Food Matters, Alexandria, VA

It's a hidden gem, just off Duke Street in Alexandria.
If you turn up into Cameron Station, which looks from the outside like a condo enclave, you'll find a fair number of businesses mixed into the residential set up of the community. Back past the traffic circle, you'll find Food Matters, a restaurant/store with a laid-back style and some great food.
Kat ordered a turkey-and-pesto sandwich, while I had the BLT. Both sandwiches were great, perfect for us after a long day of riding around and sampling food nearly everywhere we stopped. By the time we reached Food Matters, we were in the mood for something light but tasty, and we definitely got it.
If you have the inclination to try something new, visit Food Matters, 191 Somervelle St., Alexandria, VA 22304 (703) 461-3663‎.

Weekend of Food

It's been a busy weekend, friends. Kat's father and brother came down from NJ on Saturday and we had a great time with them. Once they got to town, we ordered Papa Johns and played Lego Star Wars. Then, we mostly hit the stores, got our cellphone plan straightened out--temporarily--then went to Woo Lae Oak in Falls Church (GREAT Korean BBQ!). It was the second time I've been there, and if we had a car, we'd probably become regulars.

Sunday was our writers' group get-together. We went to Le Pain Quotidien in Old Town. Everything was going great, we were hanging out and thinking of ordering a second course of food, when the general manager (I think) came over and chirped about how we were still "nibbling" and did we need our stuff wrapped to go? Kat and Sherin were pretty PO'd. They complained to another guy, who said the first guy was Belgian (which means what?), and that he was sorry we'd felt like we were being rushed out. Either way, it's not a good way to induce repeat business. Our afternoon continued at Cosi (which turned out to be an EXCELLENT place to hang out all afternoon), and then a takeout dinner from Popeyes.

Got home in time to feed and play with the kittens before crashing.

How was YOUR weekend?

A Busy Week Indeed

Well, it's Friday and I'm thankful, be it to God, the Greco-Roman pantheon, what have you.
Tuesday was the hardest day-- getting the kittens to the vet to get spayed, getting myself to DC to undergo "shockwave" therapy for that miserable kidney super-stone, then voting in the primary and home. Kat took off from work to make sure I got back to the condo, for which she has my boundless gratitude.
Wednesday wasn't so bad, catching up at work and all, but Thursday-- well, yesterday was rough. I'd left my painkillers at home and sure enough, Valentine's Day afternoon found me with a flareup of kidney stone-like discomfort, escalating toward real pain.
Kat emailed that she was leaving work at 3:20, so it was easier for me to decide it was time to head home.
Left work at 4pm and went to Alexandria, only to find Kat was still in DC. Miscommunications abounded, leaving me to go to the condo and pick up our paperwork for the kittens, after which I walked about a mile to the vets to pick them up.
Kat and I could not believe how wonderful it was having them home, and the kittens seemed to agree--they never left our sides last night, purring and head-butting and showing us in every way how glad they were to be back. We have to take them in a week or so to get the stitches removed, which is probably about the time I'll need to go back for a follow-up with my doctor. (BTW, Dr. Shin, my urologist, absolutely rocks. Probably the coolest doctor I've ever had.)
Anyway, been a tough week for me and the kittens-- and not that great for Kat either. But this week we have friends coming to visit Saturday and Sunday, plus a day off Monday, so that isn't so bad.
Hope you have a great weekend too!

O Tannenbaum! part 2

When we left off on Wednesday, I was walking through a drizzly dark night to Home Depot to buy a tree. Kat was still in DC, working, so it was my job.
yay. (imagine the tiny flags waving in MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL)
At Home Depot, finding the trees isn't hard-- they're at the far side of the parking lot, in the garden area. Finding a worker is the hard part. They are scarce on the ground, not to be found. Finally one lady took pity on me (I was standing in the store, holding a tree and looking kind of lost, I guess); she came over, confirmed what kind of tree I was holding (lucky me, the $26 kind!), and got me on my way, even giving me the number of a local cab company.
Paying up, I got outside and waited about five minutes for the cab. Not bad. They sent a van and the driver and I wrangled the tree into the back; he said he didn't know what to charge, so I only had to pay for a regular fare (so I tipped a little extra).
That left struggling to get a 6-foot-plus tree inside the condo and then inside our unit.
By myself.
yay.
More on this later today, including our kittens' fascination with indoor shrubbery.

O Tannenbaum! part 1

Kat called me while I was coming home from work Monday night. "Are you tired?" she asked. Not a good sign.

"No, I'm okay. Why?"

"Can you get a Christmas tree?"

Kat's been feeling out of sorts and out of the Christmas spirit this year--no reason given why, she just is. So I said yeah, with about as much enthusiasm as I could muster for trudging alone through the night to Home Depot and wrangling a tree back to our condo.

Oh the adventure.

More on this tomorrow.

Let it Snow...

We're getting a very modest snowstorm in DC today. Been flurrying all day long and we have about an inch or so to show for it.

Considering we need to use public trans to get home, that means we'll be lucky to have an ordinary commute home tonight.

ah well.

Long Weekend Not Long Enough

Hey gang-

Well, we had us quite a weekend. My parents-in-law came to visit Friday afternoon and left very early Sunday. In between, we went to Clydes in Gallery Place for lunch, then to the International Spy Museum's gift shop, then to the sculpture garden and the art gallery next to it. (That's where I took this picture, which is NOT that good, I'm afraid.)

After that, we went to Kat's office to pick up the car, and then home.

Saturday was pretty much Alexandria Day. We went to Great Wall to do some shopping, then home to drop off groceries, then out to Old Town for a day wandering up and down and along the waterfront. Took a cruise in the Potomac (thanks, Mom!) and wandered along King Street awhile, before grabbing dinner at Fish Market. Kat and I weren't feeling too good afterward, possibly the cumulative effect of the whole day. We felt a bit better later Sunday, after sleeping in a bit.

Yesterday was very quiet, mostly stayed at home (Kat called in sick, I had Columbus Day off). I wrote more of my novel (up to 15k words, woohoo!) and we took a walk around the block (twice). Then HEROES and... that's about it.

Let me know how you all spent your (hopefully long) weekend! Later!

What's Goin' On?

Hey everyone,
It's been a great week in many ways. The Bugle's Planet Daily blog launched last week and has been doing very well-- I've got tons of posts in our inventory, which means readers will be eyeballing my stuff for the next few weeks unless our contributors start cranking.

Saw "Knocked Up" with Kat yesterday, then wandered the streets of Old Town Alexandria, mostly thinking about having kids and being a parent. It's in the cards, just a matter of when, not if. The movie's good but goes to places that left me thinking "okay, a little TOO far..." Worth seeing but not necessarily owning, if you know what I mean.

Kat and I are going to visit my mom in Gulfport in a couple of weeks, which will be terrific. Last time I was there was just after Katrina and it was heartbreaking-- imagine your old hometown torn to pieces and a lot of your familiar childhood touchstones gone. Supposedly there's rebuilding going on but it'll never be like it was. But Kat will get to see the place and Mom's very excited. Should be a great visit.

Kat's also going to Philly this week to spend her brother's 21st birthday with him and her cousins. Those wacky kids. I know they'll have a fun time together. Meanwhile, I'll be at home writing.

Check out the BPD, love the one you're with and have a great week!