washwords

Yes, this is an actual conversation I heard on the Orange Line towards New Carrolton. Ah, Washington in the summer… bring on the interns and the summer associates. Some towns have sports talk. We have this (transcribed as closely as I could write on the back of an Express newspaper from my nearby seat)

Obvious summer associate 1 (let’s call him L1): The Harvard girl… how old is she?

L2 (yep, another one. I know, in DC. What are the odds?): 30 something.

—LONG PAUSE WHILE L1 AND L2 PONDER HOW OLD HARVARD GIRL IS. IT ALMOST DEFIES EXPLANATION! —

L2: She took some time off. [me and L1, thinking, “ahh. that explains it.”

L2: To work for the Cheneys.

L1: What??

L2: She took some time off, to work for the Cheneys.

L1 (and me):     !

L2 repeats again.

L1: Really?

L2: Yes. On a Project.

L1: (smirking) which was…. Read the rest of this entry »

Attention all DC’ers: bloggers, photogs, neighbors, friends – if you’re in DC (or okay, just this once, the greater DC area. yep, even you orange_liners), consider this your battle call. Here’s what I want tout suite (yep, demanding, but there’s PRIZES involved):
1) one reason why you LOVE DC.
2) one thing you hate/snark/whine/mock about DC (can’t think of any? me either, try virginia)
3) A DC favorite or secret (can be a restaurant, a deal, a park, an intersection, you name it)
4) your favorite DC photo (own the rights please! that means you took it)
5) one DC blogger we might not know about.

Okay, so I’m demanding, So I’m giving you till the end of the month! May 31, 11:59 p.m.

How Where What? Huh?

So typically this is done with a blog post. While I’m probably already stalking you if you’re here, it can’t hurt to send me a short email, tag your photo “washwords” in flicker or for:washwords in del.ic.io.us (fear not if you don’t know what the heckily I’m talking about, just shoot me an email). BUT washwords is an equal opportunity contest promoter so…

Don’t live in DC? You can play too if you have DC knowledge! Sit tight, if not. There will be more contests and most won’t require anything at all, let alone all this work!)

Don’t have a blog? Shoot me an email. Include all the stuff I mention here. Don’t have email? Well, hmm. That’s gonna be tougher. I’ll work on it.

While clearly, I can’t play for prizes (and they’re gonna be good), I will be posting the entries starting with mine on a separate page here. Coming SOON!

Good luck! May the best blogger/photog/writer/READER win!

Despite my fabulous spa vacation, and despite my snarkery about all things DC, in truth this is where I’m meant to be.

I loved relaxing on the beach, getting spa treatments and I’m grateful (SO grateful) to have the resources and time to treat myself so. I do feel refreshed in a way I know I desperately needed (the first clue was when I started getting annoyed, genuinely angry, at people asking me to do, you know, like WORK, at work). But… ultimately? the relaxed lazy meandering pace? not really for me. I’m a city girl at heart, at core, specifically a DC girl.

Getting back to town, we walked straight from gate to waiting cab to a heated treatise on what’s wrong with Read the rest of this entry »