Saturday Outing!

My roommates and I were getting a little stir-crazy this past week so we decided that we needed a Saturday outing. Lucky for us, there was a craft fair being held in the northeast quadrant called “Crafty Bastards”. So Mackenzie, Abby, and I took the train all the way out to the NOMA-Gallaudet metro stop so that we could walk to the fair, which was located in front of Union Market.  

Now that's a beautiful wrist.

Overall, the craft fair wasn’t our thing; we were expecting grandmas with embroidered pillowcases. (Which was dumb, the fair was called Crafty Bastards… whose grandma hosts a craft fair called Crafty Bastards?) Instead, we found the hipster apocalypse, complete with ridiculously overpriced knickknacks.

However, the outing wasn’t a complete waste because we discovered two new eateries. First we checked out Union Market, which is essentially a mall of mini restaurants and grocery stores. The place smelled amazing and we definitely plan to go again!

Showstoppers. 

Then…then we found the holy grail!

Just East of Union Market sits a collection of ethnic food markets. Among these markets is the most amazing little Mexican market that doesn’t have a name. At this market, we bought a pineapple, a mango, 1 large bag of rice, tortillas, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, 4 large tomatoes, 2 plantains, 10 jalapeños, 8 yellow onions, a bunch of fresh corn, 1 bunch of cilantro, 1 head of purple cabbage, and beets, ALL FOR UNDER $15!!!!!!!!!!

I literally squealed when the cashier rang up the total price.

The Magical Market!

Look how festive!

  

In order to celebrate this new grocery store find we had our friend Jessica over for dinner and we made fried fish tacos with pineapple mango salsa, Spanish rice, and black beans. It was the best meal that we have had in weeks!

The last supper...

Lesson of the day: Don’t let failed outings get you down. Just remember, most Bastards aren’t even Crafty enough to find cheap produce! 

ELECTION NIGHT!!!

If you were to ask me why I chose to study in D.C. this semester, I would say:

1) To find Barack Obama and make him fall in love with me

2) And/or John Boehner

3) Because it’s an election year

On November the 6^th, one and a half of these dreams came true... 

As you may recall, I am currently an intern at the newspaper The Hill, and excitingly, on election night I was asked to cover the national RNC party, which was held in the Reagan Building downtown. So my fellow intern Colby and I got all gussied up and headed out to the shindig. 

Can you say business casual??

If Uncle Sam married the Statue of Liberty their reception would look like this party… The venue was decked out in red white and blue; there was a ton of free food, and a slew of country music performers including Rodney Atkins and Jo Dee Messina.

The Party :)

For our part, Colby and I had arrived at the party with instructions to find famous people, talk to them, and note interesting tidbits along the way. But, as the night wore on, we began to see that we were failing. By 8:30 we had yet to find a single lawmaker. However, I knew that John Boehner was scheduled to speak at 9:00 so I planted myself at the front of the stage at 8:40, determined to be in the first row, which is where I ended up snapping this lovely picture.

The tan man of my dreams...

Right after the speech I realized that my phone was about to die, so Colby and I set out to find an electrical outlet. Eventually we found one in a small hallway in the back of the building. As I bent down to plug in my phone Colby started beating me violently on the back. So I turned to say “Colby, hold on a second I’m trying to plug my phone in.” As I turned around, however, I saw John Boehner walk out of a door across the hallway and step onto an escalator accompanied by at least 10 people in staff and security.

When I saw him he waved at me and then we had a mini conversation that went like this:

Gracie: “Hi!”

Boehner: “Hi there, how are you?”

Gracie: “I’m great. How has your night been?”

Boehner: “Great so far, I think.”

Gracie: “Well have a great one sir!”

At this point I’m pretty sure he was about to proclaim his love for me, but then he reached the end of the escalator so he just waved goodbye instead.

This was when I noticed Colby…Poor Colby in her panic couldn’t even make herself look at him. Instead she just stood facing me, giggling uncontrollably with her hands covering her face: they were her only defense.  After he was gone she looked at me and said, “I always cry when I see famous people." Then, she burst into tears! Later we decided that it was fine that she had acted this way. It had made the whole situation more dramatic and therefore much more fun!

About two hours later Mitt Romney lost the election, and let me tell you, that party shut down faster than a jackrabbit on hot pavement. So I left to join some of my fellow DC programmers who had spread themselves around the city at private parties, in clubs, in the excitement filled streets, and even at the White House where thousands of people had gathered and where apparently, a naked man had climbed a tree.

I know that many of my fellow programmers this semester chose to come to D.C. to be here on election night. I can only speak for myself, but I have to say, D.C. did not disappoint! 

Lesson of the day: No matter how successful your day has been, a dashing tan man can always turn it around... Unless, perhaps, you're Mitt Romney.

Halloween!

   I must admit, the students of the DC Program had a very lack-luster Halloween this year. We had a 10 page lit review due the night of the 31^st and another paper due several days later Accordingly, my roommates and I spent Halloween typing away in our tiny living room as the end of my childhood became brutally official at the ripe age of 20.

            To make up for this sadness, my household decided to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve several days late with a group party. So we decorated our house, made homemade apple cider and ginger snaps, and sent out a sassy invite.

Hey everybody! Gracie, Abby and I think it is time we

have another group get together. So tomorrow from 5-8 pm

we will be hosting a fall party. We know this is last

minute so we will provide some food etc, but if everyone

can try to rally and bring something that would be great!

Let us know ASAP what you can bring. Costumes

are suggested and there will be a pumpkin carving contest

(with a special prize for the winner). So BYOP... bring

your own pumpkin. Also, Gracie would like this to

be a costume party with a cat theme and, therefore,

would appreciate cat costumes from everybody.
Now just to recap:, BYOP, BYOCC (cat costume)

            Unfortunately, only my roommates, my visiting sister, and I dressed as cats, but hey, we still had a great time! We ate cookies, and, sang songs, and everything was great, that is, until we played charades.

            In my eyes, this final game showcased the biggest downfall of the CMC administration.  CMC produces economic geniuses, debating phenoms and even long boarding pros, but as I witnessed, CMC students are left to graduate with little to no charade skills.

            We were pitiful. So pitiful, in fact, that laughter-induced tears filled my eyes as I watched the group’s feeble attempts to act out simple clues like “Kim Kardashian” and “Hurricane Sandy”. Though I hate to admit it, deep down I know that if we were forced to face a team of Scrippsies with their CORE backgrounds, which undoubtedly included a class or two on interpretive dance, we would have been trounced.

            Regardless of our epic failure at charades, however, the get together was such a success that everyone ended up staying late!

            The next morning, some of us met up to go to the National Cathedral, which is gorgeous! I would very much recommend this activity to anyone, religious or not, just for the cultural and musical aspects.

            Then after the service we headed to the U St Corridor for some Ethiopian food at Dukem.

            All in all it was a great weekend for the DC Program crew!

What a Lady's Man! Get it Nick (Please note the pumpkin garland)

Gingersnap Love :)

Our beauty astounds, or so I've been told

The Gentlemen

The hostesses/roommates (Abby missed the act like cats memo)

My sister! Yes, I know, we look alike.

The Cathedral Crew

The National Cathedral

A big'ol pile of Ethiopian food!

Grocery Store Panic Attack!

First, I think that I should preface this post by saying that I am cheap… very cheap, especially when it comes to food. I would say a good 90% of my diet comes from leftovers or food that I’ve filched from events, and then “doctored up” as my mother would say. So there it is, I’m going to shout it from the rooftops, I LOVE CHEAP FOOD! Now to my story.

                 

 A few weeks ago we had a DC program pot-luck dinner (a very fun evening that I’m sure everyone on the program would recommend) For the party, my tribe (Abby Mackenzie and I) decided to bring an apple brown betty and queso with chips. I needed several ingredients for these two dishes so I decided to stop by the grocery store after work.

          

So, that evening, I got onto good’ol Google Maps and routed from my office to “grocery store” not bothering to look at which grocery store I would be routed to. When I arrived at 14 and P St, I found myself at the Austin-native Whole Foods, a store that I had never before entered. At first the flowers out front and the pretty signs hanging to and fro delighted me...but then I saw the prices. Green apples were $4.50/lb. Let me be clear, these were not magical apples, just green ones. Corn chips were five dollars a bag and a little bag a sugar was going to set me back $6. As I filled my little green basket (That’s not intended to be a pun, but I’m sure it is) my heart began to race, I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my forehead.

           

These emotions were only made worse by the fact that I was surrounded by the creature whom I despise the most… hipsters. Everywhere I looked there were old lady glasses and funny looking mustaches, skinny jeans on men and women holding ridiculously prices food items yet wearing distinctly thrift store clothing.

As I stood there holding my little basket of overprices goods I realized that all that was left on my list was Velveeta, o yes I said it, fake cheese. And I thought to myself, “Maybe I should go and ask that girl where I can find the Velveeta.” At which point I realized, “There’s no Velveeta in this store, and that woman will think I’m insane if I ask her.”

And that was it. I panicked. The words “No red blooded American shops in a store where they don’t sell fake cheese popped into my head.” So I dropped my basket, (with a loud bang I might add) and I literally ran out of the store, much to the bemusement of the many hipsters.

Outside of the store, I instantly called my roommate Abby to inform her that I had had a panic attack in the Whole Foods, and God love her that girl took me right over to Giant, the grocery store where I belong, and where we saved a total of $18 with coupons that very day!

                                             

                                                              (Giant at Columbia Heights)

First Post: Dos and Don'ts!

Hello CMC, my name is Gracie Mahan and I am a junior IR major with a focus on Security Studies in the D.C. program. For the rest of the semester I will be writing biweekly blog posts to keep you updated on my capitol tomfoolery. Today I thought that I would introduce myself and then recount the five dos and don’ts of D.C., which I have learned since my great Eastward migration.

I am originally from the High Plains of Texas, the bustling city of Lubbock to be more precise, where the cotton grows as thick as the Texan accents. In DC, I live with my two wonderful roommates Abby and Mackenzie in a basement apartment on U Street, and I work at the congressional newspaper The Hill. In the apartment, I am the resident cook and I have become known for my habit of constantly singing, both in private and in public (I have a vast repertoire of songs about Texas). My roommates like to joke that it allows for them to keep track of me everywhere we go. I have a debilitating fear of all rodents, from bunnies to beavers, I love of DC so far, and that pretty much sums me up!

And now for the Dos and Don’ts:

                                               Dos 

1. Whether you’re visiting for the weekend or staying for a semester you have to go and see the monuments. Everyone does it, but only a few know the secret to monument viewing glory… you have to go and see them at night! At night, the monuments literally glow, plus they’re much less crowded. I would suggests going with a date of some sort because, let’s be honest, there is nothing more romantic that canoodling with that special someone while a stone faced Abraham Lincoln glares down at you.   

 

                                                   (Here I am at the Lincoln Monument at night)

2. Go to Eastern Market: If a farmer and a flea had a baby, and then that baby started a market, it would be Eastern Market and it’s great! Eastern Market has everything you could ever want plus a lot of vegetables you’ve never even heard of. They also serve a kickin breakfast.

 

(This is literally the worst picture of Eastern Market. I swear, it's beautiful!) 

3. Shop at Giant: Cheap individuals, such as myself, will quickly be driven to panic by the general price of food within the District, but have no fear, Giant is here! Giant Food stores are cheap and they have a great selection. I would recommend getting a Giant card and using the location at Columbia Heights. 

4. Always pack two pairs of shoes: Ladies! Wrangle your inner divas, save your blistering feet, and always bring a change of shoes.

5. Walk!: The D.C. Metro is great, and by great I mean ridiculously expensive. Accordingly, the most important D.C. Do is to walk everywhere; it saves you money, makes you more familiar with the city, and gives you a bit of exercise!

                                                                 Don’ts 

1. Don’t start conversations with panhandlers: Where I grew up it’s rude to ignore people, so when I first arrived in DC I would respond to every homeless man’s beckoning by saying “No thank you, but have a wonderful day sir.” This resulted in my being heckled several times. Lesson: sometimes in city lingo “have a nice day” translates to “ please follow me, I like you.” 

2. Don’t contract critter paranoia (I myself suffer from this): There are rats in D.C., and rats are terrible, but a rat does not make every ambient noise that you hear, and there aren’t little critters lurking in every dark alleyway, so don’t allow yourself to panic; it can really disrupt your sleeping habits. 

3. Don’t try to ride the metro with no hands: I have seen many a drunken daredevil face-plant on the trains whilst trying to subway surf with no hands. Believe me, the trains are joltier than you’d expect! 

4. Don't try to play a board game with CMC DC students: It’s no secret that CMC is composed of a bunch of type A personalities, it’s also no secret that the DC Program tends to attract the type “A”iest of the type “A’s”. Accordingly, a DC program board game is nothing less then a battle of the alpha males. 

5. Don’t talk bad about your boss around town: As soon as you get to DC everyone will start telling you “DC is a small city, so don’t say anything bad about anyone in public. It will probably get back to them.” I’m not sure I buy this…but just in case, if you are going to gossip in public, make sure that it is stuff that you completely make up! So then, your ranting can result in town-wide rumors concerning fake stories about fake people!

 

(Here I am creepin on my way down to the metro where I probably made stuff up with no hands!)

Make sure to tune in next time! I'm going to recount my first panic attack!

DCMCers

There are roughly 17 other people in DC experiencing the same excitement, stress and workload you are during your time there. It must be something in the water, but CMC manages to select some pretty amazing kids, so it's worth getting to know your whole group. Here are some activities you can consider doing as a whole group, or in small bunches:

• DC photo scavenger hunt by night- break off into a few teams and explore the wonders of DC. A few suggestions include taking a picture with a CMC alum (Ian McGinnity is usually available if you need someone) and taking a picture with a deceased former president.
  
• Apt hang out- stuff all 18 people in a 4 person apartment, buy some Doritos and refreshments and bake some cookies... this is all you need for a fun and relaxing night in DC.
  
• For those who are 21, hit up happy hour with the rest of the DC population. The city rests on a fully developed happy hour culture, and as a mere 20 year old, I can tell you I felt left out. You're bound to see some famous faces while you're out (mine, unfortunately, not included)!
  

DC Museums

DC is chalk full of museums, and despite your best intentions at the beginning of the semester, I can tell you that you probably won't make it to all the places you want to see. Here are four museums that I recommend seeing for four different reasons (in no particular order):

• The National Gallery of Art: The National Gallery has so many amazing exhibits. It's a huge museum, so I recommending setting aside at least 3 hours for checking it out.
  
  
• The Holocaust Museum: Powerful, sobering and inspiring- everyone who visits DC should take time to visit the Holocaust Museum.
  
  
• The Botanic Gardens: Only a few minutes from the Capitol, I occasionally took my lunch break at the Gardens. The garden's are vibrant and beautiful, and the gardeners are friendly, knowledgeable, nerdy and all around wonderful.
  
  
• The American Indian Museum: Not only do you learn a lot from the exhibits, you'll eat some of the best food in DC at the museum cafeteria.
  

Try and set aside at least one or two weekends a month to check out everything DC has to offer... and don't miss these fantastic museums!