Excited much?

We leave for Virginia Beach in 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Hangover: Baltimore – A True Story

Last Friday, a friend of mine from law school flew into D.C. to visit a few friends, including us. Brandon and I met up in Old Town for breakfast at La Madeleine, a french pastry restaurant. After some QT with my wonderful friend, Helen and I ventured into the city to witness a Supreme Court lecture, as well as a brief visit to the National Botanical Gardens where we took in the thousands of flowers and plants. On Saturday night, Malachi and I met up with Brandon and his two friends along with four FBI interns at a bar in Adam’s Morgan called “The Black Squirrel.”  The bar had an extensive beer menu, including absinthe (which we thought was illegal??).  The night ended around 2:30am with some killer margaritas, courtesy of Brandon, at a bar called “Bourban.” On our way home, we got ripped off by a random girl, who we so graciously allowed to share our cab. When it was time for us all to pay, she bolted from the car, door wide open, and ran off into the distance. Despite my efforts to hunt her down for a little chat, she escaped and we all learned a valuable lesson!

Brandon and I at The Black Squirrel, where he brilliantly found the 9% beer on the menu.

Malachi and Brandon

Malachi attempting to carry me for some unknown reason. Awkward.

Because of those margaritas and some special 9% alcohol beer, I had a pretty awful hangover on Sunday for our trip to Baltimore. Note: This is why you will find me in ZERO pictures from that trip. I would have worn a scowl in each one, not by choice but simply because I was physically unable to smile (until 6pm when we found some delicious crab cakes). We walked around the Inner Harbor, saw Camden Yards where the Orioles play, strolled through Little Italy with its plethora of Italian cafes/restaurants,  ran for shelter from a sudden storm, witnessed a lovely rainbow over the city, and feasted on Maryland’s famous crab at Mo’s Crab and Pasta Factory. The day was salvaged afterall, and at least one of us won’t be drinking heavily again for awhile….;0)

Walking to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD.

A really neat Fudge Shop where the employees sang fun songs as they made the fudge.

Baltimore Harbor

Full of seafood restaurants, museums, boats, stores, and FUN!

See the rainbow? Ironically this is just about when my hangover finally subsided

Mo's Crab and Pasta Factory where the crabcakes were giant and worth every penny! Delicious!

Buy Me Some Peanuts & Cracker Jacks…I Don’t Care if I Ever Come Back!

This week we joined Malachi’s boss and several Agents for a Nationals v. Mets baseball game in D.C. Neither of us are baseball fans, but I must admit that I love going to games (even if I barely pay attention to the action on the field). From the Fan Cam, cheers, songs, and the Wave to the hot dogs and beer…a baseball game is truly a great American past-time. In Indiana, we have a minor league team (The Indians), and we always have a great time in the summer with $8 lawn tickets, several friends, a blanket, and some Home Run Amber Beer or Razz Wheat.  It’s a guaranteed fun time. If , for example, you were trying to set-up someone on a date with the Indians Park, you would describe it as ‘very nice’ to your friend. The National’s Park would be the ‘drop dead gorgeous’  date. It’s flashy, expensive, and high maintenance, so this description is fitting.  Each are unique in their own way, and I like them both! It is not a problem that the Nationals literally rank last place in the MLB! They won the night we were there (4-0), and thus, we have declared ourselves  good luck charms. Malachi and I enjoyed mingling with his co-workers, snacking on root beer floats, laughing at the wacky fans, the fireworks after the win, and the beautiful summer weather! Go Nationals! You are my horse if you never win a race!

Take me out to the ballgame...

Take me out to the crowd!

Four past Presidents raced around the park. My man, George, took the lead for the win!

The Park at night. Look at those clouds!

Two good luck charms lead to a...

Nationals WIN!

Pittsburgh, PA -The City of Champions!

Last weekend, Malachi and I made the five hour drive to Pittsburgh to meet up with my parents, my Aunt and Uncle, and cousins.  We arrived Friday night and spent several hours visiting with my Mom and Dad over Osso’s Pizza, a Washington, PA specialty. The next morning, we all woke up and went to a yummy breakfast at Bob Evans before heading into Pittsburgh to meet up with the rest of the family.  We can’t thank them enough for taking us around to all the sights! We took a riverboat tour of Pittsburgh on the Good Ship Lollipop, went to the top of the city via the Duquesne Incline, walked around the Strip District and Station Square, had wings and beer at Jerome Bettis’ Bar, and went to Primanti Brothers for their famous sandwiches with coleslaw and fries. We truly feel as though we got a great sense of what the city of Pittsburgh is all about, but feel as though we have to tailgate for a game to get the full experience!  We are looking forward to planning a return trip for some tailgating! Also, thanks Dad for buying me the jersey of my favorite player, Troy Polamalu, and a Terrible Towel. I am so excited to wear my jersey! We celebrated Helen’s birthday when we got back on Sunday with pizza and an ice cream cake. We are so happy Helen was born 76 years ago. She is wonderful! Happy Birthday, Helen!!

We went to Station Square for shopping.

My beautiful cousin, Madison, and her giant sucker!

Getting ready to board the Good Ship Lollipop where a creepy clown awaits!

Our boat for a river tour of Pittsburgh.

Jessica, Jason, and Madison getting windblown on the deck.

Heinz Field! Home of the best football team in the World!

PNC Park, where the Pirates play baseball!

A view of the Pittsburgh skyline from our boat.

Duquesne Incline – in operation since the 1870s.

Mom and Dad waiting to board the Incline! They look a little scared!

Us at the top of Duquesne Incline with a beautiful view of the city!

Enjoying Pittsburgh’s hometown beer, IC Light, at Jerome Bettis’ Bar by Heinz field.

Almost Famous Primanti Brothers where you get coleslaw and fries ON your sandwiches!

Happy Birthday, Helen!

Baked Ziti

When I saw this recipe for baked ziti, I knew that it would be perfect for a weeknight dinner.  A hearty meal with a ton of leftovers for Malachi to take in his lunch. I was right! It was a huge hit, and Malachi told me that I MUST transfer this recipe to my growing collection. This meal does not require any weird ingredients or tricky tools, and I think everyone who likes Italian food would love it. I made a few changes and substitutions from the original recipe, and it was still fabulous! Go to Annie’s Eats Blog to see the fantastic picture she took of the ziti.

Baked Ziti
1 lb. 2% cottage cheese

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 lb. ziti

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (removed from casings)

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

7 cloves of garlic, minced

1 28 oz. can tomato sauce

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

3 Tbsp. dried oregano

1 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. corn starch

1 cup whole milk

8 oz. shredded mozzerella

salt and ground black pepper

Directions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F.  Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in a medium bowl; set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; cook until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes.  Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Crumble in the sausage and cook until nearly browned.  Add in the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is completely browned.  Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in 3 Tbsp. basil and the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.  

In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and heavy cream.  Transfer the mixture to the now-empty stockpot over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella.  Stir to combine.  Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Transfer the pasta to a 9×13″ baking dish and spread the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.  Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer.  Cool for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with the remaining basil and serve. 

Source: http://annies-eats.com/2009/07/02/baked-ziti/

Margaritas, Mini-Golf, & Theater…Oh My!

On Tuesday, I met Malachi after work to go to a new bar in D.C. called H Street Country Club. I read about it in the paper, and there were a few reasons why it sounded like the best bar on Earth. First, there are margaritas and sangria pitchers. Clearly not abnormal for a bar. Second, there was delicious Mexican food including homemade guacamole, lobster tostadas, and tacos El Carbon. Again, not out of the ordinary for a bar/restaurant. Third, the bar has Skee-Ball, Shuffleboard, and pool tables. These are other common past-times at some bars, and even if most do not have Skee-Ball, you can always find this at Jillians or Dave & Busters.  At this point, these three factors probably would have brought me here eventually since I love them all, but it wouldn’t have been quite as soon. So, what was the primary factor that sent our feet in motion to scoot on over to this awesome bar immediately? MINI GOLF!! Are you kidding me? What bar has an indoor mini golf course, with each hole designed by an artist portraying D.C. humor? THIS ONE! Admittedly, we did not really get the inside humor of the course considering we are not from here, but my favorite hole was called “K Street Lego Lawyers” for obvious reasons. The hole had giant Lego men in suits toting briefcases, and one specific briefcase moved back and forth blocking the hole…causing frustration for all. Malachi and I sipped strong, not-too-sweet margaritas and Dos Equis beer during Happy Hour while battling it out on the course.  Malachi almost always beats me at mini-golf when we play, despite that I lead most of the game, he usually comes back at the end to take me. He wouldn’t be too happy if I told you that I WON, I WON, I WON! But, to be fair, he did let me cheat just a little

H Street Country Club = Great times

After my big win, we ventured over to Chinatown again for dinner. We decided to eat at Fuddruckers in honor of my dearest friend Melanie, who once worked there long before her law school days. Indiana does not have Fuddruckers, which is a national chain restaurant with fantastic hamburgers, so it was new for us. Fudds also has buffalo and ostrich burgers, free cheese sauce for the fries, and a “build your own” toppings bar. YUM! We love Fuddruckers, but we love Melanie more!

Fuddrucker's

Several weeks ago, we purchased tickets for a Broadway Musical, Spring Awakening, that is currently on tour in D.C. We got our tickets half-price for being students, and we had great seats in the orchestra for last night’s production. The show is pretty risque with several controversial themes about youth angst. Needless to say, the topics were dark and heartbreaking at times! It was a young, amazingly talented cast with excellent music that was more rock and uptempo than many theater productions. All in all, we had a great time at Spring Awakening and would highly recommend it if you are VERY open-minded.

Spring Awakening

We leave tomorrow for Pittsburgh!! I couldn’t be happier to visit with my family!

The Ghost of FDR and The Arlington Cemetary

Today, we visited our favorite memorial in D.C. yet. It was for President Franklin Roosevelt, and it is set along the river in a park. There are trees, benches, and waterfalls everywhere. It’s not only convenient to get to because there are ACTUAL parking spaces nearby, but it is also a lovely setting for a picnic which we plan to have in the future. The most exciting thing here at this Memorial is that we may have been in the company of FDR’s spirit, as you will see from one of the pictures. When a mysterious spirit-like glow makes it’s way into a random picture, one must stop and question: Did we meet FDR today?

The best Memorial in D.C.

Behind every great man is a great woman. Hello, Eleanor!

Helen and Malachi at the FDR Memorial.

Quotes and statues were abundant.

FDR was President during the Great Depression. Malachi and I got in line with the impoverished looking for food.

In despair! Let's hope our current economic recession does not lead us here.

I love this quote!

Yes, we are that cheesy. This was my favorite FDR statue (because of the dog..duh!)

Malachi and a giant FDR

Malachi, Helen, starving statues, and FDR?? Notice the glowing blue light in the picture that was nowhere to be seen in real life. Another picture taken 30 seconds later has this same blue glow, only rising slowly away from us.

After the amazing FDR Memorial, we drove to the Arlington Cemetery to see the tomb of the unknown soldier, the eternal flame at the grave of John F. Kennedy, Robert E. Lee’s house, the changing of the guard, and the miles of white headstones of US military graves. This was really a sobering experience. Our troops sacrifice it all for our freedom, and the ceremony before the tomb of the unknown soldier represents the respect and honor that we should all have for our soldiers!

Miles of white headstones in all directions and Robert E. Lee's house at the top of the hill.

The grave of JFK.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where an armed guard stands 365 days of the year.

We came home to a dinner of lamb shanks & gravy, rice pilaf, and leeks au gratin thanks to Chef Helen! Malachi and I had never really had lamb or leeks before, and both were awesome!

Our weekend was a perfect balance of sight-seeing and relaxation!! We are somber to see it go, but there is another exciting week planned ahead!

Capital Building & Library of Congress

Yesterday, Malachi, Helen, and I experienced a guided tour of the Capital Building. We received our tickets from Senator Richard Lugar’s office, who I contacted to set-up the tour. Congress was not in session, so we honestly did not get to see much. However, the building itself was outstanding! Not to mention, it was the most gorgeous day in D.C. to be out and about.

Inside the Capital Building, where our laws are created!

A ceiling in the Capital Building.

My D.C. family looking as cute as ever!

Outside the House of Representatives Hallway.

The movers and the shakers

After the Capital Building, we mosied our way over to the Library of Congress.   Upon walking into the Library, I had flashbacks of my life in the “law library” over the last several years and had to resist my urge to scream in terror and dash out the door to the comfort of the streets!  Once this horrific vision subsided, I was able to enjoy my surroundings.  I do love books, and this building has the largest collection in the world. Also, the Library is an amazing piece of work with some fantastic architecture. See for yourself!

I'll take these ceilings for my future home when I win the Hoosier Lotto, please!

He's handsome. I'm lucky.

A-Mazing!

I can't get enough of George Washington!

After all this, we made our way into D.C.’s Chinatown for some lunch. Our original plans to be boring and go to a chain restaurant were foiled due to long lines for places such as Ruby Tuesday’s and Subway. So we took the chance on a random Chinese, “Wok n’ Roll,” restaurant that looked dismal from the outside. On the inside was an oasis of delicious Chinese and Japanese food!  We tried hot and sour soup, sushi, and sweet and sour chicken. We all walked away with big smiles and full bellies. Clearly, you cannot judge a book by its cover, or a restaurant by its outside. I hope to revisit Chinatown very soon!

Independence Day!

Our friends, Kyle & Steph

The 4th of July has ALWAYS been my favorite holiday. This goes way back to my childhood when my family would often spend the day on a friend’s boat at a local lake. Later, we would have cook-outs at home, setting off fireworks into the night. Dad let me pick out most of the fireworks, which usually meant flying bees or alien ships that would inevitably shoot over the roof of the house into the trees, scaring everyone present. I won’t ever forget the happiness and joy of the holiday spent with my parents! In recent years, Malachi and I have spent the day with our Indianapolis friends. Who could forget them singing Yankee Doodle Dandee, waving sparklers, shouting at passerby’s on the canal “Happy Birthday America!!”, playing drinking games, cookouts, and always having the best seat in the house from various balconies in downtown Indy. Why do I love the 4th the most?  Cookouts, fireworks, friends, family, and summer all wrapped up into one day. This year, our 4th of July was different from all the rest because we got to spend it in the Nation’s Capital. Two of our favorite Indy friends, Kyle and Stephanie, made a very long drive to spend the weekend with us. We did not get any pictures of our 4th because Kyle has a far superior digital camera and we let him do the snapping away. I already regret this!! As a small consolation, I uploaded the above picture of us with our friends a few summers ago. At least it’s good for a laugh (Thanks, Malachi!). We had a fabulous 4th of July, and I hope you will take my written word for it.

Kyle and Stephanie arrived Friday morning, and the four of us voyaged into D.C. Our hotel was the Marriott Woodley. We went on to lunch at a small Greek sandwich shop in Dupont Circle. Afterwards, we ventured into Georgetown to window shop and grab iced coffee before taking the Metro to the White House and some of the Monuments. We had dinner at the Cactus Cantina, a Mexican restaurant, where we all toasted with a pitcher of margaritas! That night, we met several of the FBI interns out at a bar in Adam’s Morgan called “Madam’s Organ.” It was probably one of the coolest bars we’ve ever been to with five levels, jazz on the first floor, and varying music on the other levels. It was really dark and crowded but had lots of places to sit and relax or dance. Ask Malachi about his new drink, “The Wendy Special.” He and Kyle’s night went until 4am, ending at another bar called REEF- all thanks to those sneaky concoctions. We all had a great time, and some of us had TOO good of a time and were sick the next day. It was worth it!

 On the 4th, we first enjoyed a breakfast buffet at our hotel, which was by the far the most expensive breakfast we’ve ever purchased. Malachi felt that to get his money’s worth, he HAD to eat 2 giant platters of meats, eggs, hash browns, etc. It was a sight to be seen, and I’m sure you all would have been astonished. We spent the day at the National Mall where we visited the Air and Space Museum, American History Museum, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and several Monuments. We had dinner at Elephant & Castle, a British Pub, before finding our spot on the grass for the fireworks. We ended up near the Washington Monument and had an excellent view of the best firework display any of us had ever witnessed. D.C. KNOWS fireworks, and we are sad (and happy) to say the bar has been raised to an unattainable level (unless we return to DC!). The day was 100% exhausting due to the heat, crowds, and tremendous amount of walking required. Yet, we still had the best day with our wonderful friends who made the 10 hour drive to visit us for the weekend.

We love you, Kyle and Steph!

Other things that we’ve done lately: Billi joined Helen at the National Symphony Orchestra in the 8th row for her first Symphony experience and also visited the American Indian Museum and National Art Gallery at the Smithsonian. Malachi had the opportunity to visit Quantico twice recently to see where new Agents train. He also had the chance to sit in on an Agent class on gang crimes. He will be touring the CIA soon as well! He is pretty psyched!

One solitary picture inside the National Gallery of Art. Behind me is an indoor waterfall!

Coming up: A tour of the Capital Building, a Nationals baseball game with the FBI, a trip to Pittsburgh & Baltimore, a visit from Billi’s amazing law school friends, a Supreme Court Argument, a theater production of “Spring Awakening,” and a trip to New York City. We are looking forward to ending our summer with a bang!

Hello, George Washington!

Last weekend, Malachi and I decided to drive the fifteen minutes to Mount Vernon, otherwise known as George Washington’s house. The drive to Mount Vernon was one of the best parts because it follows the Potomac River, and has beautiful scenery and parks the entire drive. We waited in line for nearly an hour to actually walk through his mansion, but it was a really cool experience to walk up the same steps as the first President of the United States. Not to mention, he and Martha hosted several well-known guests such as Thomas Jefferson. We also were able to tour the gardens, slave quarters, and George’s tomb. The most magnificant thing was the view from the backporch of his home which overlooked the river and sat atop a hill. We <3 George Washington!

Us outside Washington’s house.

Mount Vernon Estate

The back porch overlooking a fantastic view.

Perched on a ledge where George Washington may have once sat.

Great view of the Potomac River.

Washington’s Tomb

Malachi & George – Best Buds