DC fun with Chris

I convinced Chris to go with me to Screen on the Green – a DC summer tradition where they show classic movies on the Mall in front of the Capitol. That night it was On the Waterfront, which I was really excited to enjoy al fresco. Chris went early to score a great spot, and I met him after work. We had PotBelly’s for dinner and played Scrabble on Chris’s phone while we waited for it to get dark. The movie was great, and even better to watch it on a pleasant summer night. I felt like a real DC resident!



On Tuesday, my DC friend Amy had a great hook-up for us: free tickets to the Nationals game. Did I mention that they were in the 2nd row behind the dugout? It was awesome! The game was pretty good, too – the Nats were behind until an 8th inning home run and rally for 6 runs and a win! Definitely the best game I’ve been to yet. Chris even managed to get a foul tip tossed to him by Willie Harris, and another from the bat boy. AND, when we were leaving, I saw David Gregory, host of Meet the Press – my first DC political celebrity sighting.

The view from our seats

During the President's race (a 4th inning tradition), Jefferson took a tumble - it was hilarious!

On Friday, we met up with Amy again and another friend, Tammy, for game night. Chris and Tammy are so much alike that we call Chris “Mammy” (as in Male Tammy) – last summer Tammy was out of town when Chris was visiting, so game night was their first chance to meet. Of course they hit it off, and we had a great night playing games. The only bad thing was that I was starting to feel a little sick, so we headed home a little early :(

My upset stomach continued into Saturday, ruining our plans to go to the Alexandria Irish Festival. Instead, we lounged around my studio most of the day. We had reservations at The Melting Pot for dinner, which turned into a surprise birthday dinner (thanks, Chris!), and fortunately, my stomach was feeling much better – and hungry for fondue! After dinner we went to see the new Harry Potter movie. I had been waiting a long time to see it, and it was worth the wait! Overall, it was a great way to end our week together. It was so great to have Chris visit!

New York adventures

After a quick nap and getting ready, the three of us headed out to enjoy the New York nightlife. One of Ari’s friends had a connection at a hotel bar, so we were able to get right in and head up to the club, which was in the hotel penthouse. The three-story penthouse was incredible – and large enough to serve as a great nightspot. We headed up to the roof, which had a hot tub, couches, and an incredible view of the city. I was very bummed that I didn’t bring my camera – we could practically see the whole city! It was definitely a different kind of place, I couldn’t imagine staying in a penthouse like that! But it made for a very memorable NY night out!

After a late night out, we decided to sleep in the next morning. Once we did rouse ourselves awake, we headed to a delicious spot for lunch – Goodburger. After filling up on yummy food, we decided to take a walk through Central Park. I think the park is my favorite place in NY. It is so beautiful and peaceful, but lively and fun at the same time. I would spend all day there if I could!

I took a few pics trying to get the park in the background. I think Chris was tired of re-takes.

I love Central Park!

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to spend all day. Chris and I had to head back to Ari’s to grab our luggage and catch our bus to DC.

NY NY

What an exciting week! It began last Friday, when I took the train from Union Station after a day of work. I rode in to New York, where my friend Ari lives and where Chris was going to fly in Saturday morning. I met up with my friend and we headed out to the east village to an Italian restaurant that a friend of mine recommended. It was a quiet place with great outdoor seating and delicious food. After dinner, we headed back to Brooklyn to Ari’s place to relax and catch up.

We had to get up at the crack of dawn to pick up Chris at JFK, and thanks to zipcar, we were able to take a car, pick him up, and be back within about an hour (have I mentioned that I love zipcar?). Of course, it was great to see Chris, but it was also very early, so we pretty much went right to sleep when we got back to Ari’s place.

We woke up a few hours later ready to see the sights. Our adventure began with a trip out to Coney Island – not an actual island, but the beach and boardwalk in Brooklyn/Queens that has always been a popular summer spot. Our first stop was Nathan’s famous for lunch. Chris was excited to try the official hotdog of the hotdog eating contest, and I was particularly entertained by the little red picks they give out to use as forks.

Ari and Chris at Coney Island

Me enjoying my little red pick and my cheese fries

After a delicious bite to eat, we headed to the boardwalk. It was great to see the ocean again – it has been a while! Since it was an incredibly beautiful day, there was no surprise that the beach was packed. We strolled down the boardwalk for a while, walked through the games and sideshows, considered taking a ride on The Cyclone, and decided we should definitely stick our feet in the Atlantic Ocean. It was much easier once we were at the far end of the beach, where there were fewer families enjoying the warm summer day. We walked along the water until the crowds were thick again, and headed back toward the boardwalk – and the subway.



We hopped back on the subway for a long ride back to Manhattan. The next stop on our itinerary: taking the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty. Our timing was perfect and we practically walked right onto the ferry without waiting. It was incredible to see the Manhattan skyline come into full view as we pulled farther out into the river. I was also pleasantly surprised by the closer view of the Statue of Liberty. Last year, I was disappointed by how small it looked from Battery Park – but riding past on the ferry was a delight. I took about a million photos...



After our return trip from Staten Island, we walked downtown to Ground Zero. Somehow we missed the information and memorial center… But I was impressed by two things: 1) the gaping open space in a highly developed urban center, and 2) the strength of the American spirit to pick up, carry on, and redevelop, with respect for the gravity of the event.

We walked by Wall Street, through Chinatown (where we picked up a few souveniers), and into Little Italy. Dinner in Little Italy was a highlight of my trip last year, and I was excited to try a new place. We ended up at Vincent’s, famous for their three types of marinara sauce. DELICIOUS! The three of us enjoyed our meals and cheap sangria (I would have ordered another pitcher if I knew it was only $9!) on the patio while we watched tourists walk by and a Chinese woman scream into her cell phone. I think Chris really enjoyed his first day in New York! I know I did!