DC Lovin

Well, I've always enjoyed Washington DC.  I'm just finally glad I came down and visited for a business trip this weekend.  It was the eventual step, and in all honest.  Seeing what they have was epic.  The traffic isn't the greatest thing on earth here, but you know what?  I'm going to try and look over it.  The fact is the city has a lot of up and coming sections.  It has this Northern Liberties vibe, that I love.  It's that hipster, young feeling.  I liked it.  I liked it a lot.

8th Street, that's where it's at.  I found a few places I've fallen in love with.  Obviously the next step is to check out the building themselves.  I've always had the idea of checking out the foot traffic, and seeing the demographics of the area.  Seriously, I'm really glad I did.  I've found approximately 4 places that were great.  However there were two places that just really stood out to me.  I found this old pizza joint that was just for sale.  It still had the place furnished, so that was definitely a big plus in my book.  You seriously can't complain about something like that.  Good buy, good people, it seem correct at the time.  Making the next step and making that call.  

However, Mr. Pizza shop isn't the only shop that capture the glitz and the glamor for me.  However there was an extremely lovely place with an enormous amount of room and a garden.  Can you imagine?  My own garden, I will no longer need to buy herbs, however instead, I can plant and grow my own.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm no green thumb, however, I'm also no purple thumb.  This second place is little more pricey, but I'm extremely excited about it.  It's different, and something I feel I can wrap my hand around, and even though it's a little more pricey, the property is still manageable.  I feel like this is the first time where I'm actually getting extremely excited.  It's not that Boston was bad, however Washington left me with more of an exciting feeling, this is the spark I was looking for. 

Well besides the restaurant, I definitely gotta say, I had a great weekend with CP too.  I don't always get along with CP, and we don't always see eye to eye, but I definitely do love her.  She's good people, and she definitely made the weekend great.  We even went to Chima and had a great dinner...seriously all you can eat meat.  Nothing beats ribeye, the king of the cuts.  This was awesome.  The only thing that can ruin that?  Well not being able to find the parking lot, and not being able to get out of that same parking lot.  Jesus, me and CP walked around that damn lot for at least 20 minutes to 25...I swear I was going to break a door/parking arms.  Geez...

Well besides, that.  There was one more incident.  As I was walking down 8th Street with Chucky...we came across, what I'm assuming, is a homeless woman.  Now, this woman didn't ask for money she asked for something to eat, and as a compassionate human being, I tell her sure, what would you like?  So, of all the places that's on 8th Street, what does she ask for?  Mc Freaking Ds.  Okay, no problem, I can deal with that.  Dollar menu, sure...so I politely ask the lady...where is this McDonalds at, and you know what the bitch tells me?  It's on 15th Street...that's fucking 7 blocks, where I have no idea where it's at.  For all I know this lady could be setting me up to get jumped by some of her hoodlum friends.  I tell her, look, I'm not going all the way down there, I can get you whatever you want on this street, so what would you like?  She then tells me, no, I only want McDonalds, so I tell her okay, well I guess I can't get you anything.  And the bitch, who by the way isn't the most svelte person on earth, by frankly she looked 2x's heavier than me, calls me a fat bastard and screams this in the middle of the street...I just stand there stunned, and say, screw it and follow CP to look at other stores.  So I get to the end, and we walk back to one of the store that I missed because of her.  That stupid jerk lady, so as I walk back she's still there asking for more money, she then looks at me and ask for some food, I give her a cockeyed look and think really...she then see and screams out, oh you that cheap bastard that didn't get me McDonalds before, and I look at her, and thought...really?  I say screw it, once more and move on.  So as I walk and looked at the last final shop...I see her walking by one more time.  At this point I'm imagining the epic garden, and all the herbs I will be growing there.  Once again, the lady walks by me and asks, can you buy me something to eat.  At this point, I freak out, and say..."FUCK YOU!!" "I offered you something earlier, and you said, no and called me a fat bastard...so no, go fuck yourself, you fucking fat bitch.  Eat shit, bitch!"  Finally she left me alone.  That entire time...I honestly thought I was going to get stabbed, but I can only be pushed so far before I finally push back.  Craziest story of the entire trip.  Ughhh...all in all though, great trip. 

Probably my favorite anime I've watched this year.  I think it's sweet and endearing. Great show.

Remember this guy, and the trivia?  Answer:

Bat-Man

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

CNY, basically it's Chinese New Year.  The year of the snake to be exact.  Whether it's a good thing or not, it is what it is, and it's time to celebrate.  I've eaten the last two days like nobody's business.  Honestly, I'm really just ready to pop.  We've eaten so much, and I don't even know what I've eaten anymore.  However as always...it has been a great Chinese New Year.

I'm looking for a great and prosperous year.  I was never one to believe that things like this would happen.  I also didn't think that Chinese New Year was any different from our regular Westernize New Years.  However it's a little different.  I've learn that in China, it all entirely closes down.  People no longer cook in the main land.  It's mostly reservations to Chinese restaurants in the country now.  The eastern lands are now taking a page in the western world, and most people no longer cook.  As a foodie that makes me sad.  The simple fact is that I love watching my dad cook, watching what he makes.  Everything about it.  

So what's going to happen to our traditions when no one else is there to push it along.  It makes me scared that I have to think about it.  I don't want to think about it.  However the older I get, the more I have to realize this, the more that I have to learn how to pick up these tips and tricks from my own father and mother.  I think it would be great.  However, how do I go about making these dishes?  How do I learn from my father, who has no recipes, but just the heart and memory of doing it.  I want this skill.  I want to learn how to cook like this.  I'm not going to let this tradition die out on me and my family.  

I feel sad that the simple fact that i can make my own pappardelle in a carbonara sauce, however I can't even make a simple seafood and pan fried noodles in a white sauce...god dammit.  Seriously, I can make a god damn carbonara.  But a simple dish like a white sauce with seafood and pan fried noodles is the most difficult sounding thing.  I don't want these traditions to go.  With this idea, for my Chinese New Years resolution, I promise to learn enough of these recipes, and one year, I will cook a Chinese New Year meal.  I will continue our family tradition.  I will continue our tradition, whether it's good or not.  I'm not going to let it die.  I swear.  I promise.