The 4th July, Eastern Market, and Road House

Happy Birthday America!!!!

I spent the night in Alexandria at Norm and Virginia’s place. It was nice not waking up in a dorm. After a fantastic breakfast of Crab cake Eggs Benedict (Words cannot express how good this was, I literally made inappropriate sounds), I headed back to dorm for the late shift on the 4th.

Although in the five years that I have been associated with the program I have been able to effectively been able to dodge July 4th duty I was asked to help this year. I guess that’s fair. We packed a picnic dinner and headed to Antietam National Battle Field in Maryland for a concert by the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and fireworks. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Some chatted, others played catch with the football or Frisbee, another group walked the battlefield, and I …, napped. The concert was great and the fireworks were spectacular!

Sunday, July 5th
I spent the day with Norm and Virginal. We ate lunch at the newest Matchbox location in south of Capital Hill. Their mini-burgers set the standard for all others to live by.

Afterwards we walked over to Eastern Market to shop for the fixings’ for the dinner I was cooking later that evening. The market area was incredible. So much to see, do, buy, and EAT! They have just finished remodeling the whole place after it burnt down in the early hours at the end of April of 2007.

Link to Washington Post Story about the fire

They had clothing, flowers, artwork, and all kinds of other things around the area of the enclosed market. Inside the market there was every kind of food conceivable. I had no problem picking up all of the items that I needed for the feast I was preparing.

Link to Washington Post Story about the reopening

After we returned the house I cooked up the food and we enjoyed our meal. The evening entertainment was the movie Road House starring Patrick “Pain don’t hurt” Swayze. Pure gold folks. I must have watched that movie a million times the summer after college. Dalton the Cooler (Bouncer) was part Rocky, part Buddha in a dumb movie sort of way. Long live the Double Deuce. I embedded a little Road House to wet your palette.