Sassy Margarita!

Ok, yes, I'm really ready for fall and really tired of the insanely hot DC weather.  Especially this last bout of 90 degree insanity we're having this week.  But I guess there are some things I'll miss about summer.

First, the pool (duh).  Growing up in San Diego, when I first heard that pools out here were only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, it confirmed my suspicions that I had moved to some alien planet of wtf-ness.  But, I've grown accustomed to that rule.  So that means ... THIS WEEKEND IS THE LAST WEEKEND FOR THE POOL.  I know.  It's like the apocalypse.  Every year.  So while yes, I'm hot and tired of sweating on the metro every frickin' morning (surrounded by people who - and I'm sorry this isn't PC - don't choose to wear deodorant and somehow already smell like the end of the world at 8 am), sweating at the pool while I deepen my tan is totally different.  And completely acceptable.  Given that I start to panic around every Thursday when I swear that my legs don't look as tan as they did Monday morning, no longer being able to OD on sunshine every Saturday or Sunday morning is going to be rough.

Luckily, Mom and I have a lazy-river-vacation-getaway planned for mid-September, so I'll get a chance to recharge my tan right as it's entering the danger zone.

But the other thing I realized I'll miss this weekend:  margaritas.  Sadly, while I come from the school of you-can-drink-whatever-you-want, whenever-you-want, it's just not the same to mix up a batch of margs in the fall or winter.  I had a bit of a rough day on Saturday, which required a batch of my Dad's should-be-patented pink lemonade margaritas.  So I figured I'd share the recipe ... summer doesn't officially end until September 21, so while the pools close before then (see? wtf!) you can still get in plenty of margaritas!

Ingredients:
1 can of thawed pink lemonade mix
(Tip:  Just run it under hot water if you're pulling it right out of the freezer.  Sometimes margaritas are an emergency situation, and you don't have time to plan ahead and thaw!)
4 shots of tequilla
2 shots of triple sec
(I totally use the cheap stuff for both the tequilla and triple sec in this recipe.  Can't taste the difference!)
Fill the rest of the blender with ice.

Directions:

Blend until lovely and pink and delicious-looking.

Try to resist the urge to just eat from the blender with a spoon ...

Pour and enjoy!

(Bendy straw optional ... but really, you know the bendy straw kinda makes the drink, so it isn't all that "optional.")

Waiting for Fall ...

Without a doubt, fall is my absolute favorite season.  Sometimes I think I try to trick myself, and say that spring or summer are my favorites.  But every time fall starts to roll around, I'm reminded where my heart belongs.

I really, seriously love those waning days of summer, when the nights start to get cool enough for you to sleep with the windows open and the days are still sunny and warm but accented with a breeze that starts to get a little cooler each day. Or that tingle of anticipation when I stare longingly at my tall leather boots in the closet, and suede peep-toes and lightweight scarves I can't wait to wind around my neck.

And animal prints!  (I really love animal prints.)

But what I love more than anything about fall is that first real hint of it in the air. You can't even describe what it smells like, but you know it when it hits you.  I always call my Dad to tell him about that first whiff of the season.  It's his favorite, too.

So while the days are still balmy and September is rushing at us with delightful speed, I'm enjoying all those signs that tell me it's coming.  And I can sit here and daydream about that deep breath when I can finally say, "mmm, smells like fall."

But of course - gasp! - that means summer is almost over.  I gotta get back to the pool!  ;)

Thursday Afternoons

The Boy and I have many traditions. One of my favorites, at least until November, is our Thursday afternoon at the Farmer's Market. As a hardworking (read: spoiled) government employee, he usually ends his day around 3, right when the White House Farmer's Market gets started on Thursday afternoons. The market has been out there on Thursday afternoons from 3 to 7 pm since early May, and will be out there till mid-November.

Anyway, since he's leaving at that time anyway, we meet up at the market every Thursday afternoon. We stroll down the street, stopping to taste a slice of an apple here or a bite of crabcake there. We stop to buy sticky buns that we will miraculously hold out on eating until the next morning, as we both agree they are somehow even better when reheated the next day (and Friday cheat day is another of our favorite little traditions, anyway). 

We stroll down to one of our favorite booths at the end of the little street to sample the dips and salsas and pick out one to buy this week. We've tried the peach salsa and liked it, even though he really isn't a fan of peaches. We are fans of the black bean dip as well. But our current love is for the Smoked Sweet Corn Dip. It's seriously delicious.

After we've made our way up the street for one pass, we always head back to the Bread Ovens stand. They have a huge selection of fresh breads, giant cookies, muffins, cupcakes, croissants and their neverending three layer carrot cake. Their prices are amazing. Like: huge black bottom cupcakes and giant cookies for only $2 apiece. We stand behind the plexi-glass partitions and try to decide what treats to try this time. This week, he tried a walnut brownie for the first time, straying from his chocolate chip cookie favorite of late. I went with a chocolate croissant.

Usually, we then step over and grab a bottle of water or a can of Sprite from the street cart vendor who's always parked right at the metro. With treats and a tasty beverage in hand, we find a spot to sit in the shade, enjoy our little snacks and get in some quality people watching. We talk about our days and start to make plans for the weekend ahead. Sometimes we make fun of one another with chocolate smeared across our lips. We often spot a co-worker of mine out for their own break and stop to wave and smile or make a quick introduction before resuming our banter.

Our Thursday afternoons are a fun little break that we both look forward to.  I'm anxious (for many reasons, actually) for the change of seasons and maybe pumpkin scones with hot coffee while we seek out the sunny spots instead of retreating to the shade.  We're not a mushy, sappy couple, but there's something about having this little rendezvous that we repeat each week that does feel decidedly romantic.  Even if it's just because we don't bicker for a whole 15 minutes.  ;)

He's away for work this week, so I'll be flying solo.  But I'm pretty sure I can still find some romance in browsing for heirloom tomatoes and gala apples by myself.

Check!

Like any other type-A thirty-something worth at least a fraction of the student loans racked up in my name, I love making lists.  Most of us do.  Not because we want to be reminded of the neverending pile of tasks we have to get through day-in and day-out, but because we want some sort of reward for getting through them.  We know that it’s unreasonable (insane?) to expect that our boyfriend is going to say, “You did laundry AND paid bills today?  Way to go, babe!”  So there has to be some sort of little reward waiting for us when we do.

Checking it off the list.  Aaaahhhh. 

Whether you use a little checkmark or a full-on strikethrough, it feels good.  Even better?  Forgetting to go back to the list until you’ve done two or three things.  *Check, check, check!*  And yeah, I sure do go ahead and write in the other things I did that weren’t on the list and then check them right off.  Trust me, I know there are plenty of others who do the same thing, so I’m not claiming it as some quirky little habit (“Well, do you know what I do? …”) that makes me special.  I own up to my neuroses. 

So.  “Start blog” has been on my to-do list for awhile.  When it just sat there and never got a checkmark, I started breaking it down.  “Think of title for blog.”  “Research good blog sites.”  “Decide what to blog about.”  Still no movement.  And then, because you know there’s nothing worse for a type-A’er like myself than an un-checked-off item on a to-do list: “Seriously, start blog!” 

I’m not sure why it became such an important thing for me to do, anyway.  Actually, I have a few ideas about that, but I’ll probably think about those more another time.  For now, I’m content with feeling like I have things to say, and wanted to find a place to put them.  Being that it’s a dreary and rainy day here in DC, it seemed like a good day to grab a latte and knock this out.  And as it turned out, it was so easy.  Voila, a home for my thoughts!

Whew.  Feels good to check that off the list.