Wednesday, April 30, 2008
and while we're on the subject of ice cream...
this past weekend i went to the grocery store to pick up a few essentials - one of which was ice cream. edy's was on sale so i went to grab a tub of cookies and cream when i noticed it looked shorter than usual. what a rip off - they've decreased the size of the container but maintained the same price. the global food crisis is starting to hit close to home!
if you missed free cone day yesterday...
well i certainly didn't miss it. although this year i scaled it down a bit and only went through the line one time.
i know there aren't too many ben & jerry's in the area so not everyone could make it yesterday. luckily there are other free/cheap ice cream deals this week.
tonight from 5-10pm baskin robbins is having 31 cent scoop night with proceeds going to local firefighters.
then tomorrow carvel is having happy hour from 4-6pm where they will be giving away free arctic blenders and blended coffees.
cheers to ice cream!
i know there aren't too many ben & jerry's in the area so not everyone could make it yesterday. luckily there are other free/cheap ice cream deals this week.
tonight from 5-10pm baskin robbins is having 31 cent scoop night with proceeds going to local firefighters.
then tomorrow carvel is having happy hour from 4-6pm where they will be giving away free arctic blenders and blended coffees.
cheers to ice cream!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
la sandia
word on the street is that la sandia is now open for business in tysons. funny since they have made no push to advertise at all (minus the mention in the business journal a few months back).
has anyone been yet?
their location in denver boasts a large tequila list. and guacamole made tableside (is there really any other way?). and it's only $8.95 - what a steal! that might be reason enough to go try it out. and cinco de mayo is on monday. hmmmm...
has anyone been yet?
their location in denver boasts a large tequila list. and guacamole made tableside (is there really any other way?). and it's only $8.95 - what a steal! that might be reason enough to go try it out. and cinco de mayo is on monday. hmmmm...
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
happy staff appreciation day
so i think this is what used to be called secretary's day. and then it was administrative assistant's day. and now it's staff appreciation day? political correctness taken to the extreme...
regardless of the name of the "holiday," my office decided to bring in ben & jerry's and set up an ice cream sundae bar for all of the "staff." randomly my coworker and i always get on the "staff" emails. i think it's because they don't know what to do with our group (yeah, we're that special). usually i just ignore them all but when this one came through my interest was peaked. how could i turn down ice cream on a day like today? (ok, on any day).
so i just went upstairs to get my ice cream. it was delicious. also our office manager was handing out some sort of coupon so i went over to get mine (figuring it was for free ice cream or something like that). well it turned out to be a coupon for one free day off from work. are you kidding me? i took one look at it and said, "no thank you," and handed it back. my office is such a joke.
regardless of the name of the "holiday," my office decided to bring in ben & jerry's and set up an ice cream sundae bar for all of the "staff." randomly my coworker and i always get on the "staff" emails. i think it's because they don't know what to do with our group (yeah, we're that special). usually i just ignore them all but when this one came through my interest was peaked. how could i turn down ice cream on a day like today? (ok, on any day).
so i just went upstairs to get my ice cream. it was delicious. also our office manager was handing out some sort of coupon so i went over to get mine (figuring it was for free ice cream or something like that). well it turned out to be a coupon for one free day off from work. are you kidding me? i took one look at it and said, "no thank you," and handed it back. my office is such a joke.
j street?
seriously my brain is so random. just now i was looking at the dc zoning map trying to locate a property we're working on - a parcel of land on k street over by union station. you know what i just realized? dc doesn't have a j street. i guess i must have known that, but i never realized it. so immediately i googled it and found this. hilarious!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
c-a-p-s caps! caps! caps!
it's hot out there! and the best way to beat the heat? spend the afternoon at verizon center of course. i might be a converted hockey fan (no, not really). but that came was pretty awesome! way to keep your season alive caps!
Friday, April 18, 2008
it's days like these i miss working in georgetown
i miss the days of walking across the street to get a cupcake. i miss the days of walking up wisconsin to thomas sweet. i miss walking up m street to do some shopping. but most of all i miss walking down the street to the waterfront.
with yesterday being the most gorgeous day of the year (and not because the pope was here, ok?) we gathered up the troops and headed down to the waterfront. although gone are the days of leaving at 4pm and making them open the bar for us (yes, we used to be those people.) but at least we had a convertible to drive cross town in - doesn't beat walking down the street, but it comes pretty close.
the waterfront was busy as ever and the harbor was running out of space for boats to pull in. somehow we managed to snag a table, but apparently sequoia doesn't know what table service is. i guess when you have prime real estate you don't have to worry about service or quality - both of which are lacking down there. but there's nothing quite like drinking an ice coldcorona sol on a warm evening while looking out on the river.
and with the waterfront getting overly packed we decided to seek out more outdoor drinking space. where to go? old glory of course. and i was pleasantly surprised. what used to be a makeshift deck has been renovated into patio with tile floors, a retractable roof (complete with fans) and a permanent full length bar (now with two flat screens - perfect for watching the caps lose).
and nothing completes a night like last better than walking over the key bridge. the views of the city were great. will minus that ugly old steam pipe of course. the only thing that could have topped it is if any of the bakeries stayed open past 7pm. they need to take some cues from buzz - they stay open until midnight!
with yesterday being the most gorgeous day of the year (and not because the pope was here, ok?) we gathered up the troops and headed down to the waterfront. although gone are the days of leaving at 4pm and making them open the bar for us (yes, we used to be those people.) but at least we had a convertible to drive cross town in - doesn't beat walking down the street, but it comes pretty close.
the waterfront was busy as ever and the harbor was running out of space for boats to pull in. somehow we managed to snag a table, but apparently sequoia doesn't know what table service is. i guess when you have prime real estate you don't have to worry about service or quality - both of which are lacking down there. but there's nothing quite like drinking an ice cold
and with the waterfront getting overly packed we decided to seek out more outdoor drinking space. where to go? old glory of course. and i was pleasantly surprised. what used to be a makeshift deck has been renovated into patio with tile floors, a retractable roof (complete with fans) and a permanent full length bar (now with two flat screens - perfect for watching the caps lose).
and nothing completes a night like last better than walking over the key bridge. the views of the city were great. will minus that ugly old steam pipe of course. the only thing that could have topped it is if any of the bakeries stayed open past 7pm. they need to take some cues from buzz - they stay open until midnight!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
last night a cupcake saved my life
no, seriously. after swimming three and a half miles it was just what a i needed before i crashed. i'm so hooked on baked and wired - we're talking at least a cupcake a week for the past month or so. will i ever get to try georgetown cupcake?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
free wine!
did you know that if you are a member of the uva alumni association you can get free wine tastings at jefferson vineyards? free tastings and discounts on wine purchases. sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
ranking the starbucks
with their brand floundering, starbucks has really been pulling out all the stops lately. and i can't say that i complain. first they introduced a brand new roast - pike place. it's in direct response to everyone's complaints that starbucks coffee tastes burnt. this coffee is fresher and much smoother. too bad it's not much cheaper. they also started a perks program with their starbucks card. if you register your card online (duh, who doesn't?) then you can get lots of fun freebies. and i just noticed this morning that they're giving out free itunes songs every tuesday. today - counting crows!
all of this marketing is clearly working on me. it's gotten me to cross the street and go to starbucks every morning. ok, maybe it's because the seattle's best in my building mysteriously closed last week. coincidence? i think not. anyway, going back to starbucks got me thinking about my love/hate relationship with the coffee shop. their new coffee has me loving more than hating lately, but some of the shops out there are just painful to go to.
so i present to you, my superlatives of thedc area starbucks i've been to:
best overall starbucks: metro center, 11th & e.
this was my starbucks when i worked over on 11th street. any given morning there were at least 10 people working. and not just working, but working well together. and the store was set up well to handle the flow of customers from the in door to the out. i definitely don't miss that office (gross), but most morning i miss that starbucks.
worst overall starbucks: route 7 (next to panera).
this has the potential to be a great starbucks. it's rather large and there's lots of seating (even tables outside). the problem? well it must be the management because the staff there are all incompetent. regardless of when i go in there it always takes ages for me to get my drink. now with starbucks literally on every corner it's easier to avoid that one, but you'd think after all these years they'd get their act together.
best seating: charlottesville, on the corner.
the coveted chairs downstairs in the window were always hard to get (i think i sat there once in my four years), but luckily there were plenty of places to sit upstairs (haha. i joke). but when you could snag a seat it was nice. especially to just sit on the couch and read. it was a little disturbing when lots of people got talking, but it looks like they got that under control now. figures they made it better now that we left!
most inconsistent: gainesville, route 29.
this is the starbucks that i inevitably stop at every time i drive down to charlottesville. the problem is i almost always have to use the bathroom too, so i'm forced to go in. because you know this is a fancy schmancy starbucks - it has a drive thru! the inconsistencies arise when you choose to go into order or to drive through the, well, drive thru. the process is seamless when you drive thru, but when you go inside it takes forever to order and/or get your drink. what's the deal?
most animated staff: georgetown, m street.
it seems like forever ago that i worked in georgetown. in reality it's been just over a year. weird. and since we brewed starbucks coffee in that office i didn't go up the street to get coffee every morning, but when i did it was worth it. the staff at that shop were crazy (in a good way). they always seemed like they were truly enjoying themselves, which always makes it more pleasant for the customer. [side note: this is not the starbucks that had a triple homicide back in 1997.]
best bathrooms: new york city.
ok, so maybe they don't have the best bathrooms. but if i'm looking for a public restroom in new york city odds are i'll end up in a starbucks. mainly because they're on every corner (literally). but also because they keep them clean (enough). i just hate how the prices for the same drinks are more expensive up there. it makes no sense.
most cramped: pan am shopping center.
luckily this one is never too busy [knocks on wood] because if it were it would be insane. there's room for about five people in line and after that you're out the door. the one redeeming factor is the outdoor seating. but it's not like i'd use it because everyone just sits there and smokes. gross.
and you know what? there are probably so many i'm forgetting or i've never been to...
all of this marketing is clearly working on me. it's gotten me to cross the street and go to starbucks every morning. ok, maybe it's because the seattle's best in my building mysteriously closed last week. coincidence? i think not. anyway, going back to starbucks got me thinking about my love/hate relationship with the coffee shop. their new coffee has me loving more than hating lately, but some of the shops out there are just painful to go to.
so i present to you, my superlatives of the
best overall starbucks: metro center, 11th & e.
this was my starbucks when i worked over on 11th street. any given morning there were at least 10 people working. and not just working, but working well together. and the store was set up well to handle the flow of customers from the in door to the out. i definitely don't miss that office (gross), but most morning i miss that starbucks.
worst overall starbucks: route 7 (next to panera).
this has the potential to be a great starbucks. it's rather large and there's lots of seating (even tables outside). the problem? well it must be the management because the staff there are all incompetent. regardless of when i go in there it always takes ages for me to get my drink. now with starbucks literally on every corner it's easier to avoid that one, but you'd think after all these years they'd get their act together.
best seating: charlottesville, on the corner.
the coveted chairs downstairs in the window were always hard to get (i think i sat there once in my four years), but luckily there were plenty of places to sit upstairs (haha. i joke). but when you could snag a seat it was nice. especially to just sit on the couch and read. it was a little disturbing when lots of people got talking, but it looks like they got that under control now. figures they made it better now that we left!
most inconsistent: gainesville, route 29.
this is the starbucks that i inevitably stop at every time i drive down to charlottesville. the problem is i almost always have to use the bathroom too, so i'm forced to go in. because you know this is a fancy schmancy starbucks - it has a drive thru! the inconsistencies arise when you choose to go into order or to drive through the, well, drive thru. the process is seamless when you drive thru, but when you go inside it takes forever to order and/or get your drink. what's the deal?
most animated staff: georgetown, m street.
it seems like forever ago that i worked in georgetown. in reality it's been just over a year. weird. and since we brewed starbucks coffee in that office i didn't go up the street to get coffee every morning, but when i did it was worth it. the staff at that shop were crazy (in a good way). they always seemed like they were truly enjoying themselves, which always makes it more pleasant for the customer. [side note: this is not the starbucks that had a triple homicide back in 1997.]
best bathrooms: new york city.
ok, so maybe they don't have the best bathrooms. but if i'm looking for a public restroom in new york city odds are i'll end up in a starbucks. mainly because they're on every corner (literally). but also because they keep them clean (enough). i just hate how the prices for the same drinks are more expensive up there. it makes no sense.
most cramped: pan am shopping center.
luckily this one is never too busy [knocks on wood] because if it were it would be insane. there's room for about five people in line and after that you're out the door. the one redeeming factor is the outdoor seating. but it's not like i'd use it because everyone just sits there and smokes. gross.
and you know what? there are probably so many i'm forgetting or i've never been to...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
springtime!
i love when the seasons change! and especially when it makes a change for the warmer :) here are some of my favorite "firsts" in the spring.
1. the first trees blooming.
this happened weeks ago, but now the city is in full bloom! and i've was one step ahead of my allergies this year so (knock on wood) i haven't been sniffling too much.
2. the first baseball game.
it might be a while before i get over there, but i'd rather wait until it's warm enough to enjoy the game. i mean i don't like baseball that much.
3. the first outdoor happy hour.
and that will be tonight (or this afternoon?) at harry's. per a circulating work email: we have five tables reserved with bottle service at 6:00. i believe at a thing called harry's. to clarify, bottle service means miller lite bottle service. and while i can't complain about outdoor drinking, it's days like these that i miss working one block from the georgetown waterfront.
4. the first ice cream treat.
anyone who knows me well knows that i eat ice cream just about everyday of the year (seriously). but it's spring and summertime when i have more of an urge to go out for ice cream. today the urge hit me hard and i frolicked over to potbelly for one of their delicious ice cream sandwiches. and at $2.50 for two cookies and some ice cream (in sandwich form, of course) you can go twice as often as going to the other price-gouging ice cream shops in the city.
5. the first day of the pool.
i saved the best for last. this is my favorite day of the year. i won't be in town this year for the first day, but i'm looking forward to a summer full of lazy days and lap swimming at the pool.
1. the first trees blooming.
this happened weeks ago, but now the city is in full bloom! and i've was one step ahead of my allergies this year so (knock on wood) i haven't been sniffling too much.
2. the first baseball game.
it might be a while before i get over there, but i'd rather wait until it's warm enough to enjoy the game. i mean i don't like baseball that much.
3. the first outdoor happy hour.
and that will be tonight (or this afternoon?) at harry's. per a circulating work email: we have five tables reserved with bottle service at 6:00. i believe at a thing called harry's. to clarify, bottle service means miller lite bottle service. and while i can't complain about outdoor drinking, it's days like these that i miss working one block from the georgetown waterfront.
4. the first ice cream treat.
anyone who knows me well knows that i eat ice cream just about everyday of the year (seriously). but it's spring and summertime when i have more of an urge to go out for ice cream. today the urge hit me hard and i frolicked over to potbelly for one of their delicious ice cream sandwiches. and at $2.50 for two cookies and some ice cream (in sandwich form, of course) you can go twice as often as going to the other price-gouging ice cream shops in the city.
5. the first day of the pool.
i saved the best for last. this is my favorite day of the year. i won't be in town this year for the first day, but i'm looking forward to a summer full of lazy days and lap swimming at the pool.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
greetings from florida
yes, i'm on vacation in sunny florida. it feels like the middle of august and i LOVE it. but i don't want to make anyone too jealous...
my grandfather has lived down here in boca for about 15 years now. not long after we started coming down to visit we discovered a frozen yogurt place just a mile from him place. it's kind of like arch's, but without the gooey brownie and with tons more flavors (most of them being some sort of combination of fat-free/sugar-free and low carb, yet still delicious). so as you can guess every time i come down i go every single night (obviously).
but the point of this story is not my obsession with frozen yogurt (which dc does not have enough of). i've been coming to this same yogurt place for over ten years and i just now noticed that the owner is a splitting image of john waters (his doppelgänger, if you will). tragically i don't have a camera down here with me, but he is absolutely the boca raton version of john waters (read: jewish, overly tanned and very loud).
my grandfather has lived down here in boca for about 15 years now. not long after we started coming down to visit we discovered a frozen yogurt place just a mile from him place. it's kind of like arch's, but without the gooey brownie and with tons more flavors (most of them being some sort of combination of fat-free/sugar-free and low carb, yet still delicious). so as you can guess every time i come down i go every single night (obviously).
but the point of this story is not my obsession with frozen yogurt (which dc does not have enough of). i've been coming to this same yogurt place for over ten years and i just now noticed that the owner is a splitting image of john waters (his doppelgänger, if you will). tragically i don't have a camera down here with me, but he is absolutely the boca raton version of john waters (read: jewish, overly tanned and very loud).
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