quarter of a century

sl 55 AMG
Originally uploaded by ScelestiX.

Now, this is something some people have observed me doing while within view of this luscious gorgeous beauty of a car. Something akin to salivating, drooling, gushing, cooing, and possibly showing symptoms of suppressing a very public orgasm all at the same time.

A few years ago I decided that no matter what, I was going to shell out for this car for one day of pleasure, just me and this car. Take it off to the mountains. Just me and this car above the pastures of Virginia, playing my favorite music, hiking boots thrown into the trunk, and some really good music, to celebrate having gotten through a quarter century of life.

Well that event is about to approach and for the past month I've been searching for a leasor of this car. It has been found, for (croak) $799/day.

Imagine my reaction actually driving this .... uhh uh uhhh aaauuuuugh (haha, j/k)

Well anyway, I've tried to illustrate my reaction to this car, is it worth it??? Reader's poll ... is it?

steal u and me

It was awesome ...

28 Jul Thievery Corporation
Originally uploaded by ScelestiX.

I admit, I was nervous, how do I dress or react to an outfit (can't really call them a band) that brought lounge music to mid town, got so big they were featured in (ok indie flick) "Garden State," and too large and have to perform in one of DC's hot live act venues, the 9:30 Club????

Do I wear jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers, or do deck it like I'm going clubbing? Do I dress like a Paul Oakenfold night at the Nation? Or do I put on my black painter's cap and chain link belt???

Once these guys hit the stage there was no question. Pulling reggae, psychedelic, bossa, jazz, house, sitar, Latin American, and Parisian influences out of their bag, they finished off their second set. They weren't playing to put you in a mood to buy martini's at their home club, 18th St Lounge, chill out and hit the hashsisha, but they were rocking you to dance, dance, dance. For an encore, they pulled almost all the ladies in the front onto the stage.

This weekend they are pretty much taking over 9:30 Club, all the shows have been sold out, but I noticed people selling them outside the doors, if you haven't gone, not too late. Definitely uber fun, uber cool vibe, ensuring Washington can leave its musical mark, Thievery Corporation is very District of Columbian.

hosed

When one goes from working nights (9 PM to 5 AM) and then back to 5 AM to 5 PM ... I'm too old for this. In protest, my body contracted a killer virus that kept me home for two days.

Otherwise, I got to explore The Breadline. On their receipt I noticed they had their website. Which makes absolutely no sense to me. This website has nothing to do with marketing, instead it seems to be some managerial tool between the employees. Not really a way to attract customers.

alive

I am still ... emerging from the hell that is weekend and night duty and trying to figure out if I still have friends. Anything interesting to report???

Having Monday night off, I discovered Cafe Citron is open and dancing does commence, at least until 2 AM or something; and then I think the only 24 hour places are Ben's Chilli Bowl and The Diner.

Stick to anything but fish and red meat at Rose Mexicano.

Sushi Ko is very tasty, still Sushi Taro is my favorite.

Jewelry show!!!! How could I forget? I ended up buying two pieces: the most heavy chandelier earring (looked very SE Asian) and a chain link choker reminiscent of Queen Nefertiti, now I have to go shopping for a whole new outfit. I believe the host of the party (a male) discovered the secret to having a party with many beautifully dressed hot women, host a jewelry show fete! After about 2 hours, some other males got wind of this event and came to scope out ... jewelry.

Even during a heat wave, Great Falls (VA side) still has climbing in the shade and the river breeze keeps the air slightly less humid and cool. Attempted Cornice again, my nemesis!

escorts

I've become quite proficient at somehow ending up paying for really expensive meals on 'dates' for guys. Let me tell you, the reverse definitley does not work. Nor is it working well for my checkbook.

weekends

Chopingal said it straight. Although I've probably had more estrogen in my world the past few weeks than ever before, and I thought all I wanted was to interact with the male of the species, I quickly changed my mind after this weekend.

In his generous earnestness, a friend's ex was going to set me up with his buddy, which I had no knowledge of beforehand. I greeted this news an hour before we went to Agua with trepidation. I appreciate my friends efforts to alleviate what they perceive to be my lack of dating life and loneliness, but between work and school, and reminding my friends and family that I'm still alive with a timely visit, I have no desire for the added pressure of dating. Maybe what angered me the most about my friend's ex was his attempt to make me into something I'm not. I frankly did not plan to spend my evening sitting like a bump on a chair pandering to their intellect and rehashing my college and graduate international relations theory classes or talk about paintings. I wanted to dance. You wanted to see me lively? Get on the freakin' dance floor and don't make comments about me being too laid back when I just want to quench my thirst and endure your company for the duration of the drink.

Also, even though I've never had the pleasure of extended companionship with a politico, or those who thinks its fun to talk politics at a bar, I know why I don't want to spend my evenings off with them. Frankly when I'm at work and school, my brain works very hard, and I purposefully shut it down whenever I get the chance and would rather ponder whether Brad cheated on Jennifer with Angelina than talk about how GM has taken over the world, or how many celebrities someone has been seen with, or try to ponder the feminist ramifications of 'American Psycho.' Although I must admit, it make me laugh a little inside when I see how people get so animated by these topics ... oh the passion, even though they're not going to do anything to change it.

Also I'm not keen on guys who don't want me to tell it how it is, if I were back in ancient times, they'd expect to me play a harp, do a dance, sing a song, quote something out of a book of poems, and then lay me afterwards. So when I said "Caddyshack sucked," you just have to take it.

I had good points this weekend though: climbing in good company Sunday afternoon, enjoying the laughter of a guy who thought my derision of political talk was funny, dancing at Agua, and another friend's bbq where thankfully all the company wanted to do was talk about planning our next adventure. I don't watch sports, I play them, I don't talk books, I read them, I don't talk artists, I view/hear them, I don't talk EPA policies, I enjoy what natural lands we still have ... blah blah blah blah blah ....

mother

My parents like to put the fear of God into me, for example, I got a call from my mom Wednesday night telling me she feared for me because of a stabbing that happened five blocks from me. A freakish act of violence. Freakishly enough, at that time I was probably walking outside just a few blocks south on my way home from Foggy Bottom. I remember some guy behind me and I kept watching him out of the corner of my eye, making sure I took streets with other people and heavy traffic. Yesterday's events certainly overcame the violence of the act on Tuesday night. Although I didn't feel like going out, I did anyway. Not going to let terrorists stop me from enjoying my life.

I enjoyed it so much I got up this morning and found my legs and arms were sore, from dancing with girls at 18th Street Lounge, barefoot, and almost in the rain.

weeping

London is my sister, brother 1/2 of my family city. I walked in the rain home and thought about how crises brings out the worst in everyone, those who can only stomp their feet, bang their hands against furniture, yell at people, be inconsiderate to people, and make you realize who cares for you and who does not. Makes you realize who's in denial, who will cry, and those who will ask and show concern. I admit I cried intermittently through work. Had this attack happened in Egypt or when it happened in Spain on 3/11 I did not weep. But I have brothers and sisters in London, two of whom barely exited two tube stations that were affected by this morning's explosions. I had seen them wed one summer in London, and heard their pains and joys. Ma'shallah, they were safe, healthy and unharmed. It was a near call for them, and others were not so fortunate.

I saw Bush in stern proud stance behind Blair as they condemned the attacks as 'barbaric.' Then came the anger. Anger at Bush for going to war in Iraq, creating a quagmire, and possibly making the U.S. and our allies less safe. I was angry at Blair for going along with Bush and being what my British brothers and sisters call him, a 'poodle.' Bush's poodle.

I wanted to wring the necks of those who perpetrated the attacks, find them and execute every dirty martial arts maneuver I knew through my 12 years of training on them with my bare hands, my il ee bong (nun chucks), shangai sword, bo staff, cane, sai, belt, uniform ... and so on. Bastards, fucking hell bastard that give Islam a bad name and kill innocents for a cause they will never achieve (if we ever figure it out).

Anyway, its martini time.

bengali in DC

Cuisine that is? Forget it, unless you get an elusive and rare invitation from me for dinner or know Bengali families, the closest you'll come is Brick Lane in London's Aldgate. Buuuuuut ... you could go to Chinatown and check out Burma Restaurant. Yes, the review is written by someone who's never probably had Bangladeshi cuisine so when they described Burmese food, they described it in terms of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian food. What they forget is that Myanmar borders Bangladesh (the only other country besides India) and particularly in the seafood dishes, the taste of another drenched water-logged and silty river delta country come to mind. I had the recommended tea leaf salad, which is actually more like a dressing on shredded cabbage, very tasty refreshing, and light. My mother got the fish curry, a salmon steeped in tamarind, ginger, and other spices. We also got some fish broth soup, which I didn't like very much, but my mother claimed it was made from shutki, which is sundried fish (a famous and rather smelly delicacy in Bangladesh). Also there was the coconut cake, which was much like besbusa, another favorite of my family, made from cream of wheat. And this place was cheap! Lunch for my mom and I was less than $25 (both of us, not each). This place gets packed at lunch, recommend going early.

anti-histamines

Don't do them. Drunk at work, taking a header through your keyboard, weaving back and forth in the hallways, going into near tachycardia after two shots of espresso to counter the effect. Yeah, worst day ever, funniest day for the colleagues. I might've had rotating black and white swirlies in my eyes, or at least that's what it felt like. Benadryl+4 hours of sleep+Allegra+two shots of espresso=near disaster. Oh the things we do to regulate our sleep, not worth it! I am forever suspicious of pills or pill-shaped things.

wow!

You know I had some amazing posts to write about bad drug interactions and another restaurant review, but today I was pleasantly surprised (and rather super excited), that someone I don't know in the blogosphere recognized me!!! Woohooo! This blog gets readership? What kind of gratification is that? Someone is interested in my life out of billions of people and actually reads about what I think!!! My whinings, rants, raves, blah blah blah. Wow, and all this time I thought the life of a public servant and part-time grad student was uninteresting. Anyway, I was somehow featured in DC Blogs for my restaurant review of Merkado (which was commented on by Dave Winer--the owner of the DC Eat Well Restaurant Group) ... anyway, that's my exciting news ... besides the random anonymous comments I get about iPod headphones or my pain-in-the-ass cat.

outrunning

Happy Independence Day all!!! Before work I decided to bike down to the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival on the mall and see the Oman exhibit. I made an untimely detour and sat down for some kabob. After when I attempted to navigate through Constitution Ave. the parade had already started. Asking a bunch of cops where I could cross, they told me I had to wait until the parade was over. Realizing they would not sympathize with my need to get to work in 45 minutes, I went to the next cop, hoping she'd know where the parade ends and where I could cross Constitution. One cop suggested I try to outrun the parade and cut in front of them. So I started pedaling, thankfully they hadn't reached 17th yet and I was able to cross in front of the parade, my ears perked for the sounds of sirens or a stern order from a police officer ... yeah made it to work on time ...

This has been my second recent time spending Independence Day in DC. I have vague memories as a child twirling sparklers on the Mall while my parents lounged on blankets. A few years ago, my mom got rooftop tickets on the Francis Perkins Building (Department of Labor Headquarters--which has a clear view of Capitol Hill) and gave them to my uncle and some cousins. We actually drove into the city to find parking, watching awesome fireworks two blocks from the Capitol and then spent 4 hours trying to get back home.

I thought about standing on top of the garage at work to see the display, but it wasn't the same without friends or family. So I decided to hop in my car and saw most of the fireworks while trying to avoid revelers who would suddenly swerve in and out of the shoulders on 295, trying to make up their mind if they wanted to stop or go. Figuring my usual exit would be closed I tried the exit before and ended up on Independence Avenue, practically underneath the display, my world was lit up in champaign, green, and blue ... until I realized the 12th St tunnel was not closed and made some illegal turns to get back onto it. I heard the finale while in the tunnel, and crossed Constitution the second time that day north bound just as the cars started moving again. My window used to have a view of the monument. On the eve of the Inauguration I was awoken by the sounds of explosions, I looked outside and saw fireworks from the general direction of the White House. Now there's an almost finished apartment building blocking that view.

harris teeter

I walked into the Harris Teeter in Ballston off Glebe Road. I felt like I walked into the Charlottesville Harris Teeter. Post-grad frat boys and sorority girls clogging the aisles, young couples in gym shorts and t-shirts, girl-friends convincing boyfriends to buy ice cream. I was too eager to return my predominantly gay quirky ethnically heterogeneous neighborhood Whole Foods.

a beautiful weekend

1. Camelback leaks
2. Rope in knots after throwing down--takes forever to get untangled
3. Climbing buddy can't figure out how her harness got screwed up
4. Can't begin a climb done before
5. Bang my knee
6. Bathe in sweat while climbing
7. Sore from paddling out of dead spots on the Shenandoah river while tubing
8. Sunburnt in harness leg strap area so lowering and stopping someone falling is painful
9. Wimp out on a nubby face (usually my favorite type of climb)

Lesson Learned: Climb before going tubing.

merkado

P Street is only a couple blocks from me (technically three if you count Rhode Is. Avenue) and I've watched the pre-theater dinner places crop up across from Whole Foods. I'm rather disappointed they are not open for lunch (but they are for weekend brunch!). But I finally stepped into Merkado, which bills itself as Latin American and Asian fusion. Its very tasty and now my new favorite local restaurant. Local for Logan Circle, Zaytinya's is still my favorite in the city.

My friends and I first decided to split a bunch of small dishes, and an entree. Well this restaurant doesn't serve American sized portions ... unless you're dieting, you can order an appetizer, salad, entree, and desert for one person and not feel like you've completely pigged out. Also pleasantly surprising was the bill. At less than $40 a person including alcoholic beverages, the place was a steal. Well anyway, I had the most heavenly white tuna sashimi with a sake-miso reduction and truffles ... to DIE for, raw scallops, very simply garnished and tasting very fresh, chile rellenos was good but personally I still prefer Rose Mexicano's version with the raisins. We also later ordered quesedillas, better than the average (I'm not a quesedilla person), and for entrees, the halibut on a salad of mango, tomato, mint, and other yummy stuff, some fine silky fish. Hungry we ordered another entree of seared ahi tuna with bok choy, shitake, and wasabi mashed potatoes. My sister told me JMU would serve wasabi mashed potatoes, man if those were anything like what they served at merkado, I'd be taking them away from the dining hall to squirrel away in my refrigerator. A tasty well seasoned Ahi tuna, the amazing thing it was marinated without actually being cooked through the inside, which is quite amazing.

Anyway, there's my plug for Merkado kitchen. It's tasty, and serves one of the most amazing martinis I've ever had, a sake infused with black currant and pear ... refreshing actually.

credits

Not that I'm counting them!!! But I am nervous about the paper I turned in for my class. The instructor thought I was smart, and I'm afraid I'll disappoint with my treatise on ETA and Spain, she will see through the pretty words I used and see how uninterested I was in the topic. Another class starts Tuesday. But that's okay.