Ok. Ok.

So as my father has pointed out many times over the past few days... or weeks... I've been letting "my readers" down! For that I am truly sorry... So.. I'm going to sum up what has happened in the past 22 days...

The Debt Ceiling and Negotiations. Being in D.C. this was an all consuming aspect of my days and nights. It was THE ONLY topic anyone wanted to talk about, and I'll admit I fell into the trap... I was constantly checking the News Updates on my phone, I couldn't get enough... it was kind of embarrassing... and I'm not just talking about MY behavior.

This about sums up the debate... WARNING! not necessarily politically correct....but very funny.  The Great Debt Ceiling Debate by HavocOnTheHill

I Ate at Some Great Restaurants. So as a now permanent resident to the D.C. area I'm trying to find the answer to the question... "Where's the best place to eat?" Let me tell you... it's a hard task... but someone has to do it. After having lived in Waco, Texas for almost 4 years D.C. was a much appreciated change of  restaurant scenery. Now, now... don't get me wrong, Waco is great... but let's be honest, Waco is definitely not known for its eateries. We all know there really is only one choice of restaurants.... George's. Man, oh man, I will certainly miss those Big O's and Baylor Beggars. If you have no idea what I'm talking about... you are missing out... George's burgers are worth the drive... believe me, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. But alas, I've moved on in life and now I'm here in a city FULL of GREAT restaurants to choose from, and it is always a dilemma trying to decide "where do you want to eat tonight?"

So far I've been to a few restaurants both in D.C. and in Old Town... so far my findings conclude... They are all good.

D.C. Favorites Well this might be blasphemy coming from the San Antonio native, but honestly, one of the best Sang-a-ritas (Margarita with Sangria on top) that I've ever had, besides the delicious combo of Ger's Sangria and Mark's Margs, came from Tortilla Coast. As a Texan, I was a tad weary of what I might find at the Mexican food restaurant located just a few blocks south of the Capitol, but I was pleasantly surprised.  From the moment you walk in you feel right at home, the manager, from Port A, Texas, greets you with a smiling face and a Texas "Hello." The food was on par, I had the combo fajitas and they were quite tasty. The chips and salsa, which we all know is the true test when it comes to good Mexican food, were a terrific; thin, crispy chips with just the right amount of salt, and great homemade salsa with a kick. I'm defiantly a fan, and I can't wait to go back!

http://www.tortillacoast.com/

The next place I tried is the D.C. favorite among "locals" or should we say Congressional Staffers.... The Place: Matchbox Location: Chinatown The Menu: Beer. Pizza. Burgers. What else do you need? The Atmosphere: AWESOME! The setting really was one of my favorite parts of this dinner, Chinatown is an area unlike any other place in D.C., I know what you're thinking, pizza, burgers, and beer, in Chinatown? Believe me, this place was better than any Chinese food.  Matchbox is a "Must-Eat"... I had the burger... I will most certainly be trying the pizza on my next visit. I've heard REALLY good things about the sausage&sun dried tomato pizza... I'll let you know how it goes.

http://www.matchboxchinatown.com/

The best dinner I've had while I've been here, was not "the best" because of the food, but because of the company.  I was invited, by some very good friends of mine, to join them for dinner and Wicked, at The Kennedy Center.  It was such a fun night! The view from the rooftop restaurant at The Kennedy Center is amazing, over-looking the Potomac, and downtown D.C. it's kind of hard to beat. It was an incredible experience. The theater in The Kennedy Center where Wicked was playing was breathtaking. It was a wonderful night, and will most likely not be topped anytime soon. If you get to D.C. don't skip out on The Center, it is a "Must-See" in D.C., I had never been and was pleasantly surprised!

http://www.greatperformancetours.com

http://www.celebrations.com

New Alexandria Explorations. As some of you may know, I was in Old Town last summer during my internship for The Academy. It was a GREAT time, and I really didn't do much exploring outside of the Old Town bubble.  While I was back at school, a NEW restaurant opened! I was so excited to try it.  Everyone had given it a thumbs up, so of course I had to see for myself! Virtue Feed & Grain has taken over as my new favorite place to eat in Old Town. I have a feeling it's a lot of people's "new favorite place"... don't forget to make a reservation... even on a Tuesday night. The decor is great with it's mix of industrial, modern, yet cozy pub feel. The building is an old feed house, hence the name, and they play that up quite well. The food is delicious... the menu is an upscale bar menu, but the prices are great, especially for the location! They have a great selection of drinks, it was hard to choose just one, so I didn't. The best part about living in a city like this has got to be the public transportation! Virtue is going to be my "local hangout" without a doubt!

http://virtuefeedandgrain.com/

I Spent Time with Great Friends. This past weekend I went to Lynchburg, VA, to visit my dearest friend.  We had a GREAT time.  It was so fun to finally catch up and spend some quality time together. Lynchburg is a beautiful city nestled in the hills of Virginia.  The drive was breath taking.  It was kind of hard to concentrate on the road driving past horse-farm, after winery, after horse-farm. (Grandmother don't worry... I did focus... It was just harder than usual.) The scenery was unlike any place I've ever been.  The roads wind through the hills and are lined by beautiful, tall trees.  I love Texas, but I can understand why the Pilgrims just stopped in Virginia and didn't keep wandering, there really was no reason to go any where else.

Well... Now you can stop worrying... Yes... I'm Alive! I haven't forgotten about you! I promise I will write again soon!  For now... you're a little caught up on what's been happening here in D.C. Until tomorrow... or 22 days from now...