June 29th

Steve and I reached our first anniversary. It was amazing to think an entire year had gone by since our first serious date. It was a first for me…and it felt great! We relaxed, watched a movie and ate food from the Cheesecake Factory. It was our style: calm, cool, genuine, and fun.

June 27-28

Here’s my advice: find a great apartment / house and never move from it. Moving is just too much of a production. In college I could fit all my belongings in one car. It would be filled to the gills but I didn’t need to worry about any large desk, chest or beds. That was not the case for my most recent move. I had accumulated quite a treasure chest of clothes, items and furniture.

I decided to move all my items into a storage unit and stay with friends for a couple of weeks before I would move back to my hometown in Nashville. I found a unit that allowed me to use its rental truck for free. There was just one problem it was only available the Friday before my lease ended making it much harder for my friends to help out because of work. So I begged Steve and Nate (my co-worker’s husband) to help me move the big items. I assumed I could use the rest of the weekend for the remaining boxes. We had two dollies and started the move early in the morning. The guys started with the large items while I began moving boxes. It was a long (HOT) day but we got more than ¾ of my items into the truck and the finally into the unit.

I returned to work that afternoon but my legs and arms were exhausted. Right when I got to a bed (it could have been anyone’s at that point) I was asleep within five seconds. The next day I moved the rest of my items and starting cleaning the apartment. All of this was difficult as my roommate had already left and she hadn’t done anything to clean up. Yet, by the end of the second day everything was moved except my bike. I rode it to Steve’s house since he was the closest in distance. I knew anything further than two miles would be too much for my body to accomplish. It was a long and hard weekend but it was also the best because it was Steve and my first anniversary.

June 24-26

My parents decided to come to DC to spend some time with my brother and me. I think they wanted to make sure I wasn’t cracking under the pressure of the upcoming move. They were also excited to meet Camellia, my brother’s girlfriend. Whatever their reasons I couldn’t wait to see them because they’re wonderful. It doesn’t matter the situation their presence always make me feel better - I remark constantly on how blessed I feel to be their daughter. They flew in on Tuesday and we decided to meet for dinner in Georgetown.

We ate at Sea Catch located in the Canal Square Building, which was originally built in 1842 to serve as a shipping warehouse. The restaurant was beautiful and delicately lit by candles. We indulged by eating large helpings of seafood. I tried the monkfish. My Dad told me had a similar taste to lobster but cost half the price….he was right. We spent the rest of the night catching up.

The following night we headed to Acadiana on New York Ave. We were told Acadiana’s food captures the true spirit of Louisiana and the Gulf region. My Mom grew up near the Gulf, my Dad has eaten the best LA offers and all of us kids were born in MS. Having this broad exposure to southern cooking, we thought we were the best individuals to test out the restaurant. We were not disappointed (my flounder was especially tasty.) They left the following day but seeing them was just the medicine I needed to get through the following week.

June 18 - 20

This past weekend some of my close friends and I decided to head to Delaware for a beach trip. We took the same trip last year and stayed at the same location in Fenwick Island. The house was originally a surfing camp. It remains fully outfitted with surfing posters from the 80s and 90s and a gigantic surf board hanging from the common room ceiling. As is normal per most camps, the iron beds are tremendously uncomfortable but we figured we could rest on the beach to offset any bad sleep. The house (though it has its faults) is perfectly situated a block away from the sand and ocean.

We decided to get up early Friday morning to miss the DC traffic. Steve, the snoozing king, had to set his alarm at 5:30 for a 7:15 departure time. After everyone got together (Mary, Ben, Steve, and I) we headed to paradise. Along the way we stopped at a local farmers market and stocked up on organic vegetables. We also decided to go to the grocery store to get food and drink provisions for the group. Basically we grabbed every 2 for 1 deal we could find. Around noon we headed to the sand.

Steve and I set up shop under a large umbrella. After an hour of lounging we started bumping the volleyball around. The day was beautiful, a bit breezy but it ensured we wouldn’t get too hot. The ocean was surprisingly cold and too chilly to swim in comfortably. This was not an issue for me because I prefer swimming pools. We lounged most of the day. It was nice not having to do anything. We joked that “office talk” and blackberries were not allowed near the beach. If anyone broke this rule they were to run laps around the group until we were satisfied they had endured enough punishment. Later that night we had a cookout. We grilled some hamburgers, hotdogs, and corn. We chatted about life and relationships. The guys decided to put up a beer pong table and play a few games. The night ended early for most of us since the day had begun so early.

The following day mirrored the first. We went to the beach and lounged. Steve and I decided to take this precious time to get some reading done. It’s funny how most people hate to read when they are young; it’s seen as a chore. Yet, when you get older you don’t have any time to read and you regret not taking advantage. That afternoon we took a trip to the EconoLodge a local hotel that played live music and housed an assortment of the local flavor. The music was okay. I believe its quality was diminished because of the singers torn ACL and his wife inabilty to hear herself sing. Steve and I decided to go to Warren Station a restaurant his family attended each summer when they were in Ocean City. Everyone else ate crabs and oysters on the deck. It was fun to share and expand the memories Steve has of the beach. When we returned to the house we found a mess. Discarded crab and oyster shells, swarming flies… old bay seasoning was everywhere. Also the boys had cut their fingers trying to pry open the oysters. Good thing we had some butterfly Band-Aids!

On Sunday, Steve and I decided to go to Ocean City and walk the boardwalk. It’s become one of our traditions to take photos in the arcade booth. We ate frozen custard, bought some souvenirs and enjoyed the unique individuals around us. Then we headed back to the house and cleaned up. On the way back to DC I could already feel the stressors of daily life coming back. That’s the only problem with a vacation…it always has to end.

At least I didn’t bring a Hermit Crab back this time (sorry Feni!)

Friday was Anthony’s (one of Steve’s close high school friends) birthday. We decided to start the night at Rock Bottom Brewery in Ballston. I love going to this restaurant because they have wonderful freshly brewed beers and the best Bourbonzola burgers. I think the burger’s intoxicating taste comes from the Jim Beam glaze and fried onion straws added on top.

After a great dinner we headed to Dave and Busters. I’d never been to a D&B before and felt a bit overwhelmed. In the first place I was the only girl surrounded by a group of guys whose childhood was defined by playing video arcade games. My own brothers would rent / buy every game imaginable, but I found comfort in just sitting back and watching. I never had the urge to take the controller (probably because I was horrible.)

The attractions included all types of traditional games (i.e. skee-ball) I remember playing at Chuck E. Cheese as a kid. They also were fully loaded with all the new high tech games and crazes. The guys played a one-on-one nothing but net basket ball shootout. They also tested their smarts by playing each other in a super trivia competition. Steve and I went head to head in table ice hockey. I won. Throughout this whole experience, the best thing I learned was that Dance Dance Revolution is no joke. Just ask the 250 lb guy sweating and panting trying to keep up with the moves and beats. He was fuming when he only got 84% correct. We continued to play other games until our money cards ran out. It was perfect timing as the company was actually closing early for a private party. So we headed to nearby Bennigans to indulge in birthday cake and chips. After a while we all decide to pack it in and say our goodnights.

I spent the rest of the weekend packing up my apartment and getting ready to move at the end of the month. I never realized how much stuff I had accumulated over the past two years. I decided to start early because I knew the following weeks were already loaded with other activities.