Snow Day

I waited to write this week in the anticipation that we would get a snow day. The first snow day of the year for DC is a spring snow day. Something most New Englanders have experienced, but the DMV takes as an affront. It should be tulip tree and cherry blossom season here, but instead all those blooms are being snowed on and ruined and no one around here is happy about it.

I’m watching the big flakes fall as I write and nothing could be more peaceful to me. I love a good snow day!  Time to catch up on bad TV and cook something that takes a little longer than normal. Maybe finish a crochet project that I should have completed weeks ago. I’m a big fan of one snow day a year. Just a reminder that mother nature is indeed more important than us and she will remind you with a smack of icy winter to the face.

The last time the DC area got a snow storm like this I was able to hole up and make a plan to be snowed in. I got together with my boyfriend of the time and we planned snacks and movies with activities for the whole day. Later in the afternoon when the snow looked to be stopping we went out exploring his neighborhood. We watched as kids sledded down the middle of their streets and couples let their dogs romp off the leash through the snow that hadn’t been removed from any of the side streets. I have some very fond memories of being snowed in that weekend and I was hoping that this snow day would be similar.

Unfortunately, today’s snow day has been a bit different because I am still supposed to be working for at least two conference calls. Even though it’s just two hours it adds more stress then I really like or want to admit to, mostly because I’m in charge of the minutes for the first time in a long time and I have to stay on top of the conversation.  While it doesn’t totally ruin my day, it does make it a bit less peaceful.

Later after my work is complete I will sit back with a glass of whiskey and just watch the snow fall. It is my snow day treat for sitting through boring meetings while I could be watching Netflix or crocheting something lovely. Maybe I will read some in between calls or maybe I will go out for a walk when everything is finished and look at my neighborhood in a new way. This may not be the best snow day I have ever had, but it is this year’s snow day and that is a great thing.

Quarry House Tavern

I know there have been several articles about the reopening of Quarry House, but I needed to put my own post together about it, because I am beyond excited. I am in a unique position because I was never able to go to the original Quarry house before a fire took out the restaurant above it. I only know how the temporary was.

Quarry House Tavern has a storied history here in Silver Spring because it is everyone’s favorite bar. They have an amazing selection of whiskey and it was around before the gentrification of the neighborhood making it the granddame of Silver Spring restaurants. So many of its contemporaries have recently closed with the advent of high rents and ostentatious apartment buildings.  It was a blow to the neighborhood when fire took the building above the landmark, but the owners just moved the bar across the street while improvements were made. They were two weeks from moving back into their original space after a year, when a water main break flooded the tavern closing the business for another year.

So here I sat patiently waiting for patty melts and whiskey for over a year.

Then Sunday at 3pm I got in line with some friends for the 4pm reopening. There had been a soft opening the night before for friends, family and some very lucky regulars, but Sunday was the official reopening and it was AWESOME. I knew it was going to happen, but it struck me all the same, like a smack in the face; I was instantly in love with this beautiful dive bar. For the evening the jukebox was free, and there was an air of excitement. People lined up around the block to be among the first to welcome this beautiful lady back. The owner came out and thanked everyone for coming right before opening. She was overcome by the support and love.

As I walked down the stairs to this new to me place, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it would be very different from what I knew before. As my eyes adjusted I tried to look everywhere at once. A lovely full bar and a back room full of tables greeted me. On the walls hung old beer posters framed interspersed by shell lamps adding to the sense that Quarry House had really been there forever. There was wood paneling and hand-written signs where needed. In the bathrooms there was the start of a graffiti wall. I was told that there were markers in one of the rooms, but they were gone by the time I was able to try to find them. It was great to see that some of the old staff was able to come back after being away for a year.

I was able to have that patty melt and some tots. Usually I have a patty melt with salad just to make myself feel better about my choices, but this time I went all out. The whiskey was good, and the prices were excellent.  Now I will look forward to the occasional Whiskey Wednesday with the cheeky patty melt. Welcome back old friend, we missed you.

**If you would like to read more on the quarry house, follow these links:

Bright Young Things

WJLA

Washingtonian

Washington Post

 

Frightened Rabbit!

So, I went to another concert. Actually, this one is the one I gave myself for Christmas. I really enjoy Frighten Rabbit. They are a Scottish band that plays in DC a lot. They have a great sound and beautiful lyrics. It was their 10^th anniversary show for an album I have only recently discovered. They wanted an intimate concert, so they played at the black cat on 14^th. The Black Cat is one of the smaller venues in DC, but it has been around forever and is owned by the 9:30 club which is another long running DC venue where the band usually plays.

I was under the impression that the doors opened at 6:30, so I hustled from work to get in line. I was wrong. The doors didn’t open until 7:30, so I didn’t see a point in waiting outside in the cold and I had time to get a meal and sit in one of my favorite German inspired beer gardens on 14^th street. To be fair it is a bit of an expensive beer garden. I always think of beer gardens as being affordable and relaxed. This one is relaxed but in the middle of a busy district in the city where affordability is relative.

It was a fantastic concert and I learned about a band called Wintersleep. They opened the show. I’m not really a big fan of opening acts. Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense why the promoter put the two bands together in one show, but Wintersleep was the perfect foil for Frightened Rabbit. They had great lyrics and a similar vibe. They were a bit more ethereal in sound though, I think. Apparently, they have been around since 2003. How have I not heard of them before? Maybe I have heard them on one of my Spotify lists? I have no idea. Also, they did a marvelous job warming up the crowd. I may have already purchased a song or two of theirs for my listening pleasure.

Unfortunately, FR didn’t go on until 10pm, which the grandmother that I am thinks is a bit too late for a Tuesday night. That being said, they totally rocked the night. I danced, I sang, and I laughed. It was great to be able to dance to the music as opposed to my last concert experience. I was much closer to the stage then I like being, but it was worth it to see the lead singer’s facial features and playing. I do have a pet peeve though when I go to concerts and that is when really tall men feel the need to get right up in front of a low stage. I don’t understand their need to push in front of people, why do that if you can already see over everyone’s head?? It boggles the mind. Tall men aside, I was able to see pretty much the entire stage. I’m coming to the conclusion that I really enjoy live music, even if there are a shit ton of people there. I’m usually not one for crowds, but I guess I can make an exception for some great music.

Aldi!

There are some places that you grow up with and you keep going back to that store or restaurant because it is comforting, a way to connect with your past. Then there are places that you discover and make your favorite. Aldi is that place for me. Although maybe it is a bit of a mixture between the comfortable and the newly discovered.

My snowy walk

I was first introduced to Aldi on my first trip to the Netherlands in 6^th grade. We wanted to get some cheese to bring home and a few other Dutch snacks that we realized we couldn’t live without. My Uncle took us to Aldi and a love affair was born. Well I guess it was more the way a romantic comedy plot line goes, because at first, I didn’t understand, and I didn’t really like it. We walked in to this small store in Den Haag some ways from my Uncle’s house. After all the places he had taken us this seemed like a step down with its tiny isles and piles of food stuffs. The store has a low ceiling and clearly hasn’t had any big updates since the 70s. My 13-year-old self was not impressed with the dingy floors and what seemed like piles of cheap everything. I don’t remember how my parents reacted, but my uncle always entered Aldi with a glee that I only now begin to understand. He swept us through, found everything we needed for our journey home, and we were in and out in no time at all.

Fast forward to my time at the University of Leiden. I was living on my own in a student dorm and I didn’t have much money for anything. One of the other students showed me to the nearest Aldi and I never looked back. I was able to eat for a week on 10 euros! This Aldi was not as old as the one in Den Haag and was always bright and welcoming. For a student on a more than tight budget it was amazing. I left Holland that year wishing that we had Aldi in the States.

Now we come to today. I have three supermarkets within walking distance and I would take the time to figure out where the best prices are. Sometimes it was how far do I have to walk carrying what, which determined where I went. About two months ago I saw an advertisement for Aldi and got super excited. I knew Aldi’s were in the States now, but I had never been lucky enough to live near one.  Where would this new Aldi be and how would I get to it? I didn’t have to wait long for my answers. They put one in, a little over a mile from my building! I can’t express how excited I was. No more price comparisons or time lost walking to the wrong place.

Aldi is here!

I walked in and it was bright and airy. There were still the piles of foodstuffs that I remember but there was also random home décor.  Now that Aldi is here I have cut my grocery bill in half. It might be a long walk and I have made it in several kinds of weather, but it is always worth it. I have my Aldi quarter waiting for the shopping kart and my back pack ready to be filled. My romantic comedy ends with me happily walking down isles of cheeses and noodles swinging my Aldi’s bag around while I save money.

$60 bucks worth of food for $30. Mind BLOWN

A Night Out in DC

This past weekend I did something out of character and paid a silly amount of money to see a band I love. This is out of character, because I don’t want to give scalpers an excuse to up the prices of concerts, but in this case, I made a last-minute decision with the venue sold out.  I took myself out for a treat to see the band First Aid Kit. They are a Swedish folk band that I have been in love with since before I went to England. They are sisters who write beautiful prose and music. I have wanted to see them for a long time, but they took four years off from touring which puts a damper on seeing them preform in person. When they were in the states for something the show was never near where I was living.

Living room possibilities?

It just seemed as though the stars had aligned and I was finally in the right place and time to see them preform. I went straight from work to the Lincoln Theater where I waited in line with my general admission ticket. The Lincoln theater is on U street and is a beautiful venue. The only issue I had with it, is that it is a seated venue. There is something about going to a concert and watching it seated as if it were a play, that annoys me. I like to get up and dance and sing when I’m at a concert. I don’t want to sit there and just listen as though at a classical music salon. I am that person who, if going to a concert, knows all the words to most of the songs that will be heard. I will sing them proudly back at the act I am watching. I will sway to the music and just submerge myself in the sound. All these things are not conducive to a seated venue.  All that being said, I did like that I was able to get an excellent seat and see everything that happened on stage. I could also people watch most of the audience from my vantage point.

My view from above!

Their opening act was a guy called Van William. He was very entertaining and as it turned out, I had heard his music before on one of my Spotify channels. It’s always great to discover a new band through an opening act. Van William was energetic and very into his music. He was also funny when he introduced himself and did his merchandise plug. As I watched I realized that I had seen the bass player while I waited in line. She had been taking a photo of herself in front of the iconic mural on the side of Ben’s Chili Bowl.  The anonymity of an opening act!

The bassist is on the right.

There was a palpable change in the audience when First Aid Kit jumped on stage. My first impression was surprise at how tall both women are, because in their videos its usually just the two sisters with no other actors for size comparison. There were no costume changes or quick dips off stage. Just a new guitar passed on stage every few songs as keys changed. Their singing and playing was such that everything sounded like the albums from which each of the songs came from. It was so cool to hear a band so in tune. No pun intended, most of the shows I have been to have been in crappy little venues where people only sometimes are able to sing in tune or hit the same notes as on a mastered album.

It was one of the best spur of the moment nights I have had in a long time. I walked out of the theater humming.

Lincoln Theater

Off Week…

I wasn’t sure what to write about this week. That is part of the challenge of this goal I set for myself. To write a blog post once a week no matter what. This week I don’t have any pictures and I haven’t been off doing anything exciting. Last week I had a plan to go to an art installation that is only open during the week during business hours, and I just couldn’t make it.  I worry that this sort of missing out may happen a lot in future if I’m not vigilant about exploring. Finding things to write about has been harder than I thought it would be. Not only do I have to find something to do, but I also have to find something to say about it.

The other thing I think about a lot is what to write about. How personal do I get in an online blog? Is my writing on this blog about me, or about my experiences? I have answered one of those question in that, since I started writing this blog I have always written about my expierence. So, now the question is, do I make this forum more personal? Will it help me come up with things to write about? Or do I want to keep my life private and only highlight the expierence itself as I have been.

The other option I have, is to change my blog entirely and make it specifically about my writing by posting short stories, poems and writing exercises. The worries with this is that there will be no photos and I won’t be giving an opinion necessarily, so would I end up losing the small amount of followers I have. I also don’t know if I want to change my blog in that way. So, while thinking this through it has occurred to me that the task I have set myself may have been too much. One post a week is a lot of pressure. That being said, I feel that one post a month is not enough to really develop my writing.

I haven’t actually come to a conclusion on any of my questions, but after reading this over I think I’m leaning toward keeping my blog the way it is. More than giving my experiences, this blog has always been about writing more, so my decision to write once a week is a good one.  I do think that there will be more posts like this where I ramble on trying to make the 500 word count I have set myself.  This year is going to be a developing year. I can already tell that I may even have to start writing out plans for my blog posts in advance. Am I ready for that kind of commitment to my writing and trying new things? Who knows. Ultimately, I want to explore more of DC and I want to write about it. In the end that is really all that matters.

My Neighborhood

Many of my posts are about DC. That makes sense, as I live right on the edge of the city, but my neighborhood isn’t in the city limits. That being said, I don’t have to go very far to find …

Bridal Show

No, I’m not getting married, but a friend of mine is. I always enjoy a good bridal show. It’s always so hopeful and the mimosa’s flow freely. This bridal show was at the Springfield mall in Virginia. I got up early and took the metro to meet my friend. We had some breakfast and then headed to the mall. It was a lovely morning and the mall was mostly empty when we got there. We got in line and received our swag bags. This is one of my favorite parts of a bridal show. I wait until I get home to open the swag bag and use it to collect all sorts of information from the vendors.

Thunder is in the photo for a size comparison. The bag is huge!

The area of the mall where the show was held was kind of small. Sandwiched between a tall set of steps to the second floor and the Starbucks, it was more than a bit chaotic. There was a stage for a gown show later in the day and a brunch buffet set out for the brides and guests. It was a much smaller show than the ones I have been to in the past and there were several vendors that were under represented. There were no transportation companies represented and while there were plenty of wedding planners and photographers there weren’t any florists or venues represented. I should take that back; there were two venues, a Hilton and a Days Inn, one of which I don’t really consider to be a great choice. This was bothersome because there are all sorts of venues in Northern Virginia and the lack of those places at this show was telling.

I want to say that I loved the show and everything went smoothly, but in all honesty, I was sad that this small mall show was my friend’s first experience with bridal shows. I wish I could take her to one of the Newport bridal shows, so that she can see how it is really done. A place where every kind of vendor you could possibly think of is represented and the show is at one of the venues.  The organizers of this event will undoubtedly do much better next year, with more experience and hopefully more vendors. There was a great idea in a “Guys Lounge” area where there were couches, a tv and a barber cutting hair. This would have been a great area to be expanded and advertised more.

Pretty Kay bag, what’s inside?

We ended up spending about an hour and a half in total at the show partly because we were at a mall and went shopping. We headed back with our goody bags to watch the Patriot’s game. We were sitting in my friend’s living room going through our bags when we pulled out a Kay Jewelers bag. There was much excitement round it and we day dreamed for a little while wondering what could be inside. We had already gotten some jewelry cleaner from another bag, so we ruled that out. When we opened the Kay bag there was a small box inside.  Below is what was inside the small box.

Well this is exciting!

Wait. What the H. is this?!

Our disappointment was palpable, but then we both realized how silly it was to go through layers of bags and wrappings for an empty box. We had a good laugh. I have no idea what was supposed to be in that small box but it seemed to be the perfect way to end the day.

Delirium Cafe

On Sunday, I made the pilgrimage to Delirium Café in Leesburg Virginia. I say “pilgrimage” because Leesburg is about an hour outside DC without traffic. That being said, they consider themselves to be in the DC Metro area.  With the next closest Delirium Café being the original in Belgium I guess they can stretch the truth. Even having a long drive ahead of us, I was very excited.

Like most people who have been through Brussels with school, I have been to the original Delirium Café, with its overcrowded walls and the largest beer selection in the word.  I remember clamoring around a table with twelve other Master’s students as we attempted to get a different beer each, so that we could try as many beers as our wallets would allow. As you may conclude the night eventually became a bit hazy. What did stick with me though, was the relaxation of it all. None of my friends felt rushed there was no other venue for that evening. It was an enjoyable night of laughter, beer and politics (there is no outing without it when you are doing any political Master’s degree).  So, when I got the chance to make the trip out to Leesburg VA., I took it, buoyed by the pleasant memories of my time in Brussels.

While my memories are still pleasant, in the end I don’t believe that the trip out to Leesburg was worth it. The café is in a cute little store font on top of a hill in the middle of Historical Downtown Leesburg. It is in a hundred-year-old building which makes it’s set up a little quirky all of which would normally instantly endear me to the place, but this time it wasn’t enough.  The inside color scheme is the Delirium Blue. On first opening the door I was very eager. We arrived shortly before dinner on Sunday and were not surprised that it was a quiet afternoon. I did think that it was going to pick up, but it never really did. The atmosphere was very stark. Unlike its Belgian predecessor, there were TVs on the walls and not as many beer advertisements. The cozy jumble of adverts and antique beer paraphernalia, does not exist in Leesburg. White or blue walls with cheap posters instead, hung around us.   The bar, while having a healthy selection of beers on tap was slightly disappointing and small.

I know I’ve been harsh on the Delirium Café, but this visit was a real disappointment. The bar and restaurant were clean, the staff was polite and helpful the food was ok and it wasn’t what I wanted. The beer was good, but I couldn’t help but think that I would have had a better time at home with a bottle of Delirium and a game of cards with friends.

In the end, all that matters is that I tried. I made the point to try something new and expand my knowledge of the DC Metro area. I was excited to go and maybe that is why I was so completely disappointed. There was nothing but the blue walls and beer to tell me I was at a Delirium Café. I may give the Leesburg café another chance in the summer. There was an ample beer garden at the back of the house that looks like it could make up for my sub-par experience.  Just another thing to try as I continue to explore the areas in and around DC.

New Year’s 2018

Over the years that I have had this blog it’s been very spotty. I started to write about places to eat in Providence. I thought that it was a topic I would never get tired of. While I am not tired of the topic, I have moved and life has changed. I wrote about moving to England and then DC. Now, I find that my current budget does not allow me to eat out as much and my ability to critic has not improved. So, what should I write about now? Should I keep this spotty blog going? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. I’ve been reading friends blogs and listening to their podcasts and I can read and hear the passion in their work. I’m not sure that there is passion in my work.

I love to write. I have always enjoyed it since I was a child. Before I could even read well I was making up and writing stories for myself. There is no reason why I shouldn’t be passionate about my own writing. So, how do I improve on this blog? I don’t want to give it up, but I know I cannot continue to write, on average, once a month. These thoughts have lead me to the conclusion that I need to write more regularly. It makes a lot of sense to do something that you love on a regular basis. Everyone does New Year’s lists and resolutions. I see no reason why I should be left out of this trend.

To improve my blog, I’m going to need to work on being a disciplined writer. At first, I may write from online challenges I’ve seen, peppered with articles about things I’ve found around DC.  In theory, I may even get better at writing in general.  My resolution is to write in this space weekly, at least 500 words with the hope that it will be entertaining for the readers, educational for me and most importantly become a real blog. Wish me luck on completing this year’s resolution. Hello 2018 I’m coming for you!