This coming Wednesday, Four will change into Five. It is a very exciting time and I’m sorry I will not be here: I am going to an actual professional conference. So next week’s gallery of photo of the day will be different! Not just the same old pelicans and ships, says the woman who lives in the most beautiful place in the world. I need to start packing, actually, because I have done absolutely eff all nothing towards getting myself ready to go except angst out a bit. It’s far away – a four and a half hour drive, says Google, which we all know means five and a half or six. I can’t leave until tomorrow morning because a) my work feels that if you can get there at the scheduled start time by leaving at 6 am or later you do not deserve a hotel room the night before and b) I’m renting a car so the family has my car while I’m gone and the rental place doesn’t open until 8 am Monday morning. And I’m going to have to share a room with a total stranger and honestly, I guess I am just going to start apologizing when I meet them and continue for four days, because I’m a terrible person to share a room with. I wake up at 4 am and don’t get back to sleep until 6 and I’m going to get out of bed at least once during those two hours. And I’m going to read. And I’m going to drink a glass of water. And there is nothing they can do about it, so, sorry in advance, soon to be roomie! I am so sorry!

This past week was, hmm, okay I guess? I already feel as if I can hardly remember it, so let’s look at the photos! Sunday was the day after the Fourth and I took exactly two photos, of which this terrible blurry image of the courtyard is one. The plants are coming in nicely though. Monday, I had to run a sample down to the hospital lab for my brother on my way to work and the hospital is under construction. I like the orange and the blue and the cloudy sky. Tuesday I took Harvey for a walk at the Fort Stevens historical area and these elk were on the side of the road in Hammond. Wednesday, this is what happens when you are walking fast around the track in the gym* and take a picture while you’re moving. Thursday and Friday we have little detail vignettes from the courtyard because my feet hurt, see Wednesday and the *. Observe my cucumber! And the headless Qin warrior who has been following me from house to house since the 90s when I worked at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Saturday, which was yesterday, I actually managed to take Harvey to the beach early in the morning and . . .wait for it. . . take photographs of pelicans! Quelle shock!

And then, there is today. Today, my daughter and I went over to my colleague’s house (her daughter’s cat had kittens 8 weeks ago; when I heard that I knew it was a Sign and time for a Five to have a kitten) and picked up this small one. We brought them (we do not know the gender yet, that has to wait for the first trip to the vet next week) home to my daughter’s house where Soon To Be Five was overwhelmed with this surprise birthday gift. Sushi, we have decided, will be the wee one’s name, based on Mr. Binks’ old toy with the dangling sushi which immediately fascinated kitten. They are completely, as you see, adorable, and playful, and amazing and obviously a cat genius and we are all smitten. Welcome to the family, Sushi! We will do everything we can to keep you safely away from Mr. Binks!

* I was utterly dumb during gym class on Wednesday. We were supposed to walk fast around the track for 16 3/4 rotations, which is to say one mile, and I did it even though my feet and ankles were screaming in pain. Did I talk last week about my insertional Achilles tendinopathy? Yeah, it’s bad. And the creepy heel spurs? My feet are messed up. I now have expensive special ugly sneakers to wear but on Wednesday I didn’t have them yet so I stupidly just kept going in my tiny flat supportless hot pink skechers through the pain. Thus, after that I could hardly walk until like Thursday night. Why yes, I do identify as Gen X, why do you ask?

In other cat news Mr. Binks disappeared for 18 hours beginning Thursday evening and it turns out he was in the car the whole time. He must have climbed in through the open windows and fallen asleep; when I closed the windows Thursday night I didn’t see him. He did not pee or eat or drink in this time – thank the gods it was cool and dim and cloudy – but he seems to be perfectly fine. And he still wants to jump in the car given half a chance.

May this week bring us all the insouciance and grace of Mr. Binks strolling calmly out of the car after an ordeal without a care in the world and the determination of Sushi pulling a toy designed for much larger cats under Five’s bed!