I’ve decided that, to have a blog, you must, well…blog.
Astounding, I know.
To have a blog, you must also have things to say…and better yet – important, relative, creative, enduring, captivating things to say.
For me, this can sometimes be a challenge, because it’s hard to take myself seriously, so I feel that it is 100 times harder to convince my readers that what I have to say is, well…important.
I’m saying all of this nonsense to say that I have been doing a lot of thinking trying to determine what it is I want to portray/relay/be about here in blogland, and I’ve decided that I do not yet know. I have come to the conclusion that a great blog continues to evolve over time and with the person. I hope that my blog can be a true representation of myself and my current stage of life, because that is what I intend. I do not, under any circumstances want my blog to be an untrue account of who I am or what I’m all about.
It is hard, though. To be “real,” that is. Because “real” isn’t always exciting or mesmerizing or inventive. Real can sometimes be boring, mundane, and common. But, in my opinion, a great blog represents everyday reality in a unique way in where the subjects and their stories shine against the ordinarily familiar backdrop of day-to-day life.
Have I made my point? J
Sorry for the random outburst. That’s just me being me and getting something that has been nagging at my heart off of my chest. Thanks for listening.
Now, onto “blog worthy” matters –
Last weekend, Phillip, Kelly, George, and I went on a fabulous four-day-getaway to our nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C. We had a ball (no pun intended…more on that later) J and lived it up, so to speak, every minute we were there. I took a few pictures and will try my best to explain and make clear the crazy Louisiana tradition called Mardi Gras.
Phillip and I got on a plane Thursday morning in Houston and arrived in D.C. a little after lunchtime. We checked into our hotel, the Sofitel, and had a late lunch, then we were off to our room to get ready for the evening's festivities. The annual Louisiana Mardi Gras Ball took place at the Washington Hilton, so we put on our cocktail attire and took a quick cab ride to the hotel.
Thursday night was really fun. It was a massive cocktail party that was catered by numerous Louisiana restaurants (such as John Besh’s Restaurant August). They set up booths and served up the most amazing seafood from across the gulf. We had things like crawfish etouffee, seafood gumbo, fried oysters with the most amazing remoulade sauce, boiled shrimp, and even a sushi bar! I was so impressed with the food. Usually at an event like that (one with thousands of people that lasts for hours), the food is okay at best. But at this event, it was exceptional in flavor, presentation, and (often overlooked) temperature. O, and I forgot to mention the band! They were incredible and filled the room with familiar Cajun tunes and entertained the crowd all night long. We stayed until the band played their last song, then Phillip and I headed back to our hotel for a great night’s sleep.
We woke up the next morning to…room service (one of my top 10 favorite things in life) J It consisted of a scalding hot omelet full of fresh herbs, mushrooms, green onions, tomatoes, and perfectly melted gruyere cheese. Served alongside was a basket full of freshly made croissants and English muffins, piping hot French pressed coffee, and extra crispy bacon. It was to die for.
Later that day, we met up with Kelly and George and headed to a late brunch/lunch at a place called the Blue Duck Tavern (thanks to George’s iphone suggestion). It, too, was unbelievable. We showed up too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so they sat us down at a table and served Kelly and I (more) piping hot French pressed coffee and some bloody Mary’s for the boys. The atmosphere in that place was so cool. When they moved us to our lunch table, we could sit and watch the chef’s prepare our meal in the open kitchen. For foodies like Kelly and I, it was nothing short of great entertainment. They kept filling up our basket with freshly baked bread, and we wined and dined for hours. It was a great experience.
Then, the boys went their way and Kelly and I our way for a couple of hours. They went to have a shave at some man-spa and Kelly and I went to Georgetown to shop. We met back up just in time to get ready for our evening out…we had early reservations at this place called Cityzen. Supposedly it is rated D.C.’s top restaurant.
Our experience at Cityzen wasn’t anything short of fabulous. The service was impeccable and the food was a culinary experience to say the least.
The next day, we slept in, then met Kelly and George for brunch at a place Ben, PG, and I visited last year when we were in D.C. (and loved), The Tabard Inn. It was just as good as we remembered. After you put your name on the list, you go to the bar to order your mimosas, bloody Mary’s, and…homemade donuts coated in cinnamon-sugar. (Are you getting the feeling that I ate my weight in sweets and breads over the weekend? I did. And I loved every second of it.) Here are some pictures from brunch:
After brunch, we decided to do a little sight seeing, so we headed over to the Lincoln Memorial.
Phillip and I strolled down the sidewalk that linked the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. On our walk, we noticed that the wind was picking up, but as we got closer to the WM, it was ridiculously windy!! Look at my hair! A couple of seconds after that, my scarf blew off and we chased it down the hill J
We caught a cab, then headed to the hotel to get ready for the final night of the Mardi Gras festivities. Here are some pictures from that night. The decorations were insane and the performances were way over-the-top. It’s one of those things you have to see to believe, so here you go…
Phillip and George “dressed out” that night. Basically, that means that you put on a crazy costume with a goofy hat and parade around throwing beads and favors to all the attendees. They had a ball.
The band from Southern University and the band from Grambling University competed in a “face off.” It was completely entertaining. They were both great and full of energy.
Yes, there was a king and queen. Quite ridiculous.
I hope I didn’t bore you with the details! We had a fabulous time and have gotten our fill of Mardi Gras (which hasn’t even technically happened yet) until next year. I’m so glad Kelly and I got to accompany our men to the big city!
Phillip and I are headed home to Monroe today to spend a few days with the fam and soak in hometown life. If you haven’t noticed, we love to go home J
I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks for stopping by!!
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