(Wet and) Wild Day, Sunday Edition

My 'Sunday code' was shattered.

• I learned how to swim while biking when an un-forecasted heavy morning rain storm came out of nowhere and flooded the Custis Trail. 
• I went out on a Sunday past 4:00 pm to rekindle a friendship with S.N.L., a fellow cohort from the Peace Corps days. I usually call it quits from all planned activities around this time on Sunday. It is a 'school night' for this working girl... and with a full week of accountability ahead of me, I function best when I start off with at least eight hours of sleep.
• I dined out for lunch and dinner at two new places--Red Rocks and Galaxy Hut. That is my cap for the week; I spent those meal tickets early. 
• This afternoon I was in search of lemonade to satisfy an intense craving. I settled on unsweetened--thou must clarify South of the Mason Dixon line--ice tea after three failed attempts. Notice to Washington, D.C. food establishments: Tis the season of lemonade.

There you have it, my version of a (wet and) wild Sunday. 

Instagram Images

Somewhere along the way, I mentally assigned roles to each social media site I use: Blogger became a place for journaling/thinking/dreaming, Twitter for my bursts of wit and quotes I like, Instagram to capture snapshots of my daily life, Pinterest for cooking and baking inspiration, and Facebook is a periodic peek into the wonders in the lives of family and friends. I am a compartmental thinker in that way. The time lapse between posts here is more infrequent, and I am realizing many much of what is stored elsewhere (the 'real life' stuff) is being unintentionally left behind. I want to preserve some of that for posterity too! For awhile, I attempted to document my Twitter feed here at the end of each month, but the formatting on Blogger and Twitter did not agree, so it eventually became more of a hassle than it was worth. So, consider this a review with no point but to document a 'real life' weekend.

A Friday evening walk on the Custis Trail. Jalapeno infused tequila cocktails with my roommate and Boyfriend on the balcony. Confirmation that I have in fact been watering a weed, not basil.

Date night with Boyfriend at Kabob Bazaar. Washington Nationals Blood Drive.

A "hike" in Catoctin National Park. (The most brilliant post blood donation idea.) Pryor's Orchard--banana chips, cantaloupe, cherries, corn on the cob, and dried apricots.

A nap. Homemade Egg Foo Young. Dumpster diving; the find: Singer 201k with a Queen Anne Cabinet.

Game 2 of the Stanley Cup--Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks--at Mister Days with friends. Eastern Market.

Capitol Hill Books.

 A shopping outing in Falls Church, VA, including lemonades at Panera.

College World Series. New York Times crossword puzzles. Sunday Night Baseball--San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves.

Aside from donating blood at 7:00 am on Saturday morning, I had nothing on my agenda, after postponing a trip to Durham, NC. I gained much perspective (and had a lot of fun) allowing spontaneity to run its course.

Spring Highlights

In late April, Dad, Brother, Boyfriend, and I attended the D.C. United/Philadelphia Union matchup. My closest relation to that of a celebrity is to 20-year old Jack McInerney, star forward for the Union. His family lived next to mine during the Alpharetta, GA days. We shared the relationship neighbors shared: babysitting, carpooling, and cul-de-sac pick-up games. In the way I attend all sporting events, I knew who I wanted to win—United—upon entering RFK Stadium. Incidentally I had a lot more fun watching Jack perform. He scored two goals before halftime to lead the Union to a 3-2 victory over United. So yes, United lost… and I hate losing… but I do not think I was alone in feeling some vested interest in seeing Jack play well. And since he did not disappoint, I did not leave disappointed.

And if your curiosity is peaked by the 20-year old sensation, do note on May 31, Jack was selected for the preliminary Gold Cup roster for the US Men's National Team. 

This is Boyfriend and I on a wine tour. 

Northern Virginia certainly is not Napa Valley; however, for reasons unbeknownst to me, it is littered with wineries. I have been eager to tour them for quite awhile. Our tour consisted of two wineries--Chrysalis Vineyards and Willowcroft Farm Vineyards. When my parent’s neighbors organized the event, I could not resist the invitation. I thank them very much for the planning that went into making this a successful Saturday. There is not a lot more to say about drinking wine while overlooking gorgeous vineyards. I would say I learned something. But all knowledge was diluted with each tasting. This was simply a beautiful day with stellar companionship. And, again, wine. Which makes most things better, right?

Fondest recent memory: There was a three-day period in May where each night I crawled into bed, I had clean sheets. It was miraculous. I could explain how it happened but that would bore you. So just accept that is happened. And it was all around fabulous.

I visited an alpaca farm. And made lots of new friends. These creatures are true characters. And will one day make a great addition to my farm.

I entered the world of coconut oil. I highly recommend you do the same. Then together, we will refuse to turn back.

I spent five hours chatting on the phone one night with a girlfriend of mine. That is a new record for me! The phone call was not enough, as they so often are not… so I am taking a trip to Research Triangle to spend a quality weekend with K.N.K.F. here real soon.

Part of what prompted me to highlight a few spring weekends was the realization summer is here. This weekend, I hung out with my six-year old friend, C.R.M., for an afternoon at the pool. Beyond this time with my favorite munchkin, I opted to evade the sun (and humidity!) indoors--parked in front of the television watching the Atlanta Braves/Washington Nationals series. It feels terrific to head into the summer six and a half games up on the Nationals. 

These were the good goings-on of spring.