Well, here I am, anyway. Enough idle chit chat and let's get right down to it. What exactly have I been up to the last few months?
- Went on a kickass trip to San Francisco in May
- Went on a 3 day beach trip earlier this month to Chincoteague, VA
- Attended a wonderful baby shower
- Visited NYC this past weekend
- Went to various movies & happy hours
So that's a lot for an older timer like me. And I don't want to bore with all the details of every event that has taken place so I'll point out the highlights:
San Francisco was wonderful. The weather was also a fantastic change from the humid sticky fog that is DC in the spring/summer seasons. I went for work, but through work was able to do some many fantastic things, like take a cruise around the Bay, go on a bike tour across the Golden Gate bridge, stay in a resort & spa in Sonoma Valley, attend cocktail events in City Hall, Alcatraz, and the California Academy of Sciences. Hung out around Haight & Ashbury (which was oddly disappointing, despite the engaging conversations I had with the locals and homeless citizen of the neighborhood) and checked out the Painted Ladies, which resulted in a lot of jokes about Uncle Jessee and the Rippers. I asked several people if they knew where the Smash Club was located.... I'm pretty sure I wasn't the first jackass tourist to make similar jokes as no one really found my comments hilarious.
I could go on and on about many wonderful aspects of San Francisco, but all I will say is the food was wonderful. I went on a foodie tour (of course) and had some of the best meals of my life. I let too much time go by before posting this so my memory of it all is fading but one place I could never forget about is Le Colonial. I had the Ga Roti XaoX (Lemongrass roasted chicken with shittake mushrooms and the most flavorful fried broccoli I have ever tasted) and shared it with my friend Sarah, who ordered the Thit Bo Nuong (a NY Steak in truffle sauce and caramelized onions). Join that with a couple bottle of a rich, bold blackberry-infused Cab Sav/Merlot blend, spicy roasted brussel sprouts (yes, they were YUMMY) and an apple crepe in mango sauce... and man, I was in foodie heaven.
So the trip was a week long roller coaster - lots of work, lots of play, very little sleep. There was a piano bar where I rocked out to "Rocket Man." There was a Mexican cafe where I had the best spicy hot cocoa I've ever had in this country. Then there was the time I went on a midnight tour of Alcatraz and nearly peed my pants in fear. It was all very delightful.
As a SoCal girl, I was pretty much raised to hate all of those crazy hippy Northerners, but I gotta tell ya I couldn't have been happier with the city.
And so I returned. And continued to be busy and live without sleep. And finally finally was able to relax with a beach trip with my girls - they know who they are - and had a blast. Nothing like the ocean and the sunshine and wonderful locals to make you feel right with Life. I drank too much, slept too much, laughed too much, and ate too much. So basically, I didn't everything I love in the world, and with a few of my favorite people in the world.
I LOVE THE BEACH.
Two more beach trips planned this summer. And then another trip to SD planned in the fall. See above comment.
Other upcoming trips: Salt Lake City, Austin, and Chicago.
It's a hard knock life, you know?
But seriously, things are swell. Tonight I am visiting a newish restaurant and club in the Foggy Bottom area called Bayou - a New Orleans-style jazz joint that I have been dying to visit for weeks. Also, a plus - my favorite DC Chef, Rusty Holman, is the executive chef there! I will be eating/drinking/singing my heart out tonight. Hopefully I will remember to post about my experience there.
That's all for now, folks. Time to get back to work???? Or go for a walk around the block for froyo. Yep, the latter.
