Time warp to my childhood

I was at the store yesterday for some groceries, also shopping on an empty stomach (always a bad idea!) but had decided to splurge and indulge on some of my new favorite sorbet that is called cabernet blackberry...it really is to die for! After picking up the sorbet I was headed for the checkout when I saw in random frozen display case...VIENETTA. I thought Vienetta had long been pulled from the shelves and was no longer sold!

As a child I would visit my grandparents with my mom for weeks at a time in Coeur D' Alene and I would also look forward to finding a package of vienetta in their freezer. It would be my evening snack as I would sit in the dining room in their big house and watch late night TV. I would usually sneak a second slice of it when my mom would be in the living room reading with my grandparents.

For you who have not been so lucky as to taste this delectable desert it is ice cream with flaky layers of chocolate in it. It is delicious! However I was disappointed to find that the ice cream the use now is not nearly as good, but it still is a great treat!

In other news! I had a conversation with my boss on Friday and am going to be able to work a few extra hours each week. They are really impressed with my work and like how I fit into the company and don't want to loose me to another job. So it isn't full time quite yet, but making steps in that direction! Every hour helps!

Thaiphoon & Afterwords Cafe

I met up with Miss. Erin and her plus one, Paul, for dinner and drinks last night. I took the recommendation of my boss and we went to Thaiphoon in Dupont Circle. The location was ideal, the restaurant was trendy looking, however I ordered a Mango Daiquiri and almost spit up my first sip of it. I tasted like really cheap vodka without any flavoring! After getting support from Erin I traded in my mango disaster for a mojito...which had the same cheap alcohol taste. I ordered a chicken green curry, which came with too little rice and was generally a disappointing dish. Overall impression...I won't be making the effort to go to Thaiphoon anytime in the future.

Afterwards we went to Afterwords Cafe. We strolled down Connecticut Ave and found a bookstore that Erin had heard had a cafe and bar in the back. We had gotten there around 9pm and were lucky enough to get three seats right at the bar. The whitty, well thought out menu is enough for you to fall in love with the place from the start. I decided to switch to a beer since the lingering taste from my bad drinks at dinner was still in my mouth. I took Carly's advice and tried the Rogue Dead Guy Ale, which was described as "Hearty, Rich, Balanced" and held true to its excellent recommendation. The beer list was organized from light to dark, which was a really nice feature when picking a beverage. I finished with an Original Sin Cider from NY which I think is a local cider favorite. Described as "Light, Dry, Fruity", it was a delicious finish to the evening. Some other noteworthy drinks on the menu:

Top Shelf Long Beach Iced Tea
Absolut,Bombay,Cuervo,Bacardi, Cointreau,Cranberry Juice, Sour Mix
Limit-2 Per Customer

Electile Dysfunctional Cocktails

BarakStar Martini
Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka, Godiva Chocolate & White Chocolate Liqueurs
"The One" drink that's been soaring on promises '...yes you should' try it

Biden Bluster
Mango Puree, Strawberry & Lemonade Blended w/Ice
Sip slow on a fast train

The McCain Maverick
Bacardi Peach Rum, Mango Puree, Lemon Fizz & Soda
It's not what everyone else is having

Palin Long View
Rogue Dark Rum, Triple Sec, Fresh Lime Juice, Orange Juice and Sour
Enough of these & you'll swear you can see Russia from here

You can see more of the menu on their website

Now I was already sold on the place before I discovered the Desserts. I was attracted to the listing for Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Ice Cream. Cinnamon ice cream is one of my favorites so I couldn't resist. Well while the ice cream was excellent the pumpkin pie was by far the best slice of pumpkin pie I have ever had. It was unbelievable smooth and rich and the ice cream with a little whipped cream was a great combination.

On the way out I got distracted by the actual book store. The children's book selection is wonderful (ps if you have never looked at a "Lion in the Library" and you are an ADPi, you really should go check it out, you will love it). But there is an awesome book selection as well and I will have to go back just to check out the books and maybe grab a cup of coffee!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

This past weekend I needed to go to papersource in old town (ps they have the most adorable polar bear wrapping paper and gift bags I have ever seen!) to pick up some paper for the crafts I am working on as Christmas gifts for some of my friends. I decided to go to Starbucks on my way home to pick up Alex and I a little cup of goodness. I turned down a street and saw the most vibrant rainbow! It was absolutely stunning. Naturally the car behind me started honking so I failed to get the picture that had the row of townhouses and perfect fall looking trees. But I did manage to capture a few shots of it. It also was a double rainbow ooooooaaaaahhhh!!

Matchbox

Saturday night Alex and I met up with Miss. Erin to catch a showing of "Role Models", which was hilarious, and a good way to wind down the week. At Gallery Place/Chinatown there was an ACDC concert going on, as well as the opening night of the new James Bond Movie so things were pretty crazy on the street. We decided to find some place to have drinks and some late night snack food. We ended up having a hard time finding a bar that wasn't packed to the brim! We decided to try a side street and we found a townhouse restaurant called Matchbox. It ended up being a pizza restaurant that Alex had heard about so it was a good find. The drinks were fabulous and I loved that the menu was divided into girly and manly. The pizza lived up to its reviews and I would definitely go back, which is a rare thing for me to say about a DC restaurant. Another unique thing about Matchbox was that in the tables, set in a varnish was matchboxes that the owners had collected. Since they are also known for their mini burgers I know I will be back at some point to try those!

Old Post Office Tower

Alex had veterans day off from work so we decided to get out of the apartment and check out the Old Post Office Pavilion. The tower of the Old Post Office has a great view of the Mall and the rest of the district. It is free and from what I have heard there is rarely a line! It is a beautiful old building and houses a set of bells that are replicas of the ones at Westminster. After our excursion up the tower we headed to the newly constructed Navy memorial which is beautifully done and then enjoyed eggnog lattes at Starbucks.

Alli Caught Harry Winston

So I am reading the new book by Lauren Weisberger, "Chasing Harry Winston" (Author of the Devil wears Prada), which I had to wait for over three months on a waiting list from the public library. But finally I have it! It is a quick read, and if you want something fun and entertaining, this is the book. Well anyways, on to the the more exciting new that I got last weekend when I was taking Kendal to the airport are to meet with her Uncle and Cousin for dinner. (You can read Alli's story on her blog)

Well we are driving and my phone rings. And I see a strange number so I don't answer since I want to enjoy my last few minutes with Kendal. Well it rings again. So I google the area code...and it tells me that it is a phone number from Springfield Missouri. So i get a little nervous because Alex has family in that area and I was jumpy about a small disaster or something have occurred.

A few moments later, Kendal's phone rings, and she answers. I hear her say "It's Alli!", which I casually think "oh fun!", but don't really register what I big deal this is since Alli is studying abroad in Geneva. Then Kendal says " Oh my gosh, hold on let me put you on speaker phone and say it again!" and all I had to hear was "Sean prop..." and I started screaming. Alli's boyfriend pulled off one of the most romantic and amazing proposals! Eiffel tower, Jules Verne Restaurant, a confused Alli and a beautiful (well we are guessing :) ) ring. Well I almost killed us in the car. Screeched into a parking spot at Ruby Tuesday's and continued to scream. Kendal and I said our goodbyes and then I was left alone for my 45 minute drive back to hyperventilate and cry out of happiness for her.

So Congratulations Alli and Sean!!!!

Kendal's Visit

Yes I am still behind on my postings! So my goal tonight it to get completely caught up and make my blog current.

Last weekend Kendal came to visit me for the weekend. On Saturday I picked her up very early from the airport (after having to drive to Maryland due to a car accident) and we came home and "napped", ate a pancake brunch and then headed into DC to do a speed tour. We tried to take a tour of the capital, but our late start to the day made it a little difficult to get tickets so we just ended up walking around. The weather was perfect, fall leaves and beautiful lighting made for some wonderful photographs!

We were given the tip to check out the Library of congress. I was a sceptic and thought it would just be a building filled with books. Au Contrare! It was a spectacular building that took my breath away.

After the library we did a speed tour of 4 Smithsonians and then walked to the White House, which was very pretty at night. We finished the night with dinner at Mai Thai in Old Town, good food, bad service and then topped it off with desserts and coffee from La Madeline.

The Hope DiamondThere is a new exhibit at the Natural History Museum, and this whale hangs from the ceiling. There is also a nasty giant preserved squid....it made me squirm.

In the morning Kendal and I headed for the zoo. After my misguiding directions and a 3.5 mile walk we finally arrived and were lucky enough to see some very active animals. The pandas were a favorite, as were the Asian small clawed otters. We also had the change to see elephant training which was absolutely amazing!!

To Manassas and Back for Obama

On Monday before the election I was at work with little to do and Alex text me that Obama was going to be in Manassas for his final rally. Knowing that he had a chance to be elected, I knew it was an opportunity not to be missed. The traffic was horrendous. We had to park in a random neighborhood and walk about a mile and a half to the rustic fairgrounds, where a crowd of 75,000+ cheered and chanted. I couldn't really see anything due to my height, but the feeling of being there was amazing. A huge Vote for Change sign hung behind the massive crowd that seemed dazzled with energy and enthusiasm.

Obama's speech was nothing short of amazing. While he pretty much talked about what he has previously and used past stories, you could hear the excitment in his voice. While we did have to treck quite a ways and we lacked sleep the next day after pouring ourselves into bed around 3am, it was something I will never forget and something I look forward to telling my children about.

My First Office Party

Halloween called for an office happy hour/potluck. With my boss in Las Vegas I was in charge of the event. Some elaborate crate paper was referred to as "the best decorating yet". (I felt good about that!)

For my costume, I saved some money and used some items of clothing I already owned to be a "Seattleite". I wore my rain boots, with a Dawgs shirt, rain coat, ipod, LL bean catalogue, and carried around Starbucks cup. No one got what I was. But it was fun!

Even Obama and Biden showed up to have a drink!!

Birthday Banner

Well I have some catching up to do with my postings! A lot has been going on and at the end of the day I always end up too tired to post about it, and naturally now I have a back log of experiences to share!

A quick happening was Miss. Erin's 23rd birthday! With little means to decorate, I decided a birthday banner would be manageable. With some card stock, stencils, exacto knife, and a few hours of time I made a happy birthday banner to welcome her home from a day at work!

Alex got a little confused and thought it was for him...

But he finally figured it out, and let Erin take her photo with the banner

Indian Ocean

On Saturday Miss. Erin departed from my humble abode and took residence in her new house. As a celebration/thank you from her to us, she treated Alex and I to a wonderful dinner at Indian Ocean, right near the Van Ness metro stop. On yelp.com, it has received great reviews, and it did not disappoint. Between the three of us we had a salmon dish, butter chicken, and a lamb dish. We started with a veggie appetizer that was blissful and concluded with a interesting cheese/cream dessert that freshened the palate and was strangely tasty. The service was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was a little cliche, but I did enjoy the sturdy water goblets. We also indulged on a bottle of viogner wine from California's Jewel. It was a great evening and I plan to return again to the ocean.

For more information about their menu and location....http://www.indianoceandc.com/

A Spooky Halloween

Deciding that we were really in to the costume/bar scene, Alex had heard about an Alexandria ghost tour on Halloween night. Our house guest Miss. Erin joined us a for a walking ghost tour that was delightfully spooky and fun! We wove through the streets of Alexandria hearing some of the fabled legends of ghosts that hang around the area. Being in such an old, historic town it was neat to hear the stories and use your imagination to think of days gone by. The special Halloween tour concludes in the bedroom of "The Burning Bride", or otherwise known as Laura Schaffer. Her extravagantly large wedding dress caught on fire, and naturally when she tried to flee her room the door was stuck. Eventually she managed to open the door, only to tumble down the stairs and suffer massive burns causing her to pass away a few days later.

While the stories were embellished and the fright of Halloween added to the spookiness, but the tour was undoubtedly a good time and worth the money.