Category Archives: Adventures

Adventures, All Politics is Local, Entertainment, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, News, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District, The Hill
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Recap: 2nd Annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game

2nd Annual Congressional Softball Game

Yesterday at Guy Mason Park in Glover Park, female members of the media took on female members of Congress in the 2nd annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game to benefit Young Survival Coalition.

Both teams were stacked with a who’s who list of Washington pols and reporters, including Captains Dana Bash of CNN and Shailagh Murray of the WaPo, and Captains Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a principal organizer of the event, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years at the age of 41. MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced the game and kept the friendly banter going.Very entertaining.

Off the field, it was a politico convention. DC’s First Lady Michelle Fenty kicked off the game was the first pitch. Supreme Court Justice, and Yankee’s fan, Sonia Sotomayor hungout in the Congressional dugout and Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in the second inning. Also spotted at the event were Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Minority Leader John Boehner, Majority Whip Eric Cantor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, etc. Continue reading →

Adventures, Business and Money, The Daily Feed
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DC Crafts: Find Of The Day

Photo courtesy of
‘God’s Eyes’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Maybe it’s the hot and humid weather, or maybe it’s because I feel like the city scene has been a little lethargic over the last few months, but I think we’re in need of some daily, local craftiness to inspire us to greatness.

So here it is. Today’s DC Craft of the Day comes to us from Etsy seller ksickles, who’s Washington DC  Metro Area Glass Tile Pendant will allow you to “Declare your love for Washington DC” and the surrounding hoods of Rockville, Baltimore, Annapolis, Alexandria and Arlington. FYI: The pendant is not waterproof, so no jumping in the Potomac with it on.

Adventures, Business and Money, Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District
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Wonji Juice Comes To DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Juicing Apples’
courtesy of ‘tiffanywashko’

After Saturday night’s bender, my body and mind were begging me to consume something, anything really, that was nutrient-rich and healthy. With a frozen pizza and some left over chips my only pantry option, I dragged myself off to the nearby Whole Foods to fill my cart with leafy greens and organic goods.

When I arrived at the Georgetown temple of all things gluten and pesticide-free, I espied a new, and at that moment, perfect cure for my lingering hangover, a juice bar. Wonji Juice, the Annapolis started and based juice bar company, offers delicious and super-nutritious fruit, vegetable and superfood concoctions that address any therapeutic need (hangover, stress relief, skin health, etc.) that may be ailing you.

My cure was the Green River, which according to Wonji is a  “Vitamin and mineral dense greens for a nutritious blast! High in chlorophyll to improve blood quality and folate to help produce and maintain new cells.” I definitely picked the right juice for the occasion, and while I can’t say it immediately made my hangover go away, I could definitely tell that my body was thankful for the vitamin rich sustenance.

Adventures, The Features, We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: June 12-13

Photo courtesy of
‘Dandies & Quaintrelles 0863’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’

Max: Friday night I’ll be nerding it up with the best of them at the DC Digital Capital Week kickoff party.  From 9PM to 3AM, Blagden Alley will be the place to be in DC for networking, art viewing, music listening, and beer drinking ($20).  On Saturday I will shed my usual attire and pretend that I have class by donning a costume for the Seersucker Social (fingers crossed for cooperative weather).  Assuming I’m not run over by a fellow seersuckerer or bonked on the noggin by a croquet mallet, I might snap a few pictures of the pride parade and then help a friend celebrate the big 3-0.  Sunday will (as usual) be filled with photo editing and napping.

Dave: You know, a week of Strasburg-mania has me completely in the mood to get out there and find my own Field of Dreams. So, for a great sports weekends I’ll kick it off Friday morning, watching the opening matches of the World Cup at Public Bar ($3 Peronis ain’t a bad way to start the day, and it is, after all, noon somewhere). Friday evening, I’ll be out at Upton Hill Regional Park, shaking off the cobwebs of a few rainouts and back in the cages before a Saturday tripleheader of softball against a few of our rivals out at Cabin John. (Also, please note, regardless of the St. George’s Cross hanging by my desk, please note, I will also be cheering for the Yanks when they face the Three Lions).

Continue reading →

Adventures, All Politics is Local, Business and Money, Entertainment, Essential DC, History, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Oh You Embassy Folk! You’re So Funny!

Photo courtesy of
‘The Last Lion’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

As the USA v. England World Cup match up fast approaches, the American and British embassy folk have begun the typical trash talking/friendly betting that normally occurs when two nations/cities play each other.

The email stream between both ambassadors has leaked on to the internet exposing the wager and now the details of their little bet are fully known.  If the US wins, then the US Ambassador gets a pub dinner on the crown. If the English win, then the English Ambassador gets a steak dinner on the colonies.

Personally, I think the wager is somewhat of a win-win situation for the British Ambassador.  He gets either the win and a steak, or if he loses some “home-cooked” food from his favorite pub. Whereas, if the USA wins, our Ambassador merely gets some fish n’ chips, and if we lose, he has to fork out for a steak dinner, and you know the British Ambassador isn’t gonna settle for a Tasty Diner steak. We’re talking Charlie Palmer’s here.

Adventures, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Burgers, Wings & Beer; Georgetown’s latest additions

Photo courtesy of
‘Ted’s spicy wings’
courtesy of ‘rick’

This week two new restaurants open along Georgetown’s posh M Street and hope to fill some of the gaps within the neighborhoods food scene.

Opening on Thursday, the long time M Street Italian staple, News Cafe, re-brands and revamps its menu as Thunder Burger & Bar. According to Vox Populi’s exclusive interview with Thunder Burger & Bar’s GM Ryan Clarke, the establishment will offer “a fully rounded-out menu, but 95% of the focus will be on the burger.” Clarke hopes to differentiate the eatery from the  plethora of DC burger places by bringing “quality burgers back to a sit-down restaurant with a sit-down experience.” Not quite sure this is a winning strategy, especially with all the other nearby restaurants that offer fantastic burgers (J. Paul’s, Clyde’s, Martin’s, Rugby, etc.) but it will definitely be an improvement from News Cafe.

Further down the road at 3291 M Street, Georgetown Wing Co. has a soft opening this week, which features (not surprisingly) wings. The restaurant has a fantastic beer selection, because what goes better with wings than beer, and they’ll feature $1.50 Miller Lites and $3 Sam Adams Seasonal and Sierra Nevada bottles. According to their twitter profile, for Friday’s World Cup kick off, they’ll be expanding their menu to include Crêpe bunch, mimosa & draft specials. Nom.

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Music, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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2010 Ibero-American Guitar Festival

Photo courtesy of
‘2010:53’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’

This evening the 2010 Ibero-American Guitar Festival kicks off at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. The festival showcases classical guitarists from the Iberia peninsula, Latin America and South America. You can grab a little taste of what’s in store with the beautiful strumming of Berta Rojas.

Shopping for your first instrument should be the initial step in a lifelong journey of learning and inspiration. It can also be confusing because all musical instruments come in so many different makes and models. If you’re buying your first guitar, you’ll face choices like what size guitar to buy, deciding between an acoustic or electric, or whether to invest in a new or used instrument. While there are many variables that might affect your decision, the most important thing is to find a guitar that sounds good, looks good, and feels good to play, check the next online website, they did a great review of Yamaha c40.

This year’s festival is dedicated to Manuel M. Ponce, the Mexican composer who passed away in 1948, but whose guitar compositions continue to inspire the world of international guitar. Tonight, the Manuel M. Ponce Quartet will give a talk/performance illustrating the influence Ponce has had over three centuries of music and the artist’s relationship with the great Andalusian guitarist Andres Segovia. Saturday at 2pm Leonora Saavedora talks about Ponce’s effect on Mexican traditional song.

If you can’t make it out to the festival, there’s also a live webcast of the events/performance that’s definitely worth tuning into.

Adventures, Business and Money, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Lax Bros/Gurls Are Taking Over

Photo courtesy of
‘Lax.com’
courtesy of ‘teamstickergiant’

This past weekend Maryland hosted both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA lacrosse semifinals and championships. The women’s Division I championship game at Towson University, saw Maryland take home the national title against Northwestern and, according to the Baltimore Sun, the match drew 9,782 people — the most ever to see a women’s lacrosse game in the US.

The mens’ games started on Saturday at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, continued through Sunday and culminated with the DI Championship game between Notre Dame and Duke on a scorching Memorial Day. Although attendance for the final game was low, a mere 37,126, the entire weekend’s turnout was 116,289, up from last year’s 102,601 turnout at Foxborough, MA. The games stay in Baltimore for 2011, go to Foxborough for 2012, and 2013 and 2014 are up for grabs.

While the increases in attendance are good reasons to keep both championships in the MD area, in recent years lacrosse has begun to grow beyond its traditional East Coast/Prep School roots. The game’s popularity on the West Coast, Colorado and the South has  been growing like gangbusters, with many footballers taking up sport in the off-season for fitness maintenance. The same is true for female athletes who need to stay in shape for fall season sports like soccer and field hockey.

The sport is also seeing a growth in popularity among the non-prep schoolers, as demonstrated in “City Lax” playing Thursday at Silver Spring’s AFI Silver. This documentary follows a sixth grade, inner-city Colorado lax team as they learn how to play the Native American team sport and take on the prep school crowd.

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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DC’s Best Highschool Baseball Players Hit Nationals Park

Photo courtesy of
‘Take me out to the Ballgame.’
courtesy of ‘Paul Frederiksen’

This Saturday’s Congressional Bank Classic brings out D.C.’s premier highschool baseball players and team in a day long celebration of America’s game at Nationals ballpark. Featured events include a St. Albans v. Maret School match up, the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (DCIAA) Championship game between Wilson v. McKinley Tech, a citywide all-star game and the main Championship game between the two earlier game winners.

The event starts at 9:30am and goes until 8:30pm.  Admission and parking are free.

Adventures, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Night Life, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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An Evening with Samurai: No Ninjas Allowed

Photo courtesy of
‘ã��Edo Wonderlandã�� Bad Ass Samurai’
courtesy of ‘-ratamahatta-‘

Tonight, courtesy of the Japanese Embassy, you can catch some Bushi-Do, a mix of traditional swordplay, beautiful choreography, comedy and drama. Simply put it’s sword fighting with a contemporary twist. The event titled “An Evening With Samurai” starts at 6:30pm at the Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan 1155 21st Street NW, Lafayette Centre III. Admission is free.

The show is part of  Samurai Week which celebrates the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the U.S. 150 years ago, in which seventy-seven samurai crossed the ocean to secure the ratification of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation. During their visit, the samurai captivated the American people with their traditional clothing, top‐knot hairstyle, and prominent samurai swords. Oh yeah, they also developed the beginnings of a strong relationship between Japan and the U.S. No biggie.

The celebration continues through the end of the week with the Samurai Film Fest showing famous Japanese films by Akira Kurosawa, Yoji Yamada and Hatsuki Tsuji. The showings take place at the Japan Information & Culture Center and are free, however reservations are required.

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Local Hottie Husbands

Photo courtesy of
‘House O’ Weenies’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

Two local hotties made Redbook’s “America’s Hottest Husbands” contest finals, but unfortunately did not secure the top honor. Michael Kennedy of Frederick, MD and John McGaha of New Market, MD were selected to the 20 finalists and although they didn’t win the coveted title, they did make the top 5 runners up.

More than 15,000 people voted in the online contest with Ray Sorensen of Greenfield, Iowa winning the title of “America’s Hottest Husband.”

I’m not gonna lie, I definitely spent some time ogling the finalists this AM. Personally speaking, McGaha’s picture is smoking. He’s my winner. I know hands off, hands off.

Adventures, Crime & Punishment, Life in the Capital, News, People, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Stolen Segway On The Loose

Photo courtesy of
‘Quio #19 (48/365)’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Coming out of today’s Ward 2 Watch Commander’s Crime Update, it appears we’ve got a hot Segway on the loose in the streets of DC.  The report states that the victim was “watching a basketball game, left their Segway unsecured in the rear of the location during which time an unknown suspect(s) stole it.” The theft occurred late Wednesday night along the 2000 blk. of G St., N.W.

Really guy? You left your Segway out back with the keys in the ignition? Dumbass. But as much as I despise people cruising the streets on these horrid vehicles–just walk for f*#k’s sake you lazy piece of poop!–I despise thievery even more. So for those .0003 of you who have a Segway, be sure to lock. it. up.

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Dueling Birds: A Nats v. Os Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘_MG_4239’
courtesy of ‘dbking’

We’ve got a beautiful weekend, save some scattered t-storms, shaping up for us and we’ve got a “Battle of the Beltways” series kicking off Friday night between the visiting Baltimore Orioles and our hometown Nationals. You’ve got three opportunities to catch the match up this weekend, and it’s sure to be great time with the stadium pack with fans from both sides.

While neither team is at the top of their divisions, both come packed with longtime crowd favorites like Nick Markakis, B-Rob, Zimmer-sapien and Christian Guz-sapien, who are sure to make the game competitive and entertaining.

What I’m really looking forward to is Screech and the Bird strolling around the stadium and taunting each other Phillie Phanatic style. Obviously, sans taser.  I’m assuming both birds will join the Presidents in the 4th inning race, where of course some antics will ensue between the two avians to prevent Teddy from winning. Alas poor Teddy, I wanted him to win.

Adventures, Essential DC, The Daily Feed
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How much is that doggie in the White House?

Photo courtesy of
‘Biden Insults President’s Dog!’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’

With both President Obama’s and Vice President’s Biden financial disclosure forms released this week, we now know how much that cute, little black puff ball, who caused such a media stir a little over year ago, is worth.

According to The Christian Science Monitor, Bo Obama, the Portuguese water dog gifted to the Obamas by the late Ted Kennedy cost the then Senator $1,600. A sweet deal of a purchase price for a dog that usually runs between $2,000 to $3,000. The newly revealed, provocative figure has political pundits on both sides feverishly drafting up their talking points for this weekend’s round tables.

Does the price indicate a clear lack of intelligence, character and ?  Or it merely a reflection of the dog secondhand status? Some even argue that Biden’s German Shepard pup, Champ, is the real brains behind the White House doggie administration.  The truth? Only time will tell.

Adventures, Business and Money, Essential DC, Food and Drink, News, The Features
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Whole Foods Opens In Friendship Heights

Morning Coffee Bar by pquill

Starting today, the Whole Foods Market (WFM) at 4420 Willard Avenue NW opens its brand spanking new, gourmet delicacy-revealing doors to the public.  This latest addition to The Shops at Wisconsin Place and the Whole Foods Market chain is twice as large as the current shop on River Road and, as experienced in yesterday’s blogger preview, brings new and innovative offerings to the area and highlights local growers, products and farmers.

According to my tour guide Ellen James, Whole Foods defines the term “local” as any location within one day’s drive of the store. That means the truck needs to leave and return to the store within 24 hours. So we’re reasonably talking PA, MD, DC, VA, DE, and WV.  If you really pushed it, perhaps NC, NJ, NY, etc. but WF knows that’s pushing it.

Throughout the tour it was clear that deep thought and local area market research went in to the design of this facility and hot sauce store. Not only will you find the traditional WF staples (salad bar, global cuisine bar, olive bar, meat counter, cheese shop, fish monger, soup station, etc.) but some additions and features specific to our regional palates. Continue reading →

Adventures, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Beach Bumming Bus

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 229: Lavallette, NJ’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

The amazing weather this weekend reminded me of the local summer fun to be had at local area beaches.  The Good: Sandy waterfronts. Cooling, salty waves. Luscious, vitamin D rays. Fun with family and friends. Dogfish beer. Crab.  The Bad: Hours of battling through weekend traffic congestion.

However, bus company DC2NY has come to beachgoers’ rescue with a summer bus service to both Rehoboth and Dewey Beach starting Memorial Day weekend. Riders will enjoy wi-fi, electrical outlets at every seat, a frequent riders reward program and a bottle of water for the journey. There’s not a less stressful way to start your beach weekend then by letting the bus driver tackle the traffic while you facebook with your friends or catch up on your Hulu watching.

Adventures, All Politics is Local, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Technology, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors, We Green DC
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“Smart” Buoy Deployed

Photo courtesy of
‘Buoy Red ‘6’ took a pounding’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deployed a “smart” buoy just south of the Wilson Bridge on Friday, May 4.  The new device will provide scientists and local area boaters/educators with real-time information about the Chesapeake Bay.

The buoy is part of the the CBIBS (Chesapeake Bay Interpretative Buoy System) program and will collect weather, oceanographic and water-quality observations along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.  The program hopes to not only provide relevant data for restoration efforts, but also provide insights about the waterways’ history and encourage stewardship and protection of the Chesapeake Bay.

All of the eight buoys’ measurements, along with historical information, can be accessed at www.buoybay.org (www.buoybay.org/m for mobile devices) and by phone at 877-BUOY-BAY (877-286-9229).

Adventures, Business and Money, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, The District
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Georgetown Moby Dick’s Expanding

Photo courtesy of
‘my moby dick’
courtesy of ‘cdrummbks’

Moby Dick’s House of Kabob is tasty. Nom falafel. Nom Kebob-E Kubideh. Just Nom. Too bad their small, cramped Georgetown location at 1070 31th NW does not particularly invite sit down enjoyment of Moby’s tasty Mid-eastern fare.

Then comes word and construction permits that Moby’s is expanding the Georgetown location into the adjacent, now-defunct, laundry/dry cleaning shop.  This is a much welcomed development for those of us who wanted a dine-in experience to accompany our hummus.  Hopefully, construction will lead to a Moby’s similar to the Dupont Circle location at 1300 Connecticut Avenue.

Adventures, Essential DC, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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My DC Baby Is Cuter Than Your DC Baby

Photo courtesy of
‘Two Teeth’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

Not sure why but the Washington Post is building a library/photo slide show of the cutest babies in town. To submit a photo you need to have a WaPo login and as always be sure to read the Terms & Conditions for photo submission. There doesn’t seem to be any photo date restrictions, so if you want to submit an uber cute baby photo of your great grandmother, go for it.

Adventures, Business and Money, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Fear Not People Of Rosslyn, District Taco Will Be Back

Photo courtesy of
‘Taco Truck Love.’
courtesy of ‘nikkiprice’

Yesterday, I received a distressed email from a friend of mine about the fate of the much loved Rosslyn, VA breakfast burrito truck, District Taco (DT). And yes, I’m well aware of the hypocrisy of a taco truck calling itself “District Taco” when it primarily operates in the NoVa corridor. But a good breakfast burrito is a good breakfast burrito, and worth saving.

According to a message on District Taco’s facebook page, the next door Baja Fresh filed a complaint to Monday Properties, the company that rents DT its morning operational space, that DT was stealing too much of their business.  Consequentially, Monday Properties raised the rent on DT forcing the truck’s owner, Osiris Hoil, out of his usual Rosslyn morning location.

Really, Baja Fresh?!! Really?!! District Taco is “stealing” your business? Isn’t this just some plain, good old American capitalism? Was DT’s superior product hurting your little feelings? Perhaps, you should stop whining about DT and focus your efforts on making a better breakfast burrito. Bam!

Fortunately, via District Taco’s twitter account, Mr. Hoil has not given up on Rosslyn and his loyal breakfast followers.  He is currently working with Arlington to find a new location just down the street. Hope to see you back in action real soon, District Taco.