Athena arrived to my apartment around 8 pm on Thursday night. We sprinted out the door to meet Anne and her friend Liz for pizza at Ella's Firewood Pizza near Chinatown. Food was good but I barely noticed because I was having so much fun catching up with all three girls.
Avocado salad with veggies. Ate 2/3 before I remembered to take pix.
Eggplant rolled around ricotta and parmesean - we already ate most of it but there is one little roll left under the basil. Totally forgot to take a picture of the personal size goat cheese, mushroom and spinach pizza we split.
After dinner Athena, Anne and I walked home past the White House. Stopped for a quick photo.
FRIDAY:
I got up and headed into work. Was able to get out early and be back to apartment around 2:00. We stopped for a sweet & savory crepe at Crepeaway near my apartment.
Then we walked/explored back to Chinatown area where we had marathon shopping expidetion to H&M, Forever 21, Bed Bath & Beyond and Zara. I can't believe I've never been in a Zara. Might be my new favorite thing.
Hours later after we were totally and completely exhausted we found we were near a restaurant both Athena's boyfriend's sister (who lives in DC) and my coworker had both emphatically recommended called Zaytinya. It has Greek/Mediterranean tapas and was really really delicious.
Out front of the restaurant. It's right near the Verizon center.
They brought these warm light soft pita poof things that exhaled steam as you opened them. You used them to dip into really delicious hummus.
Athena concentrating.
We also ordered zucchini patties and fried squid that is hands down the best calamari I've ever had. It was lightly battered, melt in your mouth and Athena & I literally kept saying, 'MMmmmm' each time we ate another bite. (We LITERALLY said it about eight times each. No hyperbole here.)
We didn't realize that fried potatoes were going to be french fries. They had yogurt sauce on them and were probably the least exciting dish.
Seared scallops. Tasty but almost undercooked. Still really really tasty.
Philo roll with eggplant & ricotta and chicken orzo. Both yummy.
We metro'd home full and spent. We sprawled on the couch and watched an episode of Modern Family while our food settled. But then because I'm being good about p90x we put on workout clothes and did a hardcore (albeit silly) session of plyometrics & ab ripper x.
I had originally intended to take her to Adams Morgan for dessert & people watching but by the end of the dvds (probably around 11 pm) the idea of showering and leaving the house was too much. We put on PJs, chatted and went to bed.
SATURDAY:
I cooked us eggs & toast with side of blackberries. Then we got ready and headed out around noon.
First stop coffee!
Then we walked past the White House and around the mall.
Very crowded because of how gorgeous the weather was.
Sisters!
Athena in front of Washington Monument.
I got an action shot of her heading to the Museum. (She bought her skirt at Zara the day before.)
Pix at rotunda near entrance.
They have free audio tour headsets!
Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of Ginevra de' Benci
We spent about four and a half hours in the museum. We needed a couple sitting breaks to power through.
This is a very scary demon filled painting. I'm making a demon claw.
Demon face.
Getting cultured.
Renoir Girl with Watering Can
Pretty pretty Athena & Renior
After we saw this painting we decided we needed to eat immediately. And it wasn't until I was looking at my camera over lunch that I even realized the last painting we looked at before we decided we were starving was of food.
We got salad bar and made veggie packed salads.
Pretty waterfall in the Cascade Cafe on the bottom floor of the museum.
Walkway to east building from cafe is starry 70s-y light show.
We had super delicious gelato after we finished our salads.
Athena got dulce de leche and I had cookies and cream. The cookie flavor in mine was shortbread and not oreo like usual cookies and cream. Very tasty.
Sister pix on the way out of the art museum.
Gorgeous day on the mall.
After Art Museum we decided to walk over to Natural History Museum and see what was on IMAX. We walked through the NGA sculpture garden.
Stopped for photo session by the fountain.
Sisters!
There were a bazillion people sitting around the water enjoying the perfect hot weather.
Athena mimicking an elephant's trunk. We did a little Natural History exploring then went to find movie tix.
We saw IMAX Dinosaurs movie.
Ready!
After the IMAX movie we were still in movie mode (after two days of soooo much walking) so we decided to walk to movie theater in Chinatown to see Bridesmaids. Athena in front of the friendship arch.
They were making dumplings in the window so we were sold.
We ordered two kinds of dumplings. Mmm
Next to movie theater by Verizon center. Bridesmaids had funny parts but I'd say I was really sad for Kristin Wiig for about 80% of the movie. And then end she gets the guy but still doesn't have a job, house, car or much else. Not really a complete ending just to get a boy. But it was still the same sort of funny as the typical gross out sex humor boy movies. After the movie we walked back to my apartment.
The original plan was to head out for dinner but we were pooped. So we ordered delivery food from Avocado Cafe. Never had food from there but loved that just about every item had avocado included. I love avocado.
We split lobster wrap with avocado, avocado salad and sweet potato fries. Then Athena did homework while I did p90x dvd. Then we just hung out at my apartment, chatted & went to bed around midnight.
SUNDAY:
We woke up, got ready and met Anne & John for brunch at Founding Farmers at 11:15.
Ordered fluffer nutter bread for table. Bread, peanut butter, banana, marshmallow, nuts and chocolate shavings. Yum.
I ordered eggs benedict with hash browns. Ate 3/4 of the plate and then wanted to curl up and die of fullness. Ugggh.
Anne had southern fried chicken salad. Realizing I have a picture problem when I take pictures of my friend's food and forget to take pictures of the people at the table. Oops.
It was fun chatting with Anne & John. Anne told me later she hasn't seen Athena since our senior year of HS which would have been 12(!!) years ago when Athena was in first grade.
After breakfast Athena and I walked to Georgetown. We wandered around for a few hours doing a little halfhearted shopping. But after plyometrics and three days of walking we were beat. We got some frozen yogurt and walked back to my apartment.
At my apartment we dug into working on the invitations. We got a little assembly line going where I would stamp 4 swirly inner pattern stamps and then hand it to her to cover with embossing powder and heat to a shiny finish.
For dinner we originally were going to have Founding Farmers again but decided that it was too rich and tried to go to sushi. It was closed. So we ended up at Chinese restaurant Anne & I went to a few weeks ago because I knew they had a steamed menu.
It's called "Charlie Chiang Restaurant Chalin's" but in my head it looks like Charlie Chaplin's.
Outside restaurant.
Vegetable soup.
We ordered steamed veggies - no sauce and general tso chicken with no breading to split and didn't finish it all.
Athena's fortune, "You and your wife will be happy in your life together." Good thing she got that cookie because she didn't know to expect a future wifey.
Home to bed.
MONDAY:
Put her on the blue meto to airport and I headed from same platform on orange into work. It was such a fun weekend. It was sad to see her go.
Next to movie theater by Verizon center. Bridesmaids had funny parts but I'd say I was really sad for Kristin Wiig for about 80% of the movie. And then end she gets the guy but still doesn't have a job, house, car or much else. Not really a complete ending just to get a boy. But it was still the same sort of funny as the typical gross out sex humor boy movies. After the movie we walked back to my apartment.
The original plan was to head out for dinner but we were pooped. So we ordered delivery food from Avocado Cafe. Never had food from there but loved that just about every item had avocado included. I love avocado.
SUNDAY:
We woke up, got ready and met Anne & John for brunch at Founding Farmers at 11:15.
Ordered fluffer nutter bread for table. Bread, peanut butter, banana, marshmallow, nuts and chocolate shavings. Yum.
I ordered eggs benedict with hash browns. Ate 3/4 of the plate and then wanted to curl up and die of fullness. Ugggh.
Anne had southern fried chicken salad. Realizing I have a picture problem when I take pictures of my friend's food and forget to take pictures of the people at the table. Oops.
It was fun chatting with Anne & John. Anne told me later she hasn't seen Athena since our senior year of HS which would have been 12(!!) years ago when Athena was in first grade.
After breakfast Athena and I walked to Georgetown. We wandered around for a few hours doing a little halfhearted shopping. But after plyometrics and three days of walking we were beat. We got some frozen yogurt and walked back to my apartment.
At my apartment we dug into working on the invitations. We got a little assembly line going where I would stamp 4 swirly inner pattern stamps and then hand it to her to cover with embossing powder and heat to a shiny finish.
For dinner we originally were going to have Founding Farmers again but decided that it was too rich and tried to go to sushi. It was closed. So we ended up at Chinese restaurant Anne & I went to a few weeks ago because I knew they had a steamed menu.
Outside restaurant.
Home to bed.
MONDAY:
Put her on the blue meto to airport and I headed from same platform on orange into work. It was such a fun weekend. It was sad to see her go.
1 comments:
Your little sister is GORGEOUS, just like you! Love her style, too. And love your silly poses. What an absolute fun trip you guys had! I LOVE these sort of posts.
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