The Foodie Within

Have I mentioned that I love food? Well I DO. I love looking at food, reading about food, smelling food, watching TV shows about food, thinking about food, talking about food, cooking food, and of course, eating food.

This week, I allowed my food supply (at home) to run low and went to only free events/places (which are plentiful in these parts) so I can feed the foodie within :D

For lunch on Wednesday, I tried one of the nearby restaurants on my list - Mehran during their lunch buffet!

The selection was small but I was excited (and apparently awkward).
Me: "Which ones are spicy?"
Staff: "Oh they're all mild."
Me: "Great!" So I load up...

Food lesson I should have remembered: "mild" is relative! My tongue was on fire the whole time and I could barely taste the food, but at least I could cross this restaurant off my list.

Thursday - I went to Whole Foods for the 2nd time ever (a block from my office). It is a glorious food haven. You could go there everyday and not eat the same thing twice for months.

It also has a beautiful flower selection

I tried to go with mostly vegetables because I knew I'd be going to a BBQ place w/ my ward restaurant group that night. So yummy. Unfortunately, the chicken tortilla soup had a strange aftertaste.
I enjoyed my lunch in the shade of a beautiful day and people-watched to my heart's content. People are so fascinating. Where are they going? What will they have for lunch? Do they have kids? Are they happy? Do they like their job? What's their next goal in life? What hidden pains are they struggling with? Do they have a relationship with God?

After lunch I found out in a newspaper about a free salsa concert in the park that afternoon! Guess where I dashed to after work?

I LOVE DC! There was a fabulous live band, Sin Miedo, and people dancing in the grass. Much to my delight, guys soon started asking me to dance. It was my first time dancing salsa and cha cha in the grass! Also, there was a performing team, Saoco, who led Salsa Rouletta, a super cool way to dance salsa: couples would dance in a circle, and a leader would call out moves for the guys to lead and tell them when to switch partners. I thought it was a routine but I was actually able to do it just through lead and follow! SO FUN. I thought about joining the group but their practices are on Sundays.

The mom of one of the performers was nice enough to record those videos and take a ton of pics for me. Here are a few...

After being in DC for 7 weeks, having serious dance withdrawals, and missing the dance scene and my dance friends in Utah, this event was the first time it occurred to me that moving to DC may have opened up more dance opportunities rather than closing them off. Quality more than quantity - I'm so grateful for the chances the Lord has given me in DC to use my dance skills and continually have new experiences.

I got this free shirt for signing up for the newsletter about other free weekly concerts in the park :)

I have to admit, I wasn't too excited to go to a BBQ place for our ward restaurant group. I much preferred trying some ethnic cuisine. But boy, I was NOT disappointed. Hill Country BBQ had the coolest setup/atmosphere, like modern trendy downhome BBQ joint...

I got the chicken/rib combo, w/ sides of green bean casserole (best I've ever had), and corn bread

Best thing about eating with a group - trying each other's grub :D

We all loved it!

There was a cool music venue downstairs where multiple parties were happening and you could barely hear the music












Friday - I strolled over to Lafayette Square during lunch, a cute park north of the White House with lots of statues. I'm actually not a big fan of President Jackson, mostly because of how he treated the Indians.

I didn't know who most of the statues were honoring, but my favorite was this one of Rochambeau

Men playing chess in the park :) Classic

Then I got this idea to do cartwheels in from of the White House. I love doing cartwheels (did gymnastics for 5 years) and I usually only do it at home by myself, but what the heck, I'm in DC!

Friday was my last day at my temp job at the Colonial Central help desk. I will miss the people the most. Everyone is so warm and fun - one big happy family. Many of them told me I would be missed, which is a really nice feeling since I only worked there for 6 weeks.

Barbara was my favorite. She is so funny and wise and has a wonderful heart.

Definitely gonna visit the office since I'm only moving to another building on campus

Friday after work, I was supposed to meet up with Koryl at Jazz in the Garden, but they let us out early because of the holiday weekend! So I decided to walk around the Mall. The buildings around the capitol are really a sight to behold. They're so big and majestic and clean and built to last. Great architecture really does have a major effect on people - it made me feel proud to be an American, that I'm part of something great and historic, and that I have a personal responsibility to maintain the ideals of this country...despite the many horrors of American history.

I actually haven't visited many of the Smithsonian museums because I've been mostly taking advantage of one-time events. So I decided to wander inside the Natural History Museum. I was excited to get a souvenir penny because...who says coin collections have to end in elementary school? Or high school? Or college? Yup, still collectin' :)

So exciting. All the loud students on school tours added to the high energy environment

I had an enlightening time learning about things in nature we take for granted, like trees. Apparently, they weren't always around! The evolution of organisms is beautiful.

Have I mentioned that I love dinosaurs?? Yup, always have! In 2nd grade, I wanted to be a paleontologist and asked for dinosaur books for Christmas.

But then I realized that the bulk of the job is digging for bones in the dirt, and that didn't appeal to me so much

Still, dinosaurs fascinate me.

I don't know how to reconcile Evolution with the doctrine of the Creation but I have decided that I will not let the things I don't know shake the things I do know. I think it's so thoughtful of God to create such interesting creatures such as dinosaurs for humans to study. He must of known that some people get a real kick out of it.

It was fun to see the cast of Finding Nemo

I'm grateful for skilled taxodermists, but what a gruesome job

Was so excited to meet up with Koryl at the Sculpture Garden for the free jazz concert. We danced on ballroom team together at BYU. Now she's interning in DC!

The band played some wicked blues

I got a pulled pork sandwich. Oh so good...

The venue was so beautiful. Tons of people sitting around a big shallow pool - some dipping their feet in - and under the trees

We didn't stay for the whole 3 hourlong concert, but walked around the capitol. Read the front pages of newspapers from all 50 states outside the Newseum but didn't go in cuz it was closed. Plus it's one of the non-free museums.

Saw an awesome jazz band outside the Metro! Where'd they get those colored trombones??

Saturday - believe it or not, I actually stayed home all day cuz I'd sprained my feet somehow, so I decided to rest up. And catch up on laundry and sleep!

Sunday - considering it was Memorial Day weekend...(view from my apt)

...I thought it was an appropriate time to finally visit Arlington Cemetery, which I pass by twice a day on the Metro. It's definitely one of those somber places that make you hate war and its tragic effects. God must shed innumerable tears when He sees His children killing each other.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier inscription: "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." Beautiful.

Changing of the guards - extremely formal

Then I met up with some delightful new interns from BYU to attend the National Memorial Day Concert on the lawn in front of the Capitol

They passed around free flags

We got there almost 2 hours early

It was so worth it. The performers/speakers included Gary Sinise (Lieutenant Dan!), Joe Mantegna (loved Baby's Day Out), Selma Blair (perfectly despicable in Legally Blonde but did a really great job portraying a war widow at the concert), Colin Powell, Daughtry, Trace Adkins, the National Symphony Orchestra (magnificent), and Natalie Cole (I was MOST starstruck by her. She looked and sounded phenomenal.)

Unfortunately, the concert had to end early when they announced a storm warning and we all had to seek shelter. It was a great experience while it lasted and I'm glad we made it to the Metro before it poured.

Monday - went shopping in Georgetown with some gals, but then we split up. Looking for some summer clothes to survive in the humid heat that is already taking over DC. It's hard to find modest, cute and affordable clothes for Mormon girls. I've never been so tempted to wear short shorts and tank tops (I've only been LDS for 6 years) - but I won't! Cuz Modest is Hottest!

Took breaks from the heat in some cool (literally and fashionably) furniture store!

One day, I want a big orange couch in my living room. It will be fun chic.

Had lunch at a tiny pita place

I was surprised by how cheap it was, but the chicken gyro I got was tiny. You get what you paid for!

I was still hungry and wanted to try Pinkberry, so we got dessert!

It felt funny that my dessert was bigger and more expensive :( than my lunch










After shopping, I went to a free swing music concert at the Kennedy Center. They had lessons beforehand and there were lots of people dancing (including a guy in a wheelchair!) once the band started. I actually sat out on the lesson cuz my feet were super sore and the steps were super basic. I was looking forward to the band, but thought their style was way overbearing. Everything was overdone. Not a fan of neo-swing so I left early.

Excited to start my new job at the Medical School Dean's Office this week, and I should probably not eat out so much :D