The family visits continued!! This past weekend Jami and Kari flew out from Iowa (and mom and dad drove down from DE) to spend a long weekend with us in DC. On Thursday evening we enjoyed a Moroccan meal at Souk – somehow they managed to squeeze all 11 (Maine + Iowa) of us at one big table. The best part about dining on small plates with that many people is you can get a taste of nearly everything on the menu. Pepper hummus, baba ganoush, baklava… MMMMmmmm!
On Saturday afternoon, we spent some time being lazy and playing bocce ball in Lincoln Park. Bowser was the only one of us working really hard at moving all the balls around after they stopped rolling, but those are the rules – even though he was pretty lopsided towards chasing all the red balls, no arguing over whatever the dog does! He was like a team of his own. When we weren’t playing bocce, we took turns lounging in the grass (and lining up the ridiculous amounts of phones/cameras/technology we had with us for a simple trip to the park).
That night, we took our 6-person bike gang down to the Capitol and then across the National Mall to see some monuments at night. Jami and Kari took their very first CaBi rides and it was pretty sweet to see everything by moonlight. We stopped at the Capitol briefly, then rode past all the Folklife Festival tents on the Mall, then around the circle of the Washington Monument, passed by the WW2 memorial, rode along the under-construction reflecting pool, stopped to see Mr. Lincoln, where we were somehow more fascinated with the light coming from the kiosk at the base, and then finally walked along the Vietnam Memorial wall. The return trip was nice too – cruising along Pennsylvania Ave in the center bike lanes around 11pm — when the temperature in July in DC is finally tolerable — it’s always a pretty exhilarating feeling. No matter how long we live in DC, I will never get tired of seeing the city at night. It’s pretty amazing.
Sunday was pretty much the perfect day. Shopping at Eastern Market in the morning, pedicures in the afternoon, and sushi boat for late lunch/early dinner. Does it get any better than spending time with family doing those things?! I think Kari definitely enjoyed her first sushi experience and was pretty much a chopstick master by the time we finished. We came home and watched the DVR-ed women’s World Cup Soccer game — still can’t believe that header that tied us up with Brazil!!! Dinner was grilled corn with Old Bay and BBQ chicken followed by a vicious game of Asshole in which Jami was president the entire time . not fair!
It was sad to see them leave this morning. These visits always fly by so fast. Can’t wait until the next one…
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a very family 4th
July 5th, 2011
Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th! We spent it with both the family and the masses – we checked out the parade that marched down Constitution Avenue in the morning, enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch in Chinatown (where Esther was also thankfully reunited with yummy Bon Bons), ended the day watching both the Hare Krishna festival and fireworks on the National Mall (great combo), and bringing in the wee hours of the morning over beer, cupcakes, sparklers, and enlightened argument conversation.
One of the things we enjoyed discussing was the melting pot of American culture that came together on the Mall yesterday. David remarked to me that they had already seen more people in one spot in 5 minutes than they might see in a whole month in Glenallen, Alaska (home). Though this is kind of a no-brainer comment, it was interesting to consider the types and numbers of people we all encounter in our daily lives. Kristy put it a little differently. She just started moo-ing when we got herded into line for the security checkpoint, and said something about a panic attack under her breath. Later, Uncle Sid said to me separately that he was glad our younger cousins could see such a cross-section of America in one place, different from the types of people they see at home in Maine.
And that’s what the 4th is all about. When David in his redneck hat can have a discussion on the power of God with a Swami on the National Mall, and it ends with the purchase of a book on meditation for $1, that everything great about America all rolled into one.
oh also! I have some new ink. While we were waiting for the show to begin, Esther, Morgan, and I got henna tattoos done. Mine is a peacock on my forearm, done by 11 year old Rameni, who was from Hawaii but moving to Florida soon, and who was in DC for her grandmothers 90th birthday and also to (apparently) draw henna tattoos for people on the 4th of July for the price of $5. She has 7 brothers and sisters, and drew a damn good peacock!
America = an oversized birthday cake float
the eagle has landed
OOOooooooooh
AAAaaaaaaaah
sparklers!
Morgan’s star, a circle, and not sure what Elek was drawing
This was the crazy sunset sky at our backs last night as we waited for Screen on the Green to begin on the National Mall. We rode our bikes down after work, picnic dinner in tow, grateful that the weather was finally pleasant. The feature was 12 Angry Men, a definite classic that caused the audience to clap at the very end for the (spoiler ahead) NOT GUILTY verdict. Besides the uplifting ending, the best part of the evening was, as always, the HBO dance.
Hope everyone had a rockin’ 4th of July! We had a blast grillin’ out in Capitol Hill, watching Tiki and Bowser dogs wrestle each other, playing backyard/lawn games, and eventually wandering our way down to the Mall for people watching, gin drinking, and of course fireworks over the monuments.
oh and check out some of our foodie pics below… stuffed and wrapped-in-bacon jalepenos on the grill, Matt’s infamous meat and cheese flag, and apple pie (before topping). MMMmmmerica!
On Saturday morning, Erin and I joined about 1,000 other people in a massive, free yoga session at the base of the Washington Monument on the National Mall. It was sponsored in conjunction with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which is now in full swing, and Lululemon Athletica . Matt came along too in order to grab some photos, though eventually I will talk him into trying some yoga with me. On our walk over there, it was still a gray, overcast morning and I was a little grumpy about the lack of sun. But, as the instructor proclaimed about halfway through the session, “we brought the sun out!” And so we had, and suddenly it was a gorgeous day.
The Smithsonian Kite Festival is only 4 days away, which means you still have time to make your own kite for the competitions. Or, more realistically, just make plans to wander down towards the Washington Monument this Saturday and take it all in — it’s one of our favorite springtime events. It’s a great overall photo-taking and people-watching opportunity, but if you need more incentive, there is the kite “Hot Tricks Showdown” which starts around 2pm, so you’ll still have the entire morning to take in the Cherry Blossoms beforehand. Come on warm, windy weather!
It’s been awhile since we posted anything from the Monumental/Federal/National Mall side of things in DC. That’s because we usually prefer to post the nitty-grittier photos that show the side of DC that we, as residents, know and have grown to love. But every now and again we’ll remember that we do live in a tourist destination and one of the most powerful places in the world, and it’s important not to forget that either. This past Saturday evening, we were returning home from Capitol Hill by cab after a late, *crazy* night watching movies and SNL with Brigid and Keith. And in riding by the Capitol Building, we both started to say something along the lines of forgetting about that “other” part of DC that we take for granted, like going by the Capitol as we were or living a mile from the White House. And maybe it’s because neither of us work on the Hill, know any lawyers, or even like to argue about politics, but maybe it’s that to us, DC is not just about memorials and monuments and which political party you belong to… though some would argue it is.
At any rate, it’s interesting to note, in conjunction with posting this photo, that the Washington Monument was completed on December 6, 1884. That means the capstone was put into place a week and 125 years ago around this time. I wonder if the builders thought, at that moment, that the new tallest structure in the world (until the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889), would one day become somewhat overlooked by those who live practically in it’s shadow?
Hello Washington. It is (apparently) National Running Day so tie those laces tight, put on your fancy moisture wicking tech-tee, and go pound some pavement. Just make sure to get the run in early because it looks like we are going to be getting some biblical storming tonight starting around 6p and no one likes a soggy run in a thunderstorm. Speaking of which, this could make my bike ride home from work rather unpleasant….hmmm.
The photo above was taken during this years National Cherry Blossom festival (see the Washington Monument in the background for proof!) with my wrist mounted GoPro Digital Hero.
I realized I hadn’t posted any gratuitous monument shots lately, and, in searching through older photos, I found this one that I always liked. An officer just taking a relax to enjoy the view of the National Mall.
Another shot of the crowds of people at the We Are One pre-inauguration concert yesterday… The entrance gates to the areas around the reflecting pool were closed at capacity around 2:30 pm, so we had to gather farther back towards the Washington Monument. I’ve read articles today guessing the attendance between 400,000 – 500,000 people.
