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yes...still here in spite of myself

Pass the paper bag with the whiskey, pour me another sip of wine, I'm burning things I find till you miss me...working to find my forgiveness...take a ride tell me what you will, getting older getting over the hill. - Little Bitty Town by the Bad Livers off the Album Blood & Mood

5/4/11

DC and more...

Should have done all this earlier...but Lord know's I'm getting lazy when it comes to writing. The inconsistancy of my schedule with work makes it hard to carve out time to drink and write. Tommy is out of town tonight so I've got a little more time on my hands than I normally would.

We took a week long trip to Washington DC in mid-April. Fortunately for us we were just able to catch the end of the Cherry Blossom season. DC is amazing and beautiful in the spring. (I'm talking out of my ass here though-I've only been once...but let me say spring is a damned nice time to go. The weather was anywhere from 75 for highs down to mid 40's when a coolfront pushed through mid week.)

I'm not going to give you all the gory details of every museum we visited...I'm going to focus on the food experience today. While the museums were all amazing and I'd love to go back and see even more (you can NOT do all there is to do in DC in one week. You can't.)

I did a ton of research on places to eat and drink before we left. One thing I love to do on vacation is eat and I love to experience new cuisines. Unfortunately, DC isn't a food mecca...the people who live there will tell you it has never been known for it's food, but it is getting better. We stayed in Arlington and took the Metro into DC every day, so we did eat at a couple of really nice restaurants in Arlington; Crystal City to be exact.

Night one was a restaurant in an outdoor mall area called Sine (pronounced She-nay). It bills itself as an Irish pub with some traditional Irish fare. There isn't much in the way of 'Irish' food around Baton Rouge unless you consider Mc Donalds to be Irish so the billing caught my attention immediately. We were late getting into Arlington, so we rushed over to see the Changing of the Guard at Arlington Cemetary and then caught the Metro back to our really cool straight out of the 50's motel, where they shuttled us for free to the mall where Sine is located. The restaurant was packed with the post work crowd-all fairly young. Really neat feel to the place and there was an option to dine outdoors in the gorgeous weather, but we were hungry and tired and opted to just get a booth so we could avoid fighting for elbow room at the bar waiting for a table outdoors. Our waiter was prompt and fun-recommending his favorites and honest enough to tell us what to avoid when we asked. We got the Irish Nachos: homemade potato chips with all kind of unhealthy goodness packed on top (we finished them...quite frankly I could have eaten just this for dinner. It was a huge serving). Tommy ordered a Reuben that was positively loaded with corned beef and I got the Bangers and Mash. For those that don't know...and I most certainly did not until I ate here-bangers are sausage and mash is mashed potatoes. The bangers came with a bottle of some sort of steak sauce that apparently A-1 fashions itself after. I was informed that the sauce is the 'original' steak sauce and much better than A-1. (guess my palate isn't really THAT in tune with steak sauce. It tasted just like A-1 to me, but I didn't have anything to compare it to at the moment.) Sine definitely was worth the visit. They also have an interesting list of draft beers that rotate seasonally. Sadly I don't remember which I had-but it was a micro brew that was from the area. It was excellent.

On a much colder and later night we found ourselves in the highly recommend Lebanese Taverna, just across the courtyard from Sine. Per usual, I was in the mood to try new things so I ordered some sort of weird ass liquor called Arak (mixed into a funky version of a white russian) which the adorable (and also) Russian waitress described as being like Ouzo. I like Ouzo when I've already been drinking whiskey or some other strong drink...I had apparently forgotten why I don't normally order it. Hell. I like licorice. But Ouzo can be a little rough if you aren't in the mood for it. Well, this stuff...tastes like curdled goats milk and Ouzo all mixed into one. It's an acquired taste for sure. If you aren't up for acquiring a taste, I'd say avoid it like how you'd avoid a cemetary at night next to a housing project in New Orleans. All that said, the food was really special. We had the spiced aged feta as an appetizer-it was probably the most intersting and rich feta cheese I've ever tasted. Tommy had a giro plate with three different types of meat. He didn't care for the lamb part of it, but he doesn't have much experience with lamb so it definitely qualifies as out of his comfort zone. (I love lamb and thought it was quite good.) I had a lamb loin which was truly excellent. If you like lamb-this is THE place to get it. Super tender-no weird sheep taste and definitely fresh. Prices were a little higher than I'm used to paying for Lebanese food, but the quality of the food made it worth it. Crystal City is an expensive area also, so I guess you can expect a little gouging for food.

Until a few moments ago while looking up District Chophouse's website, I didn't realize it was a chain. Should have though-its almost too slick to not be. Food was decently good...beer was great. I actually dragged poor Tommy back to get their velvet ale which is infused from the tap with nitrogen rather than CO2. Not the most spectacular beer, but very different and worth a try. Restroom access is really strange. Down a flight of stairs...or an incredibly slow and overused elevator. The neon signs were neat though.

Atmosphere of the place was nice. Always helps when you have a nice wookie with you.

Complementary cornbread was nice. Cherry ale was rocking too.

Super nice oatmeal stout

Desert of note. Check out Yogen Fruz if you pass one. There aren't any here in BR to my knowledge but I wish there were. The mint chip was quite herbal and refreshing.

The only real food disappointment on the trip was the Old Ebbitt Grill. If you are just looking for a drink, by all means, go have one. The bars have incredible ambiance. But skip eating. We were kept waiting for a table almost an hour and then seated in an overflow area that felt like the atrium of a hotel. The second the waiter walked us out of the restaurant into that crappy area I should have turned around and left, but for some stupid reason we didn't. We had even read an article that the man who owned the place posted downstairs by the bathroom stating that the only reason they serve food is to sell drinks. A published article stating that in the restaurant! Doesn't speak well for the food. Everything we ate was pretty sad and overpriced. The crabcakes were recommend to me by a friend but I didn't get them on the waiter's recommendation. I wish I had because what I did get, a fish dish, was bland and overcooked. Tommy had some sort of ravioli which was equally bland. The people seated next to us ordered a 'jambalaya' which cost 19 bucks a plate and looked like rice with some squid tossed on top. No jambalaya I've ever seen has squid. And it damned sure shouldn't cost 19 bucks.

Atrium straight out of the 80's.The place should be embarassed to seat people out here, especially after having to wait at such a nice bar with a completely different feel.

Waiter recommended this congealed cheese mess as an appetizer.

Fish and whatever that ravioli thing was.

Bottom line: We read an article that the man who owned the place posted downstairs by the bathroom stating that the only reason they serve food is to sell drinks. A published article stating that in the restaurant! (why would he put this up in his restaurant? Does he feel guilty about the food issue and is warning people?) I could have understood the shitty food if they would have just seated us INSIDE.The ambiance inside really is good; the overflow seating is a complete joke and an insult to folks coming in paying premium bucks for drinks and run of the mill Sysco Systems type food.

To better things.... a nice casual place for lunch: Harry's which is located near Hotel Harrington. Excellent sandwiches served with a cute little oreo type cookie. Plus they have Yuengling.

That about wraps up any food of note. Hopefully soon I'll get off my butt and post some pics on FB of the trip.

2/28/11-fired up

Harley Davidson...one of my most favorite companies, sent me a survey tonight that got me seriously fired up. After I went through their survey I decided to write them a letter telling them just what I thought of their new ad campaign aimed at 'us women riders.' For those who want to suffer through my poision pen, here it is:

Folks, I just took your survey for H-D riders and I've been thinking a pretty good deal about it since I took it. Just wanted to give you all a little more feedback. You may or may not want it. If you don't...read no further.

You asked a question of us as to whether we'd like some 'prize' including a makeover or some crap like that with a model. Know what? I could not care less about your models. Show us REAL H-D women riders that aren't paid to be in other people's ads. Offer me a makeover sponsered by H-D with my mom, or my sisters, or someone I actually give a damn about. Part of what drew me to H-D in the first place is the nonconformist feel of your brand.

I started riding my own motorcycle in 1992 when I graduated from high school. It was a 1972 BSA Lightning. I don't need a motorcycle safety course. I don't need a riders education course. I learned to ride bikes from my dad and grandfather who both had H-D's. I still ride today. I'm the REAL DEAL. Your little pink Sporty and your fancy overpaid model don't impress me.

Show us the real women of Harley-the ones who own the big bikes, the baggers, the Glides, the Softtails. Show me women who have been riding for 20 years. Women who are small but strong. Who don't fit your 'model' mode. Who don't necessarily appeal to 20 year old men but who a real woman can believe in. Show me that and I'll take it seriously that you are trying to sell ME something.

For the record, I'm damn secure in my own hotness. I'm fit. I am 37. I take care of myself. I ride soberly, but I do ride. I don't need your version of a hot model to sell me a bike. You may be selling that version of coolness to a kid, but not to a real adult women who has money to spend. I'm on my 2nd Harley, and neither one have been painted with pink flames and neither one have fit your stereotypical Harley/Woman/Sportster theme you are pushing in your ad campaign.

Want to sell real women your Brand? Be Real. That is what we come to you for. That is what I thought Harley Davidson was all about. Don't sell us out to the Cosmopolitan crowd, the Victoria's Secret crowd (but yes I can wear their panties and look good in them so don't think I'm not feminine or afraid of looking sexy) or the celebrity worshiping cult of people who sit in front of televisions and never actually go out and ride bikes. I've attached a pic of me with my Crossbones that I took home just a few weeks ago. I stepped up from a Dyna I bought last year. For the record, my dad owns a 1998 Heritage Softail. Its gorgeous. But my bike is bigger than his is. And he's damned proud of me. I've also included a couple of other pics of my last Harley and my dad's Softtail. For the record, my dad is the ONLY man I'll ride behind. My husband also rides a Harley...but I have yet to sit behind him and even go down the block. I've also been a rider longer than he has.

Sometimes you aren't marketing to women who have only ridden on the back. I'm all about getting more women on the decision end of a bike. That means one less woman on a cell phone totally disconnected from her environment. But please....sell us real women riders. We'll respect you more.

-Tabitha M. LeBlanc

Spot the Second

Spot the First

Pearl-the old man's bike

2/28/11 - New Year, Clean Slate. For last years archives and beyond click (holy crap-for those of you who still bother to come here and read...its taking me longer and longer...I'm now more than 10 years into blogging or whatever you call this mess):