Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Las Vegas, Part 1: All the World's a Line

Last night I returned from a four day getaway with “the girls” to Las Vegas. The City of Lights, Sin City, the LV; whatever you want to call it, it was big, it was bright and it was unforgettable. Over the next few days, I’ll be posting a series of posts on my experience there formatted around roughly based themes that surfaced over and over again during the long weekend.

Today’s discussion: Las Vegas, Part 1: All the World’s a Line

Somewhere around 11am, I arrived at Dulles airport after driving the very boring 16 mile stretch of the Dulles Access Road that’s not quite 495 and not quite the toll road and I was immediately presented with a dilemma: Daily Parking 1 or Daily Parking 2. My quick intuition led to me to choose Daily Parking 2 because it looks much closer to the terminals and I vaguely remembered parking there before. I love the electronic sign upon entering that tells you in little green numbers exactly how many spots are available on each level. Level 1: 3; Level 2: 195, Level 3: 65 etc. Level 2 it is. Duh! I drive up and immediately find a spot that looks good. It takes me a good few minutes to hoist my ridiculously large suitcase out of the trunk, narrowly missing all ten of my toes as it crashes to the ground only to soon find out that the access to the pedestrian walkway is only accessible from level 3. Of course. I contemplate moving my car to one of the 60-some spots on Level 3 but that would require maneuvering my suitcase again, so I opt to take the elevator up a level instead. When I exit the parking lot I see another very humorous sign. It says something like "Next time you fly, consider Daily Parking 1 with its state of the art, new and improved, covered and air conditioned moving sidewalks that will make your life so much easier than Daily Parking 2. We'll even pass out fruity umbrella drinks as you glide on by in style." Ok, so that's not exactly verbatim, but you get the idea. (And it is not a line story, but it sets the stage...)

I had an easy check-in at Southwest and fortunately my friend clued me in to this 24-hours in advance online check-in thing so you can get into the first group of seating. I wasn't lucky enough to get A since I checked in 21 hours in advance, but I felt my B status was not so shabby. It was here that I encountered my first line of the vacation. Have you ever flown Southwest before? Talk about perpetuating the class system! Sitting on the floor in the B line, over one hour before the scheduled take-off of my flight, I held such envy for those in the A line and such panic that I was going to get a bad seat and have to endure the pointing, laughter and snickering from my fellow window and aisle seat neighbors ("She must have been in the B line... ha ha ha. Loser."). [line 1] Well joke on everyone. For some reason everyone before me passed up a second row aisle seat which I promptly snagged. Unfortunately, a C line woman took the middle seat next to me and proceeded to cough and pop pill after pill of prescription medication the entire flight. I was mentally reviewing my CPR skills should she pass out from an overdose.

We arrive in Vegas, I rush off the plane to baggage claim up and down a few escalators where presumably most of the riders are from the DC area and STILL do not stay to the right. Ugh. I grab my bag off the carousel and head for a taxi. The taxi line at McCarren International awaits. It must be about 150 people deep, although props to the attendants, they have this worked out. From the main taxi line, and as you approach the front, you are directed to one of 9 smaller lines where the taxis pull up to pick up the passengers. [lines 2 and 3]

Finally reunited with my friends from college we talked about all of the activities we had planned for the weekend - some fine dining, a show, a bit of sun and gambling, and at least one of the trendy nightspots. At this point we hadn't realized how beneficial our female status would prove to be over the next few days. More on this later but for now, I'll speak of how it affected our experience with the many lines we encountered in Las Vegas.

Being a female visitor to Las Vegas gets you many privileges. For some, like us, it got us line passes, VIP passes, and guest list status, presumably limiting the time you have to stand in lines for entry into the various clubs. For others, it probably gets you an STD or two, but either way you come back with a special memory. Props to Terry who totally got us the hook-up at Body English, Tao and Rehab. He knows people and we were glad to know him. What we didn't realize, until our first Las Vegas club experience, is that knowing Terry and getting line passes and VIP passes etc., is that it just allows you wait in a different line than the rest of the masses. True it was typically shorter and moved faster, but it was a line nevertheless. Often though, you started in one line and then were shuffled to another and yet another before your actual entry into the esteemed and at that point quite mysterious Las Vegas club scene. And then, who were those people who could just cut the line and why were they so important? Probably because they spent thousands on a table or cabana or whatever other exclusive and private corner of the club they could afford. (More on that later, too.)

And every line we waited in had its own characteristic. Some lines were long (taxi line outside of Caesars after a night at Tao), some lines were entered through parking lots (Rehab VIP/Cabana line at Hard Rock), some lines had misters that would keep us cool, but mess up our hair before a night out (Mandalay taxi line), and others promised Furkinis - yes, a bikini made of fake fur (a Body English promotion at Hard Rock and apparently a coveted promotion judging by the line of ladies giddy with anticipation).

At last count, somewhere around Monday morning, we recalled at least 24 lines that we waited in. At an average of say 4 minutes a line, we stood in lines for over an hour of our vacation.

Perhaps they should rename Las Vegas and call it Disney World instead.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The Countdown Begins

My Gmail chat announces that I'm Vegas bound in a little less than 48 hours. With two of my very best girlfriends, sun, water, a bit of gambling, fine dining and Love it adds up to the perfect recipe to cure my blahs. I haven't taken a vacation, much less a day or two off since November, work is getting stagnant and morale here is low. I think this will be the just the pick-me-up that I need.

And, when it rains it pours... less than two weeks after my return, I head to my in-laws beach house for over a week. Like the rest of D.C., my hubby and I will be fleeing the confines of this city as the tourists come in to replace us - a veritable free-for-all. We'll spend a few days with his family and then they leave us on our own for a week. We plan to have a steady stream of friends coming and going, crashing on extra beds and couches (and maybe floors!). We'll eat lobster rolls, sunbathe, and probably partake in a competitive game or two of putt-putt. Just the crazy kind of relaxation that I need.

And come September, I should be as good as new.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Portrait of an Artist (part 2)

Here are some more images from my drawing class to tide you over. It has been a busy week at work and I'm getting ready for a mini-vacation (Vegas, baby!), so it may be until next week before I can post something substantial. Thanks for your patience!



Thursday, July 19, 2007

Someone's in the Kitchen

I've been cooking a lot lately. My husband even remarked how the cooking responsibility has seemed to shift over to me this summer. He, being a "gourmand" and well adept in the kitchen, would have no problem whipping up something scrumptious after we both got home from the gym. Now, that I've frozen my gym membership for the summer, since I prefer to do my exercising on an outdoor bike, I've been getting home before him.

It makes me feel like the notion of "wife" that I had when I was growing up. Apron-smocked, I'll have dinner just about on the table when he gets home from work, but not totally on the table so he can see all the preparation that went into making the meal. (It is a sick little thing, I know.)

But more so than feeling like a '50s wife, I gain great pleasure out of creating and knowing that I've successfully taken a mish-mosh of ingredients and turned them into something pleasantly plated and palatable.

Some recent winners include:

And like my mom always said, "If you can read [a recipe], you can cook."

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Komi: A Meal to Remember

Komi
1509 17th Street NW
http://www.komirestaurant.com/

I am a glutton for inventive food, so when we received an invitation from a friend to dine at Komi, I re-arranged all of my plans. Ok, I had no plans really, but ever since chef Johnny Monis was named one of the best new chefs by Food and Wine magazine, it has been near impossible to get in the door. I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity.

And I am sure glad I didn't. This meal was one of the best I've had in my eight years in D.C. and I liken it a bit to
Obelisk - another fixed price menu of delicious yet unpretentious food featuring unique combinations of ingredients. Like, Obelisk, I felt like I had arrived at a friend's house when I entered Komi. It is small and unassuming on the inside and you are made to feel like the guest of honor. Tables are spread out enough that you can have your own conversation and dining experience without feeling infringed upon by your neighbor.

Komi offers a fixed price menu - either you choose from several options per section or have the chef prepare a tasting menu for you, of his choosing but as is typical, the entire table must oblige to this second option. We decided to select our own and add the wine pairings. We were in for a treat. The staff was so very knowledgeable about each ingredient and the sommelier fully explained the wine offerings to us, at the start of each new course.

First course: a selection of mezzethakia (in my best Greek, roughly translates to small bites). I think we each received 8 and this course incorporated two wine pairings. [A note on the wine pairings: these are FULL glasses of wine which translates to an excellent deal but a heavy night of drinking. Be forewarned that I don't have the best recollection of the later courses... ] Highlights from the mezzethakia: a date that literally melts in your mouth, watermelon with whipped feta topped with a hazelnut, and an oxtail pita "sandwich". One diner in our party is a vegetarian and each meat based mezzethakia had a vegetable based equivalent that both looked the same and contained similar flavors (the oxtail pita translated to a wild mushroom pita - both dense and earthy flavors).

The second course featured a selection of pastas. I selected the local corn ravioli with summer truffles and langoustines and others at our table enjoyed the Gorgonzola ravioli with pears and almonds and the tagliatelle with guanciale and blueberries.

For our main entree, I shared the bronzino for two which was delicately cooked in a typical Mediterranean style of olive oil and lemon and accompanied by a side of garlicky chard. Prior to this course, the waitress came out to present the whole fish to us before it was filleted and said that the chef would like to know whether we wanted the head served for its fleshy cheek meat. Apparently a delicacy, but we declined. It was at this point that I believe I caught of glimpse of Chef Monis working hard in the kitchen. It was something of a celebrity sighting to me.

Dessert had a plethora of exciting options, but I finally settled on the Greek doughnuts, bathed in honey with a side of chocolate mousse for dipping. They were light and airy and the perfect note on which to end my meal.

Our bill arrived with four lollipops wrapped in wax paper. Flavor of the evening was something with saffron and citrus. After a delicious meal and five glasses of wine, with a lollipop stick sticking out of my mouth, I felt as happy as a kid in a candy shop.

I hope to have this experience again. I'll make sure to reserve at table early.


**** (out of 4 stars)
20% tip: While the wines were paired quite nicely with the meal, be careful how much you drink. The food is too good to be forgotten the next morning.

Monday, July 16, 2007

MapQuest Failed Me Yesterday

MapQuest failed me this weekend. In planning our bike ride from Vienna to Great Falls and back, I looked up the address for the Whole Foods in Vienna - right off of the W&OD trail, and mapquested the directions from our home. These are the directions that MapQuest provided, from route 66:

10: Merge onto I-66 W (Crossing into VIRGINIA). 19.2 miles

11: Take the FAIRFAX CO PKY / VA-7100 exit- EXIT 55- toward RESTON / HERNDON / SPRINGFIELD. 0.5 miles

12: Merge onto VA-7100 N / FAIRFAX COUNTY PKWY / JOHN F JACK HERRITY PKWY via EXIT 55B toward RESTON / HERNDON. 0.7 miles

13: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto FAIR LAKES PKWY. 0.3 miles

14: End at 143 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA 22180, US

Now, for anyone who lives in Vienna and frequents the Maple Avenue Whole Foods, you would realize that these are not the correct directions. And, for anyone who lives in Fairfax, you would realize that these are in fact the directions to the Fairfax Whole Foods on Market Commons Drive. Not being too familiar with either area, we trusted the powers that be at Mapquest. What are the chances that by plugging in the correct address, we would be led to the wrong Whole Foods?

Fortunately, my husband had biked part of the W&OD trail before and recognized that our initial destination did not look familiar - nor could we find the trail. When we asked a very nice suburban looking mom for directions to Maple Avenue, she said, "Oh, that's in Vienna!" and quickly pointed us on our way before the light turned green.

So, MapQuest, in the age of information technology, you have let me down. Your "omniscient" self was no match for the mind behind the woman in the black SUV. Don't you realize that we trust you whole-heartedly to navigate us along our paths and into uncharted territory. Your "shortest time" directions indicated a total estimated time of 32 minutes, instead it took us over an hour.

Did you think I was just going grocery shopping and would have been satisfied with any old Whole Foods? If that were the case, I would have walked two blocks and avoided much frustration.

So, MapQuest, you've lost some of my trust. And perhaps I've now learned a lesson... to read the fine print:

Your use of the website and Materials is at YOUR OWN RISK (their emphasis) and MapQuest is under no obligation to provide you with any support, error corrections, updates, upgrades, bug fixes and/or enhancements of the website and Materials.

Please note that the Materials may include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. (my emphasis) MapQuest has the right at any time to change, modify, add to or discontinue or retire any aspect or feature of the website or Materials, including, but not limited to, the software, content, hours of availability, equipment needed for access or use, or the availability of the website or Materials on any particular device or communications service. MapQuest has no obligation to provide you with notice of any such changes.

Or use Yahoo! Maps.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Memories of Summers Gone

It felt like camp this morning. It was brisk summer morning with a light breeze, the sun drying the dew on the grass. It smelled like fresh rain. It instantly made me nostalgic for my childhood summers at overnight camp. Waking up on a thin cot mattress, dressed head to toe in sweatpants and a sweatshirt (sometimes even with the hood up if it was an especially cold night in the mountains), and often with a slightly scratchy throat. Our pull rope windows would be sealed shut and ironically the cabin wouldn't warm up without opening them.

The "20 minutes until line-up" announcements would progress at a rate that seemed much faster than reality, quickly building up to the last minute when you knew you had to get out of bed if you were to have time to brush your teeth before breakfast. A quick glance at your best camp friend sleeping next to you would be returned with an equally knowing glance... "do you think they are going to make us get in the pool today?" - a reference to 1st period instructional swim.

Soon all of girls' camp was stumbling out of their bunks, bags under their eyes from long nights of giggling and telling stories, some maybe even came back just a few hours prior from a raid to boys' camp with memories of a secret kiss and a summer crush.

By the end of breakfast, temperatures would have risen enough to be comfortable (but still not enough to go swimming! Never!). Another day in the Poconos awaited us - bound to be filled with memory-making activities that we would only realize later when walking to work on a cool summer day among the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Portrait of an Artist

To many established artists, these pieces will look like your typical Intro to Drawing still life studies. They will remind them of their younger days, when the canvas was new and approached with hesitancy, when materials felt foreign in familiar hands and techniques went beyond common logic (you want me to only draw the highlights?).

I share with you some of my first attempts at composing still life - from Beginning Drawing at the Art League. (some more finished than others)









Monday, July 09, 2007

Biking 'round the Old Line State

This was my bike ride on Sunday. We estimate it to be about 22 miles, although Map My Run says 18. Considering we were on trails for a portion of the ride and Map My Run doesn't always pick up on trails, I'm going with 22 miles. It sounds more impressive, anyway!

It was really nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city and bike among horse farms, rivers, marshland and even the osprey at the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary. A far cry from home. We ran into some fisherman along the way, trying to catch catfish and two park rangers who really helped us navigate our shoddy map. (Thank you!) This area of Upper Marlboro, along Croom Road and through Patuxent River Park, was virtually deserted on a beautiful but hot Saturday afternoon. Aside from a family of four that we saw biking through the wildlife center, we were the only ones on two wheels.

The traffic was minimal and not much of a factor except on the relatively "busy" Croom Road. In fact, the park ranger urged us to move along from the visitors center around 4pm, worried that we may get caught in rush hour traffic. I laughed, and then realized she was actually being serious. Most of the route was hilly - some tough uphill climbs tempered by some long downhill coasts.

This area of Maryland comes with some history and we were able to catch some sites along the way. The site of the first African American owned airfield which is now merely one of many cornfields in the area, the town of Nottingham (population 1800), which was home to the British invasion of 1812 and once the third largest port in Maryland. Today it is virtually a ghost town, with several large plots of farm land and the old one room schoolhouse. And we rode by the ancestral home of the Bowies, who founded the town of Bowie, MD. Today it is owned by the Catholic Church and serves as a youth center.

I wish I had brought my camera on this trip because we really encountered some beautiful scenery. And the pictures would have made this post much more interesting!


So 22 (or 18) miles later, depending on who you believe, we definitely earned our meal at Komi. A review to come later this week.