Capitol Hill

Oh man. So yesterday work was pretty gnarly. Both of the maritime curators (one of whom is my supervisor), will be out of town next week, which means that I'm basically on my own. So, to make sure that I stayed busy while they're gone, they each gave me some stuff to do. That means that I now have 5 research projects to do! All at the same time. Let's just say I was so ready to get out of there that I was walking into the elevator at 4:29. (I work from 8:30 to 4:30).

Last night, all I wanted to do was veg. I waited for my groceries to be delivered, but they never came. Blast those darn grocery people! Instead I ended up watching West Side Story until 1:00 a.m.

Yes, for all of you who are wondering, I was waiting for my groceries to be DELIVERED. The problem with living in metro D.C. is that there aren't any useful stores. There's all of the cute antique shops, book stores, sidewalk Indian cafes, over-priced bakeries, but there isn't a single Target, Walmart, HEB, etc. Miraculously Dad and Tammy were able to find a Bed Bath and Beyond in Chinatown when they were here.

So, anyway, the problem is that there's really no where to buy the everyday useful things that you need. If you do find them anywhere within walking distance, they're going to be marked up. Way up.

For example:
Clif Bars in Austin: $0.99
Clif Bars in College Station: $0.99
Clif Bars in Estes Park, CO: $1.50
Clif Bars in Capitol Hill: $2.00

I had previously thought that Estes was expensive. Boy was I wrong! So, basically to get cheap groceries you have to buy them online and have them delivered. Good times.

This morning I didn't wake up until noon. It was awesome! I went downstairs, ate breakfast and hung out with my roommates for a little bit. Then I decided to spread my proverbial metropolitan wings and traverse the city. Through the assistance of an online map I was directed to the Eastern Market, about a mile from my house.

For those of you who have never been to or heard of the Eastern Market let me just give you a visual: After walking through the most charming little neighborhood, you suddenly come upon a roped off street completely covered in tents and tarps. If you weren't expecting it, you'd think it was some sort of strange shanty town. But soon, you begin to realize that instead of shanties, they're produce stalls, flower markets, pumpkin patches, salsa sellers, cheese purveyors. Everything! All of which are completley packed with people. Across the street from that in another area is the Flea Market, full of all sorts of interesting folk art, jewelry, furniture, and even flower child clothing. Beside it is a long white building. As soon as you open the doors and walk in, you glance into a deli meat cooler beside you and it is full of all sorts of strange things, but the first one you can identify is an entire pig's foot. Yes, you can buy pigs' feet. The smell is really interesting. It's all bright and cheery, but the weird smell in the air, kinda puts a damper on the charming aesthetic of the place. It's some kind of combination of old produce, smelly fish, and meat. Lots and lots of meat.

Anyway, while I was there, I got some apples and pears from the Farmer's Market, and some fresh Basil Pesto from one of the vendors in the meat market. Hopefully it'll be good on the pasta I'm eventually going to get from the grocery deliverers. Hopefully.

Tonight me and some of my roommates are possibly going to go get Mexican food. Don't worry I'll give you a full report. And I'm going to go to a worship service that meets in a coffee shop down the street from my house. You'll get a full report on that too. Anyway. That's about all for now. Y'all have a wonderful day!