Frankenstorm Strikes DC

Hi friends!  Sorry for the prolonged absence, but Hurricane Sandy kind of threw a monkey wrench in the first two days of this week.  See how I always come up with great excuses for being a bad blogger?!

First, I'll talk about the weekend.  Dan went home for the weekend again, so I spent some quality time with family and friends over the weekend.  On Friday night, I went to a goodbye happy hour for my good friend Maggie, who I have known since second grade.  She is leaving DC to go traipse around Southeast Asia for a few months, and will then be back in Western MA for a bit while she applies to grad school.  It was nice to get to see her one last time before her trip.  Lauren and I then met up with some other friends at Mad Hatter for a late happy hour/dinner (a.k.a. me inhaling one of their happy hour-size pizzas because I hadn't had lunch and was ravenous).  I went home and got a good night of sleep in preparation for an 8-mile run on Saturday morning, followed by moving Lauren in to her amazing new apartment.  Luckily, she and her old roommates had done the bulk of the work the previous weekend, but there was still some heavy lifting involved.  Afterward, I was again ravenous (do you sense a theme?) because I hadn't had time to grab food after my run/before moving.  I went to the grocery store and stocked up, and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the apartment, doing laundry and eating.  I felt particularly domestic that day haha.

On Saturday night, I went to a house party with some girlfriends of mine, which ended up being really fun!  I had been debating my costume for a few days prior to that, and was having trouble coming up with something.   I really didn't want to go the short and sexy route (it's funny how having a boyfriend makes you question re-wearing Halloween costumes of the past haha), so I began rifling through my winter clothes to find inspirtaiton...when I happened upon a beret.  Right then and there, it was decided that I would be French (several people, Dan included, pointed out later that I should have gone all-out and been a mime, but that would have involved painting my face, which I did not have the slightest interest in haha). After the party, some people in the group decided that they wanted to walk to H Street, which was about a 25-minute walk away, much farther than advertised.  We spent about 10 minutes at H Street Country Club and then cabbed back to Lauren's, where we slept on the floor of the empty apartment.

On Sunday morning, delirious from lack of sleep, I went about my normal daily routine (gym, shower, breakfast) before metroing over to my parents' house.  We went to mass and then hung out in front of the fireplace in the living room as the weather grew more and more ominous outside.  While watching some football (full disclosure: I was half-watching), we thumbed through old photo albums, offering a running commentary.  I knew I was a large baby/child, but I hadn't remembered that, when I wore shoes as a baby, they cut off the circulation in my Christmas ham legs.  Jeez louise, was I ever a porker!  After dinner, as it started to rain, they drove me back home, so that I could be there waiting when Dan got back.  When I had texted him about getting together on Monday, he suggested that he just come over on his way home and stay, since we were most likely going to have to hunker down during the hurricane.

We spent the next two days hunkered down, rarely leaving my apartment (I went to my amazing gym, which stayed open throughout the storm, both Monday and yesterday, and Dan and I made a last-minute grocery store run before Whole Foods closed when I realized that, while I had enough food to make dinner on Monday, I didn't have anything to make on Tuesday.  I am a grazer, so I could have gotten by just fine, but I felt like Dan was going to need something a little more substantial!).  Even though we were both working throughout Monday and Tuesday, it was so nice to have him sitting on one couch and me on the other, working away and taking the occasional break to show each other something funny (or something less funny, like a picture of the storm's damage).  We both focused on work during business hours, but, after that, we turned the focus to each other.  We ate lots of yummy food (seriously, thank God the gym was open!) and watched lots of funny shows (episodes of Modern Family and Celebrity Jeopardy), which helped distract us from the storm that was raging outside.  Despite some brief flickering of lights and having to bail water out of my balcony a few times, we really lucked out, neither losing power nor having to deal with a flooded apartment.  We were fortunate to be able to cook yummy food (okay, I cooked and Dan helped/provided moral support).  And, moreover, we got to spend some wonderful quality time together.  We both remarked last night at how much fun we had had (despite having to work during the day and being confined to the house) just hanging with each other at home.  I was really glad to have him there with me, and there is no one else I would rather be house-bound with during a hurricane :)  That said, hopefully we can go a little while without another one!

I hope you all survived the storm okay!  I am keeping family and friends in the NJ/NY area in my prayers especially, as I know that they all bore the brunt of the storm. 

Clean Bill of Health!!

That's right, the moment we've been waiting for!!! On Friday, Dan FINALLY, after a month-and-a-half, received a clean bill of health from his doctor! To say that the time since the accident has been draining is an understatement, so I can't emphasize enough how glad I am that he is healthy again and can move on with his life!  He had been feeling better for the previous two-and-a-half weeks prior to hearing from the doctor, but getting that final confirmation from the doctor that he is okay and can move on with his life was music to our ears!!

We celebrated on Friday night with some Mexican food, followed by a trip to Bier Baron (formerly Brickskeller, which, ever the Harry Potter dorks, we call the Bloody Baron) for Dan's first beer post-race.  I have to say, although I'm definitely not a huge drinker, it was so nice to be at a bar again! I got my favorite raspberry beer (which Dan makes fun of me mercilessly for haha, referring to it as water).  Later on, we saw Ben Affleck's new movie, "Argo." Despite the fact that I was nodding off occasionally during the movie (as I explained to Dan, I don't care how much I love a movie, if I'm tired enough, I WILL fall asleep during it), but I was really impressed.  We both realized that we knew a little bit generally about the Iran Hostage Crisis, but I had no idea that the scheme of creating a fake movie had ever taken place.  In any case, GO SEE IT!  He may not be a great actor, but Ben is a fabulous director!

On Saturday morning, I made some pancakes after my run (this has turned into something of a Saturday morning routine, which, I have to admit, I like!), and then we went over to Hains Point so that Dan could go to the driving range.  Once again, he let me hit a few balls, and, while I had a couple of whiffs (ugh, embarrassing), I hit one of them really well, so I was pleased!  They also conveniently happened to have a mini-golf course right there, so we fit in a round of mini-golf.  Boy, was I having an off-day.  Dan creamed me (again) and now I owe him a home-cooked meal (AGAIN).  Part of why I want to beat him so badly is because I want to see what he can whip up in the kitchen when forced.  Typically, I do the cooking, and he helps out/provides moral support as much as he can, which I appreciate. But I want to test him!

We lazed around on Saturday evening and watched Anchorman, before heading to dinner at District of Pi (yes, we are broken records) and meeting up wtih our friends James and Lindsay at Big Hunt.  To add to the fact that we were at a bar, we were being SOCIAL!  It was great!  On Sunday morning, Dan left to go play golf, so I did some errands after my run, and then met up with Lauren (who is in the process of moving to a WONDERFUL new apartment!) and Cari.  It was nice to close out the afternoon by hanging out with friends!

Yesterday was a particularly long day at work; I am officially in "busy season"), so all I wanted was to go home and cook.  I have noticed recently that, after a long day, cooking is such a fantastic way for me to unwind, so I have been trying to take advantage of that and try out new recipes! I employed the help of Pinterest to find a sweet treat to bake for tonight.  I can't give it away just yet, just in case Dan happens to be reading this, but let's just say that I have never made this particular baked good before.  I think he's going to love it, though!  Will post a picture the next time I post! After spending about 2.5 hours in the kitchen, during which it looked like a war zone, I got to Skype with Kate, which is always wonderful. I have really been trying to reach out to out-of-town friends lately, since I have found myself really missing them, so hopefully there will be much more where that came from!

Family Time

Alrighty, I finally have a few minutes to attempt to put some coherent thoughts together.  I hope you all have reactions to the Communication Post that I posted this morning.  I like to take a break every once in awhile from telling you about the ways in which I keep busy to talk about some different issues, so hopefully you liked the change!!

This was a truly relaxing weekend spent largely with family, and boy, did I need it! It had been a really exhausting week at work (it seems as though they've all been that way lately, with fires to put out everywhere!), so it was not hard to convince me to take it easy.  On Friday night, when trying to decide what to do for dinner, Dan and I looked at each other and said, "Do you want to get Mellow Mushroom again?".  I would be embarrassed, but what would the point of that be? We braved rush hour traffic and came home triumphantly to eat our pizza and watch the Nats game (although I was initially enthusiastic about going to Game 5, I was not willing to pay a minimum of $75 for standing room only tickets)...which, sadly, they lost (as did the Os, killing my dream of a Nats-Os World Series).  Oh well, if we're being serious, I would have wanted the Red Sox in it.

Dan had to get up VERY early to leave for a weekend trip home, but I slept in for another hour, went for a run and then met up with my parents to go and visit my grandparents for the day.  I always love going out to visit them, both because of how much I love them and spending time with them, but also because the Shenandoah Valley, where they live, is such a beautiful swatch of the country, particularly at this time of year.  It was a really nice day, and it was good to reconnect with the two of them while spending time with my parents as well!  Once we got back to the city, my parents and I went to Fontaine, pretty much the cutest crêperie of all time, conveniently located right in downtown Old Town!  They have delicious sweet and savory crêpes (for my main course, I got the "Moroccan" crêpe, with spinach, feta and a yogurt sauce, and for my dessert, I got an apple crêpe with vanilla bean ice cream and apple liqueur, both of which were amazing), the ambience is incredible (seriously, you feel like you're in Paris!), AND they play French films every Thursday night!  Is this place real?!?  My parents had been there a few times and knew that I would be all over it.  I felt like I was walking on a cloud when we left!!

On Sunday, I got up early and ran with my dad, after which I did some more running on my own.  Then we had a nice family walk (I probably ran 6 mi. and walked 3-4 mi., so I wasn't messing around on Sunday morning!).  In the afternoon, I went and saw a friend's play, had dinner with my parents, and stopped by Dan's for a bit after my weary traveler got home.

This week, I have an uncharacteristically light week, which I am fully embracing!  I am planning on going home tonight to cook myself something delicious and maybe watch a movie.  I am going to try cooking for myself more often (especially healthier things!), because...I AM RUNNING A HALF-MARATHON IN MARCH!!!!!!! I was thinking of running the Rock 'n Roll Half in DC, but, after talking to Dan's and my friend Lindsay (who is running the marathon with her bf), I decided to run the marathon too!  March 16th is the day, so I'm already strategizing about healthy food options and long running routes.  I couldn't be more excited, and I am so lucky to have such an amazing cheerleader (I think you know who!).  Speaking of Dan, we are hoping to get good news from the doctor this week in terms of whether he is allowed to get back to life as normal.  I'm really hoping we can go on a short run together this weekend, because I miss my running buddy!

Communication Styles

Hello dear readers!  I apologize for my lack of blogging, but the past week or so has been one prolonged fire drill, so free time has been virtually nonexistent.  I will post later today on my weekend, but I wanted to talk about one issue that has been on my mind lately: communication.  I know that there are many communication styles, and no single one is necessarily the best, so I'll share my thoughts, and would love to hear yours as well about your personal communication styles, successes and failures.

I am the first to admit that I am very passive (but not passive aggressive!!! Passive aggression is such a pet peeve of mine that I try to avoid it at all costs!) when it comes to communication.  A huge piece of that is due to the fact that (not to toot my own horn), I try to be a thoughtful and giving person in my various relationships.  As a result, I tend to place the most importance on other people's happiness and well-being.  That is all well and good, but, so often, means that I neglect myself, invalidate my own feelings and don't necessarily insist on making my needs known. 

How does this selflessness manifest itself as a communication strategy in my daily life?  Well, even when things bother me, I tend to keep my feelings to myself rather than "rock the boat."  If something is trivial enough, it rolls right off my back and I move on with my life.  However, if something really upsets or bothers me, my tendency is to let those feelings fester, obsessing over whatever is bothering me to the point where I get absolutely hysterical and have to discuss it out of fear for my mental and physical well-being.  I justify that strategy to myself by reminding myself that I tend to react very emotionally to certain situations, so I tell myself that I should organize my thoughts and wait until I can talk about the issue somewhat more objectively rather than simply be reactionary.  Not healthy, right?  This is what happens when you are so concerned with ensuring that other people are taken care of that you don't make your needs known.  I would not recommend it!  Torturing yourself is no fun!

Ideally, my communication strategy would involve being more up-front with another person about my feelings, because, the earlier I confront an issue, the less urgently I would need to unload what I am feeling.  Nipping those feelings in the bud and confronting them in the moment, rather than letting them fester, is something I am working on, as is being okay with being a little bit more selfish and insisting on getting what I need and deserve out of life. 

I would love to hear from you, especially from those of you who might be more skilled at confronting issues in a timely manner than I am.  Teach me your ways!!!

A nip is in the air!

Remember how I was whining last week about the unseasonably warm weather?  Well, I can now say that it is officially fall here in the District!  The temperature dropped dramatically on Saturday, and it has been all heavy sweater and warm soup weather ever since :)

After the tough week that last week turned out to be, all I wanted to do this week was relax, which is exactly what I did.  On Friday night, keeping with the Mediterranean food kick that I was apparently on last week, Dan and I went to Agora on 17th St.  I really, REALLY love that place, and we liked it enough the first time that it made us want to go back!  There is just something about Mediterranean cuisine, the flavors, the freshness, and how freaking satisfying it is! 

After dinner, we went home and watched Goldfinger.  Being that I am trying to broaden my movie taste (to Dan's shock and sheer delight, I love the Bourne movies, so we decided to tackle James Bond next), I was trying to keep an open mind going into it.  Well, this one got a big thumbs-down from both of us haha, and my falling asleep during it was definitely proof enough that this was not a good movie.  I wanted to like it, I really did, because who can say no to watching a Sean Connery movie?!  I think we might have to try one of the newer, more action-packed options next (Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig).

On Saturday, we finally, wait for it......WENT APPLE PICKING!!!  At dinner on Friday, Dan said, "I have a proposition for you: If we go to a farm tomorrow, can we go to the driving range for a bit?" Ermahgerd, NO-BRAINER! "I accept your proposition," I answered.  So we went to a farm!  We chose Larriland Farm out in Howard County, MD, because it had the widest variety of apples.  I was like a little New England kid in a candy store, if you can picture that!  This was definitely not a small mom-and-pop farm, it had some serious bells and whistles, and there were a ton of people there.  We picked two bags worth of Staymen, Sun Crisp and Mutsu apples (strange names, I know), some of which were used for a pie that I baked yesterday, and others for just eating.  We also got a pint of apple cider (Dan was thoroughly confused when, later, at home, I insisted on microwaving my cider.  Clearly, the guy didn't grow up in New England, where you take your cider warm and with a cinnamon stick).  Seriously, people, think about all of my childish glee!  I had to restrain myself from going in the hay maze (which was actually meant for toddlers; my height alone would have given me an entirely unfair advantage), but I picked apples to my heart's content. 

The beautiful produce available at the farm!

Officially my new favorite picture of us :)

Afterward, as promised, we went to the driving range.  I had never watched Dan hit before, so it was really fun for me to see him hit a bucket of balls.  He was also less sore after this time hitting, so I think that means that we're moving in the right direction in terms of rhabdo-recovery!! I had been to the driving range once with my dad and Tim, but, so demoralized by my inability to make contact with the ball, I had resolved never to return to the driving range.  But, in the spirit of wanting to try new things and be good at everything, I couldn't resist trying it out.  I am happy to report that I did not whiff or completely shank the ball!  Granted, the ball did not go very high or very far (and I injured my arm in the process, obviously), but I made contact!  Maybe I will be paying the range a return visit sometime soon :)

Favorite golfer!

On Saturday night, we bought some movies at Best Buy, got takeout from Mellow Mushroom (Dan LOVED the BBQ chicken pizza, which I had told him he would) and watched O Brother, Where Art Thou?.  We are making the most of this rhabdo-recovery period, and Saturday was one of the funnest days we've had in a while, in my opinion!  On Sunday morning, I grabbed brunch at Policy with one of my closest friends, and, true to form, just talking throughout brunch wasn't enough.  She is one of those amazing people who you can talk to for hours, and it seems as though we have a lot of the same things going on now, so there was much to discuss.  We plopped ourselves down in a creperie for another few hours, armed with hot chocolate and tea, and gabbed away.  From there, I walked to the National Portrait Gallery, where I hadn't been in a while, and perused the new exhibits.  I should mention that, by this point, it was in the mid-40s and damply cold, so a museum outing was definitely appropriate.  On my way to Dan's, I couldn't resist picking up some festive cupcakes from Crumbs (I should never be allowed into a bakery close to dinner time haha).  We watched some football and baseball and had an overall relaxing night. Sadly for him, he had to work from home on Monday, but I had the next day off, so I was allowed to move a bit more slowly on Monday morning :)

Tell me those are not the cutest cupcakes you've ever seen!

I had planned to go to Pentagon City with a friend yesterday, but, since she was feeling under the weather, I took advantage of the extra day to organize my room, do laundry, catch up on projects I had been meaning to take care of, and COOK! As I already mentioned, I made a pie out of the apples we bought on Saturday, and made some vegetarian chili (part of which I had last night, and the rest of which Dan and I will be eating tonight.  Sorry to give away our menu haha).  Since it was so chilly, all I wanted was some nice, hearty vegetarian chili, and this recipe is my absolute favorite!  By the end of yesterday, I was feeling good, positive, and ready to tackle this week!  I have lots of fun things going on, so this is going to be a good week! I'm calling it now!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend (hopefully you got to spend it enjoying this lovely fall weather!)!

Go-to pick-me-ups

This has been a bit of a rough week, so I have used my time after work to be really selfish and do things that are going to make me the happiest (sorry, not sorry).  I am generally a very positive person, and refuse to let a bad week get me down!

First of all, I joined an organization called WIN this week (following the example of the roommate!), a network for pro-choice, Democratic women.  I'm really excited to get involved and meet some great ladies in the process!

On Monday, we had a birthday dinner for Molly at Zaytinya.  I have to admit that I was very skeptical, because, being the simple-palated girl that I am, I do not tend to gravitate toward designer restaurants, but all I have to say is, WOW.  For those of you who haven't been there, it is a Mediterranean small-plate restaurant.  We had such a hard time selecting plates to share, because everything sounded so darned good!!  Some highlights for me were butternut squash hummus, brussels sprouts in yogurt sauce (I previously thought I hated the things, but I think that, if they are prepared in that exact way, I can stomach them), tuna and a hard cheese with dates and orange slices...not to mention the bread, which we made the mistake of eating too much of before the arrival of our 18 plates of food (split between 6 people).  It was so incredibly satisfying, and I have already decided that I'm going back!

Tuesday was REALLY not a great day, so, even though I was supposed to go to the Nats game with some girlfriends, I decided to take a personal night.  It was one of those nights where I put on my pajamas immediately upon returning home, baked a cake and popped in a chick flick.  Since I was both in a cooking mood and in need of an uplifting story, I chose Julie & Julia.  Meryl and Amy, you two never let me down!

On Wednesday, I finally got to see Dan, since I had been the mean one with so many plans earlier on in the week haha.  Even after the toughest of days, seeing him never fails to bring a smile to my face, and, without fail, I try to check whatever emotional baggage I have amassed during the day at the door so I can just enjoy my time with him.  Wednesday was no different, and I left feeling the happiest I've felt all week!  You know you've found a good guy when he has that effect on you :)

Yesterday, I decided to go over to my parents' house after work.  I never, ever turn down a home-cooked meal, especially since it usually involves some type of fish, which I'm too lazy to cook for myself haha.  Having a nice night with my parents is also something that I never turn down, so it was great to get to spend that time with them.

That said, I NEED this long weekend, as in, REALLY need it.  I can't wait to relax, catch up on sleep, and generally recharge.  Tonight, I'm spending some time with Dan (not really sure what we're doing yet, but that doesn't bother me one bit, because the important thing is that I'll be spending time with him).  Tomorrow, the plan is to make some pancakes (he can never resist them, so I'm glad I've found at least one thing I make that he absolutely never turns down!) and then go either to the Taste of DC Festival or go apple picking (being the non-New Englander that he is, he is somewhat resistant to the idea of apple picking, but I am determined to, at some point this fall, introduce him to my favorite fall tradition...even if that means I have to make him a pie out of the apples we find.  I can take one for the team).  On Sunday, I have plans to meet up with a close friend for brunch at Policy, which I'm really looking forward to, since I have only ever been there for dancing and drinks/dessert and I have heard their brunch is delicious.  Then, I will gladly weather an afternoon of football (okay, maybe I'll bring a book or something), especially since it's supposed to be a nippy day outside and I will probably feel like burrowing under a blanket and watching TV anyway.  Finally, on Monday, I have plans to do some much-needed retail therapy with a friend.  Gosh, how I love three-day weekends.

I hope fall is in full bloom wherever you are!  It is, disappointingly, in the 80s today.  WTF DC?! I may be taking a short trip out to the Shenandoahs next weekend, both to see my grandparents and to remind myself that it's fall somewhere haha.

So long, September!

It's no secret that I was not a huge fan of the month of September this year.  I learned more about rhabdomyolysis, CPK, AST and ALT levels, and what the inside of a hospital room feels like this month than I would ever have cared to know.  Dan has been such a trooper this month, but I think that he and I are both ready to put September behind us and hope that October is the month when he finally gets back to normal.  We're really hoping for good news after he gets his blood drawn again in a few weeks.

This weekend was an uncharacteristically social one for us, because, ever since we got home from the hospital, we have been laying low as Dan recovers.  On Friday night, we grabbed dinner at District of Pie, which, I think it's safe to say, is our new favorite pizza place (we have been there several times over the past few months).  Before we went, however, Dan had a little surprise for me.  He knows how much I love surprises, but, since I am almost always on the giving end of those surprises, he decided to do a little something sweet for me.  He had texted me on Thursday night to tell me that he had a surprise, and, I think, thoroughly enjoyed seeing me sweat it out a little bit.  When I got to his place on Friday, I found that he had gotten me Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, which is a plotline (and actual book, penned by the show's writers) of Parks and Recreation, one of our favorite shows that we watch together.  He had been at Barnes and Noble, and couldn't resist the temptation to get it for me.  He really is the best, and I truly appreciated the thoughtful surprise :)

Then, I met up with my friends to celebrate Molly's birthday at Muzette, a karaoke place in Adams Morgan (side note: we had all gotten together to celebrate Lauren's birthday over dinner on Thursday).  This place was great, because we got a private room and, thus, controlled all of the songs for two hours.  You have no idea how fantastic this is, particularly since we have a lot of people in our group (myself included) who love to belt it out!  From Muzette, we headed to Dan's Cafe, which I had never been to before (I discovered why the moment I walked in, because this place was the diviest of dive bars that I have ever been to).  We ended the night at, you guessed it, Brass Monkey.  Sometimes a gal just needs a little bit of dancing!  I got to bed at about 2:30, which is easily the latest I have stayed up in a while (it's okay, insert grandma joke here)...only to get up at 7 to run before Homecoming.  I know, crazy.  I felt fine for most of the day, and then hit a major wall at 6 or so.

The tailgate was actually a lot of fun, although I am definitely going to have a hard time deciding whether or not to go next year.  My thought was that most of the people who were there were people that I already see.  It was still fun, though.  Poor Dan still wasn't able to drink anything because the doc hasn't cleared him for it, but he was still able to see a few of his swimming friends.  After the tailgate, Dan, Goran, Nicole and I went to Piola in Rosslyn, which has an all-you-can-eat gnocchi special on the 29th of each month.  We tried six different types of gnocchi (I was only able to eat three, because the other three either contained meat or ingredients that I am allergic to), and I think that it is safe to say that Goran and Nicole could eat Dan and I under the table.  The two of them do somewhat-regular food challenges, and neither Dan nor I are particularly big eaters, so we filled up a lot more quickly.  For the rest of the afternoon, we watched the Ryder Cup (we watched on Sunday as well), which is what I fell asleep watching at 9:30 (that's what 4.5 hours of sleep plus a packed day at Homecoming will do to you haha).

Yesterday morning, we got brunch with my parents at Metro 29, which was nice (Dan hadn't seen them in a while, and I hadn't seen them in a week or so).  I got my French toast, which made my tummy happy...until I went for a run three hours later.  I felt like I was going to be sick the entire time, so it was not such a pleasant run.  When I got back and Dan expressed concern at how sick I looked, I pointed out that at least I could run, which he agreed with.  Once I felt a little bit better, we grabbed some dinner from a sports bar in his old neighborhood (I smartly opted for a salad, because I was feeling very nutrient-deficient after last week) and watched the thoroughly depressing end of the Ryder Cup.  Damn it, 'murica!  Overall, I had a great weekend with friends, but especially with Dan.  I'm not going to get to see him until Wednesday, so I try to be very appreciative of the time that I do get to spend with him!!  I'm glad that we have a long weekend to look forward to this coming weekend, because boy, could we use it!

Pictures from this weekend to come soon! I got back too late last night to edit/upload photos...

I hope you all had fabulous weekends!