The Joys of Living at NIH

Yup, we're back in Building 60, living in the Cloister on the National Institutes of Health campus for the month of July. Our old lease ended June 30th and our new place doesn't open up until July 24th. Since The HHMI program is in flux during the summer months, with old scholars leaving before the new ones arrive, there was space for us to have not one, but two one-bedroom apartments. Thats right--this is one cushy place. For one thing we've got an extra 250 square feet of living space, a spare apartment to store all of our packed boxes and unused furniture, a stove, an oven, a kitchen with room to move and a bedroom! Our apartment is next to the laundry room with five washers that add free soap automatically and five dryers that, well, dry clothes really well. To top it all off, we are living rent free this month. Can't say much to top that. Oh wait, we have a dishwasher again. As I write this Scott is making up a song with the lyrics: I haven't done dishes in days, I haven't done them in days, I love dishwashers! Life is good.

There are downsides to living on the NIH campus, however. Today, my ADD and I experienced some of them. I'll preface this by saying that Scott and I (mostly I)locked ourselves out of our apartment four times last weekend. In our defense--the door swings shut by itself and locks automatically and it was a three day weekend... Today Pavlina and I went to the YMCA pool, three blocks away. As I drove out of the parking lot I thought about turning around, parking the car again and just walking instead. Oh how I wish I had for I couldn't have exited without my NIH ID badge. As I drove through the gate exiting NIH I realized that I had forgotten my ID badge (and my driver's license and my cell phone which becomes important later), which I would need to get back on campus. I stopped and asked the policeman at the gate if he could let me back on to go get it, but stupidly pointed out that he didn't know if I really had one, or was just a visitor. Alas, he couldn't let me back on.

So we went to the pool, and other than a little sunscreen in Pav's eyes, had a great time. The weather has been just gorgeous all week, and today was no different. First, we got used to the cool water and practised swimming away from the shark (Pav says "sharp!" which is very enjoyable). Then, we had a nice lunch of PB & honey sandwiches ("like Pooh bear"--two year olds can make the most mundane things special). And finally, back in the pool to play with all the kids from YMCA camp. Pav was really tired by the time we left and she fell asleep even before we got to the visitors entrance to campus, where I began my explaining.

Luckily, I guess, the cop on duty at the entrance was the one who had let us into our apartment when we locked ourselves out on the Fourth, and he did recognize me, which made the process a little easier. Easiest would have been to call Scott at work, and have him bring my ID to me. However, I don't have his work phone number memorized (curse my reliance on technology--it is programmed into my phone) and his cell is long distance (curse our reluctance to give up our Iowa numbers). The cop decided to let me onto campus to get my ID, but because I had Pavlina I couldn't catch a ride with an officer to retrieve it. Because I didn't have a driver's license he couldn't let me drive onto campus, and he didn't even offer to have an officer walk with me and Pav in the stroller. I offered to let the officer drive my car, but they were very against that idea. Too bad for him, its a fun car to drive! We agreed on transferring a sleeping Pavlina in her car seat to the back of a cop car to get my purse and return for the car. Luckily again (since all of you with small children know it is quite impossible to install a toddler seat with a child in it) there was no space for the kid in the backseat so they let me drive home with a police escort to get my ID.

This all took over an hour and the fun was only beginning. As I unlocked the door, carrying a sleeping Pav, I now had to keep the officer from seeing our cat as pets are not welcome at NIH! I hoped Bella would also be asleep in her chair as usual (the comfiest chair in the apartment, with the best view out the window and the softest throw and no one ever sits there except the cat). Unfortunately, I saw Bella running for the door to escape. She was meowing loudly about her desire to explore the hallway so I blathered at the cop about needing to lie Pav down and returning with my purse. He didn't follow me in, phew. I dumped Pav and my keys on the couch and hurried to show him my IDs before anything else could go wrong. As he left I turned back to find the door locked and to realize that now I had my NIH ID badge, my driver's license, and my cell phone, but not my keys. Aargh! Hoping that Pav had gone back to sleep, I set off to find Randy, the building manager.

As Randy unlocked the door Bella tried a repeat performance of the escape routine. Stupid cat sleeps 23.5 hours a day but choose then to display her raucous, obnoxious side. This was now two hours since I left the pool, three blocks away.

Did I mention that I got locked in our bedroom and had to crawl out the window twice so far? Thank goodness we live on the ground floor. I love living here, but am not having the best luck.