31 July 2008

August Eve

Here we are on August eve, and I've less than three weeks until I return home to Chicago. This is madness to me. Where, oh where has the time gone? I've barely scratched the surface on museum visits; woefully under-explored the culinary scene (also due to budget constraints...); not lost those ten pounds I packed on over the winter (although biking almost everyday makes me feel OK about that); and, shamefully, not finished my thesis.

Tonight my housemates interviewed some people to take my place, and it brought home the reality that my pretend world is coming to an end, rapidly. My stay has always had an expiration date, but I never expected it to be bittersweet. Attachments have been made; habits formed.

Still, the thing about DC that gets me, that makes me hesitant about any long-term prospects here, is its transience. Very few people are from DC; most come to town, put in a few years time and then pack up that experience and take it where they really want to be. Based on several conversations, this is not a unique observation by any means. But I suppose when you're one of the folks who stays, it's interesting to see all the new faces coming to town, all the new possibilities for new pals to fill in the gaps left the ones who've moved on. I've always been that person, standing by while good friends — best friends — came and went through Chicago, frustrated at my own static existence. Now, I can't say that I know if it's any better on the flip side.

24 July 2008

Today I Met My Senator

No, not that one. The other one.

This morning I rose bright and early to experience the DC commute I feared most: the 8AM Metro ride to Capitol Hill. A parade of Blackberrys and brown-nosed interns. Shudder.

For me, no Congressional hearings today; instead, I went to the Illinois Coffee, coffee and donuts with my members of Congress. Senator Dick Durbin holds this little town hall meeting for visiting constituents every week while Congress is in session. Rep. Jerry Costello joined him.

Sen. Dick Durbin @ Illinois Coffee

They talked about all of the expected issues: gas prices, energy costs, employment, infrastructure, youth and violence. I was decently impressed with both of their responses to crowd questions. Dick Durbin has this warm, trusted grandpa demeanor; you just want to believe everything he says, that the world really can be a better place, and the government can help.

After the meeting -- completely packed with at least 100 people -- we had the chance to meet our civil servants and have our picture taken with them. Of course, everyone else was there with their family or school group, and then there's li'l ole me, hanging with the politicos all by myself. They email the photos; should have mine in 6 to 8 weeks.


Also: Wednesdays are for flat tires, I'm learning. Second flat in a week -- although far less spectacular than the first, simply a slow deflate overnight. This time I had the good folks at City Bikes supply the labor as well as the materials, and wouldn't you know, there's a ton wrong with it. I was cajoled into replacing the rear tire, which was more or less stripped bald and the likely source of my leak. $38.05 later, back on the road.

20 July 2008

Week in Review

Mon: Congressional research, failed webinar
Tue: Bill Ivey, sunburn
Wed: flat tire, Kennedy Center
Thu: NEA, cake @ work, mediocre pizza
Fri: deadlines, homesick, not seeing Dark Knight
Sat: Pilates, new tire, thesis research
Sun: thesis research, microwave Thai, 1h43m phone call with long-lost friend

13 July 2008

Sunday Morning Bike Ride

Before it got unbearably hot, I set off on a li'l bicycling excursion around town. DC has a wealth of bike paths looping in and around the city, from downtown to Virginia to Maryland and back again. I headed for the Mount Vernon trail, which leads all the way to -- you guessed it -- Mount Vernon, George Washington's home. I only went as far as Reagan National Airport before heading back to the city. All in all, about a 13-mile ride from start to finish. The path moves really quickly, wasn't crowded or steep, and passes by all the sights from across the Potomac, as well as skirting Roosevelt Island, a future adventure. My Schwinn graciously modeled for me...

sunday morning bike ride
approaching the start of the path, near the Key Bridge crossing from Georgetown to Arlington

canal
under the bridge

bike ride along mount vernon trail

bike ride along mount vernon trail

watching planes @ reagan nat'l
watching airplanes land is oddly soothing

under the 14th St bridge
train debris under the 14th street bridge

Yesterday I went to the Eastern Market.

eastern market

All in all, a good weekend. Now, the magnitude of work that looms before me has hit like a landing airplane.

11 July 2008

One Month Downs

But of course, nothing is shiny happy people all the time. Here are a few of my not-so-favorite things:

6. The humidity lives up to the hype.
5. The bus has vinyl seats. Humidity + sweat + vinyl = swamp ass.
4. Metro cars have vinyl seats AND carpet. Yuck.
3. Metro stops running around midnight on weekdays.
2. Dearth of good spicy food.
1. The three little incessantly barking jerks next door. They should not be allowed to be called dogs.

One Month Ups

Today marks my one-month anniversary with Washington, DC. I celebrated by going to my first Nationals baseball game. Completely astonished, once again, at the utter ease and quickness of getting around, I made a list of DC highlights so far. Here are a few of my favorite things:

10. Walking. The most walkable city I have ever lived in.
9. DC Metro, for when I don't feel like walking.
8. Juice Joint.
7. Sweets: at home, at work, on the streets.
6. My porch, and all it looks out on.
5. Street signals all have timers for the crosswalk.
4. Having a regular routine.
3. Reconnecting with my old pal from high school.
2. An internship with actual, impactful work that will live on once I'm gone.
1. Biking to work takes less time than the bus.

07 July 2008

The Best Thing I've Seen All Day



Danse! Danse! Danse!

Cultural diplomacy at its finest... And a pretty sweet way to see the world.

NYC Weekend

July 4th has never ranked high on my goodtimesfun list. Yes, BBQs are fantastic, hanging out is great, and who doesn't love a day off? It's the fireworks that get me. In Chicago, amateur explosions commence at least a week in advance, very often directly in front my house, behind my house, above my house, and continue until the Indiana contraband runs out. How about securing that border??

Nevertheless, I decided to make a 'holiday' of it this year. Equally inspired by the desire to visit friends and to avoid being friendless in DC, I hopped a bus to New York City — my first experience aboard those fabled East Coast buses. There's the Chinatown bus, the so-called "Jewish" bus, Bolt Bus, Megabus, and the one I ultimately settled on because they pick up a block from work, Washington Deluxe. And I gotta say, I am a happy convert. Traffic blew, but what do you expect on holiday eve? The bus was clean, with comfy seats and foot rests, air-con, and free wi-fi. Even the bathroom surpassed expectation.

After noodling around Brooklyn for a bit, we watched the fireworks from the roof of my friend's friend's place, a guy who also happened to go to my high school.

day

night

While I pride myself on blending in with the 'locals' when I travel, I am not above being a straight-up tourist. I wholeheartedly embraced the role on Saturday. First stop was a jaunt over to the Brooklyn Museum to check out the Murakami exhibit, although the rain and longer-than-anticipated bus ride killed my motivation to actually go in. Just as well: that is one gift shop I did not need to browse. I poked around the piece in the lobby atrium, then left to meet a friend at the farmer's market in Grand Army Plaza.

murakami closeup
this is how i looked when i got off the bus

After some delicious bread, cheese, and fresh apple cider, it was off to lower Manhattan to hop a ferry to Governors Island.

lower manhattan

_MG_7888

What a fun little side trip! We packed a picnic and snacked amongst the creepy little bald-headed man-baby sculptures. The officer's living quarters felt eerily like The Others compound from LOST, an open park of quaint two-story yellow houses with sprawling porches. You can enter the Admiral's house, empty save for some artwork of the island, but the other doors are locked up. More outdoor sculptures, an empty chapel, theatre, YMCA.

governors island

governors island chapel

Currently on view right as you approach the island is one of Olafer Eliasson's NYC Waterfalls installations.

eliasson :: nyc waterfalls

The island is open Wednesday thru Sunday and it is free, as is the five-minute ferry ride to get there. Last ferry leaves for the island at 3PM.

Post-island adventuring, a little stroll around Wall Street and the financial district grew into a six-hour walk around all of lower Manhattan. I love long walks, as you may have noticed, and I'd never really spent much time around this side of town. This is the NYC of my mind, not the Disneyland of Union Square. Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich Village... hit it all, with stops for snacking, of course. Green tea waffles are my new street food obsession, that I will crave until the next time we meet. Got my requisite slice, which, while not amazing, was scores better than any pie in DC. Our weary feet wound up in Times Square, closing out the evening with Wall•E. (A movie I was completely skeptical about, but I was delightfully proven wrong.)

A little locked-out misadventure at 1AM nearly spoiled the day, but delectable brunch at Counter cured any lingering grumpiness. I'm a sucker for flavored butter.

The bus ride home was completely seamless, and so fast. Barely four hours, compared to seven on the way up. I know I'm completely late to the game, but for the five people who HAVEN'T taken a weekend bus ride, it's highly recommended. I'm thinking of going to Philly next weekend.

So, while the fourth is still not my favorite, it's certainly got its redeeming features and is a pretty perfect recipe for fun, if you've got the right ingredients.

And now.... back to work!

02 July 2008

This Week's Assignment

Researching and preparing a report on federal legislation and advocacy efforts for the arts in healthcare. Still loving my job.

Monday Night

My DC social calendar is determined by who is on tour. After all the weekend hubbub, pals Oxford Collapse were in town at the Black Cat. And they'll be back in August!

oxford collapse @ black cat

Around Town

mod squad

Hanging with the cuz.

01 July 2008

Cure for Homesickness

Busy busy busy busiest weekend yet. An incomplete sentence recap will have to suffice for now. I'm tired. Photos to come.

Family and the boy in town, plus my cousin who lives a couple of hours away.
Red Rocks Pizza.
Learned the hard way that absolutely nothing is open downtown on weekends. Not even Saturdays.
94 degrees.
NASA @ Folklife Festival. Held a shuttle tile. Signed a shuttle wheel that will be in the Smithsonian.
signing the shuttle wheel
Water.
Monuments.
korean war memorial
Gatorade.
Martin Puryear exhibition at National Gallery. Formalism is refreshing. More time next time.
Hot.
Chinatown.
Hotel rest stop.
Dinner @ Jaleo. Delicious. I ate a mussel. Everything tastes good in butter. Didn't care so much for the scallop. (Not in butter.)
Early night. See "Hot".
Second trip to zoo in the AM. Pandas still asleep.
Lions and tigers eat lunch.
Hot.
Hot dog vending machine. Are we in Japan?
hot dog vending machine>
Race to brunch at Tabard Inn. Also delicious. Mmmmm, donuts.
Walked around Georgetown.
Hot. Crowded. Blisters.
Family go home. (Aww.)
Nap.
Boy and I go meet friends for eats and drinks.
Mmmmmojito.
Slowest food service ever.
Drinks @ Wonderland Ballroom.
Sleep.
Early Monday.
Boy go home. (Aww.)