Cupcakes Update

My most recent plus about DC--that it has an entire store dedicated to cupcakes--has been thoroughly rebutted. As Jessica points out, there are two cupcake locales in St. Louis. And, as I just discovered, there are even two cupcake bakeries in Oklahoma City! Here, and here. So thank you, dear readers, for reassuring me that we won't be missing much when the city is evacuated and we *have* to go home .

... And a minus about DC

A few days ago, unexplainedly, a bright pink list of every person in our office and their home zip codes landed on my office desk. I looked at it, briefly thought "why on earth are they giving me a list of zip codes?," and went about my business.

Apparently I was not the only one without a clue, because today we received the following memo:

There was a recent distribution of the Zip Code Report to all personnel. Those of you who have been with the Firm for years may recall the purpose of this report and that it is distributed quarterly as part of our Business Resumption Plan. For those who are unfamiliar with it , we offer the following explanation.

The report is provided to all personnel to facilitate the use of a "buddy system" for getting home in case of an emergency in which authorities ask us to evacuate the city. In such a scenario, it may prove useful for personnel living within the same zip code to have a plan for traveling together to get home.

Hopefully, we won't ever have to be in such a situation, but we still need to be prepared. So we urge you to develop your evacuation plan prior to such an emergency. The Zip Code Report is a tool to help you.

As you can see, I was not really able to go about my business after that one. Holy crap!

Another plus about DC

There is an entire store dedicated to CUPCAKES.

And a husband who finds said store, procures said cupcakes, and brings them to my office for my birthday.

Mmmm...

A note to my future self

No matter how big and important a partner I am, and no matter how valuable my time is, there is never a need to throw things. Yelling at my secretary will not encourage her to work longer hours or be more careful getting my work done. Screaming in the general direction of the population at large will not resolve my computer issues. No matter how creative I am with the use of the F word, it will not get others, and particularly not Congress, to do my will. And making the office a generally miserable place for my associates will do little to boost my PPP.

Happy Valentine's Day

After months of go-go-go, the husband and I were in serious need of some downtime to reconnect. So my darling husband planned a secret Valentine's/Birthday weekend getaway. He told me only that we were going somewhere "historical" and three hours away. Given that we live in DC, that leaves quite a few options--I was thinking Philadelphia, Williamsburg, or Harper's Ferry. But I was blissfully and completely wrong.

Three hours away from DC, tucked in the Shenandoah Valley, lies a stunningly beautiful, cozy, romantic, charming, peaceful place in the middle of nowhere called the William Cox Inn. The website does not come even close to doing it justice. Tom and Janet, the fantastic physicians-turned innkeepers, have transformed a home built in 1770 (by the infamous William Cox) into a lovely B&B that retains its historical character with all the necessary modern conveniences. They have thought of every single detail, down to a 1700s-era book on how to be a thrifty housewife on the dresser in our room (remember to wash your teeth with clean water every day, and to mend the socks before they tear--a stich in time saves nine). We slept in the tiny original bedroom, burned a fire in the original stone fireplace, and ate all-natural food entirely produced in the on-site garden and surrounding area farms, just as it would have been in the 1700s (but we thankfully did have indoor plumbing).

As the other details of the Valentine's Day weekend fall within the marital privilege, you get to read all about the food instead--and the details here just have to be relayed. Janet, a culinary genius, served a romantic four-course Valentine's dinner and the two most amazing breakfasts I have ever tasted. The food just kept coming and coming... On Friday evening we were greeted with a hot pot of all-natural tea and homemade scones, followed by local pear port and organic chocolate. Breakfast the next morning, served in the original 1770 dining room, consisted of baked local pears with nuts and cinnammon, blue-ribbon-winning light-as-air biscuits with fresh butter and homemade jam, local organic grain hot cereal (Ankur ate both of those), homemade oatmeal pancakes, and apple and cheddar omlettes made from eggs gathered that morning from the many free-range chickens roaming the property. A long walk with their two Golden Retrievers along the river on the beautiful property was necessary just so that we could make room for dinner. Speaking of, for V-day dinner, we devoured a hearty pumpkin stew, heart-shaped goat cheese ravioli, winter salad with dried cranberries, apple-stuffed free-range chicken, and a trio of romantic desserts--bread pudding, chocolate cake, chocolate-covered pears, and homemade coffee ice cream. And our (sad) parting breakfast was baked local apples, more of the scrumptious homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs with fresh cheese, and ginormous waffles. My mouth is watering just typing about it.

Our time at the William Cox Inn was full of amazing food for the stomach and for the soul. It was wonderful to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and spend time reconnecting with each other. Make your reservations today, and tell Tom and Janet that we sent you!

I Heart Visitors

One of the best things about living in DC: people want to come visit us!

During the entire time we resided at our palace in the frozen tundra, we received a grand sum total of three out-of-town visitors: Parents R., Cousin Kay, and Former Roommate Jennifer. Those visits were fantastic, but we were really starting to question our desirability, or at least marketability.

All that has changed, however, with our recent relocation to a new (and slightly less snowy) address. I guess it's true what they say in the hotel industry--"Location, Location, Location."

Before we even had started unpacking our boxes from the move, we had our first out-of-town visitor--Lawyer Lincoln. (We therefore dubbed our spare bedroom/office the "Lincoln Bedroom.") Soon thereafter, we got to entertain Mayor Mike and Former Roommate Jennifer, visiting from the land of Oz, and Sooner Karen, taking a break from Where the Wind Goes Sweeping Down the Plain. In early December, our Acquaintances from Australia put DC on their world tour, and we got to show them the sights and sounds of our nation's capitol. Sister Ami delighted us with a visit over Christmas and New Years. Last week, Other Former Roommate Jennifer and Boyfriend dropped in from the Tarheel state. This weekend we are expecting--completely independently--Ankur's Former Roommate Justin and my Former Roommate Cassy, both of KC(ish) fame. And next week, Best Friend Rachel (coincidentally, also a Former Roommate) will be gracing us with her presence. And that's all in only three months! (I guess I can't really complain about DC being lonely anymore, can I?)

To those of you who have visited, thanks a ton--we've loved having you. To those who have already booked your rooms for the coming weeks, we hope you have a pleasant stay. And to those of you who are thinking about visiting, there's a surprisingly comfy air matress with your name on it! But you better hurry... this hotel may be relocating to a new location sometime in the near future!

In an effort to encourage repeat customers, we would like to solicit some feedback from former visitors and suggestions from others. Where should we take our guests in this massive city? Our typical tour involves a night walk around the monuments, a scrumptious dinner at Regent Thai, and a trip to the National Archives and Natural History Museum, time permitting. But we would like to branch out. To previous guests: What worked? What didn't? To any of you current or former DC-ites: do you have any suggestions for cool and/or off-the-beaten-path venues in the area? Good dining? Fun daytrips?

(Yes, this is my devious plan to get you to post comments. Suggest away!)