Week Five: Cheese, Glorious Cheese!

Since I didn't have any plans for Monday after work, I decided it might be a nice day to return the library books I checked out a year ago when I actually lived in the District. They were, uh, a little overdue. By about a year.

*cough*

After that, I just wasn't ready to go home yet, and began wandering around F. St., right there between Metro Center and Gallery Place. I window shopped at H & M, peeked in at McCormick and Schmick's (but decided not to partake of their most excellent happy hour menu). Oh, and I discovered that I am considered a size Large at American Apparel. WTF?!? I'm a 0 at Ann Taylor! Boo! I shake my fist at you, American Apparel! *shakes fist!*

*stepping off soapbox*

I continued my wander down F St. NW, and discovered it: the Cowgirl Creamery Cheese shop. I went in. It smelled like cheese. How glorious.

The front part of the store is dedicated to cheese-y accouterments: artisan breads, "Cowgirl Creamery" cheese spreaders, and cheese grab-bags made up of the brand's most popular cheeses. Oh, and also jars of gourmet jam, crackers and chocolate. I carry a secret torch for good jam.

The back room is where the real goods are. A couple refrigerated self-serve cases offer pre-packaged feta, soft goat cheese, pecorino romano and ricotta., among other things. The real draw, though, is the gorgeous display of every kind of cheese I have never heard of (remember, I'm a foodie in training. I'm not there yet). Well, I've heard of manchego. To be honest, though, I was awfully wrapped up in the different kinds of butters available in the refrigerated case. I had no idea that there is such a thing called "cultured" butter, and that it is different from "regular" butter. Apparently, according to the educated staff, cultured butter has a tangier taste than regular butter. I will have to try that sometime.

I was a little too intimidated to get help from the staffed counter with the beautiful block-and-wheel-of-cheese displays, so I hemmed and hawed at the refrigerator case, finally choosing a small wedge of Pecorino Romano, a package of Camembert, and a Cowgirl Creamery cheese spreader for good measure. I also succumbed to the siren song of some blackberry preserves, which came in an octagonal jar with a little computer-printed label . These preserves are made of three ingredients: organic blackberries, pectin and sugar. I'm am giddy.

Sadly, Cowgirl Creamery was sold out of baguettes for the day, and Best Buns Bakery was closed by the time my Metro Bus meandered past it, so no baguette for me yet to go with the Camembert, but my goods are in the fridge waiting for me.

And I'm already planning my next trip to test out this new realm of cheese.


If you go:

Cowgirl Creamery
919 F St. NW
Washington, DC 20004

Week Four: Bond, The Willard, and Harry Potter

Let me tell you, I am a big Harry Potter fan and have been anticipating the release of the seventh book for quite some time. In fact, I pre-ordered it a few months ago, and for me, it was late because I even waited a few weeks after it was available for pre-order (big risk taker here, I know). To be honest, though, I've never been too interested in release parties. They seemed fun, but really not my thing. I just want to get to the store, get my book, get home, and get reading. With that in mind, I've gotten my last two Harry Potter books from the Borders at 14th and F St. NW, in downtown DC. Once the working day ends and the restaurants have closed, the part of the city near the Treasury and the White House becomes relatively quiet, and since the area isn't residential, the Harry Potter party is limited to people like me, who just want to stop by, get their book, and leave. Perfect.

I had Friday (relatively) planned-- I would test out the Willard's new restaurant, Cafe du Parc. As I knew a few of the concierges back from my days in the business, I would stop by their desk and reconnect for a few minutes. And if I got bored before midnight, I might even be persuaded to head over to Gifford's for some ice cream, or the Elephant and Castle for a Harp.

I went to Cafe du Parc. The bread there is the fantastic European kind with the hard, crunchy golden exterior and soft, white interior. The service is excellent as well. If there is anything that one can count on with the Willard and all of its associate ventures, it is the service. It is quick, it is friendly, and it is knowledgeable. I am told the Four Seasons has better service, but I'm not sure how much better you can get. I have a feeling that the differences there are in the most minute of details, and I am so not the splitting-hairs type.

The entree, I think, could have been better, but let me tell you what I did like about it. If you look at the picture, you'll see some roasted garlic and grilled eggplant. I really liked those. I don't know if I've ever had roasted garlic, but I've always known that garlic has a lot of sugar in it (anyone who has cooked with garlic at all, can see that). For this reason, I have no idea why I didn't think roasted garlic would be sweet, but it is--pleasantly so. The grilled eggplant was nice, too. As soon as it hit my mouth, I felt it practically melt on my tongue, my tension melting with it.

One thing I don't like about eating in restaurants is the fact that so many of them drastically over-salt their food. Cafe du Parc does not, even though with such a mild flavor, the eggplant seems perfect for some salt--and then a little more...and some more still. Instead, they grilled the eggplant with just a little bit of olive oil, allowing the flavor to shine through. Yummy.

I'm a little conflicted about the main part of the entree- the one that looks like a ribeye steak. The genius of it is that it's not really a ribeye steak. Ok, yes, I am one of those country bumpkins that gets all excited when my food is dressed up to look like something it's not. I giggled when I realized that the part of my entree that looked like meat was actually a mixture of greens. Not sure what these mystery vegetables were, but they were tasty, as was the hard-boiled quail's egg that was supposed to be the "bone" of the "ribeye", and which I was thoroughly certain I wasn't going to like (but tried anyway, and did like). The lighter section wrapped around the veggie-quail's egg masterpiece, however, was supposed to be the veal. I say "supposed to be" because, well, there wasn't a whole lot of veal there. Just fat. And I was kind of disappointed, because I wanted the veal.

Perhaps this was planned - perhaps the chef needed to increase the fat content of the "ribeye" to keep something from getting too dry. I'm not sure, but when the waitress came over to check on me, she insisted that everything on the plate could be eaten and exhorted me to eat the "veal" that was really fat. I ate a few more bites, just to be polite but really, there are better uses for the calories...

...such as the chocolate mousse topped with fresh raspberries that I had for dessert, for example. Yum. The mousse was dense, the flavor was rich, and the raspberries were at their peak. I was a happy camper with this mousse. Sadly, it was so rich, and I was so full from my dinner, that I was only able to finish half of it (though I polished off all of the raspberries). Ah well, better luck next time.

This is where my evening went off the track I had planned for it: during my meal, unknown to me, my friend Bond called and left a message inviting me to meet up with him and one member of his merry band of cads and scoundrels at Bourbon in Glover Park. I decided then that Harry Potter would just have to wait until Saturday and headed to the concierge desk to get an exact address for Bourbon, as well as hopefully shoot the breeze with the concierge on duty.

As luck would have it, an acquaintance of mine was working the desk, and we proceeded to chat for the next 45 minutes or so about restaurants and places to live, venues, activities, mutual friends and, of course, gossip about the Washington, DC hospitality scene. My Concierge Friend not only vetted my current list of restaurants, bars and venues, but even added a few to it, for which I am grateful (though my list is now so large I am unsure that I will ever see even half the spots I have on it). We exchanged email addresses, promised to keep in touch, and I really hope we do. I loved getting his insight and would love to check out some new restaurants with him.

Bourbon was as it has always been for me - very laid back and, for the most part, uncrowded. I love that. This is not a place that I would go to wearing, say, a tank top and cut-offs, but in my Friday office casual wear (a nice pair of jeans, camisole and a blazer) I felt quite comfortable. We told stories, Bond tried to get me drunk on wine, and his cadly friend hit on the cocktail waitress. Bond and I took a cab back to his Dupont Circle condo and chatted some more before I crashed on his couch. I have a distinct feeling that Bond (being who he is) had...other plans...for us for the evening...but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

And the next day, in the haze of a red wine hangover, I took the metro to Metro Center, got a coffee at the Caribou near there, headed over to Borders to pick up my book, and then went home. Delicious.

If you go:

Cafe du Parc
1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20004

Willard Intercontinental Washington
1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20004

Bourbon - Glover Park
2348 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20007

Week Four: My Mom Visits-- Part Two!

Monday, though I had planned to take a day off, I went into work. With The Planner not back to work yet and a fundraiser to set up (by the way-- did I mention my boss is giving me jobs other than answering the phone?!? YIPPEE!!!), I could not afford to take the day. Mom didn't mind-- she took the opportunity to explore the National Mall and the U.S Botanic Garden. We decided to meet up after my fundraiser at Union Station, and find dinner after that. Unfortunately, my fundraiser went a little late. Fortunately, I had decided to take Mom to the Dubliner for dinner, which is right across the street from Union Station.

The Dubliner is crowded, the food is...edible, and the floor in the bar area is permanently sticky. I don't care. It's a comfortable place, the service is (relatively) quick, there's live music on weekends, and it has the best bathrooms in the city (outside of the Willard). Besides, my friend Crap Bastard loves it, and I love him. So I took Mom there. I had the fish and chips because it was safe, and upon receiving them realized that I'm not all that wild about the Fish and Chips there, I only order them because they're safe. I should have ordered the Sirloin Burger. Mom went a little further out and ordered the Seared Salmon Salad, loved it, and then proceeded to finish off my Fish and Chips declaring that she is always hungry after eating "rabbit food". Mom really liked the Fish and Chips and pronounced them to be very similar to what she had while on her post-doctoral research fellowship in Kew, though she says that the chips at the Dubliner were much better than the ones she had at the pubs in England. I guess nobody really goes to Britain for the food, do they?

After the Dubliner, we planned to go home, but at the last minute, I decided to veer off 395 to the Air Force Memorial. It's the one monument I can clearly see from my apartment windows, and I thought it would be a shame if Mom didn't get to see it up close and in person. Besides, she's been to just about everything else, and I was running out of cool new places to take her. So we went. Unlike the memorials on the National Mall, the Air Force Memorial's location in Virginia ensures that there are no crowds-- except for the ones that really want to be there. It's on a peaceful ridge next to some barracks, and you wouldn't know it, but the view of downtown Washington, DC is phenomenal. You can't really see the green of the Mall, but beyond the Pentagon, which spreads out before you, is a panorama which includes the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Library of Congress, the Washington Monument, the Capitol, the White House and even the National Cathedral (among other sites). The view was worth the trip, but the Memorial itself is beautiful in its simplicity. I wasn't much of a fan when it was first constructed, but it's really grown on me.

By the by, when Mom and I entered the Memorial grounds, we noticed a sign at the entrance advertising free concerts featuring the Air Force Band every Wednesday and Friday night , right there at the Memorial. (weather permitting). Definitely something to put on my to-do list (and I do have one).

If You Go:


The Dubliner
4 F St. NW
Washington, DC 20001

The Air Force Memorial
One Air Force Memorial Drive
Arlington, VA 22211 (use the directions on the website)

Why I should do blog entries as soon as I have the experience (i.e.: Week Three - Sunday)

I completely forgot to write about my experience in Adams-Morgan! The Sunday after The Planner's bachelorette party, I decided to go exploring boutiques. Specifically, I was interested in finding clothing that fit me (for more on this topic, see the entry on Lingerie Success).

Most people know Adams-Morgan as an area with a plethora of restaurants, bars and clubs (oh, and Amsterdam Falafel and the Big Slice). If you go during the day, however, you'll discover an entirely different Adams-Morgan-- one with vintage furniture and clothing shops and trendy boutiques (and Amsterdam Falafel and the Big Slice).

So--eureka--I went to Adams-Morgan during the day (there's actually PARKING!), and wandered up and down 18th St. NW, and then up and down Columbia St. NW. Found a few restaurants I'd heard about (but didn't know where they were), wandered in and out of antique shops, boutiques, and vintage clothing stores, was accosted by a saleswoman in a vintage clothing store who I suspect hadn't seen another human being in weeks, and discovered, much to my delight, Shake Your Booty.

Shake Your Booty is a trendy women's clothing and shoe store tucked into a small building between a hipster furniture store and an Ethiopian clothing boutique. The walls are painted PINK, and everything in the store has a price tag that puts it in the $30 - $60 range--perfect for someone who wants quality clothing, but doesn't want to sell their firstborn to get it. The sales staff is young, friendly, and extremely helpful - one girl took a dress off a mannequin for me to try on because she thought it would look good on me (it did, but it was one of those dresses you see on Nicole Ritchie - totally NSFW). It was here that I discovered shoes that I adored that I didn't see on everyone else. It was also at this store that I discovered a bias-cut black and white jersey dress that fit me like it was made for me (moreso than the usual bias cut jersey dress). It is gorgeous, and if I put a black camisole underneath it, I actually can wear it to work. Special bonus - unlike the ubiquitous Ann Taylor skirts, I have yet to see anyone else wearing this dress. And it was on sale - originally $60, now $40. $40 for work appropriate dress - that's well within my clothing budget for the month. I say "yes" to that.

And that was my victory in Adams-Morgan.

If you go:

Shake Your Booty
2439 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009

Week Three: Lingerie Success!

Let me be very honest here...my reason for finding an upscale lingerie shop was not just to get underwear for The Planner in honor of her upcoming wedding. No, it was more selfish than that--I desperately needed to be fitted for a bra.

Every since I began training for longer-distance races - 10Ks and longer--I've been putting in anywhere from 9 - 16 miles per week, on average. Consequently, I have shrunk - I've gone from a size 4 two years go to a size 0 now. And as far as bra size? Well, until last Monday I could only guess.

I don't mind being smaller so long as I remain healthy, but the change in size has made shopping for clothing...inconvenient at best and impossible at worst. There are now large segments of the women's clothing retail industry that have absolutely nothing for me, and with bras, the situation is dire. The ubiquitous Victoria's Secret has decided that I do not exist, and I now must either go to an independent shop or purchase my bras online (department stores supposedly have my size, but I've yet to see it). Because of the trial and error involved in finding bras, I decided to try find an independent shop. Of course, the one nearest me is no longer in business, and the one I sent Marathoner to is all the way out in Fairfax, so I decided to see if there was one closer to work -- and there was. This is how I discovered Coup de Foudre last Monday.

Coup de Foudre is a specialty lingerie store that has the same ambiance (pink carpeting, feminine wallpaper, classical music) that Victoria's Secret had before it decided to go all modern. Much, much more relaxing than Victoria's Secret - especially as there is a greater chance I'll find something that fits!

I got to the store shortly after work on Monday, and after adding my info to the guest book, I asked if I needed an appointment to be measured that day. The very French sales lady said she would be happy to measure me, led me to the dressing room, and got out her tape. I quickly learned that I was at least a band size and a cup size smaller than when I had been last measured, and that the bra I was wearing (one of my own) was most definitely the wrong size. And then the fun part began.

The door to my dressing room was soon covered in bras of every type and color: demi, full cup, balconet, silk, lace, brown, white, blue. There was even a swimsuit in the bunch that fit well, but gave me scary cleavage. I tried on everything--at least 15 bras, possibly more-- and every time I tried on a new bra, the French sales lady came in, adjusted it, inspected the fit, and told me what to look for. For all my bravado, I tend to be a very private person, so having that much scrutiny directed at my chest by a complete stranger was a little unnerving. The sales lady was very professional, however, so the discomfort was short. Through the trial and error in the dressing room, I discovered what kinds of bras worked well for me, and soon gained the ability to spot a dud the moment I put it on.

In the end, I spent an ungodly amount of money on two bras that fit like they were made for me. Oh yes, and I picked up a gift for The Planner, which was not nearly so ungodly expensive (but still very very cute!). With that, I left Coup de Foudre and headed over to Macy's to purchase The Planner's silverware from her wedding registry. A Macy's is a Macy's is a Macy's, so I'll save us all some time and say that my experience there was typical (not bad, not great).

If you go:
Coup de Foudre
1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW (*actually at the corner of 11th and E St. NW)
Washington, DC 20004

Macy's (if you must)
1201 G. St., NW
Washington, DC 20005

Week Two: Keepin' It Real

So this week's been a bit easier - no more breakdowns, and I'm beginning to feel a bit more normal!

The Planner is at home, and we're still waiting on a diagnosis. Please keep your fingers crossed, send her good vibes, and pray to the God/god/deity/life force of your choice that we hear something good!

Techie doesn't like to talk about himself (he erroneously thinks that if he doesn't talk about it, the rest of us won't worry), but he seems to be hanging in there pretty well. Keep your fingers crossed, etc., for him, too!

On Monday, I did a little more Young Dems volunteering, making more calls to Democrats to get out the vote on July 17th. I love making calls for dems, but on Monday it got even better. :)

A little backstory here: when I lived in suburban Detroit, I worked at a dead end job for a megalomaniacal insurance agent (not kidding here). He had me make cold calls to set up appointments with our clients for him to sell them Cash Value Life Insurance policies. As you can imagine, our customers were less than enthused to be disturbed during their dinner hour by someone trying to sell them something they didn't really like to think about.

Flash forward to my volunteer nights in Alexandria, and you can imagine I was a little apprehensive upon receiving my script and phone number list. That apprehension was erased within my first few calls.

"He's a Democrat?" one voter squawked upon hearing the purpose of my call, "Well, we don't know much about him, but of course he's got both our votes - we don't vote for Republicans in this house!"

How delightful.

Even more delightful was the free pizza and drinks (love not having to spend money on dinner). And at the end of the night, everyone who stopped by to volunteer got their name put in a raffle for a free haircut from Lorraine Aprile salon in Alexandria. Guess who won? Since I already have an appointment on Sunday my hair cut and colored at PR @ Partners, I figure I'll make an appointment at Lorraine Aprile for 8 weeks from that date. If I really like it, I'll stick with them. If not, I'll go back to PR @ Partners. It's all good.

Last week, I got a call from my long lost friend Red. We met about a year and a half ago (very randomly-- "You're from Michigan?!? I am, too!"), at a house party hosted by some people I had met randomly a few weeks before. We hung out for awhile, and then lost touch. Well, I noticed last week that I had a missed call from a random Boston number (I know nobody in Boston). Come to find out, it was Red.--wandering his way back into my life. We decided to meet up Tuesday at Murky Coffee on Capitol Hill.


It was a blast. As we met up shortly after work, the shop wasn't crowded, so the barista had enough time to give us a tutorial on how to make really good coffee. This was after I mentioned to her that the Starbucks coffee I'd had the previous day had a decidedly burnt taste to it, and asked her why that might have been. I had no idea that the baristas at Murky actually grind the beans when you order, and then specially tamp them into the steel filter. Damn. That's awseome. She verbally walked us through the process and informed us that how the coffee grounds are placed in the filter has everything to do with how the end product tastes. She also told us how incredibly intense the new barista training is. You actually spend an entire day in the classroom (as in 8 hours) learning the history of coffee. You spend another 8 hours learning how to tamp the ground coffee into the filter. And then you are tested on it. If I ever have a few years during which I feel the urge to "find myself", I may very well end up "finding myself" as a barista at Murky coffee. Oh the knowledge to be had...

FYI - for those who prefer the same knowledge with less commitment, Murky also offers classes and have coffee tasting sessions (like wine tasting nights, only better!). I may fill up some schedule dates with these - think of the interesting people I'd meet!

After a few cups of coffee and delectable cupcake at Murky, we wandered our way down to Barracks Row (8th St. & I St. SE), a low key area that most people don't really know about. The "Barracks" in the name refer to the Marine Barracks. Yes, there are Marines, yes they do live there, and yes, they wear their pretty uniforms. *drool*

FYI - according to their website, they do conduct tours of the post on Wednesdays at 10:00AM, but the real draw of the Marine Barracks are their sunset parades, held every Friday during the summer at 8:45PM. The parades begin with a concert by the United States Marine Band, and from what I remember from my time as a concierge here in DC, you should either get reservations (which fill up FAST) or get there early to get an unclaimed seat.

As it was Tuesday, no parade for Red and me, but I think I'll be able to fit one in some Friday before the end of the summer. :)

Since we had gotten started so late, many of the shops were closing at about the time we got there, so we didn't get to check out Capitol Hill Bikes, for instance, which I did actually want to see (more on that later). We did, however, stop in at Homebody, which I hadn't been to since Marathoner and I explored Barracks Row together a year and a half ago. Red found it highly amusing to watch me drool over their newly-added stock of Angela Adams handbags.

After wandering around Barracks Row, Red and I decided to head over to the West Lawn of the Capitol for the dress rehearsal of the Capitol Fourth concert. If you've never seen the 4th of July fireworks on the National Mall, you probably should do it once, just to have that experience. Yes, it's one of those things. I am truly glad I did it. That said, now that I have watched the fireworks from the Mall, I have no desire to sit in the heat/ humidity and/or rain, brave the crowds, and not have access to food or bathroom for hours on end. Phooey on that. However, the dress rehearsal is much less crowded, free, and fun. Hooray. Red and I got there in time to watch the National Symphony Orchestra play the 1812 Overture as well as some Sousa marches.

Up Next: The Glorious Fourth Itself.

If You Go:

Monday: Young Dems of America

Lorraine Aprile Salon
112 S. Fayette St.
Alexandria, VA 22314

Tuesday:
Murky Coffee
600 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003

Marine Barracks
8th St. & I St. SE
Washington, DC 20390

Homebody
715 8th St. SE
Washington, DC 20003

Angela Adams (online store)

Week One in Review: If it is outside my apartment, I am in!

To make a long story short, the week of June 25 was one tough week. I discovered that my ex-boyfriend, who I had dearly loved, had been seeing his current girlfriend for around 2 months before he and I broke up. Lovely. Then, I learned that one of my good friends (we'll call him Techie) has 3 tumors, one of which may be inoperable (and that's the one that has cancer). My best friend, The Planner, was admitted to the hospital on Monday. They still don't know what's wrong with her (though they're narrowing it down, and she's home now).

I felt like a nutcase.

My week soon became a tally of small milestones:

Monday: went to work (major accomplishment). Re-discovered nyquil as sleeping draught. Learned that The Planner was in the hospital.

Tuesday: First day without a major breakdown. Straightened my hair. Had enough energy to clean my apartment (a little) and do my laundry (lots of that). Made plans to fill up the rest of my week. Used money from my Emergency Fund to sign up for swing dancing classes.

Wednesday: Felt hungry again, momentarily, and was able to force down most of my oatmeal and drink all of my coffee. Went to the gym. Straightened my hair. Considered makeup. Actually ate a couple of tangerines. Went to counselor appointment. Was able to read two whole newspaper articles. Got everything on my to-do list done before 2:00PM (although maybe that's not a good thing). Talked to Planner, who was released from the hospital.

Continuing with the series of small milestones, I re-discovered my laugh Wednesday night at the Young Dems volunteer night for the local city council candidate. :)

Here's a picture of me volunteering. :)

Thursday, went to Bonefish Grill in Fairfax with Marathoner, who treated me because she felt like I needed a Girls' Night Out (did I look that pathetic?). In any case, Marathoner has been raving about Bonefish Grill since she moved here almost two years ago, so I was excited to try it. The pomegranate martini was fantastic (Marathoner liked her chocolate martini as well). Bonefish Grill has a system where you choose the fish and how it's cooked, and then you pick a sauce for it from a number of different options (I cannot remember all of them, but there is a menu located on their website). Marathoner ordered the Salmon with Lemon Butter sauce with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. That sounded so good I ordered the same thing. It was delicious, all of it. Even though I can't remember what vegetables we got (corn maybe?) I remember those were delicious, too. It was so fantastic I was thrilled to take the other half home for the next days lunch. Too bad I left it on the Metro.


Friday, my friend Bond took me to Mark and Orlando's, where I had the crabcake and he had the New York strip steak. He loved his steak - said that it was very difficult to get a New York strip that tender (he seemed quite surprised by it). My crabcake...ehh...I've had better. Too much filler, not enough crab. Somewhat disappointing. Also disappointing were the little mushrooms underneath the crabcake, which were too salty, and the vegetables were not memorable. The tomato - mozzarella thing thing that we started our meal with, however, was fantastic, as was the Flourless Chocolate Cake with Homemade Coconut Ice-Cream. I was going to skip dessert at the restaurant and suggest going somewhere else for dessert (not a reflection on the restaurant, just something I tend to do), but Bond had his little heart set on that Flourless Chocolate Cake, and I'm glad he talked me into it.

Saturday, Marathoner and I got to visit The Planner, who, by this time, had been out of the hospital for a few days and was stir-crazy. The Planner is not someone who lets grass grow under her feet, to put it mildly. The fact that she is now physically incapable of moving around at the rate of speed to which she is accustomed is very frustrating for her. Still, it was great to see her on Saturday, and spend some time with my girls. We went for a little walk down to a little park at the end of her street, and then back to her apartment. They still don't know what's wrong, and she's still very frightened, but she's giving it the best outlook she can right now, and I really admire her for that. She's also the friend who is getting married in two weeks, so we commented on how fortuitous it was that The Planner is such a planner - all of the preparations for her wedding are done--all she has to do is get to the venue and walk down the aisle. Thank goodness! The way The Planner sees it, her dad will walk her down the aisle, the new Mr. Planner will walk her back, and Marathoner and I (we're bridesmaids, after all) will hold her up at the reception. :)

If you go:

Gotta Swing (various Metro DC locations)

Young Democrats of America (various locations nationwide)

Bonefish Grill

13005 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy.

Fairfax, VA

Metro (all over DC)

Mark and Orlando's

2020 P St. NW

Washington, DC 20036