home again home again

I went home to VA last week (albeit briefly) and forgot to have any sweet tea. Sacrilege, I know. But I did have Chesapeake Bay steamed crabs, and encountered beach traffic on I-95 both Friday and Saturday. So 2 out of 3 summer rituals in Virginia were successfully upheld. Thanks to my parents who are probably reading this with their new and exciting broadband.

We're about to get a grocery store right by my office. It's slated to open later this month (probably when all the students come back). My excitement can hardly be contained, because it means an end to the weekly Rite Aid trips. These usually culminate with bags of hot fries for me, pork rinds for my colleague, and too much chocolate and/or soda. This week, we had a taste testing of the new Sour Patch kids in fruit shapes. I'm hanging my head in shame as I write this. Once Fresh Grocer opens, there shall be healthier lunches and snacks around here. I will need to vacate my desk around September when the new AmeriCorps person comes in. Right now, the top middle drawer holds office supplies, the bottom right drawer contains files and important documents, and the top right drawer is home to my snack collection and extra plastic bags I keep meaning to recycle.

If you just read the above paragraph, you may realize that a new AmeriCorps person will be starting here in September, meaning that I am no longer in AmeriCorps. My term ended two weeks ago and it hasn't really hit me yet. I'm still doing the same basic things (teaching summer programs to middle schoolers, helping out with the home visiting paperwork, living in the same place, etc.). I'm waiting for it all to sink in: no more member meetings, no capacity building sessions to plan, no Dexter St. parties or cookouts, many fewer rides on the last bus home. Sigh.