A holiday party gave us reason to visit the District and see some b-school friends this weekend, and we had fun like whoa. We got into town around noon on Saturday, met Rachael, and had lunch at Tortilla Coast, where Anthony, Matt and I had eaten many, many moons ago. Then we crossed the mall and visited the Hopper exhibit at the NGA. This was my first trip into the NGA East; I was enchanted by an enormous Calder mobile and several smaller mobiles in a gallery that displayed them at eye level or lower, hanging into the space below. I'm not sure why this art form is so captivating to me. Equally captivating were Hopper's works, many of which Jenelle and I had seen in London (see July 2004) but I was happy to revisit. Our post-NGA wanderings took us along the new Museum of the Native American, which has the most interesting exterior of any Smithsonian, and into the Botanical Garden, which had the best outdoor model train display of any Smithsonian.
We went back to RP's and regrouped, ultimately setting out for Jen & Mike's in Adams-Morgan. We were unfashionably early for their party, which meant fondue and crantinis with the host and hostess before other guests arrived; they opened belated wedding gifts and we ate cheese. Other friends came and soon their apartment was hopping. It kept hopping until quite late, when a bizarre (and lost) cabbie took us back across town.
On Sunday we visited Eastern Market. It was fabulous, leaving the uninitiated to wonder what it was like before the fire. We'll definitely be back there. We will also head back to cool/funky/fun 8th street, along the Marine Barracks, to window shop and try more ethnic restaurants than any street should rightfully have. We had mini-burgers and then it was time to bounce; a quick stop to pick up things forgotten at Lanier Mews and we were on our way.
Monday night was William Allen's Christmas music-tacular. It was, in fact, music-tacular, with Chorale, Orchestra, Choir, Choir Alumni Choir, and Orchestra and Choir. The Chorale, especially, was quite outstanding; the senior soloist simply wailed on 'O Holy Night' and they did a pair of Mary Poppins numbers that will stick with us for days to come.
Tonight was chiller. We made potato skins to get rid of leftovers, watched Nova, and were wowed by feline affections while we did. At long last: two cats who don't want to murtilate the other.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007