This past weekend, a few friends of mine had asked me to prepare a home-cooked meal. Wesley and Curtis have not been home in awhile and were in need of something other than fast food or frozen entrees.
Because the weather was fantastic, we began our dinner party in the garden around my apartment. A few bottles of wine, a few wonderful friends (Wesley, Curtis, Rob and Jen) and the beginning of a fun evening commenced.
After dinner and great discussion (I served pork tenderloin with an apple/pear cinnamon chutney, wasabi/horseradish mashed potatoes and asparagus spears), we decided to prep for an evening out by signing and dancing to some good country music - Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
We found ourselves at Cafe St. Ex for late night, and proceeded to dance til we lost 10 pounds in water . . . eventually, shutting St. Ex down. Wes was done for the night, but Curtis and I went back for late night wine and a movie. We drank a wonderful Zin - Aida - and watched the Court Jester . . . . finally ending the evening at 5am.
Saturday held a plethora of events in the DC area. Gold Cup, Cinco de Mayo celebrations and Derby Day parties. I attended a Derby party at my friend's place and then headed to my local watering hole, Vinoteca. My friend, Ernesto (who finally reappeared after a long absence) had never been there, so I decided to make the introduction.
This week is busy with work stuff - but I will be heading home to visit the family this weekend in Gettysburg.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Musings
So, it's been awhile since I posted anything. Life has been moving rather quickly and I've not had the time or the inclination to write anything.
Spring is SLOWLY approaching - it's already Apr 30 and was only 46 degrees this morning. I'm definitely one of those people who relishes warm days in the sunshine without having to wear a lot of layers.
So - last week I was in Philly for work. It was an unusual trip for me because, for the first time, I was in charge of being the offical tour guide. My colleagues had remarked that they didn't really know much about the city and were relying on me to act as the "local".
First off - I don't believe any cab driver in Philly knows where the hell they are going. Everytime I have used this means of transportation, I invariably have to look up the address on my cell phone and guide the cab to my destination. I understand some of the places are not as well known as others - but Rittenhouse Square? It's one of the main places in downtown Philly . . .???
A few places that I would recommend in Philly:
We had lunch at Rouge on Rittenhouse Square, 205 S 18th St. It was very reminiscent of a Parisian cafe, both in decor and edible offerings.
For dinner, my colleague and I headed to Alma de Cuba www.almadecubarestaurant.com
This is my 3rd experience at a Steven Starr restaurant. I've also eaten at Buddakan www.buddakan.com and The Barclay Prime. Of the three, Alma was my least favorite. My colleague is Cuban and was intrigued by the prospect of Cuban food in Philly. The ambiance is nice and the mojitos are lethal - but the food was lackluster. Buddakan had very memorable food.
After dinner we did a whirlwind around the Square - Barclay Prime for Kir Royales and Tria for a glass of wine. We almost hit the Continental - but decided it was late and to call it a night.
The next day I toured the Microsoft School of the Future. http://www.microsoft.com/education/schooloffuture.mspx
Wow - what a mind-blowing experience. The school is in West Philly - which is not the best neighborhood. It sits on a small hill, like a Taj Majal, an all white structure that looks like it came out of Demolition Man, The 5th Element or whatever futuristic movie you have seen. There are no grades, there is no grafitti, there is no paper, there are no combinations to remember on your locker. Lessons are taught from a "project" approach and learners (what they are called at the school) are assesed on a scale ranging from novice to advanced. So far, the school is only half full - there are only 1st year learners and 2nd year learners. The school will graduation it's first class in 2010. Makes me almost want to go back to high schhol :-)
Enough for today. The weekend will bear much fruit for future ramblings.
Spring is SLOWLY approaching - it's already Apr 30 and was only 46 degrees this morning. I'm definitely one of those people who relishes warm days in the sunshine without having to wear a lot of layers.
So - last week I was in Philly for work. It was an unusual trip for me because, for the first time, I was in charge of being the offical tour guide. My colleagues had remarked that they didn't really know much about the city and were relying on me to act as the "local".
First off - I don't believe any cab driver in Philly knows where the hell they are going. Everytime I have used this means of transportation, I invariably have to look up the address on my cell phone and guide the cab to my destination. I understand some of the places are not as well known as others - but Rittenhouse Square? It's one of the main places in downtown Philly . . .???
A few places that I would recommend in Philly:
We had lunch at Rouge on Rittenhouse Square, 205 S 18th St. It was very reminiscent of a Parisian cafe, both in decor and edible offerings.
For dinner, my colleague and I headed to Alma de Cuba www.almadecubarestaurant.com
This is my 3rd experience at a Steven Starr restaurant. I've also eaten at Buddakan www.buddakan.com and The Barclay Prime. Of the three, Alma was my least favorite. My colleague is Cuban and was intrigued by the prospect of Cuban food in Philly. The ambiance is nice and the mojitos are lethal - but the food was lackluster. Buddakan had very memorable food.
After dinner we did a whirlwind around the Square - Barclay Prime for Kir Royales and Tria for a glass of wine. We almost hit the Continental - but decided it was late and to call it a night.
The next day I toured the Microsoft School of the Future. http://www.microsoft.com/education/schooloffuture.mspx
Wow - what a mind-blowing experience. The school is in West Philly - which is not the best neighborhood. It sits on a small hill, like a Taj Majal, an all white structure that looks like it came out of Demolition Man, The 5th Element or whatever futuristic movie you have seen. There are no grades, there is no grafitti, there is no paper, there are no combinations to remember on your locker. Lessons are taught from a "project" approach and learners (what they are called at the school) are assesed on a scale ranging from novice to advanced. So far, the school is only half full - there are only 1st year learners and 2nd year learners. The school will graduation it's first class in 2010. Makes me almost want to go back to high schhol :-)
Enough for today. The weekend will bear much fruit for future ramblings.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wisp - Feb 15-18
On President's Day weekend, I went to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland to "go skiing" at Wisp. First of all, I'm a snowboarder. Secondly, being a snowboarder, the idea of shredding ice really does not appeal to me. I have been spoiled by snowboarding in powder and do not relish picking myself up off of ice, every 5 minutes. That being said, I am always up for a road trip out of the city to enjoy a fireplace, hot tub and friends in the country.
Wisp is a great weekend trip - perfect for a quick venture out of DC. About 15 friends shared our house which had views of the lake. People were ice fishing and enjoying winter activites until a warm front moved in and made the snow disappear.
Nevertheless, we played chicken foot, poker and charades til the cows came home. The majority of the people who were in our house were from Texas and we had a blast Indian leg wrestling, playing pool and drinking in the hot tub.
There is also a state park nearby with natual waterfalls and is a great place to do some outdoor hiking. Below are some pics from the weekend.
Wisp is a great weekend trip - perfect for a quick venture out of DC. About 15 friends shared our house which had views of the lake. People were ice fishing and enjoying winter activites until a warm front moved in and made the snow disappear.
Nevertheless, we played chicken foot, poker and charades til the cows came home. The majority of the people who were in our house were from Texas and we had a blast Indian leg wrestling, playing pool and drinking in the hot tub.
There is also a state park nearby with natual waterfalls and is a great place to do some outdoor hiking. Below are some pics from the weekend.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
So Much Going On
So last week closed out with a bang. Got a new client at work and have been busy bopping around town. Michele and I received a dose of cultural literacy by attending the National Symphony Orchestra's performance of a piano concerto by Liszt and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. One of my fav pieces of classical music is The Great Gate at Kiev, which is the last part of PAAE.
Then, after the end of a hard week, I headed out of town to Philly. I have been spending quite a bit of time in the nation's birthplace and have come to appreciate it over the last 10 months. Not that the town is anything particularly special, but more the people in it ;-) More to come on that.
Below is a video of the Great Gate of Kiev for your listening pleasure. It gives me goose bumps.
I've also posted a few pics from Michele's bday party. King Snake was on fire that night!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Birthday and Football
Michele (in red) and friendsThis weekend we celebrated my friend, Michele's, birthday at one of my favorite spots on U Street - Jojo's. Jojo's is a quaint little restaurant/jazz bar that I discovered right after moving back to DC from Texas. Our favorite night to go is Friday - the "Just Us" band with King Snake is the reason we keep going back.
Happy Birthday, Michele! I'll have to post some pics from the bday revelry.
Some friends and I also braved the cold and went to my favorite neighborhood wine bar - Vinoteca. Jeff, the manager, took very good care of us and I am hoping to establish roots at the bar. Always good to have connections, aye?
Sunday we spent freezing our *&%(# off watching football. Great games!
Now it's back to work.
Friday, January 18, 2008
A New Year, A New Day and A New Start
It's 2008 and I'm just now starting a blog. Some people will be very surprised it has taken me this long. But after seeing people begin blogs for their newborns and me thinking, "I wish that technology would have existed when I was growing up", I figure I better get started before I say that again at 60.
For a philosophical rant - basically I think it would be nice to have something to reflect on and remember your life because it is over too quickly and we remember so little of the daily occurances.
I won't try and put down the first 33 years of Ms. Deatherage's days, but I hope to start chronicling the next thirty years . . . . enter country song.
This is me. Welcome to the life of a Deatherage
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
