Vanessa being Vanasty

Fun times at Solly's. It is definitely a rock star night. Mission in progress. We've done a little pub crawl and may go to the Gato Negro before the night is up!

Front Porch

They are definitely making progress. Look closely (or click the pic) to see Lisa sitting in her side window.

Another Shot!

I blogged too quickly. Here's another shot from Lisa's sitting room. She says it is so big she may have to rethink her furniture choice and buy a sofa for it. Shopping!

Construction Update

Things are moving quickly. The entire first foor is framed! This shot is looking from the loft into the great room towards the back yard.

I left work and got a mani/pedi then came home to change (OK...so I stopped at Polly's/Solly's on my way here.) Judge not lest... Rock Star 4th of July Eve is about to kick off on U St.

Framing!

Bro Steve and Baby Lisa have some framing on their new mansion on the hill. This is so exciting! Can't wait to visit in two weeks to see it in person.

Home Sweet Home

We made it back to DC in one piece. Unfortunately we had to stop three times (we were hungry and thirsty) so it took nearly 7 hours. I hear some peeps are out finishing Sunday Funday, but we are opting for bed. It has been a long weekend and I anticipate it will be a long week with the holiday on Wednesday. Pattycake may be coming from CMH to visit and we plan to watch the fireworks from our own roof for the first time ever.

Shipment for Catrina!

This semi is headed your way girl.

We are on our way back from OH. Last night turned into a messy adventure, but we had fun. It was great to do a little bar hop and see lots of old friends. No Such Fate played at Club D. Quite a treat to catch them two months in a row without any planning on our part! Grace Kelly even came out and joined us for a few beers.

Heath

Some things never change...his shirt always comes off. We love the Heath at the AWOL bar. 11.75 for 4 peeps to have a round. We love Columbus prices!

Club D

See Richard in the back? He know's Rita Jean's Beth Ann and lives in Fauquier county. Funny we always run into him in CMH. We only see him once a year at the Gold Cup in VA. Perhaps that will be our annual trip back to the East Coast. (Dave, Heather, and Timmy are the photo participants in the front)

We are drinking away the day at Club Diversity. It is warranted.

A painful day

We just spent several hours with Erica. Friends this is a time I hoped would never come. We're now driving downtown to find some friends to eat and drink with.

I snapped this pic of our old penthouse loft in the Connextions building. Those were the days when we were happily in CMH and Erica was well.

Last Sunday Funday Revisited

Last Sunday we ended up in VA as previously mentioned. VB was a willing participant because she loves to cross the bridge. I casually captured the crossing with my camera and on the way to OH did a little editing. Lets see how long it takes her to find it here and what she says about it!

Columbus

We came to see our friend who is near the end of her life. It has been an emotional rollercoaster, but she is still inside her head. Our friends Dottie & Kelly (pictured above with Timmy) have graciously invited us to stay with them. Dotster is recovering from a f'd up ankle. Their pets are posing and we're imposing by hitting their bar! Shock.

Winning!

There was a lightning delay, but we are now winning 4-1 in the 89th minute. Friends, I think we're gonna win this one! Three of the girls fell out, but Michael, Iris, Tim, and I are watching to the end.

Good Seats

Good seats (nice job Iris) but we are losing 0-1 at the present time.

DC United

I was a 5 mins late, but ticket girl still isn't here at 20 mins late. I just saw some other peeps...hope it doesn't rain too bad.

White Trash Movers

The dresser wouldn't fit in the car so Rita Jean and Timmy pushed it several blocks up the street. We are storing it for baby Lisa. Rita says to call her and get a credit card number for tonight's bar tab for their labor. M/C are just happy to have the old house emptied.

Flora does brunch at Freddies

We were joined by a beautiful baby. Classy. Now RJ wants to go to the Crystal City Ti++y. Klassie.

Sunday Funday?

I relaxed all day yesterday on YouTube and helped m/c a little in the afternoon. Had dinner at the Diner in Adam's Morgan and then had a drink at Asylum with Lori behind the bar. We were exhausted so we walked home and went to bed. This morning there was a news article that someone got shot in Adam's Morgan last night. The pics were from the exact corner where I had stopped for a cigarette last night. Crazy.

The family road trip is apparently going well from the text messages I've gotten. The outdoor musical was washed out and those that do, found a bar last night. I haven't heard from them this AM.

Trying to decide whether this should be a Sunday Funday or not. Despite a nice full night of rest, I'm a bit tired and want to be 100% tomorrow. We'll see what everyone is doing. Maybe if I can drag out the peeps for Freddie's Beach Bar we could have a little brunch and chill for the rest of the day without a full force funday. Time to text.

To the left.

I was really trying to have a productive day. What did we do before the interweb? To continue today's Beyonce theme, here's a little political production that I found amusing. Check it out.

If Anthony had a son...

I just joined YouTube. I know, I know everyone else joined ages ago. I have to tell you it may have been the most depressing moment this month. After creating an account and logging in, this is what I saw:

You have nothing in your video log.
You have no favorites.
You have no subscribers.
You have no friends.

I guess they just want to tear me down and lay it out there. You might think they could say something a little less harsh on the first log in. Perhaps a suggestion to find a friend for all the lonely people in the world or something.

Regardless, we all know Anthony and his madness. In my random stroll through YouTube, I found this video. It may be his illegitimate child? It's a little long, but worth it. I particularly like the point near the end where the kid makes out with his church basement partition...enjoy.

Moving Day

So this picture has nothing to do with moving day, but I thought it was funny. M/C are moving to their new condo and leaving the world of renting behind them. I took some McDonalds over for their lunch. Unfortunately the movers weren't very hot so I left.
Had a rockin' good time last night with a bunch of friends. The usual places. Tom came over the bridge and played with us too. They finally fixed the sidewalk on U St. so we were able to sit outside at Pollys. The downside is my lung health. I'm fairly certain they are black today.

Grandma's Bourbon Run

I'm at home, but the family vacation with Gma T is kicking off. They are going to KY. Hilarious.

The 80s are back

you do the math...

The Cobra Queens

Randy and Jeffrey are both taking a little break from the 9-5. Cobra Queens! Who is getting the most bang for their buck? Who can say...I see lots of bottles. Lots.

We are happy to have Jeffrey visiting. He is enroute back to Ohio after a 7 yr. stop in the land of Ft. Liquordale. He'll be living just over the border from PA so we'll have another pitstop on the way home. If we get any more friends on the way it may take us a month to make the six hour drive.

Rihanna in the house

it has come to this...and it keeps going. Why are Tim and Rita dancing on the coffee table?

Energizer

yes we are still going, but have made it to Sollys so we are real close to home and about to end the night.

Happy Birthday Judd

We're at the Box of Clowns for Judd's birthday.

Time for a pedi

Rita Jean and I were having an after brunch cocktail at JRs. Jym fell out and Virgie came back over the river. We went for a smoke and saw a salon so we popped in for a quick pedi. Didn't tell Tim, but he's with VB so he'll be fine. My pigs were due.

Brunch Bunch

We are troopers...made it to brunch. Yes we had bloodies to take the edge off. Several. I wanted a casual dining shot but Jym/Tim wanted to pose. Fairies.

Happy Father's Day

I woke up to three text messages telling me Happy Father's Day. None of them from my daughter. This is weird. I am not that figure.

And Tempwhatthefeckever Hall. Moderation? Restraint? None of that is promoted there. False advertising, but what an amazing place.

Vergie talking Long Distance

...across the river.

That's how we rolllllllll

We quickly went back to our hood so we could comfortably fall into our beds. VB and Jenny from the block are trying to brew up a Sunday funday.

Happy Birthday Young Kevin

Is he still Young Kevin if he is 22? He clearly wasn't expecting this camera in his face. Temperance Hall is amazing. Why haven't we been here before? We kidnapped Violet, Adam, and Carmen from the last party and all the regular peeps are here too! Good times.

Spring Valley CC

Group pic before the Adam leaves the family. Upper NW will never be the same.

Bye Bye Adam and Carmen

So this is the CC going away party for Adam at the Playbill Cafe. We will miss Adam and his wife Carmen as they are moving to Boston. Little does he know that Carmen and I have scheduled play dates since she'll be here a little longer than he will. Let me clarify; she has a new Vespa and we're going for fun Vespa road trips! Nothing dirty.

Dream Weaver

I went back to Erwyn at Bodysmith last week and twice this week. It has been great! I've been going to bed super early and getting up super early. Today I was at work at 6:30 AM. Yes, I know it is Saturday. The infamous "Breakfast Club" to help our low producers started at 7 AM. The side benefit of this clean fit living is the return of my dreams. While they haven't all been positive, they are dreams nonetheless and I love them. I need to write them down when they occur so I don't forget, but here's a summary of what I remember.

Tuesday: I was in a plane crash on a flight out of Pittsburgh, PA. We crashed as a result of some bizarre force that sucked everything into an alternate world. At the time I could remember everyone who crashed with me, but for the life of me I can't right now. Essentially we were in a hazy swampy place crawling out of the wreckage into an old school barn that was floating in pieces. A rescue helicopter with my friends onboard came to get us and we couldn't warn them about this black hole in the sky and it crashed them with us too. I don't remember anyone dying, but it was bizarre.

Wednesday: Stayed up late for movie night and don't remember. We watched, "Shortbus," and I do love the sad Jamie. His experiences seem very real to me.

Thursday: Dreamt about dogs. This is probably related to a horrible book I started reading that day which I thought was going to be good. It turns out it was a memoir of someone's dog...couldn't get into it.

Friday: Last night I dreamt about my brothers. We were in some sort of competition. As I went in and out of the dream, we were placing in different orders. Essentially we were trying to prove to Lisa who was the best and who was worthless. I can't remember the context of the competition, but I remember ridiculous turmoil from the madness.

I'm sure none of these will recur tonight because we are celebrating Adam's going away party at the Playbill Cafe this evening and Young Kevin's 22nd birthday at Temperence hall tonight. Having steered clear of the sumptuous adult beverages all week, I will be a cheap date and I'm sure sleep like a baby (or maybe more like a dead person.) Hopefully one of these dreams will come back and I can expand upon it. If not, I hope I keep dreaming because it makes me contemplate life and I feel like I'm getting more money's worth out of my day. Otherwise, sleeping time is wasted time.

Construction - Digging Begins

Mom and Lisa stand in the basement! Looks like a huge hole.

Al Crostino rocks

We blew

Hoot This

My last drink at Hooters. Who'd a thunk it. Enroute to my party that started at 8. I'm late. I am in a taxi. I forgot my shopping bags. I hope my friends have them.

Trumped

VB thinks the plants need more substantial plant food. She provided. A good friend.

Watering

How does your garden grow?

This is good

Just a shot in the city. Do you know what town this is in?

getting less clever

so it is backwards. damn

Sisley

here's your sign. yes. more clothes. real cute.

Sustanance

Time for a bit of Greek food. Where is Jay now?

It's a cafe

Can u guess? Your clue is Dupont. They have $3.95 martinis for happy hour so we are stopping.

Not Bunch

Bought a new birthday shirt. For those of u in the competition, guess the street for a point.

This one is hard

This round is worth 2 points. I didn't even know that Sue Ellen had such a thing here.

Moving

If you keep moving you make a harder target for god to hit. Where am I now?

Where's Jay?

i swore i wasn't going to do this, but it is my birthday!

Happy Birthday to me

I am really glad I scheduled today off work! Happy Birthday to me. I just got up and am going for some lunch as soon as I shower. Ended up going to Axis, Solly's, and Be Bar last night after the Fox. I also bought half a new birthday outfit at the Universal Queer. Powershopping. I have no idea how much those damn shorts cost, but Anna bought me the flip flops. Super comfy.

All My Chirrens

So Anna (my birthday amigo,) Michael, and Catrina showed up. We had a nice time and just moved to Halo. M/C went home to pack for the pending move. Perfectly acceptable get out of jail free card. We hear some drunky friends are at the Box of Clowns. That may be the dext nestination.

Bloody Fantastic

I walked the festival with Timmy (he rallied) and now I'm having a bloody at Merkado. Friends are allegedly rallying and if I'm lucky and loved the pre-bday Sunday Funday will begin before long. My boss confirmed by vacation day request so I will be able to sleep in on my birthday! Timmy snapped this pic of my first sip.

Sunday Funday Birthday Style

The day has arrived. Today is my daughter's 13th Birthday. She is now officially a teenager; she will always be my baby girl. It frightens me to death. Her party yesterday was an absolute success and the entire day was one of those rarely perfect days that we experience in life. I got up early, finished the food shopping, picked up the perfect cake, finished the decorating, and then spent a few hours with Whitney shopping and hanging out. When we arrived, she saw the cars and asked, "...well what is this a family reunion?" to which I replied, "No silly, it is your surprise birthday party that you thought we were having." The look of surprise, satisfaction, and amazement on her face was purely priceless. It showed me that while she may have been on to us, she wasn't absolutely sure and it hit her head on when it actually happened. Definately a success.

For the sake of my personal history, here are the attendees; Whitney, Grandma T, Jason, Richard, Dalia, Steve, Lisa, Keith, Lovina, Starla, Mykala, Mykenzie, Fabran, Janet, David, Betty, Ryan, Kelley, Brady, Esther, Christopher, Ervin, Cameron, and Moose Dog.

The day's activities included the traditional cookout and birthay party things. We also spent a great deal of time outside as the weather was beautiful. The quad runners had their share of use with everyone taking several rides. I even herded (sp?) the cattle in for dad on one with Starla on the back. The most unexpected moment occurred when Aunt Lovina and Mom sped up the drive on Keith's quad runner and bolted off into the field to look at Steve and Lisa's home. It is fully staked out now and the digging is supposed to start on Monday! They are very excited.

The day ended with a personal best return to DC. I made it from Whitney's house in 5:45. This is 20 minutes faster than my previous record of 6:05. There were no cops, perfect clear weather, little construction, and the traffic was so light I thought I was the only car for most of the ride. It is so nice to drive at night instead of during the madness of the day and all the summer vacation crazies going across the world.

Timmy clearly had fun too. I won't go into details, but I collected him from a friend's livingroom floor, covered in puke, and barely recognizing his own name when I got home. No judging...it was allegedly a great party, Pride Holiday Parade, festival, and bar night. They didn't make an appearance at Anna's party crawl which truly surprised me.

I should say I won't judge unless he is incapacitated for the day and unable to participate in today's Sunday Funday to celebrate my birthday. I sent an email to my boss and requested tomorrow off. I didn't originally think I'd need it, but I am tired. Tired and very thirsty.

Happy Birthday Grandma

It is grandma's birthday tomorrow too. We bought her a European Variagated Dogwood and are planting it in the front yard!

Surprise Party

I can't believe my baby will be 13 tomorrow. This makes me very old. We are all set up for the guests to arrive at Grandma & Grandpa's farm. I am going to get Whit and will bring her back after the people are here. Surprise!

Fire!

I safely arrived around 11:15 and am visiting with Mom. Steve & Lisa built a fire in their soon to be livingroom and I am going down to join them! Lisa just sent me this pic to entice me to hurry.

Bodysmith

I haven't been very faithful to the gym. It is too easy to blow it off and sleep in so I've decided to cancel Vida even though I love it there. They cancelled most of the morning classes that I like anyway so I'd be on my own with working out which becomes very boring. I'm going back to my trusty Erwyn at Bodysmith. I have to start by taking cancellations until I can get my own "spot" again, but it is a better option as I won't skip appointments if it costs me money in cancellation fees if I don't show.

6:15 is early though and I have to get up at least an hour before to eat because I remember how sick I get after an hour long work out with no food to give me energy. Oddly enough I'm looking forward to it and was glad to get up so early this AM. I was so worried about being late that I barely slept, waking up several times throughout the night. I think I'm still catching up from the weekend.

Today is Tara and Lisa's birthdays. It is crazy how many people have June birthdays. Sunday was Dana's, Casey's is tomorrow, and Angie/Brian's are both on Thursday. Several others follow after that. Time to pick some clothes and start thinking about the gym!

No Passport?

This is Judd quickly making a drink before we go fetch Virgie from the airport to grab her forgotten passport. She's gonna miss he flight if we don't hurry.

Denied

do the math