitality perspective:  I had a houseguest and was asking her to put up with a half-moved-in apartment.  Amanda said she didn’t mind, and had known what she was getting into when she came — but still, it bothered me. 

So one night after work (Thursday, I think) I asked Amanda what she’d think of an aggressive, errand-running weekend.  She chuckled and said, Okay!

Here’s what we did today:

1. 3.5-mile run
2. Potomac Paint Store – for paint and supplies
3. Heidelberg Pastry Shop – for grilled brauenwurst, sauerkraut and German potato salad
4. Home – to pick up a forgotten item
5. Goodwill – to empty my trunk
6. Ikea – to get a million things (some of which, unfortunately, turned out not to fit into the intended cupboard)
7. J.Crew – to exchange a shirt
8. Lush – to buy soap
9. Levenger – to shop for a father’s day present for Amanda’s dad (don’t worry, Will, no spoiler’s here)
10. Bose – to ogle a sound system that I’m trying to justify buying
11. Pottery Barn – to compare the velvet drapes to the velvet drapes I got at Ikea
12. Telephone consultation with Lady – to get good painting tips
13. Target – to pick up whatever we didn’t get at Ikea
14. McDonald’s – to stave off imminent death from starvation and/or dehydration
15. Home Depot – to get a drill
16. Harris Teeter – to top off the grocery needs before the Sabbath (turn out Amanda has a good influence on me)

That brought us to 5:30pm.  We’d successfully crossed everything off the “errands” list.  So we went home and started the next phase:

1. Watched an episode of Parks and Recreation – to boost morale
2. Dinner at Matsutake
3. Painted the living room
4. Watched another episode of Parks and Recreation – because we deserved a rest

And now it’s time for bed!