Given the wintery mix forecast today, I am very grateful to spend the day actually at home which almost NEVER happens. On the docket for the day is cooking, cleaning, writing, a few art projects, and helping a neighbor with her resume and cover letters. Since I so rarely afford myself the luxury of an entire day at home, it's thrilling to think of all I can finally accomplish at the condo. It's a very nice balance to yesterday's far more typical day for this superhero.
Saturday:
7:30 am: Wake up and mock self for having so many plans as to necessitate waking up before 8 am on a Saturday.
8:30 am: Met up with Amanda who also lives in the condo and is now on the Social Committee to go to Trader Joe's. We needed supplies for the condo winter social, and I badly needed groceries. Not surprisingly, many people were already there, but it wasn't in full-on weekend-with-snow-forecast mode yet. Found myself feeling somewhat cranky until second sample cup of coffee kicked in. Then I had a ball! As I do not have a car in DC, shopping with someone who has a trunk and wheels is a most glorious thing.
Pretty sure I restocked my pantry and freezer for the rest of winter along with the many things I now plan to cook today including:
1- Two heads of cauliflower- one to mash & one to roast. Might even get crazy later and put roasted cauliflower bits on top of mashed cauliflower. That's just how superheros roll.
2- Two large butternut squash- also for roasting purposes. Waiting on a friend to give me a butternut squash and apple risotto recipe, and then things might really get exciting in the kitchen.
3- Fresh corn tortillas to finally make the enchiladas I've been craving. Not for the purists at heart, but there's a chipotle pumpkin sauce that's been waiting for just this occasion.
4- Two pounds of sweet potatoes which will either find their way into the enchiladas, become a curried stew, or a soup of their own.
Cook all the things!
You will find, if you A) don't know me already or B) haven't already noticed: I LOVE lists.
Anywho, in the end, I was guessing the bill would come to around $150. The cart was full of food! And true to why everyone raves about Trader Joe's, I only spent $97 and still came home with indulgent items like cheese with black truffles and turbinado sugar and sea salt chocolate coated almonds. Amazing.
10:30 am: Back home to quickly put away groceries, start apple cider in slow cooker with mulling spices (cinnamon sticks, cloves, and my personal favorite, cardamom), and roast pecans for this tasty treat: http://www.ztastylife.com/2010/03/one-bite-caramelized-pecans-stuffed-with-blue-cheese.html
Once cider and pecans were going, quickly put away a few things around the condo (a never ending battle it seems) and changed into something more "brunch with the ladies downtown" appropriate including the new Oka b. flats that just came in the mail as a gift to myself which I knew would be a hit with the ladies... and they were. (www.shoesthatloveyou.com... Celine in the grape, naturally.) Rushed out the door around noon only to get stuck waiting for the Red Line which had decided to only send trains north and not south. Eventually caught the train and was relieved to realize most other ladies were running late as well. How very DC of us.
1 pm: Lunch/Brunch
A dear friend made a surprise appearance for the weekend from Boston and despite having a number of other things planned, I moved around various other activities to be able to make it. As brunch is a revered past-time in DC and I almost never get to see this friend or the other amazing ladies who are her closest friends, there was no way I would miss it. Food and atmosphere were outstanding. Service was lousy. I had the huevos rancheros with homemade corn tortillas, black beans, and several incredible sauces. Wonderful company and conversation made for a great time with much love.
3ish pm: Said goodbyes and jetted off to Table Top to meet Jackie and buy white elephant gift for Book Club for Alcoholics holiday party. Found very funny, practical, and thematic gifts by way of mason jar shot glasses and Wine-O reusable insulated wine bottle bag designed to look like brown paper bag. For a group of ladies that definitely keep it classy, this was perfect. Went to Teaism for a quick chai and to catch up which was lovely then headed back to metro stopping at another store briefly on the way.
4:30 pm: Call with another friend to arrange details of her trip to DC from NYC this coming week. Checked a few things online. Finished nuts. Got everything ready to go to party #2 to make for quick getaway from party #1.
5:30 pm: Set up downstairs for party #1 aka condo winter social. Party was billed as "dessert exchange," so I'm not sure most people realized the volume of alcohol that would be present. At least 8 - 10 bottles of wine, several cases of beer, and the spiced cider which could be spiked with whipped cream vodka and/ or amaretto. Come to think of it, the two parties had a similar boozy theme. Tried to go with the flow as there are some big personalities with big opinions on social committee (probably goes with the territory), but could not help getting annoyed when Miss P (an older somewhat eccentric member) started getting bent out of shape over the placement of holly branches cut from outside as decoration. For whatever reason, four branches around a golden reindeer on a plastic tablecloth was "classy" but three was "tacky" when I tried to spread some of the branches around. I backed away slowly and tried not to laugh. This is serious business, people!
6:30 pm: Party officially started... drank three small cups of spiked cider, ate slice of yule log, rice pudding, and spiced nuts, received compliments on cider & nuts, and commiserated with former co-worker who lives in my building about former employer. I had wanted to eat the marzipan adorable mushroom from the top of the yule log but another member of the social committee who is not my favorite beat me to it. Felt temporarily cheated until she loudly announced that it was in fact plastic. Oh but the Universe does have a sense of humor!
7:20 pm: Left party to go upstairs, quickly grab purse and present for party #2 and ran out the door. Had uncanny once-in-a-blue-moon luck and good planning with transportation. Caught bus right as it was coming then metro within a few minutes then bus #2 to final destination. Even managed to run into a group of people I know from the condo in Columbia Heights the few minutes I was waiting on bus #2. DC is tiny.
Party with book club ladies was big fun. Lots of drinking, laughing, eating, talking loudly to and over each other, oohing over Kirsten's knack for decorating, gift stealing, and finally a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity. Who could ask for more? Seven of us left around midnight to start the trek back home to Maryland. I was grateful to not have to wait long by myself once we got to the metro, since my train came in 5 minutes and the bus was already waiting when I got to the station. Win! Had a good book with me so was fully entertained sitting on the bus and on the ride home. Somehow the cold air perked me up, and I stopped feeling like I might fall asleep at any moment. At 31, midnight has become the new 2 am. I'm ok with this.
So here's the thing, the attractive Argentinian gentleman I went on a date with two weeks ago chats with me via text fairly regularly. When I shared with him my busy schedule (in a much MUCH abbreviated form), he stated that I am making myself busy. I took offense to this. A superhero's social life IS very busy, and I, for one, enjoy it that way for the most part. Especially being in DC, there are so many cultural, social, community engagement, and professional events to take advantage of all the time, and I intend to keep doing just that. Plus, a day like yesterday filled with wonderful women is good for the soul. And now on to the other good for the soul activities of cooking and cleaning. It's a pretty charmed life. Truly.
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