George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria

It was not our intention to see it, but we ran in to it all the same. Since I have the day off for Presidents Day - a perk I only enjoyed since working for the federal government - we decided to have lunch in Old Town Alexandria and then do a few errands. We had no problem having lunch, but finding parking was a trick because streets were completely blocked off with no parking signs. Then I realized it was the holiday and this was George Washington's stomping grounds. He had a townhouse in Alexandria, and spent a lot of time here. So it isn't just the Presidents' Day parade, it is the George Washington Birthday parade. As we drove out if the city, we were met with participants on their way toward the festivities. I think I liked the Continental Army dude with his cell phone most. A lot of the animals arrive from Mount Vernon. As an aside, the donkeys who pull the river barge in Georgetown relax at Mount Vernon on the off season. Alexandria probably looks a lot like it did when George walked the streets. We didn't have the time to stop and watch all the action, but at least we got a feel for it. 

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls from the Unstoppable Farm Woman - The Polish Kabob?

Growing up in a Polish household afforded us the delights of pierogi and stuffed cabbage, plus sauerkraut and Polish sausage. Not necessarily the healthiest food, but tasty and very ethnic. Milwaukee had all kinds of Polish restaurants and even a Polish Fest on the Lakefront. My first Madame Alexander doll was from Poland, and my mother tells us we all spoke Polish before we knew English. Unfortunately, there are no Polish restaurants around here that we know of. I even contacted the Polish Embassy for help but didn't receive an answer! I don't usually pay attention to recipes posted on Facebook but this one caught my eye. I showed it to my husband who likes to cook and he gave it a whirl, adding to it his brand of flavors and seasonings. We definitely added rice and mixed it all together to make it look more like the real stuffed cabbage. We liked it so much we made it again the following week and it will probably become a routine. As my husband is Iranian, we like a few Persian places around here - Moby Dick take out, Yekta in Rockville, and Kabob Bazaar in Arlington. You could say this recipe is the Polish version of Kabob... Rice, hamburger/ground meat... If you look and enough you can always find something in common. 

Can Spicer's Reupholstery Help?

We had a really nice "great room"in our Milwaukee home. We worked with a wonderful designer, Glenn, and he really knew our taste and pulled it all together. The room was actually converted from a two car tandem garage, and we built a side by side two garage in front of it. This place had a vaulted ceiling with beams, a fireplace, two walls with windows that looked out on the backyard, and skylights. At the end of the room was a door that lead to the dog's outside fenced in yard. It was cozy, and warm, and the room we lived in. We gave up a lot when we moved here to the city. Our tiny condo here is about the same size of this one room alone. We are thinking about updating the couch with material that has more body and looks crisper. We went back to Spicer's in Alexandria to look at fabric. Unfortunately I don't have a Glenn here and the task is daunting. We picked a few swatches, but I'm not happy with any of them. Perhaps a different paint color on the wall would help? We know what we like when we see it, but to find it in the thousands of selections is overwhelming. Maybe we will end up doing nothing, which may not be the worst idea, but not the one I had in mind. 

Restoration Hardware at Tyson's Corner Center

We used to love going to Restoration Hardware in Alexandria. But it closed quite awhile ago, and that leaves only one in Georgetown and the other in Tyson's. Georgetown is always a royal pain to get to and find parking, so we decided to try the one at Tyson's Corner Center thinking it might be less busy on a Friday rather than Saturday. Boy were we wrong! Schools must be closed today after the snow storm yesterday because everybody was out. Finding parking was a nightmare, and it was worse because of all the construction going on in the area - the new metro line, condos, and office buildings. It's the only place I know where directions to the freeway are next to the parking lot and it feels like a freeway surrounding this place. All we wanted was to look at shower curtains and bathroom accessories. This place reminds me why I will do anything I can to order things on line rather than try to find them in a shopping mall. But sometimes my husband needs to "see" the item. To me, it's just not worth the trouble. By the time we got to the place, we totally lost interest. 

Federal Government Snow Day Off - What Else is There to Write About?

Washington is really getting to look more and more like Milwaukee and I've about had it. It is one of the main reasons we left the Midwest after thirty years. The only thing good about it is that as a federal government employee, I get the day off - which also happens to coincide with my complex Friday day off, and The Presidents Day holiday on Monday. I could get used to a schedule like this. As with most everyone else, we woke up to about eight or more inches of snow this morning, and by about noon, people began showing signs of life. The shoveling and snow blower crew did their thing in about 30 minutes. I won't touch a snowblower after having almost severed three fingers in one many years ago with six month of physical therapy to boot. Some people just have to go out for their cup of coffee, and some guy brought home some eggs - probably the only thing in his refrigerator. And of course, the dogs need to have to some time to romp and play. It's so much nicer to watch it all from the window where it is warm, and dry, and comfy. 

Long Underwear, Boots, and Turtleneck Sweaters

I'm really getting tired of this cold, damp and snowy weather and waiting for the day I will be able to walk outside without having to put on all this extra apparel. Thank goodness I kept a lot of my winter garb from Milwaukee. I really didn't think I would be needing it this much! There are four types of boots - knee high light leather that is best suited for skirts, fur lined ankle boots that go best with pants, knee high rubber rain boots when there is more rain than snow, and something to the shin that is lined with flannel stuffing for heavy duty several inches of snow. Work wear has becomes casual with turtlenecks rather than skirts and jackets. I never wore pants to work but because it's so cold and I walk a couple blocks it would be fool hearty to do otherwise. But the one item I thought I would never use again is long underwear. Because it is so cold in my office a sweater isn't enough. So the extra layer of silk and cotton makes a big difference. The one item I left behind and regret the most is my lumberjack hat with the ear flaps. My heavy fur lined coat with the  hood is okay, but it's much easier to turn your head with a hat. This is ridiculous - except of course if there is a snow day tomorrow. Then I won't have to deal with any of it. 

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Once in awhile we take a ride down Constitution Avenue rather than Independence Avenue on our way home. Though it is not quite on the Mall with the other buildings, the new Smithsonian African American History Museum is close to the American History Museum and near the Washington Monument, where the cranes are competing for attention. Actually the site is also near the White House. The newest Smithsonian is supposed to open in 2015, which sounds far away but really isn't. A while back I remember a news feature showing some artifacts being brought in to the area because they would be too large to get in after the building was constructed. What's so nice about the Mall are all the museums that are free to the public. We don't go in to many of them any more as we have been in almost all of them several times. There has been talk and more talk of the eventual and expected Eisenhower Memorial near the Capitol and perhaps a Hispanic Museum in the future. As long as the green space is maintained, it's a treat for anyone who visits, but even more if you live here.