Budget versus nicer hotels

What I've learned about budget hotels/motels:

- PET FRIENDLY is NOT Wonton friendly
- you only get one, already started, roll of toilet paper. No backups!
- scratchy, tiny towels; 2, if you're lucky
- scratchy, ugly bedding
- very little lighting
- no breakfast
- terrible coffee
- you may need to request a clock
- or a hairdryer
- color TV is a stated amenity
- and so is shampoo

But there's always ice. Even if the bucket is small and they ration out portions from behind the desk.

The big issue, however, is security. Apparently, you can buy peace of mind, at least in terms of entrances (actual and emergency, such as windows) that lock. Poor J was up until sunrise, ready to defend us from marauders. I'm never going to be able to sleep in a motel ever again.

To quote some very wise ladies, I LOVE AMENITIES!!!

DC Bucket List - Follow-up

So, in the past few months, I've managed to:

1) Visit the Franciscan Monastery
2) Hike in the Arboretum, possibly a moonlight stroll
3) See the Peacock Room in the Freer (gorgeous!Also looked around the rest of the Freer, which I don't remember ever doing before)
4) Visit the Air&Space Museum annex
5) Take pictures at the Air Force Memorial
6) Tour the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
7) More DC night photos (X more times!)
8) Take in the night at the Naval Observatory
9) Sit in on the Meridian Hill drum circle
10) Catch another Millennium Stage performance
11) Return to the Zoo; see the pandas (the pandas weren't out, but I did see the butt of a red panda, which is possibly even better)
12) Go through the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum
13) Evensong and organ recital at the National Cathedral
14) Finish touring Arlington Cemetery
15) Sunrise photos of the Capitol
16) Visit Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens while it is in bloom (lillies and lotuses! Loti?)
17) Hike the Billy Goat one last time
18) Take pictures at the Library of Congress
19) Get to the top of the Washington Monument, if possible
20) Catch one more show at Wolf Trap
21) See this year's animal photography exhibit at the Natural History Museum
22) Get lost in whilst driving in NE DC (damn you 395 and your poor signage!!)
23) Yoga in the Park (Meridian Hill) (that breeze on your toes is delicious)
24) Photograph the Monuments again
25) Cash in our wedding dance lessons
26) Hike the White Trail again
27) Walk around Burke Lake again
28) See Marine 1 or 2 Land on the White House Lawn
29) Netherlands Carrillion concert?
30) One last show at the Shakespeare Theater Company?
31) Folklife Festival
32) July 4 on the mall?
33) Twilight Tattoo?
34) Jazz in the Garden?
35) Hike around Roosevelt Island

So much left we didn't get to.  Guess I'll have to come back...

Must Eats - Follow-up

In the past few months I/we've managed to eat at:

1) Lickity Split lunch at Eve (last meal in DC!)
2) CityZen
3) A&J
4) 2941
5) Pupatella
6) Bar at Corduroy
7) Proof
8) PS7's
9) Tosca
10) Fiola
11) Central
12) China Star
13) Palena Cafe
14) Fast Gourmet
15) Thai X-ing
16) PX
17) Ravi II
18) Thai Square
19) Ray's something (the Steak's, to the 3rd)
20) Rabieng
21) Delhi Club
22) Italian Store
23) Bon Chon
24) Caribbean Corner
25) Rasika
26) Minerva
27) Negril
28) Lighthouse Tofu
29) Crisp & Juicy
30) Pho 75
31) Honey Pig
32) Minh's
33) Lebanese Taverna
34) Pho Deluxe
35) Pete's Apizza
36) Pad Thai
37) Dulcie's Empanada Bakery
38) Wild Chicken
39) Jaleo
40) Cafe Asia
41) Teaism
42) 100 Degrees Chinese
43) Zengo
44) Yechon
45) Woodlands
46) Present
47) Todai
48) Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant
49) Mamma Lucia's
50) Yoko's

I miss all my places already!

They live!!

Even though we didn't see the big pandas (or really, many animals at all), I'm very happy with what is likely our last trip to the National Zoo, because I got to see (the butt of) a red panda.  I hadn't known that they restocked after so negligently killing the last pair and so was thrilled, and was even more delighted to see their new, upgraded habitat. The cutest animal (the bear-cat-raccoon-fox-puppy) in the world lives, luxuriously, at my Zoo!!  That's all I need :)

2941

All is well! The makeover wasn't so drastic as we'd feared, and the changes are mostly to our tastes anyway. Our wedding locale and sacred memories remain intact, at least for now. As long as they are able to keep this or its former incarnation going, we'll be happy to come back and celebrate anniversaries with them!

(Also, saving $$ in fine dining means we should go more often!  Spend to save!  It's such a deal!  Right!!  Right??)

Landlords!

So, after much deliberation and conscious decision-making (largely consisting of an almost joke ad on Craig's List and being pleasantly surprised at the results), we are becoming slumlandlords! I like our would-be renters, but it is strange to think about someone else living in my house. We're learning all about local ordinances and permitting requirements, as well as Virginia landlord/tenant law and guidelines. Plus putting together a how-to-care-for-the-appliances handbook and best-of-the-neighborhood list of businesses. After that, we just have to pack up, move out, and cross our fingers and hope for appreciation.

Walkabout

Burke Lake is a big a** lake!  It's so suburban-peaceful (though actually full of weekend exercise warriors) that I have difficulty remembering that the hike around the damn thing stretches more than 4 miles.  Even though I love to hike by water, it is a significant disadvantage that I can't shorten the walk once I make the halfway point (i.e., the point at which I usually want to give in to my inner, whining, lazy, complaining self). On the other hand, it's probably a significant advantage as well. Harumph.

The fitness course is a little shorter (~3 miles roundtrip), but has the added benefit of exercises from the 80s (I always feel like I should be wearing legwarmers! And a one and a two...) and the accompanying snorting laughter in its favor.  No, I still can't do any pull-ups. We'll have to get back there at least once more for comparison before we leave.

So, the doctor said...

"Unfortunately, that's a common condition and there's not much we can do about it" (dermatologist)


"It doesn't look like cancer" (orthopedic oncologist)


"Yes, you have moderate-to-severe sleep apnea" (pulmonologist)


"No, your retina is not tearing or detaching" (opthamologist)


"Well, the good thing about fixing a filling in a root-canaled tooth is that I don't have to numb you..." (dentist)


All in all, a net positive, but very busy week.  Thank goodness for insurance.

Note to Self

Since you obviously need reminding, bangs are the devil!!!!

Happy Mother's Day indeed

My mom doesn't love me enough to apologize. There wasn't any miscommunication; my request was crystal clear, and conveyed today, several times beforehand, and also through a third party.  I called her today after agonizing all week about missing acknowledgement of Mother's Day.  She sounded thrilled that I called, but turned hostile the moment I mentioned the as-yet absent apology. 


I don't think it's going to happen, so the only question is what I will do next; to decide what outcome matters and how I should achieve it.  I'm curiously at peace.  I've tried, countless times, to establish some adult bounds on our relationship, but both parties must respect the boundaries for them to work. Knowing that it can't or won't be done, I can stop trying, and just accept what is.  Right now, my mother isn't willing to make concessions to have a relationship with me. It hurts, but there isn't anything I can do about her attitude. I'm not willing to tough out the pain of training her through brute force to maintain a facade of civility. So for now I will continue the radio silence and try to stop worrying about it so much. I wish...for a lot of things, but I think that letting go of impossible dreams will be the first step in facing, and eventually finding joy in my reality. 

Must eats

1) Lickity Split lunch at Eve
2) CityZen
3) A&J
4) 2941
5) Pupatella
6) Bar at Corduroy
7) Proof
8) PS7's
9) Tosca
10) Fiola
11) Central
12) China Star
13) Palena Cafe
14) Fast Gourmet
15) Thai X-ing
16) PX
17) Ravi II
18) Thai Square
19) Ray's something
20) Rabieng
21) Delhi Club
22) Italian Store
23) Bon Chon
24) Caribbean Corner
25) Rasika
26) Minerva
27) Negril
28) Lighthouse Tofu
29) Crisp & Juicy
30) Pho 75

And that's just a start...I'm going to miss my places so much :(

DC Bucket List

We have so much to do!

1) Visit the Franciscan Monastery
2) Hike in the Arboretum, possibly a moonlight stroll
3) See the Peacock Room in the Freer
4) Visit the Air & Space Museum annex
5) Take pictures at the Air Force Memorial
6) Tour the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
7) More DC night photos
8) Take in the night at the Naval Observatory
9) Sit in on the Meridian Hill drum circle
10) Catch another Millennium Stage performance
11) Return to the Zoo; see the pandas
12) Go through the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum
13) Evensong and organ recital at the National Cathedral
14) Finish touring Arlington Cemetery
15) Sunrise photos of the Capitol
16) Visit Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens while it is in bloom
17) Hike the Billy Goat one last time
18) Take pictures at the Library of Congress
19) Get to the top of the Washington Monument, if possible
20) Catch one more show at Wolf Trap

Of course, I also want to Eat All Of The Things!  But that's a whole different list...

Moving on

Holy crap, we are going to have to move across the country and we have a LOT of books.

Relief

She is sweet. Now, life as we all know it may continue and change abruptly. That will be a different issue entirely...