48 Hours of Non-Stop Action

The 100 day old Panda cub at the Washington National Zoo finally has a name: Tai Shan – which means “Peaceful Mountain.” More info at: (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/17/AR2005101700397.html)

I, myself, was rather partial to “Butterstick,” which is how everyone described what the panda looked like when he was born. It seemed kinda catchy . . . Maybe it would be a good name for a cat?

Weekend Antics: Our weekend started Friday night, when we went to downtown D.C. to meet my friend, L, for drinks at [Local DC Cigar & Martini Bar] before heading out to [Semi-Upscale Pizza Chain]. Mr. Random and I got downtown at 6:30 PM, where L and her friends were already well on their way, drink-wise. It was Happy Hour, and there was a promotion by Absolut Vodka with promo girls giving out free drink tickets. I’m not much of a drinker (especially on an empty stomach) so I mostly stood around and people watched. You couldn’t really have a conversation, it was so loud, and we got there too late to get a table so we were standing at the bar. The bartender knew L, though, and although we all had about 12 drinks, he only charged us 12 bucks for the night when we left at 8:30. (We need get L to come back to DC to hang out more often!)

As much as I enjoyed Happy Hours when I was younger, I’m glad I don’t have to do the “meet market” part of the scene anymore . . . that’s for sure!

Went to the Clarendon Day festival on Saturday and caught up with some friends of ours who just moved down to the Southeastern Virginia area. The wife just got a job as an Art History Professor at a public college, and the husband telecommuntes for his job up here in D.C. They were able to buy a nice 4 bedroom house with a yard, but they miss the urban environment and all of their friends. It was really good to see them and hear how they are adjusting. It was also a really beautiful day just to be walking around.

Since we were in the neighborhood, we went to see our friend, C, and take her out to dinner. We hadn’t talked to her in a couple of weeks and wanted to see how she was doing. C did get a couple of freelance jobs, but one is intermittent and the other one she does not seem to be getting along with the project manager. She is still not making enough money to cover her rent and bills, but somehow, while we were with her managed to spend $50 on doggie treats for her ailing dog. I could understand buying treats for the poor thing, but NOT $50 worth. Then at dinner she ordered the most expensive special on the menu, so Mr. Random and I let her pay for her own food . . . we were kind of annoyed. When we got home, I told Mr. Random that I am entirely stumped . . . every time I see this woman now, I get really annoyed, even though I am trying to be a friend and all while not trying to enable her destructive habits, but where is the line? I would feel horrible abandoning someone who is obviously spiraling downward with few friends, but I don’t know if my psychic energy can take her anymore . . .

On Sunday, we went to the Bethesda Row Art Festival, and there actually was a lot of quality art there. Mr. Random and I actually bought a poster sized photograph for our bedroom, by the photographer John Stine. He took at lot of pictures of a Shaker Village in Kentucky, and all of his photos have a peaceful, spare, simple and elegant quality that is associated with shaker design and architecture. He is about to go the New Zealand for two years so he was selling a lot of his work for 50% off. I only wish I had more money, because there were two other framed photos that I would have loved to take home. I had him sign the picture on the back of the frame, and he personalized it for us “To [Random Kath and Mr. Random], 10-26-05, John Stine.” Awesome!

Wow, the day has flown by! I have no poems for today, not enough time to look for one.

I hope you all had good weekends! What did you guys do?