Here we come a-caroling

Still playing catch-up on the blog, so hope you guys enjoy all of these holiday-themed posts.  At least they're making an appearance in January instead of May or something.  Phew.

My D.C. time is coming to a close rather rapidly, and did you know that while I have done A LOT over the last couple of years, there are still plenty of things that just aren't going to happen?  The week before Christmas, though, I got to check one more thing off the list - a visit to Ford's Theatre.  Now, while I missed the "live historic interpretations by professional actors and National Park Service Rangers" that go on during the day (here's hoping the actors do the acting while the Park Rangers provide info and not the other way around), I did get to do something pretty cool - see "A Christmas Carol" in all of its Christmas wonder. 

Craig and I braved the freeeeeezing temperatures and brutal wind for the short walk from my place to our wonderful pre-theater dinner at Poste, a nifty restaurant located in the original 1841 General Post Office.  We warmed up with some ridiculous French onion soup and other tasty things, then took a quick stroll through the lobby of Hotel Monaco to soak up a little Christmas cheer.

Christmas cheer in place!  Also, bundled up to face the elements

We froze our way over to Ford's Theater a couple of blocks away, where I managed to take my gloves off long enough to snap just a couple of pictures before my fingers froze and crumbled to the sidewalk in a pile of frozen finger dust.  Ok, I still have my fingers, or else these incredible robotic fingers that are fairly nimble when it comes to typing.

One of the randomly cool things you come across in D.C. - old call boxes all over the city that have been painted to reflect something of historical significance in the neighborhood.  It's a pretty cool project!  Obviously, Mr. Lincoln and his untimely end pretty much dominate this block of 10th Street NW.

We got there just in time to sneak in and unbundle ourselves before the show started, so I snapped a few pictures at intermission - the stage all decked out all 1840s London-style and the box where Lincoln was shot:

Just another night at the theater!  Oh, in a theater of great historical significance while being filled with Christmas spirit.  Pretty cool night.  Actually, it was very cold.  But you know what I mean.

If I'd known you were coming, I'd have baked a cake

Oh, wait...I did!  Last weekend two of my best gals came to town for some much needed girl time (and a reunion of the never-formed middle school girl rock band Erin & The Karries/Carrys/Kerries), and I decided we needed a cake.  For breakfast.  That's how I roll.  Plus remember all those apples?  I have to do something tasty with them.  I give you cranberry apple cake, which was at its best in breakfast form with some whipped cream.

Now that I've addressed the cake...on to our weekend.  Oh, wait, one more specific food/beverage item.  There's a fabulously beautiful pitcher I picked up in Spain - I realize your first photographic introduction to it is happening right now, sorry about that - and there's only one thing to do with this pitcher: fill it with sangria.  Pour that sangria into three glasses, accompany with cheese and crackers and grapes, and proceed to have GirlFest Talk Session for hours.  That's what Friday night was for.

After starting Saturday with healthy breakfast fruit (ahem, fruit in cake form), fortifying ourselves with coffee, and generally annoying the cat...

I believe someone has claimed the bed...

...we had a quick (and actually relatively healthy) lunch at Chop't (straight-up salads, ya'll!) in my neighborhood before heading out to Georgetown for an afternoon of shopping.  Since shopping is exhausting, we rounded out the afternoon with a random Erin-narrated driving tour of various parts of DC, then chilled with a down period at home.  More cheese, more crackers, and some Breakfast at Tiffany's.  Yes, please.  We then took Kerry to Virginia for the first time (check it off the list!) and picked up the boy for dinner - Mexican food at El Paso Cafe! 

All about that Mexican food!

We followed up our plates of cheesy goodness with dessert and wine at Grand Cru, where I apparently was rather focused on attacking my fondue.  Melted chocolate is pretty delish.

Chocolate, you are mine!!

Sunday adventures - we took a lap through the Air and Space Museum, pausing to reflect on such crazy things as people actually coming up with the idea to fly and to oh yeah GO TO OUTER SPACE.  Oh, and I made the girls pause in the middle of the street for a picture.  Don't worry, there's space for this...not smack dab in the middle of the vehicles...

We then headed over to the Musuem of the American Indian for lunch (I know, it's the only place I ever eat over there - it's just SO good!), and then a failed attempt to tour the Capitol.  I forgot it wasn't open on Sunday.  Oopsie.  And the Library of Congress isn't open on Sunday, either.  Drats.  But Starbucks is!  We walked over to Union Station, appreciating the beautiful fall weather and foliage along the way, and enjoyed some warm and tasty beverages.  Then, since nothing of historical significance seemed to be working out, we shopped again.  I'm very skeptical of this whole skinny jeans thing, especially on my non-skinny legs, which is why you need supportive and honest friends for the process.  I think it could be a possibility...

After further shopping adventures, we made our way home via the White House and a quick pass through the presidential portraits at the National Portrait Gallery.

After some tasty pizza at Matchbox, we dropped off Carrie at Union Station (boo - stay forever!), and then Kerry and I took our tired selves home and laughed our way through When Harry Met Sally.  I really think that might be my favorite movie.  Oh, and of course we stayed up too late and talked and talked and talked.  And Harrison did eventually warm up to everyone, even if he was being a little pushy about having lap space ONLY, no petting, thank you.  Silly boy.

I took a lot of pictures.  Check them out here.

A couple of my forever people here.  I think I'll hang onto them.  Love you girls.

Let's blow up some stuff

Setting:  Our nation's capital.

Date:  July 4, 2010

Objective:  Celebrate America's birthday.  In the coolest (temperature-wise, not in the "oh, you wish you were cool like me!") way possible.  With minimal stress.

Obligation:  Feel compelled to attend celebration on National Mall with free concert, fantastic view of fireworks, sense of awe and national pride swelling in my heart as the patriotic music crescendos and voices young and old ring out.  After all, bajillions of people are in town right now for this very reason.  Am I missing out if I don't go??

Revision to obligation:  Truly feel no compulsion to leave my delightfully air-conditioned apartment ten hours ahead of time to stake out spot on National Mall, surrounded by heat, humidity, and an undetermined amount of small children who may or may not be well-behaved.  Porta-potties.  Lines.  Sweat.  Bugs.  Crowds.  My patriotic enthusiasm fades by the minute.

Best plan ever:  Travel nowhere, except up three flights of stairs fifteen minutes ahead of time to snag a spot on the roof for fireworks viewing with my mostly well-behaved neighbors.  After all, I have this great D.C. apartment with a roof for a reason, right?

Besides, what is this holiday about, really?  In the truest American sense, we just want to blow up some stuff.  And I can see those exploding fireworks from my roof.  Done.

They've gone city, part two

Have you seen enough air and space things yet?  No, no you have not!  Which is why the parents and I actually found a parking spot right by the Air & Space Museum (!) and continued to explore the fascination that is air and space amazingness.  I actually do really love the Air & Space Museum and could spend excessive amounts of time in there.  I am truly my father's child.  We were fascinated by missiles (although apparently not the ones my dad worked on back in his Army days)...

...and played space flight director...

...and marveled at what the Wright brothers managed to put in the air...

...and took a break for lunch by going over to National Museum of the American Indian, which (1) is conveniently located right next to the Air & Space Museum, (2) is WAY tastier than McDonald's, (3) gave us a chance to feed the parking meter, (4) provided a minor break from the airplanes because food ranks right up there with airplanes on Dad's awesomeness-meter...and then we went back and were generally fascinated by all manner of aircraft.

After the airplanes, we rested and chilled with Harry before having a lovely dinner with Dana at District Chophouse.  The Texans and the New Yorker are equally fascinated by each other and the vast differences in natural habitats, I assure you.

More D.C. adventures...after we slept in a little bit the next day, which was truly lovely.  If you know me at all, you know how I feel about weekend mornings accompanied by the addiction I just can't, and frankly don't want to, kick (ever!) coffee.  It was remarkably rejuvenating.  And then...on to the D.C. adventures.  For a more chill museum experience after surviving what is one of America's most-visited museums (on a Saturday, eeekk!), Mom suggested the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum, which I love for that very reason - it is pretty chill.  It's also remarkably close to my apartment - score one more.  I mean, just look at the quiet peacefulness, whether it's folksy Americana...

...or a couple of Bushes hanging out, undergoing a close inspection by Dad...

...or a gallery so free of other people that we managed to get Dad to strike a pose.

Ahhhh, I can hear the silence now.  Well, except for the talking garbage cans in the courtyard, which are quite possibly the most polite trash cans ever as they slowly proclaim "thank you" for every piece of trash that goes in.  Mom made a movie of me throwing away our snack trash.  Not gonna lie, my acting skills were kinda awesome there.  It's what won me the part over Dad.  We also spent some quality time in the gift shop and then found a pony for Dad.

We had a special dinner planned for that night per Mom's request for "a place where they dump seafood on the table and you get to whack it."  I've got just the place, Mom.  Last summer I met up with work buddy Stephanie along with her husband and a friend at Quarterdeck in Arlington, which I don't know if I would have discovered otherwise.  Total dive, and an excellent place to get a bunch of steamed crabs and attack them with a mallet.  Well...if you like that kind of thing.  I think Dad had a comment along the lines of "anything that only gives up 10% of its body weight in edible mumble mumble whack whack at crab..."  Let's just say that Dad really enjoyed the appetizers of crab balls and onion rings (can you say two kinds of deep fried deliciousness??), his side of baked potato, and our shared pitcher of Miller Lite, likely because they were all immediately consumable and required no excessive amount of work to get from hand to mouth.  It does take some effort to get out the crabby deliciousness, but once you get the technique down and dip it in butter...oh yum.  Please enjoy the photo spread from the evening (with a notable lack of photographic evidence from the portion of the evening where my fingers were covered with crab goo and were in no way suitable to touch the camera).

Prepare to attack...

Yeah, I made a smiley face out of grease...yipes....

WHAT are we supposed to do with those??

The final verdict

On the way home from the seafood dining adventures, we made a stop at the Marine Corps War Memorial, which depicts the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima.  We managed to get some quiet time in between the buses of tourists arriving and leaving on a very military schedule, and I managed to take about a million shots demonstrating my need for a tripod in order to actually get really good night shots.  For now I'll settle for this.

For our last day together in D.C. (boo), we had two very important items to tackle:  tube meats and old pieces of paper.  Sounds fascinating, doesn't it?  Maybe I should rephrase that as...quintessential street food dining in the form of a street cart hot dog...

...a trip through the National Archives, which unfortunately now prohibits photography in any way, shape, or form in any of the exhibits, so I don't really have much to show you there...except us eating the aforementioned hot dogs right outside the National Archives...

...and a food stop at a D.C. dining institution, Ben's Chili Bowl, where we made short work of some loaded half-smokes, managed to make a dent in the massive amount of fries loading our table, and shared a tasty piece of pound cake.  Yes, we were very, very full when we left.

I really didn't want them to leave, but after one last stop at home to say goodbye to their grandfurchild, it was time to drop off the parental units at their rental car so they could drive down to visit the other child in North Carolina.  So glad you finally made it to D.C., Mom & Dad - hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Side note - why do I feel compelled to blog about things in chronological order?  I'm guessing it has something to do with the same genetic makeup that compels me to be an accountant.  At any rate, last weekend I drove approximately 1,000 miles and moved my sister from Durham, NC to Brooklyn, NY.  Definitely a blog-worthy experience you'll hear alllllll about soon.  And I leave for Dallas (SUPER YAY!!!!!) Thursday morning, so let's see if I can manage to squeeze it in for posting before then.

Blossom-tastic Easter weekend goodness

I know a lot of people who head home for Easter weekend, in the midst of tax craziness and all, because it's important to be with family and celebrate these holidays.  I wasn't in the financial frame of mind to journey halfway across the country for a quick weekend (especially since my parents will be here in THREE WEEKS!!  Watch out, DC, the Bryans are coming to town!), so instead...a wonderful friend from NYC came in for the weekend, and I had Easter dinner with my surrogate DC family (we had ribs...yes, my surrogate DC family is most definitely from Texas...amen).  All in all, really not a bad way to go, especially with the impeccable spring weather Mother Nature bestowed upon the Mid-Atlantic region.

As much as I love Bolt Bus for its reasonable prices and mostly reasonable service, sometimes...sometimes traffic just happens on the Friday of a holiday weekend.  And buses leave NYC twenty minutes late and are then hit by a car on the congested highways, resulting in a little "let's pull over and file the accident report" time.  Poor Judy.  But you know what?  She finally made it!!  We celebrated her arrival and the generally gorgeous weather by heading down the street to a patio and immediately ordering both red wine and chocolate cake (commonly known remedies to travel weariness). 

Saturday morning dawned a little cloudy, so we waited it out with a combination of (1) sleeping in, which you can never have too much of, (2) cinnamon rolls, courtesy of the Pillsbury Dough Boy and entirely delicious, and (3) copious amounts of coffee (the last of my coffee of the month coffee!  I'm a little saddened by this) before heading a couple of blocks over to the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum for some culture and air conditioning.  Have I mentioned how much I love that I live just a few blocks from this place?  I think I have.  It's one of my favorite places in the city.  The Lincoln inaugural exhibit has now been replaced by something slightly less fascinating, which is a little disappointing, but they have so many interesting exhibits and the fantastic courtyard.  Love it.  We worked our way through the Presidential portraits...

...marveled at natural wonders...

The Grand Canyon is THIS BIG!!

...and also made it over to the modern and contemporary exhibits, which included some bright and enlightening Texas time.

 

After a stop at Legal Sea Foods for lunch and a D-list (or possibly lower - what's below D-list?) celebrity sighting in the form of Tennille, former Hell's Kitchen contestant now heading the kitchen at that particular location of a chain seafood restaurant, we started our cherry blossom journey.  The Tidal Basin is the place to be with cherry blossoms in every direction as far as the eye can see, and while it was bound to be mobbed with hordes of people, we knew we wanted to brave it for the photo ops.

We managed to survive the crazy-busy Metro ride to the Smithsonian stop...and proceeded to enjoy the beauty.  Yes, there's a part of me that knows I've done this before, several times, and fought the crowds and agonized over the massive amounts of people and general craziness of the entire event...but it really is beautiful.  Judy and I had a fantastic time taking in the fluffy blossoms and finding the perfect location for a blossom glamour shots.

After working our way through Blossom Central and walking walking walking, we slowly made our way back home (with a minor stop at H&M along the way, of course) and promptly proceeded to fall asleep upon reaching the living room.  All of that walking walking walking is exhausting!  Not wanting to get all exciting again, we ordered a pizza from Matchbox and headed out to pick it up.  And proceeded to take in one of the better fireworks shows I've seen as we paused at the corner of 6th and H to take in the fireworks show, apparently associated with the Cherry Blossom Festival, that I had no idea was happening.  So pretty!  Couch + pizza + wine + An Education + good conversation with a good friend = a pretty great laid-back Saturday night.

Happy Easter!  Sunday we took part in one of my favorite Easter traditions of late...EATING.  Also respectably known as Easter brunch.  We headed over to Georgetown for a tasty brunch at Clyde's and did a little shopping and a little partaking of frozen yogurt in a lovely park before heading over to the massive parking lot at 10th & H to drop off one NYCer for her bus back home.  Even though I'd rather she stay awhile.