DC Cookie

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Best Pick-Up Joint

The Washington Post's 'Best of DC' lists are now up and running and ready for our votes. The VP of the ARL sent this list to us this morning to laugh about...Best DC pick-up joints. Are you serious?

  1. Adams Mill Bar and Grill
  2. Clarendon Ballroom
  3. Dream
  4. Local 16
  5. McFadden's
  6. Mister Days
  7. The Front Page
  8. Tom Tom
  9. Tony and Joe's
  10. Whitlow's on Wilson

Guess it depends on what your definition of 'pick-up joint' is. If your definition is 'place to find really hammered, early-20s frat boy who spills beer on your toes, knocks into people while attempting to prep-step with you to Sweet Caroline in the middle of a humid, over-packed, make-shift dance floor, then tries to stick his tongue down your throat while ordering another beer to replace the one he has spilled everywhere,' then yes, the Post has it dead-on. How did Angry Inch and Mad Hatter not make the list??

I'll stick to my lounges...thanks.

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Comfort Zone

The most enjoyable part about getting to know someone new is coming to the point where you realize you can just be yourself. It's difficult when you break up with someone and have to face the idea of starting over. Women can be neurotic about it. 'How will I meet someone else?' 'I don't remember how to talk to guys' 'What if they only want me for one thing?' 'What if he doesn't like my cooking?' (Thank goodness I can't cook), 'My biological clock is ticking,' etc. It's that fear of the discovery process that often keeps women in unsatisfying relationships.

I recently saw a movie with STB. He called early and said 'let's grab some dinner first.' I told him I couldn't because I had to 'get ready.' He laughed and said 'forget it, I don't care...just come as you are.' He knew what I looked like fully decked out, make-up, heels, smell-goods. Now he wanted to experience the real me. He came to my door straight from work in a suit, and I was wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and flip-flops. Turned out to be the best date we had had - galavanting as the odd couple. There was no pretense. He still thought I was pretty, and I felt just 'that' much more comfortable conversing because I no longer felt the need to 'wow' him (turns out, he already was...go figure).

This is the fun part. The point at which you can admit your idiosyncrasies and laugh about them without panicking that he might think less of you (unless you're 35 and still sleeping with a stuffed animal...that's better kept to yourself). You don't know if you're going to end up with this guy, but you do know that you no longer have to be embarrassed when you burp. In fact, burping is now encouraged. Enjoy it!

Pressed

Pressed (adjective):

  1. Desiring attention and seeking it via socially questionable means.
  2. Clinging to an out-of-date trend; requiring a stylist.
  3. Desperate to accomplish the impossible.
  4. Sexually anxious.
  5. Lingering where unwelcome; bothersome.
  6. Annoyingly eager.
  7. Exhibiting characteristics of a sycophant; phony.
  8. Lacking patience or the ability to relax; intense.
  9. Requiring frequent reassurance; needy.
  10. Boastful; cocky.

Photographic representation of "Pressed" (found this scary man in a bar in NYC talking to himself and lingering by the pool table for views up women's skirts):

Scary Damon Seated

Blogger Fun

Live Blog '05 got us all a little toasty, and here is the evidence. Thanks so much to Kathrynon... and RCR for organizing! We had a fun turnout, from Etta, DCist Rob, Lex, DirectCurrent, the POP, some of my NCI work crew (past and present), one of my fabulous roommates and fellow ARL members, the enchanting LMR (trust me, the foot and the jeans are unharmed - makes for a good story) and a few other bloggers whose sites I failed to write down (note to self...next time don't drink so much red wine on an empty stomach and bring a pen). RWW - we missed you, but please note, we posed for several incriminating photos to remind you that we were thinking of you (statue of liberty, and NEXT!). Better blog to follow...enjoy the pics!

Jess, Etta, Rob Cookie, Etta and DCist Rob

Kat and Wes The Organizers

Blog Crew Blogger Crew

kat, april, jess ARL Girls

Jess, LMR, Kat Cookie, LMR and Kathryn

Kat, Wes, Caroline 2 POP makes an appearance

Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty

Next 2 NEXT!

Next_Kat NEXT!

Sunday, June 26, 2005

No, I Don't Want to Talk to You

You, the skeevy old man who tapped me on the shoulder at Sequoia yesterday afternoon, pretended to think that I was someone else, then proceeded to attempt to have a conversation with me. Hello! I'm sitting at a table talking to my girlfriends here, and I'm clearly not interested in getting to know you better. You're old enough to be my grandfather. What's with the white blazer? I'm nice, so I won't tell you to F-off, but when I respond in three-word sentences without even facing you, please take the hint. And no...I DON'T want your business card, what exactly gave you that idea? I didn't want to talk to you in the first place, so I sure as hell won't be calling you. Unless you just wanted to flash your expensive silver carrying case in hopes that I might change my mind about you. Do you do this often? You're pressed...

Friday, June 24, 2005

Gym Date

It’s an age-old concept, but I don’t find enough people doing it anymore…a workout date. Back in January when I had just broken up with the BF after realizing it wasn’t going in the direction I wanted it to, I met a super sweet guy at a promotion who offered the perfect distraction from my momentary despondency. Date number one was a Wizards game. After lots of chatting, it came up that we worked out at the same gym (then again…who DOESN’T work out at Gold’s these days?). So for date number two, he suggested meeting him at the gym for a little cardio workout. Yikes!! If I said no, it would appear that I didn’t work out the way I claimed (I’d been blabbing about training for a 10-k…at which point I made a mental note to actually go and sign up for one), so I hesitantly said I’d meet him there at 8. My heart was in my throat. We decided to hit the treadmills first. I started up, paranoid that I’d a) trip and fall mid-run, slap-stick style, or b) not be able to keep up. I was so busy being nervous and keeping a steady pace with him, that after 3 miles, he slowed down to a walk, and I was still jonesing for more. I realized that my nervous energy, surrounded by my fear of not being able to keep up, actually helped me rally and push myself. I was hooked. I would never say no to a gym date again from that point forward.

I did it again last night…hit the gym with nice UVA boy. When you set up the gym meeting, neither one of you can get lazy and back out. And once you’re there, you have to be in top form. Me: I ran 4 miles. If I’d gone on my own, I probably would have run 2 and called it a night. Him: Although I was watching the NBA finals for the most part, I’m sure I caught him doing a few extra, slow reps on the push-up machine for my benefit. I pretended not to be, but yes…I was looking.

The best part – when it’s all over, you’ve gotten a fantastic workout in and stimulated the imagination with each other’s physical prowess. But since you’re drenched in sweat, there’s zero pressure for the date to be anything more than it was…an excuse to workout. You can’t go back to his place or him to yours…because you both need a shower and a change of clothes.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Batman Begins

I'm sorry. I can't help myself. I'm fascinated by Batman. Agree or disagree with me all you want, but it's this blogger's opinion that Christopher Nolan has outdone himself, and Christian Bale has secured a position for an A-list career with his depiction of Batman (well, okay, Patrick Bateman was a pretty solid role for him as well, but he hasn't done much since). I liked Michael Keaton as Batman too, but there is no way MK could ever make me salivate the way CB did when he dropped topless to the ground to do a round of effortless push-ups. ::Sigh:: I give it 3.5 cookies. Why?

A. Christian Bale is as hot as Bruce Wayne as he is as Batman (I know 'lead actor hotness' is not a typical reason to give a movie a high rating, but it's definitely a cookie-factor) .
B. Gotham city, although still somewhat cartoon-like, has a much better 'true-cosmopolitan' appearance than in previous verions. The panoramic skyline view is great - gives you the impression it's even bigger than NYC.
C. The characters actually have a bit of complexity to them. Michael Caine is loveable as the fatherly Alfred; Cillian Murphy just 'looks' like a psychopath with those girly features and misty-blue eyes; Ken Watanabe is perfect as the token-asian-ninja-guy... No one else could have been cast in Morgan Freeman's role as the 'you-can-tell-me-how-it-is-but-i-still-won't-play-by-the-rules-cause-i'm-a-bad-ass-and-i-win-oscars-for-it, in-your-face inventor. And Christian Bale nails Bruce Wayne with his pretty boy exterior but uber-complex set of mostly-believable and well-scripted emotional conflicts.
D. The mystery of the bat-cave and 'why Batman' are solved, and solved believably (understanding that this is by no means a 'realistic' concept to begin with).
E. There is an interesting morality struggle between Batman and his enemy in this film. The enemy is not purely evil; he too believes he is operating towards justice.
F. Chief Gordon (who isn't chief yet) is not a ridiculous, helpless cad, but a somewhat effective, albeit frustrated, cop with a good conscience.
G. Katie Holmes doesn't appear 'that' often, and offers a couple of gratuitous raspberry shots (if you're into that kind of thing).
H. It is a super-hero movie, so it does have its requisite corny lines (e.g. 'we fall so we can learn to pick ourselves up'), but thankfully they're few and far between.
I. Did I mention Christian Bale is hot??

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Novice

Did this novice blogger just get an endorsement from the Washington Post-worthy CPMC? Oh the pressure to come up with some material...

Immigration Efficiencies

It appears that the US has decided to continue to allow one of its sassy Canadians to continue to live in the country, pay taxes, support the economy, contribute to the GDP, and not vote. What sassy Canadian might that be? ME! Thanks US! I like earning American dollars (although I have to pay for my own healthcare).

Surprisingly, the greencard renewal process has been relatively painless. You go to the US immigration website, search for the correct form, apply online, shell out $185 for administrative fees, then set up an appointment to visit the local immigration office for fingerprinting and photos. Here's the catch. When I showed up for my appointment back in March, the entire office was filled with people, and there was a 100-person line-up outside the office. Looked like any Virginia DMV on a Saturday morning (or any other morning...or afternoon). I brought my appointment verification to the desk and the lady laughed at me, saying "Sweetheart, we close in 45 minutes and there are 300 people in front of you. You can come back any time though; you don't need to schedule another appointment."

Of course, out of sheer laziness, I didn't go back until today (taking the 'come back anytime' to the extreme). Just didn't have the desire to spend four hours in line until today, when I didn't have a choice because my greencard had already expired a month earlier and I'm leaving the country in three weeks for a cruise of the Mexican Riviera. Would probably make sense to have a valid greencard before embarking on that journey. Procrastinate much? Wonder if my company knows it's been paying me for a month on an expired greencard? Does that mean I don't officially owe taxes for the last month either? KIDDING!

So I woke up before the crack of dawn, determined to get to the office before it opened (8 am, but as far south in BF-Alexandria as you can go), hoping to salvage at least a half-day at the office. I was relieved when I arrived at 8 to see no one outside the office in a line, and about 25 people inside. I filled out my forms, grabbed a seat, and had the privilege of watching the immigration officers at work. Honestly, I was truly blown away by their efficiency. Not lying. Each officer (in jovial spirits even) called a person's number, verified the person's form, took electronic finger prints, snapped a digital photo, told the person what the next step was, sent him/her home and called the next number. Felt a little bit like a supermarket deli. When my number was called, I couldn't believe how painless the process had been compared to what I had expected (minus the hideous commute to get there and the even worse commute back to the city for work). Within 3 minutes, I was given a sticker on my greencard to extend the validation until my new card arrives. That was it. Painless. Efficient. I then made the mistake of asking when I might expect my new card, and the officer responded "between two weeks and a year." Say what? What kind of time frame is that? Any disillusionment I had up to that point about an efficient government process (pronounced proh-sess in 'Canadian') immediately went out the door...I knew there had to be a catch. Still though, mad props to the officers who were truly kicking butt at their jobs. If I had to take people's fingerprints all day long, every day, I'd go slow on purpose to make the job more fun. Or maybe that's just a Canadian thing...

Monday, June 20, 2005

Mink Event at Spank

Nice job on setting up a great party on Friday night Justin! Good crowd. It was fun being the ho-tographer of the evening (sans the fun hair extensions), although it was a LOT more work than I thought it would be, and I didn't get to spend as much time with A.R.L.. Pics will be up at minkevents.com in a few days.

What was she thinking moment: So we're hanging out in the VIP room at a table for Il Sun's birthday, and there are these women sitting on one of the beds. The music picks up, the drinks are flowing, and the girls get up on the bed to start dancing. Only problem is...they're not wearing underwear. Skirts are flying everywhere, and the entire room got several complimentary butt-cheek exhibitions. Not to mention one of the male companions who lay down on the bed for a full-on up-skirt flashdance (and then some). It doesn't take much to shock me, since flirting is my specialty, but even I was appalled.

Friday, June 17, 2005

Big Beer

DC's next venue...a bar that serves 32 oz. beers. Picture of Alex, Kristy, Lisa and Fiona - the Canadian connection! Sorry I punked out and drank vino that night. Just couldn't bring myself to go from sangria to beer. We'll definitely have to have a repeat of 'McB's in the City.' Perhaps Mahmoud Mohammed will escort us?

10-K

Just got the photos back from the Lawyers Have Heart 10-K race I ran this past weekend. Hilarious! The first photo was at mile 1 when I shouted to the photographer to take my picture and posed. Who does that when running a race? I'm just bummed that there isn't a photo of me and Miss Kathryn running together. Although the race was tough in the 85 degree heat and humidity, it would have been a LOT harder without my running partner!

Disclaimer

It's been brought to my attention that my man-whore post was potentially offensive, so I wanted to add a quick disclaimer to say by NO means was that intended to be a stab at my near and dear friend F.T., in fact, I wasn't just talking about F.T. himself, but about all my man-whore friends in general, because I know many! Even my ex was a man-whore. That's not an insult is it? With that whole double standard thing... I was just trying to be funny. My only point was that if us women are going to slor ourselves out, why wouldn't my friends choose to be man-whores? Shoot, if I was a dude, I'd be a man-whore too!

Thursday, June 16, 2005

What is A.R.L.?

I guess I should explain what the heck A.R.L. is. Ten of the ladies were out for restaurant week in January '04. We had such a great time that we decided to make ladies' dinner a monthly event. Within a few months, the distribution for our dinner "club" had grown to over 50 awesome ladies, with at least 25 showing up to each dinner. From there, we joked that we should start our own organization, or "sorority," if you will. I was nominated President since I organized the monthly events, and Chrissy the VP for her strong recruiting skills. Secretary and Rush Chair are still up for grabs! Our choice of Alpha Rho Lambda is nothing more than the first 3 letters of the word Arlington, which is where most of us live. Ingenious, I know, and SO high-school. When I talk about A.R.L., I'm really just referring to the posse of fabulous DC women I roll with.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

A-Game

I went on a first date with a nice, wholesome UVA boy last night. I showed him around some of the classic Arlington hangouts (draft house and Bob ‘n Edith’s). At the end of the date, we were discussing rendezvous number two, which we determined would involve other friends. My date, looking out for the happiness of his dudes, asked if I had any hot, single lady-friends like myself that I’d be out with, to which I responded I had several. I told him that all of the ladies of A.R.L. were gorgeous, successful, fun, energetic, intelligent, out-going and sweet; and if his friends wanted a chance with them, they better bring their A-game. His question to me at this point is a question that took me quite a while to answer. “What do you mean by A-game?”

What DID I mean? I wasn’t suggesting they needed to show up spinning a basketball on their finger, nor was I suggesting that they should show up with a harem of ladies on their arms. A guy with an A-game is the guy at the bar that peaks our initial interest, and keeps it after opening his mouth. A guy with an A-game is one to whom we’ll give our number and cross our fingers that he’ll call (The Waiting).

That being said, here are some Dos and Don’ts of an A-gamer (all of which came up while I explained to my date, in detail, what constituted an A-game…and of course, reassured him that he was on top of his the night I gave him my digits):

Do
· Approach the girl with something more to say than “hi,” but something less than “want to go home with me tonight?” I recommend a subtle compliment to get the ball rolling.
· Look her in the eye when you’re talking.
· Buy her a drink. One is fine. She’s a keeper if she returns the favour.
· Wear something respectable and clean. You don’t have to be Rico Suave in an Armani suit, but do you really think that a baseball cap, wrinkled shirt and flip flops is going to win us over?
· Have something interesting to talk about. Open-minded opinions on current events, music and culture are good starting points.
· Be courteous. Chivalry is NOT dead and will get you everywhere. We want to date a guy we can bring home to our moms.
· Pay attention to what the girl is saying. If you remember small details from your initial conversation, you’ll win big points on your first date.

Do Not
· Send a friend to tell the girl you want to talk to her.
· Be pretentious. You won’t get anywhere by flaunting your money. We like the idea of a man who is our financial equal, but subtlety is the key.
· Get so hammered that you can’t string a full sentence together without slurring or swaying.
· Be negative, rude, or curse every sentence. Again, we want to be able to bring you home to our moms.
· Tell a girl you think she’s beautiful while staring at her chest the entire time (sneak peaks are okay, but don’t ogle).
· Be too aggressive. Give the girl some personal space, and please…don’t grope us before we’ve had a chance to find out your last name. Gross! We want a guy who is interested in getting to know us, not a guy who is pressed!
· Flirt with several other girls after just having flirted with us.
· Call her 10 minutes after getting her number. She’ll think you’re desperate. Wait at least a day, and have a game plan in mind of where you want to take her next.

A.R.L.

A.R.L. 1

Some of the ladies of A.R.L. out to dinner.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Narcissism

Jessica1

I think everyone's first post should be a self-portrait. Leaves less to the imagination about who is writing the blog. I look forward to sharing my insight on the DC social scene...Solely as a compliment to my girl kathrynon. Enjoy!
 
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