Haines Point Country Club

The weather has been unseasonably fantastic for August in DC this past week.  I’m beginning to think we need to move Congressional recess to July, which was unbearably hot and come back in August.  One of my favorite post work activities on beautiful nights is to head down to the Hains Point Country Club driving range nd hit a bucket of balls.  (It’s not a country club at all, but the public course here in DC, we call it the HPCC so we can feel as fancy as all those folks golfing at Congressional.)  Mols and I made our way down there last Thursday night and enjoyed a perfect evening.  Added bonus: I was hitting the ball pretty well, I’m ready for my trip home later this week which will hopefully include a round of golf at some point.

It seems crazy to me that next weekend is Labor day.  August in DC is slow, Congress is out of session and thus my work schedule is fairly relaxed.  I had big plans for a productive August, and all of a sudden it’s over.  Here’s to hoping we ease back into the swing of things as DC will probably remain pretty quiet until after the elections in November!

Yes we bring our own beers, what else is that cooler pouch for?

Mollie is particular about how her balls line up. As she would say, this isn’t ‘Nam, there are rules!!

Nats!

This has been a weird summer.  One that hasn’t actually felt like summer at all.  How is it August?  I feel like life for the last six months has moved by in a haze and I’m moving a long with time, but not really experiencing life.  Weird, no?

There are some experiences that regardless of the haze can always makes it feel like summer. Baseball games fall into that category.  I have fond memories of growing up and going to see the Pirates play at Three Rivers Stadium.  During my childhood I didn’t know the joys of baseball games as an adult, when it’s less about the baseball and more about beer and hot dogs and spending time with good friends.

I’m lucky enough to occasionally have access to my company’s season tickets to the Nat’s,  and a few weeks back I took some of the roommates with me to enjoy a Sunday afternoon game.  The Nat’s are enjoying a season that includes more win’s than losses and it was great seeing them beat the Braves while enjoying a cold one.  Hopefully I’ve got a couple more games in my future before the end of the season.

Having good seats makes it much easier to pay attention to what’s going happening on the field.

playing with camera filters

Why doesn’t Teddie ever get to win?

Roommates

Hanks on the Hill

One of my favorite things about living in the city is that there are always new restaurants to try out.  I met my friend Emily for dinner last week at a the new Capitol Hill location of an already established DC institution, Hanks Oyster Bar.  Hanks on the Hill has done a fantastic job of renovating the space  to make it feel like when you walk out the front door you’ll be right on the water instead of Pennsylvania Ave.  (Of course I was too busy taking pictures of my food to get any good pictures of the restaurant).  I used to live only a few blocks from here and have seen this space turn over many times in the last few years.  I think Hanks might be the one to make a solid run in this location.

I give it two thumbs up.  Food was delicious, and the cocktails were outstanding.  I had the crab cakes and Em had the fish tacos and we split the buttermilk battered onion rings.  It was all delicious.  I  enjoyed it so much I decided to come back with a friend on Friday evening!  For those of you in DC I highly recommend visiting this little spot on the hill.

Buttermilk Battered Onion Rings!

The crab cake was delightful

Emily shared one of her fish taco’s with me. Delish!

Urban Garden

Maybe one of my least favorite things about living in the city is a lack of a yard to work with.  I don’t miss the chore of grass cutting, which somehow was always my responsibility growing up.  According to my mother my little sister couldn’t do it because “she might cut her foot off”, I guess mine are more disposable?  Anyways I’ve got a few pots out back in which I’ve planted some herbs, peppers, and tomatoes.  I noticed last night that I’m close to having my first “harvest”.  I’ll have to go get some good fresh mozzarella to have with my homegrown tomato and basil.

Vigilante Justice

I was riding my bike home last night a little before 9:00 pm when I saw what I at first assumed was some kids getting into a fight.  I quickly realized however that they were being chased by a girl whose purse they’d just snatched from I assume where she was eating at a local cafe.  I thought for a quick second turned around and pursued on my bike.  With grand visions of being a hero I followed the kids for several blocks and then down into an alley.  At this point I rode into the alley and then quickly realized how stupid a move that was.  I looped back to the street and rode to the girl who was already on the phone with the cops.  She had a good description, so I just told her where I last saw them and which direction they were headed in.  By the time I turned towards home there was a cop car arriving. 

It wasn’t until later that I really thought through what I would have done if I caught up with them.  Asked nicely for the purse back?  In Robinhood fashion rode by and snatched the purse back?  Unclear.  I love that I live in a neighborhood where I was one of 4-5 people who were chasing down the guy, but there’s only so far I’m willing to go for a stranger’s purse. 

Also a good reminder that we live in a city and that means you have to be smart.  Never leave your purse street side when sitting outside.  It will get snatched.  At least make them work for it a little bit.

My Old Kentucky Home

The one thing that is associated with almost every trip I’ve ever taken to Kentucky (accidental or not) is speeding tickets.   I always think that the state is too backwards to ever find me, but they always do.   Never the less the last two weekends I’ve found myself celebrating the great state of Kentucky and the running of the Kentucky Derby.  A redemption of sorts for my opinions of Kentucky. 

Two weekends ago I attended the annual pre-derby party put on by the Kentucky State Society here in DC.  It was an unfortunately chilly day- but we braved the weather and enjoyed an afternoon at Collingwood Estate in Virginia sipping mint juleps and smoking cigars on the banks of the Potomac.  MS our gratious host was even the winner of the best hat competition!

Photo credit as usual goes to Alison of Red Shoes Photography, and other friends I pilfered from on FB.  I’d left my phone (and thus camera) in a cab the night before…

Roommates representing Paducah!

Colonel Sanders or Esteban?

Celebrating their friendship-aversary!

Happy Emancipation Day!

Today is Emancipation Day here in D.C.  Which is the celebration of the anniversary of President Lincoln emancipating the slaves in D.C.  (which happened earlier than the rest of the country).  It’s a holiday for the kids in DCPS and for the city government, but not for the rest of us.  Oh and for those of you not living in DC- it means your taxes aren’t technically due till the 17th.  You’re welcome.

Thanks to Lezlie for the link about this facinating part of DC history:  http://civilwardc.org/texts/petitions/about

That time I was sort of like Lucille Ostero

If you have seen Arrested Development you know that Lucille Ostero suffers from horrible vertigo.  If you haven’t watched Arrested Development, go rectify that situation right now.

I was reminded of this story the other day and it’s just too good not to share.  A few years back I was house sitting for my boss who lived in this huge mansion out in the suburbs.  I was staying by myself and had left my phone downstairs when I’d gone up to go to bed.  I didn’t want to be w/out it all night so I decided to get up and go down to retrieve it.  I took one step on the landing and slipped on my long pajama pants.  Next thing I know I’m lying on my back on the landing having just fallen the entire flight of steps.  I sat there for a few minutes stunned, but determined I was ok and other than some serious bruises I thought I was ok.

Fast forward a few months.

I’m training for a 1/2 marathon, and getting up to run in the mornings before work.  However, I’m noticing that I’m feeling dizzy a lot on my runs, like I’m drunk and have the spins, except it was 7:00 on a Wednesday morning.  After a few weeks of this I decide that seeing a doctor is probably a good idea.

My appointment fell on a busy Friday, but I figured it wouldn’t take too long.  The Dr. determined that I did in fact have a mild case of vertigo, likely the result of my fall down the steps, but that it was easily fixed with a short “adjustment”.  Great!  Let’s get it over with.  So he does this adjustment to realign my inner ear crystals.  It’s not until AFTER that he informs me that for the next 24 hours I will need to wear a foam collar, not move my head up or down, and not lie flat on my back.  Right.  This would have been good to know  BEFORE this “quick easy procedure”.  Things on my list to do in the following 24 hours:

1. Attend my company’s annual bowling day

2. introduce the guy I was dating at the time to my Parents

3. graduate from Grad School.

And I did it all in a foam collar.  Well to be totally honest, I took the collar off for the graduation ceremony.  I’m way to vain to walk across a stage in a stupid rob AND a neck brace.

I also learned that it’s while difficult it is possible to bowl without moving your head, you can drink beer out of a straw, and introducing your boyfriend with a potential drinking problem to your parents isn’t always the best idea.  But that’s another story for another day.

Seriously.  This stuff doesn’t happen to normal people.

Cherryblossoms

When traveling home, or seeing friends who don’t live in the city, I often get questions about how and/or why I put up with the hassles that come with living in the city… crime, no parking, expensive etc. etc.  It’s rare, but there are times that I get frustrated and wonder why I’m putting up with it when I could be living closer to family and probably even be able to afford a house… there’s a long answer to that question, and there are nights like last Tuesday night.

It’s been an unseasonably warm winter/ spring in DC, and last tuesday I took advantage of the nice weather and went for a run after work.  I ran from my office down around the title basin to see the Cherryblossoms that had bloomed early.  There was a lot of tourist dodging, but it was well worth it.  On nights like Tuesday I don’t question at all why I live here.

Penn Ave. Looking towards the Capitol

Washington Monument and Cherryblossoms

Jefferson at Sunset

Jefferson from the far side of the Tidal Basin... how amazing are the sky and water?

Do The Trick

Dr. Dog currently reigns as my favorite band to see live.  I got to see them last friday night at the 9:30 club and they further solidified their place at the top of my list.  We got there early enough to be right up at the stage and it was worth the standing around and listening through a sub par opener.  Their set design is so randomly awesome, and Scott came out at the beginning of the show wearing a crochet afghan poncho, so random, and yet it totally works.

Be the Void is Dr. Dog’s most recent album, just released about a month ago.  Prior to the show I’d listened to it a few times and liked it, but I didn’t love it as much as some of their older stuff.  After friday night that totally changed.  I think the thing I love the most about Dr. Dog is their songwriting.  They have the ability to write songs that are upbeat and fun to listen to, and yet when you really hear the lyrics they are deep and meaningful and make you think.

I’ve been listening to Do the Trick, from Be the Void on repeat this week.  I’ve decided it’s my theme song right now… particularly the line “I’ve thrown everything at the wall and nothing will stick” resonates with how I’ve been feeling about life recently.

My advice: if Dr. Dog is playing anywhere near you, go see them, they will not disappoint.