weekend review: when did mötley crüe become classic rock?

I'd told Tam all about the glory of the Legwarmers concerts. 80's music... live... people in costume... what more do you need? It seemed like an appropriate send-off to be a part of my last weekend-ing in DC. The Mack and the Fashionista had hit up Goodwill and the Salvation Army. I couldn't bring myself to buy more themed apparel though to add to my dwindling stash clutter, having donated so much to those very organizations. Instead, I pulled back out my short denim skirt and a pair of my trusty legwarmers and made do with what was left in my apartment (which isn't too much). To add a little umph, Tam and I put Buckeye's unused crimper set to use. Too fun. We gained a full appreciation for the time and dedication it takes to properly crimp.


We all convened at AR's place in Balllllllston beforehand. We parked at the mall and walked over and were clearly walking conversation pieces all along the way. We hadn't even left my apartment complex to go over to Ballston before we had our first comments, which continued throughout the course of the evening. Hey, it's nice when you're going over the top to at least be appreciated ;-) GH, who works for NBC, was on hand to also help to document the event. We ended up on the website, including a picture with one of the lead singers.


Unlike my prior outing, the plan was to make it until the last song on the setlist, with my hope being that they would not opt for an hour intermission during this show. However, shortly after intermission this girl in the crowd decided to up and punch one of the Mack's friends in the face - not once, not twice, but three times. In all of the times I've been to such events, crammed in the middle of tons and tons of dancing people, I'd never seen anything like this firsthand. So not even 15 minutes post-intermission, our group quickly was split in half. For the record, I just don't get people who expect to be in the midst of a crowd like that and have some sort of space bubble around them. If that's your deal, um stay further back? Or perhaps just don't leave home...


Anyhow, the rest of the show was a blast... Tam, KK, and SR danced it up with me in fine fashion. I was definitely glad I was able to see them one last time. Very fun.

Sunday my church did a nice farewell for me. It was the first time I almost cried, as Tx came up to give me a big hug, not letting go. Yes, it will be the people I'll truly miss... Tam and I then hit up Kramerbooks for brunch. It seemed appropriate the weekend included both Kramers and Lauriol, my true original DC staples.


And after today, it'll only be 2 days more...

bruised but not broken

I melt in the rain. No, I'm not the Wicked Witch of the West, but it's a fact. Chances I'll move to Seattle? Next to none.

Email to the girls: "Ok ladies... we're under a severe weather alert. It's been raining on and off all day... rest of night has scattered thunderstorms. Just wanted to see if we're still on, etc. I'm partly worried about getting stuck out in the middle of something..."

Response from DrP: "I'd stand in the rain for Joss."

Response from me: "I wish I could say the same... Love Joss, but I'm not doing rain." (Yeah, apparently this statement was as solid as my futile "I'm not staying out late tonight" comments...)


A bottle of red... A bottle of white...

At 4:40PM I decided I was in. Jeans, tennis shoes, snacks, screw-top wine... I was good to go. It all was peachy keen until some 15 minutes 'til the opening act came on, the rain came tumbling down. And oh it kept coming. Foolish me: "Oh, it's lighter behind... See?? It'll pass!". Sassy just smiled back at me. I think she knew I was foolishly being super optimistic. Smart one there.

It was only as DrP and myself, the remaining members of our posse, were running to catch the last bus to the metro (success!!) that we noticed that the rain had ended. Chances that I'll be getting a refund on an unused emergency poncho purchase at CVS? Um, yeah. Non-existent. However, I can personally vouch for their effectiveness. After three hours of concert, it was still helping to simlultaneously keep the rain off my shirt, my head, and functioning to keep my rump as dry as possible (as the rain had long since seeped up through the blanket - oh well - valiant effort Sassy!).

I'd never seen Joss Stone live and I have to say, she was quite engaging live in concert. I was very glad that Sassy'd decided to spearhead our Wolf Trap outting. Joss came out with a snappy fun retro short dress (much a la Edie). DrP said she'd much improved over her show last year at Wolf Trap. She told great stories of words of wisdom from her "mum" and of her experiences with troubles with the "blokes". I was loving the British slang and soul vibe wrapped all into one.

It was also funny to listen to her view on things as she introduced her songs alongside with the powerful lyrics, much a contrast to the world of "The Rules". Ah, the Rules. At the prompting of the DG, Sassy's been reading the lovely book entitled The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right. My take on the rules? It's a time-tested list of random things to have females obsess with like it's some sort of one-size fits all perfect prescription for dating bliss that's going to magically take you to some sort of state of romantic perfection. Um no.

I've harped on it before, but I definitely don't buy into this philosophy. What is the point in conforming oneself to something you aren't? I'm not in the business of false advertising. Granted, most people perhaps tone down aspects of their personalities - but pretending to be something altogether different from who you are still completely perplexes me.

So why you ask am I off on this random tangent in the midst of discussing the Joss Stone concert? While only 20, Joss is on board with this for sure. Her songs speak of the strength of women. It was energizing to hear her stories, her singing live, with us dancing and singing along under our cluster of umbrellas.

I've got a right to be wrong
I've been held down too long
I've got to break free
So I can finally breathe
I've got a right to be wrong
Got to sing my own song
I might be singing out of key
But it sure feels good to me
I've got a right to be wrong
So just leave me alone

Oh and side-note, the follow-up to "The Rules" was released around the same time as one of the author's marriages desolved. I stand firm I'm not any less Southern for saying that I feel "The Rules" are a load of rubbish.

As DrP and I cleaned up our scene, even in our soggy state it was recyclables in one bag, trash (including some previously fabulous but now creepily liquidized Girl Scout shortbreads) in another, and a third housed our now seemingly 10-15 pound soggy blanket and our (then) unopened bag of animal crackers. That whole use Metro to take you to your place to eat and not *as* your place to eat? Yeah. Not quite believers. But our clean patch of Wolf Trap grass surely earned us honorary Cadet status.

Muchas gracias to DrP for lending me her pepper spray ("just in case") for last night. I did do the test spray en route to mi casa, so be forewarned I'm prepped, armed, and dangerous. I think DrP may have come out with the better deal out of the arrangement somehow...

I'm loving the absence of rain. Dry clothing. Dry um all sorts of garmets. Yeah. I think I've served my time in the rain department for quite some time to come.

weekend review: leis, chili, & ballllllston...

(or Jungle Bash, Part Deux...)

Got Chili?
My understanding is it began as their answer to the $35/$40 ticket prices attached to DC's Chili Cook-Off. While there was no line-up of live music, there was the favorite 80s/90s party rock on rotation, complete again with the dancing flower in front of the speakers. Last year's celebration took it to the parking lot, with the party going from the houses out fully into the parking lot. Apparently "the management" squelched that from this year's offering, although I don't know that it was altogether too different. Upon walking up, you knew where to go. Like Jungle Bash, I'd heard plenty about the Chiluau in advance and was looking forward to checking it out, The party was the whole cluster of the four townhouses that were clustered together, with people out in the back spanning the whole "party runway" in between (AKA the sidewalk running back out into the parking lot).

The prime line-up though was the crock-pot line-up. It was a virtual buffet o' chili. I was a little concerned coming in. I don't like beans. I like my chili sans-beans (and I'm part of a select few that roll that way). I thought it might be hopeless when I saw D's comment on the Evite, stating "Attention Hippies: There will be vegetarian chili available. Please take Beano before the party". However, I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving to see the spread in variety, even including chicken. Aweso,e.

Fire it up!
There was actual voting on different categories. Tastiest... spiciest... most creative... best presentation... even a write-in category (my selection was best naming convention). The names were hilarious, including Derrick's Frickin' Chicken Chili, Hotter than Your Mom, Traci's Trucker Chili, and Becky's Bustin' BBQ Chili. My favorite name though was Stinkin' Hippie. It wasn't just Stinkin' Hippie. It was Stinkin' Hippie v. 2.0, stating "No animals were injured during the creation of this chili. Chili does not stink." Good thing I wasn't up from Miami visiting, seeing as the ballot upfront disqualified Floridians from voting. Guess they were aiming to avoid any potential hanging chad fiascos. Best presentation for us was clearly the Velveeta-y masterpiece here at the left. It started off chunkily sliding from tier to tier, but was soon rolling off like buttah!

The host was manning the grill, which definitely got Sassy and I thinking of learning how to tackle our own grill. She's got plans to take it for a test drive before we commit to a formal cook-out at our place. Thank goodness warm weather is here at last. It looked for a long time like the afternoon showers were inevitable, but thankfully they held off for the bulk of the afternoon. It was the perfect day, even if we were in Ballston... (kidding).

"Look at you, you have a baby... in a bar..."
We had a good crew... Sassy, WT, MsH, Buckeye, among others. There was an ecclectic crowd at the event as well. It was hard to keep up with who knew whom from where and how... with people going in and out of four different townhouses, all of which had I believe some four tenants. You do the math! I was surprised though to see a 3 week old baby there, even though yes, it was a cook-out in the afternoon. Something I guess struck me as ironic about that, as I weaved my way in front of the keg (?). One of the partygoers managed to catch my initial flash of confusion on that and I'm guessing that's a Kodak moment that will shortly be surfacing. Of course, we started taking pics. D was wearing a straw hat with clip on flowers, similar to what I'd planned on making but ran out of time to complete. He was happy to contribute to the cause, so shortly thereafter we had flowers to complete our pics. Nice.

The event started at two though so around 5:30, we decided it was time for a change in venue. Sassy'd headed out with a couple of others to a party out in Rockville/Bethesda. I said um no to that hike, but WT and I decided we could handle hitting some spots on the Hill. MsH gave us a ride to the metro. En route to her car, WT decided to snag a photo of the pimped out Transmero we'd passed walking to the party. Of course, the guys working at the auto store decided to come out and talk to us (clearly, when you have loud floral print on, it's kind of hard to blend into ones surroundings). He told WT it was for sale, and she was trying to hold back laughter as she told him thanks, we'd keep that in mind. Guess you had to be there, but yeah, pretty funny. So funny MsH was tearing up!

Back on the Hill, WT and I ran into E2 en route back to my house. Why is it when you are dressed in random theme attire that you all of the sudden manage to see a whole slew of people? He was headed out with some friends and we made plans to meet up later. In between wading our way around through three different massive downpours (spread out just so we'd be drenched and dry out and then drenched again - nice), I managed to show WT quite a line-up of Hill faves... from Finn's to Banana Cafe to the Lounge. Might make her a Hill rat just yet!

i promise i brought clothes to the party

Last night it was another benefit event as a part of the Team Cuttler campaign. I'd gotten The Writer to join in on the festivities, which began with a nice little cruise on DC's public bus system. The Writer's comment to me went something like this: "I never take the buses around here. How does this work? Where do we get on?" as we screamed trying to converse over the random (and very loud) free concert at Farragut Square. Thanks for the thought. Will ear plugs be provided next time? Just a little feedback there.

I'd never been to Bourbon in Adams Morgan. I will admit to having attended the sister establishment of the same name in Glover Park upon many occasions, in large part due to a massive crush (harmless) on the bartender who bore striking resemblance to Dave Matthews. Drool. I chose to overlook the tattoos that adorned his arms. Wonder if he's still there... ok, I digress. So yeah, it was nice to have a reason to check out a new spot as well as to know this was sort of a "bring-your-own-crew" type of party, since it was basically guaranteed that we'd know at least 75% of the attendees.

I'd agreed to sell raffle tickets to help out with the cause. However, I finally learned that they were selling them at the door, which meant I was hard to find takers once they'd entered the bar. Sad. So what's a girl to do? Clearly, make them props. Perhaps if people had them in front of their face, they'd be more quick to pay the $2 per ticket. The Fashionista and I had waaaay too much fun with those tickets. And were really amused to discover that most of the pics seemed to miss that we were wearing clothes altogether, since I was wearing a tube top and she was wearing a strapless dress. I promise, we were both fully clothed, even if the photographic evidence would suggest otherwise.

The Writer offered to help me sell some tickets. Her report back cracked me up. She said it was a summary of who not to date in DC, as she pointed out the guys who with a straight face said "but, I paid $10 to get in, and then I've been buying drinks". To which she replied, "Um, they're only $2?". When they had no reply, she said, yeah, clearly not high on the list of DC's most eligible. C'mon. It's for a good cause.

Ever have nights where the pictures are just far too random for the event? Yeah, that's probably a good summary for last night, from the Bama can-can to all of the fun pics of our friends serving as guest bartenders. Sadly, MF's tip jar didn't surpass the $100 threshold. Who knows what would have ensued then.

But what a fun night. The Writer and I finally grabbed a cab outta there after 11. We've both learned the important lesson of living on the Hill -- never disclose your destination until you're in the cab, seatbelt fastened. As we left out, our cabbie was pulled over by a cop for picking us up from across the road. Interesting. No ticket, but a pretty stern barking reprimand from the cop.

So I must admit, I felt a bit like I was still in college this morning as I am mentally in weekend mode. Oh well. I guess we all have weeks like that.

out for a cause

Last night was the Rescue Eastern Market Night. Sleepy and behind at work, I still managed to make it out to support the cause. I met up with WT, Coop, and EH for some quality time at Tunnicliff's. We chose Tunni's since they were donating 10% of their profits to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation's 'Eastern Market Keep it Going' fund. I tell you - I don't know that I have ever seen the place quite like that.

The exterior gave the false sense that it wasn't going to be crazy packed. The interior proved to be the polar opposite. You could tell the employees were a bit frazzled by the massive increase in customers, but they were good sports about the whole thing. When we were finally seated, they had to bring half of our waters in styrofoam cups. We didn't mind the lack in fine china (hah not that Tunni's really has that anyhow - and we love it for that), as it definitely indicated a great turnout.

I ran into E2 and his friend T there. I still say I love the Hill. I love that I run into people out that I know. That happened oh say never in Dupont.

Because we wanted to continue to contribute to the cause, we wandered up Penn a bit for an additional stop at 18th Amendment. I told WT that we just have so many reasons to not stay home to help out so many great causes... Thursday night, we're off to Adams Morgan to support Team Cuttler's campaign to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The evening ended on a humorous note, with WT commenting "oh my! someone lost their weave..." - lamenting what appeared to be the remnants of a hair weave in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue.

I haven't seen final figures for what last night's benefit evening managed to raise, but it has to be good. It looks like the fund was at $170,000 prior to last night's event. I love the fund's slogan... "Our Market; More than a building". Next event - Dining Out for Eastern Market on May 21st.

Just can't put into words how much I love being part of the community there. From someone who's for so long solely claimed her birth state (AL) as home, it's nice to finally have a true second home to claim.

$$ for the market

For those of you yet to see it, next Tuesday there are quite a few local bars which will be donating a certain percentage of their proceeds to the effort to rebuild Eastern Market. If you don't have plans next Tuesday, you should definitely try to make it out to support these great, generous businesses and, most importantly, a really great cause.

And look, even Science Club is on there, so those of you not wanting to head to the Hill, you even have an option ;-)

no one puts baby in a corner

One of the most classic film quotations of cheesey(/great) chick flicks of all-time. Period.

I still remember the first time I saw Dirty Dancing. I must have been ten, and I don't think I'd seen any movies classed as PG-13 before. I was over at a friend's house for a sleepover party with some 5-6 other girls. The racier components/innuendo flew over our heads. We were much more interested in the love story, the music, and of course the dancing.

I remember us rewinding the part where Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey sing Mickey & Sylvia's "Love is Strange" and singing at the top of our lungs. How do you call your loverboy? We thought we could mambo just like they did in the movie. The most complicated decision of the evening was who would lead, as we tried to immitate a much more simplistic form of the basic dances we saw on-screen.

Granted, we most definitely didn't try the lifts. [That would come later in college in the prime of my swing dancing kick, with the low point being my head on the cement of the fraternity house basketball court -- ooops]. But we sure had fun.

Deep Thoughts on Life... by Johnny Castle...
I'm gonna do my kind of dancin' with a great partner, who's not only a terrific dancer; somebody who's taught me that there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them; somebody who's taught me about the kind of person I wanna be...

Never had I seen DD on the big screen. Until today. Oh yes. In honor of the 20th anniversary of its release, DD was re-released. There were only 2 showings, one today at 7:30PM and the other yesterday at the same time. Along with some friends, our tickets were purchased on Fandango last week in advance to ensure no issues with getting in.

Little wimp. He wouldn't know a new idea if it hit him in the pachenga...

Yeah, so excellent call Dr P on the Fandango-ing. Some of us started off the evening at the Green Turtle (formerly Drinx). Not half-bad, although you could instantly tell they'd just opened and were sorting out the little kinks here and there. It was a short visit though, as we had our minds on the important part of the evening.

As we walked up to print out our tickets from the machine, we saw "SOLD OUT" flashing up on the display. Yeah. Three cheers for planning. The Writer and I jetted ahead to secure a block of seats for the crew. We were in the very back row, which proved to be key for stashing our random pile of daily odds and ends along with allowing us to dance, gesture, and comment to our hearts content with minimal disruption to those around us. Fabulous. Dr P was the last to arrive, but she brought her newest Southernly proper hat purchased for the occasion along with other "squire-ly" items for the evening.

Once the movie started though, the audience participation was clearly fully supported by the crowd. Granted, it was not to the extent of Rocky Horror Picture Show, but it was fun. Acording to Em, it was officially a return to "Patrick Swayze: The Hot Years". Oh yes. The cheering was frequent, with the exception of the initial tension. Gasp. The movie was started much um stretched horizontally. It was like Dirty Dancing meets the Big Screen meets Laffy Taffy. No. It soon flicked off the screen and the screen came in a bit and all of the sudden, things weren't distorted. Much appreciated, Regal.

Back of Audience Member's Shirt:
"I carried a watermelon?!?"

The best though had to have been when the final number came on. Of course the crowd was in an uproar as Johnny declared "no one puts baby in a corner". But the best had to have been as "I've Had the Time of My Life" came on and that final dance number began. A group of about ten audience members were on their feet and dancing all along in front of the front row of chairs.

I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun at the movies. What a fun girl's night out. Refreshing to feel ten all over again, if only for an hour and a half.

i'm not ready to make nice

To: DC DMV, Adjudication Services
From: LJ
Re: Violation P113 ("Inspect No Disp Sticker")


Back on Tuesday, April 3rd I received a ticket for not displaying a zone sticker in my car window. I was parked directly across the street from my residence in the proper zone for my vehicle. I was surprised, as there is a sticker in the front left-hand window of my car, where it has been displayed since I obtained the final zone 6 permit back on January 5, 2007 from the Georgetown Office of the DMV.

Enclosed you will find the receipt for payment of this permit for zone 6. Prior to that time, I had a temporary permit that was displayed on the dash in the same location when my car was initially purchased back in October 2006.

I have enclosed a photocopy of the initial temporary certificate prepared at ___ Honda, as all paperwork was handled by the Business Manager at the dealership initially. Should you need to contact them to verify this process, they can be reached at ____.

I have also enclosed two photos of the vehicle, showing the sticker in the window as it was affixed at the time of the ticket.

I hope this helps to clarify that I am registered to legally park in zone 6 and was not in violation of anything at the time of the ticket. Please let me know if I can further assist in this matter and thank you for your attention.


Thanks,
LJ


[And may the best WOman win...]

i'm freezing that frame

As I was walking home from the metro after work, I noticed several people go by me with their professional camera gear towards Eastern Market, presumably to take photos.

Why? I don't get it. All day long, we've seen a barrage of photos showing the damage. The news channels clearly have their photos to capture the day's events. I don't have any desire on my part to take one as a momento of what happened today. I must admit, it made me a bit angry to see.

Looking off from 8th Street, I did not need to cross through to get close enough to see the damage. It was sadly perfectly noticeable from where I was. Eastern Market is a large part as to why I chose this neighborhood, electing to the shock of some of my Dupont dwellers to make a change from my red line days. It's representative of the community that is the Hill. That friendly spirit and neighborhood feel that drew us in.

I am sad I will not be in town this weekend to go if, in fact, they do open on Saturday. I read that Saturday was/is to have been Market Day, a fundraiser. I also saw they are pursuing options which would enable the vendors to be able to set up their stores in other areas nearby.

I love the Hill. The smiling eyes. Even the family with kids on bikes that make it impossible for you to speed walk to the metro as you would like.

But I guess the lesson is that community lives on, without a building. In watching the video footage from Fox News, it's obvious that the residents remain a community. So this photographer won't be snapping away at the state of the market today. Instead, I've spent my time pulling out some of my favorites of the market at its best.

After all, these photos represent what it really is - as well as what it will again someday be.

pausing for eastern market

I am just in shock. As I made my way to the metro this morning, I saw police off in the distance. I didn't think anything of it though (and really, how sad is that?)

It wasn't until I saw a posting elsewhere online that I learned what it was all about. I can't believe the news of the fire at Eastern Market. The market. I hadn't been in months. I had stuff I did all day on Saturday and Sunday, so I had not had the chance to go over yet and enjoy it at it's prime... with the weather having finally become slightly warmer but yet just before the sweltering summer heat kicks into full gear.

I'm so sad I won't get to now. Man.

As much as I love brunch at Bread and Chocolate, no one can hold a candle to Tom's operation at the Lunch Market - be it the popular bluebucks ... chocolate chip pancakes ... or french toast (all of which are just plain and simple carb heaven).

I'm going to have to thumb through my photos at home and put up some of my favorites of Eastern Market up here. When I think of local things to see and do in DC that really captures the heart of the city, I've always thought of Eastern Market. I think that's why I've taken so many photos there.

Gosh, I just don't even know what more to say. I was totally planning a visit for sure when the Titan came to town. I'm just stunned that my favorite spot to bring guests is momentarily off of the map. Just can't fathom.

Ironically, the DG just cooked us a fantastic spread last night. It was the inaugural appearance of summer grilling, all of which included seafood she'd picked up solely at the market only shortly beforehand.

Please come back to us soon... we'll be waiting. :*(

tootsie roll tango

I warned up front it would be an early night. It was the plan. Sticking to it. Period. Guess I am officially the girl who cried wolf. Perhaps that phrase ("early night") should be officially stricken from my dictionary.

It was a long day... dentist appointment (cavity-free dance from me) and a trip to the Ethiopian restaurant with the DG's visiting guest. It turned into the afternoon affair, as we spent well-over 2 hours at Zed's in Georgetown. Quite good, I must say. The DG and I were loving their "spongey" bread. Hah. Although, I wouldn't say that the food was all too different from Meskarem in Adam's Morgan. Definitely one up on the atmosphere though.

So I came home and opted for a quick power nap. I was tempted to stay in but stuck with the original plan to head out for a party in the neighborhood. Less than 45 minutes, and I was ready to head out with Sassy to the shin-dig. The theme was Mardi Gras. I have to sort of agree with Ms. MM who came to meet us there... there's just something fundamentally quasi-off about a post-Lenten Mardi Gras bash.

Just the same attend we did... and beads? Yes, we wore beads. The music for the evening was the perfect mix. A touch of the new, but the bulk being the classic frat rock tunes, complete with an almost catastrophic smashing of one of the speakers to the ground. Thankfully, Belinda Carlyle, Poison, and Bon Jovi were soon back alive and kicking. Along with us kicking it old school on the dance floor.

At one point, a pinata was brought onto the scene. Note to self, no party of ours shall ever include a pinata. Can you say sticky candy fiasco? The pinata was broken eventually right in the midst of the dance floor - because clearly that is the most logical place to smash a star-shaped pinata. After a few people picked up a handful of candy such as DOTS and Tootsie Roll Pops, the sugared litter soon become Tootsie pancakes. That has to be one royal mess this morning for their wood floors.

They had quite the turn out. Their large Hill pad was crammed with people, especially with the in-and-out rain storms of the evening. I ran into all sorts of people, quite a few who it seems had been to one of our parties at some point, knew who I was, and I hadn't the faintest clue as to who they were.

Speaking of clues, there were quite a few people at the party (including the host himself) who it seems our connection was the Clue party I attended with Sassy back in the Fall. I ended up talking the host's friend, E2, for a while at the end of the evening, who I did not realize at the time, but was also a familiar face from that prior party. DC continues to reinforce what a small, small world it can be at times. All of the sudden, seems those houses I walk by on a daily basis now have faces and names to associate. I was having a great time and honestly, would have loved to stay longer and taken E2 up on the dance offer to return to the dance floor - but I was seriously turning into a pumpkin.

After over two hours of dancing and one blister in process, I decided it was time to check out. Actually, more like well over time to check out if we're getting technical, but as always seems to be the case it's just next to impossible to voluntarily walk away from a good time with your friends. I still got up for my prayer pancake breakfast at church as planned, so I'd say successful weekend all-around.

And yet again, I find myself with a stash of additional Mardi Gras beads. Fashionista, we never fail to capitalize on that photo op, now do we?

One of the final humorous statements of the evening was:
Fashionista: "Look at all these different beads. Someone gave me this one. It's pretty cool. What is it?"
Belle: "Um, that's got Captain Morgan on it."
Fashionista: "Oh. Nice."

subway serenades? claro que si!

I read in the online version of the Express that DC is going to be auditioning people to perform in the metro during commute hours from June to September (so just the summer months). I'm an avid WMATA-er and I've gotta say, I've said before that I love my iPod. I live by my iPod. But this makes me happy.

I must admit. I think our transit system is kinda flat sometimes. I've always loved it when in Boston, NYC, Prague, Madrid, etc. you happened upon someone who was performing in the subway system. It added a little character to the city.

I think that's why some people think DC's too uptight and stale. I remember Tam telling me that our subway was boring, from the lack of entertainment to the basically standard presentation inside the stations themselves. Only variation seems to be length of escalator as you descend and ascend (now that I think all stations have the time to arrival signs - even if they're now malfunctioning). In NYC, you'll see variation from station to station in the decor along the platform, matching (somewhat or at least typically) to the area of town in which you happen to be. We could use a little more of that.

Bring it on, I say. I'm looking forward to it!

Bring on the song and dance. I, for one, welcome the entertainment in my commute.

(It'll help to save the battery life on my iPod...)

hey baby - what's your sign?

Saturday it was up and out to meet up with the Fashionista and crew to prepare for the benefit event. The theme was all things mystical... so the task was to transform the room from barren generic white-walled party room into party-ready. F's been prepping for this for quite some time and had painted all sorts of fabulous canvas sheets to decorate the room. Educational too... according to her poster o' love compatibility, I was most compatible with Taurus and then Capricorn. Metallic stars soon were hanging from the ceiling, fortune cookies and glow sticks were strewn across each table, and even an electric disco ball was hanging over the dance floor for the evening.

The event was a blast. Seriously, how often do you get to dress up in sequins with long gloves? (This question is clearly for the ladies...) And, as promised, here you'll see my attire for the evening. Subtle, for sure. The entertainment started to show up as well, including the palm reader/hand writing analyst. Hands down fascinating. After the Fashionista gave us our assignments/timetable of activities (which didn't quite end up being followed, but nice to have an idea of a framework anyhow), I made a beeline back to the analyst. He said that I can hold my own in an argument - I could be effective as either the prosecutor or public defender. I'm very loyal and trusting of my friends, which he said probably got me in trouble when I was younger (remember that very well in preschool!). One thing I thought was really interesting was what he said about my ambition... he said that I am very ambitious and push myself, but that I'm capable of even more. Definitely struck me, as I've really been feeling that way as of late at work. He did tell me he thought I'd be a fun date - hah - but then he was quite a flirt with all the ladies throughout the course of the evening.

The photographer for the event, Margaret Allen, was great. Always nice to have the opportunity to meet other photographers in the area. The event was the first time I've really had my photos on display as well (they were included as a part of the raffle). Other entertainment included a magician, a bellydancer, and of course the DJ.

As things started to wind down a bit, we decided to head over to 4P's before heading home. Clearly (once again) dressed for an Irish bar. It wasn't too long before Sassy and I opted to close out for the evening and head home.

8AM yesterday came early... way too early. But as promised, I threw on my pants and comfy Dogfishead tee and tromped to the metro. I met a really nice girl who's here working as an intern at the White House. I rarely meet chatty folks on the metro. Sadly, wrong day to try to be conversational with me. I tried... I really tried. Finally she apologized from keeping me from my Washingtonian. After exiting the metro and one latte later, I was en route back to the scene of the crime to clean up. Slowly, streamers came down, stars were scattered across the floor, and the astrological-themed decor was piled neatly by the couch.

The repeated question of the morning:

Us: "F, do you want this ______?"
F: "No, when am I going to need this many stars and metallic decorations? And if I need them, what the heck am I going to do with them all in the meantime?"

Good point. Only 2.5 hours later of cleaning and over half a bottle of goo-be-gone, we all were heading out. What a beautiful day it was. Shame we were all too wiped out to care about life beyond our bed. Last night, it was ear plugs, eye mask, and Benadryl for me. More sleep to catch up today, but at least I closed the gap there a bit - even if only a bit.

the ss bachelorette

In honor of SS's impending wedding, it was time for a quasi-low-key evening out in Georgetown for the ladies - which was perfect for me seeing as Saturday's all about the benefit. It was a nice size group of five - perfect for some location hopping and all. The plan was Mendocino Wine Bar for drinks, dinner at Paolo's, and then from there, TBD. I must admit, following this week's incident, I was a tad anxious about hopping on the Circulator to head over to Georgetown. Thankfully I was able to make it to Georgetown without any brushes with buildings. Always good to see.

Mendocino was nice -- obviously the sister restaurant to Sonoma. I like the variety of the food at Sonoma better than Mendocino, but it was a nice quaint spot so I'll give it the stamp of approval.

Service at Mendocino far trumps Paolo's, where it was like pulling teeth to get anywhere. I think we'd been there for some 40 minutes before we were served our drinks. Not off to a good start. The food was decent, after I sent mine (and the Cajun's) back to be re-heated. After having waited for as long as us, cold past wasn't going to cut it.

It was like a Georgetown check-list though... the third place we hit was also one I'd never been to - Daily Grill. We watched the place go from pretty dead and empty to a massive sea of faces. We opted out when it was clear that the Daily Grill had become pre-Smith Point, choosing to head back to the Hill.

SS was having a great time though -- we got to hear all the details about the wedding, stories about how they met, all that good stuff... things I never really knew. It was a lot of fun to catch up with her, seeing as she's one of my friends I just don't get to see too often. It was nice to celebrate with her. Funny story though... she revealed the rationale behind the wedding date. She said she didn't want it to fall in football season, as their anniversary would run the risk of conflicting with an important SEC game at some point. Love it.

Somehow my early evening turned into um not so early, but we were all together at the end of the evening. Our final neighborhood stop included an odd Native American man who kept telling me that I was not happy (really? news to me) and that I had great feet (?), SS making friends with Tim/Jim, and the Bostonian who told me I looked like Heather Graham. What a fun night.

And now... caffeine. Must have caffeine to get going on the prep work tonight. Oh yes, it's a long day ahead. A long (but fun) day ahead.

arrival of overheard in dc

I've been a long-time fan of Overheard in NY. Sure, sometimes it is just plain inappropriate, but lots of times it is equally hilarious. I used to subscribe via Bloglines until it just got to be way too much, flooding my account, so had to nix that.

I was excited to see that DCist is taking the same approach here. I'm assuming this will be a weekly feature. Pretty cool. And since it's Friday afternoon and it's way too pretty outside (finally) for anyone to be stuck indoors working (just plain sad to be sitting here in front of the computer when the sun is seriously in full swing outside), just had to share their quotation of the week... which I found to be quite funny!

[On a metro train]
Drunk girl, looking at the map: "I only left here last May! Since when did they add a light blue line?
"Her friend: "You mean the river...?"


Ok, so perhaps only funny if you ride the metro in DC and are familiar with the metro map. But as an avid WMATA supporter, that's definitely me and amused I am!

chicken soup for the busy bee's soul

I've never worked in a soup kitchen or done any sort of work with the homeless. Living in DC, it's definitely something you see on a daily basis... it was something I saw in Miami as well, but it's not as ever-present in the way that you see it just walking through the streets downtown on a daily basis. So when EB asked if I would join her at her church with others in making sandwiches and then in riding on the van to distribute the food to the homeless, I welcomed the opportunity.

I'll admit to dragging my feet as I left home to head over. With the lingering cold weather and the continual rain yesterday, I was not wanting to leave the warm confines of home - but I finally made it out the door. We began by making lunch bags with a sandwich, mozarella string cheese, granola bar, and pudding. We would serve this along with soup and hot chocolate. Pretty nice meal.

Our route included a lot of the downtown area close to where I work. It's an area I don't typically see on the weekend, so it was sort of eerie to stop at these different points in the vicinity. It was haunting as one man walked up to get his soup and I found myself staring eye-to-eye with a gentleman I pass several times a week on the street. Typically I find him screaming obscenities or doing strange gestures, with a cup in front of him. Yesterday he calmly walked up and thanked me for the soup. It gave me goosebumps to come face-to-face with a familiar face like that.

One interaction really stuck with me. One man had come up, gotten his lunch bag, soup, and hot chocolate and returned back to his blankets on the sidewalk when the winds picked up. EB and I were still inside the van, waiting for the other volunteers to return from taking food over to those who weren't able to get up and come over on their own. The wind had picked up tremendously and, while the rain was not in full force, it was still sprinkling enough to make for a cold combination. He stood back up and walked over and began to shut our van doors. "It's getting cold out here," he said. "You should stay warm in there."

How could he look on from his place there on the pavement and perceive that as being significant? As we sat in the van, heat blasting, I felt really touched by the kindness in his heart, and a little guilty as I burrowed in my pea coat, sitting on a padded seat, indoors.

Homelessness is something I just don't know how to feel about. Last night, I was reminded that it's not always as black and white as people want to think it is. I still don't think the solution is to give money to every outstretched hand. We just can't. It's not realistic. Perhaps that's why I'm not always so vocal to take a stance on one side of the issue or another. I don't know it all, that's for sure, but I know enough to know it's one of those problems for which I just don't know the answer.

But I saw first-hand last night that there are some people who aren't choosing not to work... some of the people we served sell papers, help vendors set-up, etc. - and it's just not enough to afford a roof over their heads.

In discussions with our driver from the Salvation Army, I learned that many of those who are older are not willing to part with what little possessions they have in order to go into a shelter. To them, those bags are their home. Their most prized items. My heart broke as we had to look back at those hungry eyes at the end of our round at the long, snaking line at our last stop and tell them that we were sorry after their having waited, but that we had run out of all of the food for the day.

I saw kind eyes, thankful for every item we handed over. I saw cold eyes, harsh and chilling as the pavement on which they were huddled. I saw hopeful eyes, complemented in one case by a man repeating over and over that he was hanging on "by His grace".

I realized and acknowledged that I was lucky to be going home. To be able to snuggle up under my covers and stay warm and dry. To be able to crank up our radiators. As the wind picked up and I tossed and turned, I couldn't help but think of the man who'd helped close our van doors.

I wish I could return the favor.


[cross posted at indiebloggers.org]

kick some ice

What more does one need after a long week other than a nice relaxing and deliciously mindless 93 minutes with Will Ferrell? Nada. Will Farrell cracks me up. Some comedians poke fun at themselves or go on tirades cutting people down and in the end, solely succeed in irking me to no end. Not Will. Whether it's traipsing around NYC as an Elf, screaming he's to be feared ('cause he's the division manager AND he drives a Dodge Stratus), or embodying the motto of every proud Mississippi State fan (more cowbell, of course), he just cracks me up. Take that and combine it with ice skating, my favorite sport, and that's just about as good as it gets.

I was tired and wanting to get out. Rio's in the midst of finals for classes focused on a lot of heavy topics, so a little Blades of Glory seemed to be just what was in order. Now I did like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, but I guess like is being somewhat generous. Maybe I should say I thought it was okay. Anyhow, I was willing to see if this one could come through better than its predecessor. I had faith.

John Heder coming out in a swan costume and the way they followed them around like "a day in the life of" feature just made me laugh, after having watched skating for so many years. Skating was the closest I ever came to sports growing up -- I probably took lessons for some three years. I wasn't one of those people who was crazy into it... so no 6AM runs to the rink for me or ballet classes to maximize flexibility on the ice. I did do one competition and spent some quality time in the lovely harness to get more lift in my jumps. Haha. All-in-all though, great exercise!

Anyhow, the cameos were cracking me up as well. Definitely was just what I needed... my abs were hurting from laughing so much. It did make me want to get my skates back out though. I can't even remember the last time I went skating... maybe in Miami? Gosh, three years or so ago?

Afterwards it was off to Oyamel for some Mexican cuisine. I'd scoped out the place when they started remodeling after Andale folded. They specialize in aperitivos (appetizers), so it's a pretty direct challenge to Jaleo, located right around the corner. I'd really liked Andale, which had occupied the space beforehand. Apparently though not enough of DC did, since I believe that's why they closed.

The space was still arranged the same, although the decor was much more vibrant and there was an interesting second bar area in the front righ-hand corner of the restaurant. At first, I thought they were preparing the desserts there, but then it looked like they were doing other dishes there as well.

I can't compare Oyamel's food with their prior operation in Crystal City, but Rio and I were pretty pleased. The queso fundido con chorizo was excellent. It came with these mini-tortillas which were really good. The tacos were good as well. Some reviews I'd read mentioned them being small for their $3.50 price tag, but the ones we got did come with some great guac and honestly by that point, I don't know that I could have handled much more. We did try their pollo con mole, which I really liked - but I'm typically a mole fan. The chocolate cake (also with mole) was a great finale.

It was not a cheap meal, but it was good and a spot that I had been wanting to hit for a while. I'd say it's a good spot to grab something small at the bar or meet some friends after work. I probably won't be there weekly, but not half-bad.

So is it 5:30 yet?? Guess that answer would be no... [groan]

law & order: parking meter violation unit

As I've now just barely passed over that two year mark since my move to DC from Miami, I was just thinking the other day that I'd somehow managed to escape the clutches of DC's obsessive parking Nazis. I know it helps when the bulk of that time was spent with only my two feet as my means of transportation, but that's just a technicality... anyhow, although I now have a car, for the most part it looks pretty parked out on the street. I don't drive it to work and I rarely attempt to park it on the street in the city (that parallel parking resultion? yeah... still to come to fruition).

Last Friday I came home and saw what I thought was another flyer on my windshield. I was a little perplexed, since I did not know what on earth I could have done wrong. Only thing I could think was a violation of the "snow emergency route", but this was before the minute dusting of snow, so yeah - even in DC, that wouldn't be rationale behind the ticket.

I was almost laughing with Sassy when I saw that the ticket was for not displaying the zone sticker... the sticker clearly and appropriately already displayed in my window. I think perhaps instead of trying to get a measly $50 out of me, they should take the same out of their pocket and invest in a new set of spectacles for the individual in hot pursuit to find someone to ticket. The back provided info on contesting (which, duh, I will be doing) and mentioned to be sure to include any photos, descriptions, and/or diagrams with the ticket when submitting. Oh yeah - it's on.

One of the things I'm most proud of from my college days was my parking violation triumph versus the school. I should put it on my resume. Basically what happened was that the parking fines went up significantly at MSU and there was one place I had been parking for a year and half. I came back one day to a ticket. No sign had been posted making it a no parking zone and I thought it was convenient that they decided to pull this as soon as the increase went into effect. It's sort of like this video on You Tube... it's like you want to say, um no?

Photos, descriptions, and diagrams were definitely involved when I contested the ticket. It was a work of art. It was known that it was a waste of effort to fight the tickets since you just ultimately ended up paying the ticket fine plus the court fees, but I thought I had a shot - and I won.

So guess it's time for round two here in the District. Oh and if anyone wants to make a donation to buy the ticket officers some new glasses, I'm happy to include them in along with my masterpiece.