Moving and Summer Starting

We have begun the long and arduous process of moving. We've got a great basement flat waiting for us on Capitol Hill. While we haven't moved our large furniture yet, we've taken over a bunch of smaller items. Our property management company is great, so far. They have been very lax about painting, decorating, owning animals, etc. We've taken the opportunity to paint the kitchen a nice shade of yellow called "Yellow Brick Road." Additionally, we painted an accent wall in the living room "Windsor Haze" and we plan on painting stripes down our long hallway. Pictures coming soon!

It is also pretty much summer here. Maybe not officially, but certainly it feels like it with the weather. Lots of sun, lots of thunder storms (to the point of disrupting Sarah's flight back into DC a week ago), lots of humidity. While we don't look forward to the humidity, especially me, we are eagerly anticipating the summer. We plan on kayaking around the Potomac, picnic-ing on Theodore Roosevelt Island, watching the fireworks on Capitol Hill for the fourth of July, and hopefully taking a few weekend trips. We will be back in California for ten days or so for a wedding and a chance to visit home. While we miss California and our families, I think we are building a special new home in DC. Particularly with our new apartment. While our current place is okay, it just always felt temporary and transitional. With the new one, I think we want to settle for a while and actually make it our own. Which we will!

Ode to Luigi's

(Via)

On 19th St NW, right between L and M, stands one of the most delicious little Italian restaurants that you will ever find.


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Famous Luigi's has apparently been serving up no-nonsense, authentic Italian meals since 1943... but I only discovered it a few years ago when I was in D.C. for the first time as a summer intern. I was living on the George Washington University campus (in the worst dorm known to mankind, but that's another story...) and one day a fellow intern and I had a major pizza craving. A quick Google search revealed that D.C. is not known for its pizza- I found critical reviews of almost every pizzeria around. Luckily, we decided to try out Luigi's because it is within walking distance of GW. I am so glad we did! Now, a stop by the unpretentious little gem is a must whenever friends or family come to visit. It's such a friendly, family-oriented little place... so different from the ritzy, expensive joints that you find elsewhere in Downtown D.C.

(Via)

Admittingly, I haven't fully explored Luigi's offerings... I pretty much stick to ordering pizza every time I go! There is a wide array of toppings to choose from. I usually go with the classic combo of pepperoni, mushrooms, and Mediterranean olives... but just on my half of the pizza because Ben is a 'pepperoni-only' kinda guy.

Yesterday, after an (unsuccessful) afternoon of apartment-hunting, we decided to stop by and grab a bit to eat. We had the "usual," and it was great, but as I started glancing around the room at the other tables (a bad habit, I know!) I noticed that the pesto pastas looked FANTASTIC. I have added them, and the gnocchi, to be my 'to-eat' list, for sure. This leads me to my next point... another great thing about Luigi's is that it is a great place to people watch. People from all walks of life congregate there, from businesspeople to Grandmas to hilarious preschoolers.

The other nice thing about the place is its price- a pizza for two with salad and bread only comes to $28. That's a price even an intern can afford!

~S~

A Stroll Through The Garden

So I have decided that spring time in D.C.- even with the dramatic influx in tourists- is a whole lot more bearable than winter time in D.C. Maybe it is my California sensibilities talking here, but my entire outlook on life seemed to brighten up the moment that sun began showing its glorious face around here.

But I know that *humidity* is just around the corner. The horror, the horror. So, I am going to try to cram in as many fun things in to my life before summer really sets in.

Case in point: the White House spring garden tour. I was there! And somehow managed to get tickets, despite that the line to get in was longer than any line at 7:20 a.m. should be on a Sunday. My friend Mollie and I secured our tickets and by 10:15 a.m. we were wandering around the White House lawns while heavily-armed Secret Service dudes watched silently on. (Actually, I saw one of the dudes pose for a photo in front of the WH fountain, so I guess it was a special day for them, too...)

It was worth getting up at 6 a.m. Obviously, the First Family was not in attendance, but the plants were the real stars of the show, anyway.

Yes, that is the one, the only, the (not-quite-organic) White House kitchen garden. My highlight of the morning. As a fan of all things 'ag,' it was beyond cool to get to check out Mrs. Obama's garden. And I must say, it was beautiful! I wish that I had the space (and the patience and the time) to create such a masterpiece.

Some other highlights...

(Umm, seriously, how epic is that?!)

(Really, W? You can't even help her dig?)

(SUPER FAN sporting a homemade Obama leather jacket. Dude was probably disappointed that POTUS wasn't home.)

(The official White House bees. I didn't see any- hope that they haven't been hit by Colony Collapse Disorder. Don't know what CCD is? Check it. Super scary- pollinators make 1/3 of all of our food possible. Oops, my ag nerdness is showing...)

(I know that one doesn't become President for the view from the front porch, but come on.)
(Happy spring!)

~S

DAD Visit

I've finally stopped being a derelict and contribute something to our blog. My father came into town for a few days on really short notice, but it was a great surprise! He's retired so when he gets an email offering a great package on airfare and hotel rooms he can jump on it.

He came in Thursday night and I had to work all of Friday, and Saturday and Sunday morning, so we had to cram in visiting time around that. The three of us drove through DC, ate at Ben's Chili Bowl and stopped by the African American Civil War Memorial, walked around the Washington Monument just in time to see a new protest piece, went on an Old Town Alexandria Ghost Tour, and ate at numerous restaurants around the area. Saturday morning while I was stuck at work, Sarah gave my dad a tour around the National Zoo (one of the few places that he declared he had to see this time around) and he was thrilled. She can elaborate more on it, but he was particularly enamored with the "fancy pigeon."

Then on Monday when I actually had the day off, we went to Mount Vernon and toured the house and grounds, paying special attention to George Washington's farm animals. After a quick lunch we drove to Annapolis to check out the Naval Academy. We flashed our IDs and got free access to the grounds. The visitor center and campus are beautiful. We spent a few hours touring the grounds, stopping at the chapel to look at the crypt of John Paul Jones.

We returned, met up with Sarah, and my father took us to dinner. We dropped him at his hotel and said our goodbyes. It was a great four days of running around with my dad, at times very randomly. Above everything else, my father is a storyteller, and we heard many gems about his life. His stories are worthy of their own blog or book!

Home (for now)

I can't believe it has already been NINE whole months since we moved in to this little apartment. Time seriously flies. To be honest, I've had a kind of 'love-hate' relationship with this place. I am not a fan of how far away it is from everything. (And by "far" I mean I have to take a bus to the Metro, so I guess I am being a tad dramatic.) I wish that the neighbors were a little friendlier. Ben doesn't particularly enjoy those nights when there is not a parking spot to be found.

But I do love how homey our little 750 square foot bungalow has become. I love shopping for house decor (which makes trips to Target dangerous). I have even started to become something of a craftster.

Case in point:

1. 6 in 1 Photo Cube


Looks like your average photo collage, right? WRONG!

Hoping to capitalize on his love of puzzles, I made this way cool six-sided photo cube for Ben as a Christmas gift. It was pretty easy to make- six photos, twenty wooden blocks, and some spray glue was all it took!

Instructions are here.

2. Pom Pom Wreath

Last fall, I made a traditional-looking wreath complete with raffia, mini gourds and other cute things appropriate for the season. After a long, dreary winter (at least it seemed that way to this California girl), I decided it was time to welcome spring with a fun and festive door decoration. Hence, the pom pom wreath:


I had never seen or heard of such a thing before stumbling upon one on a design blog. It was cheap to make (~$15) but was a little time consuming. (I have discovered that making pom poms is a good mindless activity to accompany Netflix watching.) And be forewarned: yarn trimmings get EVERYWHERE.

Instructions are here.

And while I recently splurged a bit on this adorable duvet set- and believe me, that was only after weeks of deliberation- I normally try to be very thrifty. In fact, my favorite little too-cute-for-words bird frames were just $2.50/each on sale at Michael's. (That's baby Porky-pork scarfing on some strawberry in the photo.)



On another note- I am going to try to do a better job documenting our D.C. adventures. Over the past week or so, we have explored this place, attended this cool event, and checked out some pretty flowers here. Life is good- but I'm definitely ready for spring!

~S~

Trainspotting: Where is the Love?

Note: For some unknown reason, Google was blocked from my computer for the last few weeks- but now I am back, and in a big way!

Overheard at Rosslyn Metro Station, during rush hour, from scruffy teenage (emo?) boy:

"I mean why would I EVER want to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? I mean other than that one time..."

(Source)

I wish I knew how the subject of their conversation turned to that feel-good family film (it's from 1968, for cryin' out loud). In any case, don't be hatin', kid. Embrace your inner love of rascally anthropomorphic cars.

~S~

Happy Valentine's Day from NoVA!

Who is that peeking out of a cozy sweatshirt pocket to say "Happy Valentine's Day?" It's Porkchop, come to bestow some good cheer! Actually, I think she could care less if any of us have a good V-Day. All she cares about it eating (as much as possible) and sleeping. She's such a selfish little pig.

But I hope that you have a great Valentine's Day! I even made some dorky homemade valentines to celebrate:



~S~

Snowed In: Day 4 1/2

In case you haven't heard- D.C. has been hit by one of the biggest snow storms on record. Snow started pouring down on Friday morning and didn't stop until late Saturday, dumping a total of 24 inches in Alexandria. The metro area has been furiously trying to dig out for the past three days, but progress has been slow. Work was canceled today and yesterday and tomorrow isn't looking good either- considering that ANOTHER storm just blew into town and is expected to drop another 10-20 inches on us. Help!!!

Sure, a "snow day" SOUNDS like tons of fun, but to be honest, I am bored out of mind. Being trapped in a little apartment gets real old, real fast. I am suffering from cabin fever in the worst way. There is only so much that one can do with 750 square feet at one's disposal. Every inch of me wants to go on a hike or climb a mountain or something outrageous like that.


So far, I have:

1. Cleaned the house- and washed a massive pile of dishes in the sink.
2. Did some laundry.
3. Made a snowman. And a mini-snowman.
4. Went sledding. (Okay, these last two were really fun.)


5. Played with Porkchop so much that she probably just wants some alone time by now.
6. Made some (really really cute) Valentine cards.
7. Made some really good food- namely the most delicious hamburgers yet, some steaks, cinnamon cake, and pumpkin-berry-pecan pancakes. Yeah, not the most healthy of days...
8. Drank. Wine. A lot.
9. Played two games of Scrabble. Won two games of Scrabble.
10. Watched There's Something About Mary and Chicago. Both solid movies.
11. Watched Seinfeld.
12. Watched Saturday Night Live, which caused me to get this terrible song medley stuck in my head.
13. Worked out in our apartment complex's little gym- which allowed me to watch this terrible reality show on MTV called "For the Love of Ray J."
14. Started reading a new book- "Game Change." I am learning more than I ever wanted to know about the 2008 election. Nice.
15. Read a lot of blogs.
16. Tried to be productive and finish some work projects.
17. Researched a dentist. (I know, exciting stuff.)
18. Dug the car out of the snow.
19. Found too many things that I want to buy on Etsy.
20. Rode shotgun as Ben got stuck going up a hill- which I would like to point out was not my idea at all. I also was there when Ben got stuck pulling out of a gas station. On both accounts, he was able to get us free and thereby impress himself with his manliness. But before you judge, you people must understand that this is serious ice and snow that we are dealing with. Serious.

Right now, I hear a couple of snow plows outside and I hope that they are able to finally make some progress, but there is only so much that they can do by pushing the snow around into new piles.

I would try to catch a flight back to Cali, but all the planes have been grounded due to the weather.

Drat.

~S~

Snowmaggedon: The Aftermath

Now you know why we haven't been able to answer the phone...

Just kiddin'. But we did receive a total of 24 inches of the fluffy white stuff over the last 36 hours, which even topped Snowpocalypse '09. The storm definitely delivered! Cabin Fever is starting to set in. Help!

~S~

Text Messaging is Fun Again!

This is an actual text message that I received from a friend back in California. I repeat, this text is real:

OMG!!!! I just saw a guy skateboarding down the street with a goat on a leash!

(Image via JTP Design)

Well, California is a glamorous place! I wish I had been there to see it...

~S~

Trainspotting: JoBro

For some reason, Metro was hoppin' tonight. As I boarded the Blue Line train at Rosslyn, I just happened to walk by what appeared to be a normal, 30-something(?) gentleman wearing normal office attire leaving the station. Nothing to unusual about that, right? When he walked by, what I saw caused me to do a double-take:

(Photo via mocollin)

Dude was wearing a Jonas Brothers backpack. This JoBro backpack, to be specific.

He must have had some logical explanation...

...right?

~S~

Nom Nom Nom!

Our guinea pig, Porkchop, really lives up to her name. She eats like there is no tomorrow! We discovered that it is more entertaining to feed her shredded carrots rather than regular ol' carrot sticks because she slurps them up like spaghetti.

And obviously, that amuses Ben and I.

Her appetite never seems to be sated; she is forever looking for her next handout of hay or salad mix. Luckily for her, we are pushovers. Obesity is impending for this little pig.

~S~

Salt bagels are delicious!

Today I had my first salt bagel. Ever. I'm not sure what took so long- those little doughy circles of goodness are freaking delicious! It's like eating a pretzel for breakfast. With a side of cream cheese. If you haven't had one, I encourage you to run out to neighborhood bagel shop and pick up a few.

Ode to Bagels

Bagels, bagels are good for the soul,
with their big outside and little round hole.

Bagels, bagels are good for the mind.
I’ve never been known to leave one behind.

Bagels, bagels, they put you at ease.
You can eat them with lox,
You can eat them with cream cheese.

(Poem written by a 6th grader from Illinois- but it pretty much describes my feelings completely)

And in other news...

It snowed (again) yesterday. Not Snowpocalypse status, but still enough that the roads are a tad bit icy and I don't feel like braving the conditions to go out into the world. There are just too many crazies-behind-the-wheel out there.

Yesterday was the big going away party for Tai Shan, the Zoo's four-year-old panda that China has decided to steal from the U.S. Well, I guess they didn't actually "steal" the cute little guy; China has a monopoly on the entire panda bear population worldwide and therefore has the right to claim its property at any time. Needless to say, some people have been really worked up about it. Like, really, really worked up. That panda has an intense fan club that seems to shun the rest of the zoo's inhabitants for that big black-and-white bear. They even have panda-themed hats.

Now, I'm no panda hater, but I think that someone needs to stick of for the other cool animals at the Zoo. Just a few feet away from the "real" pandas are the red pandas- adorable, energetic little guys that look like a raccoon-fox combination. They frolic and make noises and get very little attention, even though they are basically begging for a few photographs to be taken of them!

(Adorable red panda in the snow via National Zoo)

To be honest, I was more upset when the hippo was taken away. Happy (the hippo) left for greener pastures last fall without getting a send-off party. Also, since the elephant house is undergoing a major renovation, Ben and I haven't been able to visit the pygmy hippos or the capybaras, two of my faves. But the pandas are the real celebrities of the Zoo, so they get all the attention. Where is the justice?!

That said, there are still plenty of other cool animals worth checking out at the Zoo, which has become one of our favorite D.C. hangouts. Ben highly recommends checking out the maned wolf- it looks like a red fox on stilts. But it smells real bad.

I promise there are other, more important, things going on in our lives aside from discussing zoo drama. But I felt like something needed to be said on the other animals' behalf...

:)

~S~

I'm Currently:

Note: I haven't filled out one of these survey-type things since the days when Myspace was still cool...

Loving:
Coffee! Coffee from our new coffee press, lattes from Starbucks, McCafes from the golden arches. Yesterday's rather tasteless iced coffee from Einstein Bros was a disappointment (where was my caramel syrup?!) but I am still on a major coffee kick!

Hating:
That I napped through yesterday's gorgeous weather rather than going for a run. I was wagering that the sun would still be here today, but alas- I was confined to the gym this afternoon. Boo.

Wondering:
What the ATL is like. I'm headed there on Tuesday for a conference and am unsure of what to expect from Hotlanta. I do enjoy that the city has so many nicknames.


Feeling:
Ready to go back to school. Pretty crazy to think that I'm already thinking about willingly re-entering that crazy world, but it seems like I should be taking advantage of the solid schools that D.C. has to offer to pick up a Master's. At least, that seems like the mature thing to do.

Reading:
A memoir (that I just bought yesterday) written by a woman who was interning in the Clinton White House during the whole Monica Lewinsky scandal. It's making me realize that college kids in D.C. definitely have a leg up in the political world- this chick was working for Stephanopolous by age 18.

Watching:
Only movies that meet my "under 90 minutes" requirement. :)

Listening to:
Drake, who apparently was "Jimmy" in Degrassi: The Next Generation before Lil Wayne made him a hip-hop star. Interesting.

Wishing:
That I could have a puppy, like, now! Last weekend we went to a pet store and played with an adorable Golden Retriever baby that I was so ready to take home. Alexandria is *such* a dog friendly town, it only makes sense that we get one, right? Sigh. Soon enough... Until then, Porkchop will have to do.


~S~

Some Serious Mac-and-Cheese

Today is National Cheese Day!

Yesterday I made Martha Stewart's Perfect Macaroni and Cheese for the first time. It was freaking awesome. But let's be honest- any food dish made with more than two pounds of cheese is bound to be delicious.

(Some of the eight cups of cheese that went in to the sauce)

Constructing the slab of cheesy noodles was quite the ordeal- definitely a little more time consuming than Kraft. Ben and Chris were responsible for grating all that cheese (while watching Seinfeld) and I assembled the noodles, butter, cheese, and milk sauce, and bread crust. A half-hour later, we had a meal!

(Before going into the oven... already looking tasty)

Macaroni and cheese, wine, Seinfeld, and dominoes... now that's a classy Tuesday night!

~S~

Seen in D.C.

Last week's visit from Kirsten gave me a good excuse to be in full tourist mode. I snapped this cool shot of ol' George's shadow at the Smithsonian American History Museum. Apparently, this Greek-inspired statue was the original Washington Monument, but since everyone found it to be a little odd, after years of being moved around it eventually was gifted to the Smithsonian Institution. I think it's pretty rad to see one of our founding fathers in a toga, but that's just me...

~S~

Restaraunt Week: Hook

Let's hear it for Restaurant Week!

While many of the locals seem to love to hate Restaurant Week, I simply love it. It's a great excuse to splurge a little for a great meal at a place that you wouldn't normally try out, thanks to special discounted three course meal-deals. Over the summer, Ben and I tried out Agraria Farmers and Fishers- an awesome "farmer chic" themed eatery located on the Georgetown waterfront. This time, Kirsten- who was visiting from California- joined us at Hook, another Georgetown restaurant. We were definitely not disappointed!

Hook has a very classy vibe- minimal decor with funky lighting and cool fish photos. The servers were courteous and very helpful. Loved them! We had dinner at 6:30 and the place wasn't busy at all- the staff were literally fighting over who could refill our waters and clear our table first. Kinda makes a person feel important.

(Photo courtesy furcafe)

The food was the real focus, though. Oh my gosh, THE FOOD. This was definitely not the kind of place that Ben would normally go to- he's more of a 'meat and potatoes' kinda guy- but he really enjoyed it. I ordered the grilled calamari, bluefish with polenta and veggies, and the tiramisu for dessert. Ben got the arugala salad, mahi mahi with beans, and mini-ice cream sandwiches. Kirsten had the cauliflower soup, artic char with sweet potato puree, and a delicious cheesecake with orange reduction.

All of us were blown away by the food. The presentation of each dish was beautiful and, although the portions weren't huge, we were surprised by how full we were at the end of the meal. I'm a major fish fan, so I was excited to try bluefish for the first time. It's unlike any fish I have ever had- almost beefy- and the folks at Hook cooked it to perfection. I'd love to try to serve some up at home, but I'm scared that my attempt will come no where close to the deliciousness I have already experienced! Ben and Kirsten also raved about their selections- it was surprising how distinctly different each of our fish selections tasted. Ben's Mahi Mahi was the least "fishy" tasting and Kirsten's was almost buttery. Mmmm!

Here's our beautiful desserts:

(Kirsten's elegant cheesecake)

(Ben's cute little ice cream sandwiches with vanilla bean ice cream)


(My oh-so-delicious tiramisu)

All in all, we were very impressed with Hook. It was nice to share such a classy meal with Kirsten before she had to make the big trek home to the left coast. I think Restaurant Week has become one of my favorite "D.C." things to do- too bad it only comes twice a year!

~S~

Things That Make You Go Hmmm....

Some people in this town just ain't right.

Apparently, some dude was arrested yesterday for leaving a suspicious package near the White House on the Ellipse... but instead of it being a bomb or something scary like that it was really just a bag full of clothes. Because Dude went for a run. Naked. At 5 p.m. down E Street in 25 degree weather.

According to WaPo:

Secret Service and D.C. police officers chased the man after he refused to stop.

"He was apprehended, naked though he was," Wiley said.

Thankfully, I was no where near the White House yesterday. But I still felt the need to share my bewilderment...

(Photo courtesy mysza831)

And in other news: my guinea pig just ate its body weight in parsley.

~S~

The Best Part of My Morning Commute

What do you get when you mix Chamillionaire cockiness with the soothing sounds of Tom Petty?

My morning anthem:

I want to show all of my haters love (hey!)
This song's for you (this song's for you)
If you had it like me and I was in your shoes
I'd probably hate on me too
See when you're gettin big cash stacks, all the haters hate that
'Cause they hate to see you be successful
I want to show all of my haters love
So I wave to you like "good morning"
Ha-ha-ha-ha-haters, good morning
Ha-ha-ha-ha-haters, good morning

Even though my 7-mile commute sometimes can take over 45 minutes, this song never ceases to bring a smile my face. Even when the crazy local drivers swerve and honk and cut us off at the light instead of turning right like they are supposed to.

Luckily, our XM DJ-of-choice, Renada Romain, seems to also be a big fan of the song, so Ben and I have been able to wave good morning to the haters that we pass- and there are a lot out there.

Kudos for Chamillionaire for being a rapper with a sense of humor.

~S~

What I Did On My Christmas Vacation

Happy twenty-ten! We got back from a much-needed trip to the left coast on Sunday- and were promptly greeted with frigid winter temperatures. Curse you, East Coast weather!

Note to self- always fly with Virgin America. Not only do they provide entertainment centers (which I used to watch pointless reality TV and 500 Days of Summer- a very cute movie), they also have these rad purple lights that make you feel like a jet setter. Our Super Shuttle ride back home made me feel like less of a rock star, though- still no idea why it took 2 1/2 hours. After (finally) making it home by 10 pm, we luckily found that the trusty car was intact and not buried in snow, so we raced to our favorite Mickey D's for dinner. Hey, we had been at the airport since 9:30 am, after all!

A California Christmas in Five Photos:

1. Traditional Christmas cookies decorated with Becky- chickens, flamingos, and flowers... okay, maybe not the most traditional per se, but still cute!


2. Addie's first trip to the snow! That dog can climb! And snow is waaay more fun when you can just play in it rather than having to trudge home in heels...


3. I was reunited with Callie, the frighteningly obese cat. This picture doesn't even do her justice. TRUST ME. This cat is fat.


4. Went and saw Avatar, which essentially is Pocahontas set in space... three hours of watching cool alien animals get destroyed by greedy humans who spoke in cheesy cliches about "taking it to the next level." Unfortunately, there weren't any Avatar characters available to pose with at the theater so I forced Ben and Josh to mingle with these (creepy) chipmunks.


5. We randomly met this adorable little girl at Peet's Coffee who wasted no time in climbing all over Jennie and I, hugging and kissing us and giving us nicknames. The cuteness was fine and all, but I have a sneaking suspicion that her germs are to blame for my current flu-like condition. Yikes.


After much traveling and visiting and eating and resting, Ben and I back in NoVA- wish me luck as I get back into the swing of things. There is work to be done! I am also anxiously awaiting Kirsten to arrive so that we can go on some more adventures... so this flu needs to get lost!

~S~