Ample parking day or night, people shouting 'howdy neighbor!'

It's still big, but I think it has been surpassed in its bigness. Nonetheless, it was cram-packed with folks today. I think every single one of them drove a different car. Now, you'd think a place that formerly billed itself as the largest anything would have plenty of parking; you'd be wrong. The lots at Potomac Mills, which has been awarded a Clean Shopping Award five years running, seem plentiful enough, but they're not.

It's just nuts. I guess there's some ordinance that says any mall in Northern Virginia is forbidden have adequate parking. I do not believe there's an award for Enough Parking.

The point of visiting Potomac Mills is to go to IKEA, of course. Ed called this morning--OK, it was about 11:30, and by the time we got to Whitey's for breakfast, it was almost 1--and said he was going out there, and did I need anything, and did I want to come with, and would I be interested in eating at Whitey's?

The option being hanging out with my dad, who came over to use the computer, I was more than happy to head out there.

Although I didn't need anything from IKEA, I enjoyed the travels through the Lamps That Don't Look Like Lamps section. Also, I was fascinated once again by their toy department. The most interesting thing in the toy department was bird feet. Honest! They looked like Big Bird feet, only smaller and they stacked; they came in three different colors (blue, green, orange) and I was unable to find what they product they matched, if there was such a thing. I wanted there to be a bird, I guess.

I did pick up a duvet cover for myself, a shower curtain for RP, and holiday presents for Adam and Maya. Not surprisingly, Ed says he has the same duvet cover in a different color. (I got the white and yellow; he got the purply-gray.)

After that, we tramped down to HomePlace, where Amber and Kevin are registered. Man, is that place weird. It's full of stuff that you can also get on QVC. The boxes and signage proudly announced it. Oh, and did you know that there's George Foreman cookware now? I didn't, until today. Looks like HomePlace is where Middle America shops for housewares.

After failing to find anything that was on the registry list--for instance, I found the right brand of ice-cream scoop, but not the model they want--I decided on some really cool measuring cups plus a gift certificate. Ed got some stainless steel bowls plus a gift certificate. Of course, we had to run all over the store trying to find where you get the gift certificates. So as I'm standing there waiting for the checkout woman to finish up with Ed's transaction so she can start mine, I spot the Mr. Potato Head Magnetic Fun Kit.

"I wish I'd seen that before I got the cups," I remarked. It's not like the cups were on the registry, but they were bought and paid for. We stood there for a while and I decided I'd keep the measuring cups for myself and get the Magnetic Fun Kit plus a gift certificate.

It was about that time when my body told me it had had enough for the day.

I didn't get a dress to wear to the wedding, which is the reason I said I was going to Hell's Outpost. Happily, I found one at Lands' End online. It's pretty, simple, and a nice color.

Much less effort. Hooray.

before - after