Just Another Day At The Office

Rather than sit in the lobby...in chairs...this guy was insistent on sitting as close inside the office as possible....which meant the floor. So yes, I flip cammed him.

Real Housewife Dishes on "Real Housewives"

DC is finally getting the respect it deserves with it's relatively new cool factor. But with cool comes celebrity, wannabees and a petri dish for both.... reality shows.

Last year it was Real World and Blonde Charity Mafia. This year it's Top Chef and the show all us Bravo addicts have been waiting for Real Housewives.

This season has already stole headlines with our own special, highly developed, local breed of gatecrashers...the Salahis.

A bona fide Real Housewife herself, (you'll notice the only cameras following her around are legitimate media) Carol Joynt, former owner of Nathan's in Georgetown and host of Q &  A cafe, sat down with the couple to get their side of White House crash. Yesterday, rather than waking up to our morning show here at 630 WMAL, she stopped by to recap for us.

Round of Applause

Tis the Season for big congrats! Sam, a good friend and colleague just graduated from film school (ok it's really not film school, but that's what she majored in - so that's what I call it!) She's been working her tail off and it finally payed off! Brace yourself world - expect big things from this chica!


Also a huge kudos to Katie Santo. Lady bug just ran a half marathon! She went from barely running across an airport to jogging 13.1 miles. And get this - Linds and I were there to cheer her across the finish line and the first thing she told us was how EASY it was. I was having a hard enough time staying awake after Tommy's birthday party the night before and let alone fathoming a breezy trek around Annapolis.

Speaking of Tommy's Birthday, that brings in the final congrats. One of my dearest friends Tommy turned 24. You can read what the DC blog chatter had to say about all his accomplishments, but the biggest is that he turned some serious lemons into lemmencello and now is doing fabulously - for any age. Congrats Tommy and Happy Birthday. We celebrated at The District in Adams Morgan with Mix 107.3's Stephanie Flax, Pamela Sorensen of Pamela's Punch, On Tap's Ashley Estill, WTOP's Bob Madigan, Chris Brown, and HOT 99.5's Toby Knapp ......good time was had by all - from what we can peace together of the evening.

Taiwan Dispatch

For all you Richer Watchers:

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck..it's probably a Richer. In this case we're talking itineraries only billionaire trophy-wife jet-setters could keep up with. After Carly graduated last month from University of Hawaii, she took off to San Diego for our cousins wedding and then off to Nicaragua for a week - just cause.

Then it was back to Hawaii for a day and straight through to Taiwan to put her shiny new Marine Biology degree to work. She was scouted by her NOAA affiliated professor to join on of their grad students in Tawian to work on coral research. Not to shabby! Here's her latest dispatch. (Thanks Kim for forwarding!)

Im in Taiwan now, and everything is awesome! Our lab is at one of the largest aquariums in the world and they have whale sharks which is super cool! We're spending upwards of 18 to 20 hours in the lab every day doing coral larvae biology, which is awesome but a lot of work. Hope your day is fun and Ill talk to you later!

In other Richer news - Carly joined skype finally!

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

Apparently there is a genetic marker for jet-setters. As the Richer clan gears up for their cross country pilgrimage for Carly's graduation in Hawaii today, (I am bringing up the rear and making an entrance tomorrow), my cousin Dave Smith will also be racking up the frequent flier miles. He and his girlfriend will be studying abroad in Japan for the summer.

As you're downplaying your jealously (ok fine replace your with Jen in the previous statement), feel free follow along as the crazy kids get their blog on as they adventure. (also a genetic marker for blogging! It's the reporting/hamming it up gene!)

There's Only Room For...

Sean Hannity and Mark Levin sign their new books at Tyson's Corner.

From The Road Friday

Parking in DC is quite the spectator sport. 

Bullies are in Bumper bras, out. 

Ladies and Gents Step Right up...We Have a Sucker!

Ugh I hate to admit this but after months of defiantly ignoring the buzz of the DC Real World circus, I finally have been sucked in. Don't get me wrong, I love me some junk reality tv (did anyone say Real Housewives?) but I'm not going to lie, I think I'm hooked (don't worry John - not LOST hooked, just enough to not gag every time it's mentioned in a conversation.)

There was a story this morning in the Reliable Source about a Bethesda woman signing the waiver while intoxicated, and now she's suing. Apparently, while she was trying to lure a cast member away from his girlfriend, she came off as a bit snarky to say the least. So here I am, 6 am in the newsroom, reading the original filing trying to track down the appearance on mtv.com.

Thank goodness they post the episodes in full online - but because I have no frame of reference.  I had to sift through the episodes and babaBLAM - that's when I was sucked into the black hole of another junk tv show. Sucker! It's not even that good - it's like watching sophomore year all over again only this time as the outsider.

Looks like I will be loading this crap onto my ipod for my flight next week. I have 20 hours to kill after all. (DC to Hawaii for Carlys Grad+ Hawaii to San Diego for Rachael's Wedding+ San Diego to DC for reality= 20.)

This one kills me - for all you fellow wonks - just watch the kid in the WH briefing room - Gates is going right over his head. Flashbacks of my Freshman year culture shock. (Then you realize everyone has a one-sheet at their finger tips. That comes senior year.) And he had the opportunity to do a poli-toon for the now defunct Washington Times. Dun Dun Dunnnnn. For the Digi kids in the house - I know you're thinking it too -way to reach out to the dead-tree versions kid - where is your millennial ingenuity!

Real World XXIII: Washington DC - MTV Shows

Bulb Blitz Crystal City

For all of you playing hookie on Friday:

The Floral Frenzy: Bulb Blitz is this Friday, May 7th, from 9-11AM. Come to the 2100 and 2200 block of Crystal Drive ready to dig up tulip bulbs and take them home for planting in your garden! The event is free and open to all. The Crystal City BID will provide trowels for digging and small bags to help you take the bulbs home. Garden Guides provides some helpful tips on digging up and preserving your bulbs for the best time to plant them in your own garden.

Put Your Thanks Where Your Mouth Is!

The idea is simple - to honor, remember, recognize and above all - appreciate our service members. There is nothing political about that. I don't care what your stand on the war is. These are our people. My step-brother Jeff just got home over the weekend from his 15th trip to the middle east, it was his 12th time in Iraq.

For 11 years a small but determined group of volunteers in San Diego sought more than just three-day weekends, that often celebrate no more than vacation time. They demanded a month of recognition for our troops…… and in 1999 The United States Senate designated May as National Military Appreciation Month. This is the second year we at the station have participated in that effort.

Sam and I created this video to continue that mission, to remember those who have served and to honor those who continue to protect us. Please pass it on.

New Orleans Rent-al

At fifteen, I couldn't wait to shake the parental units. Fast-forward ten years and I can't wait to hang with them. Who knew they were so cool? (k - well I did - but I would never have said while they were within earshot.) So when Dad and Kim bit the bullet and moved down south, cutting my flight time for a visit in half (it was for me after all - not Dad's work assignment- chuh) - I kicked my kayak.com self into high gear and managed to finagle a weekend of hang time in. What's not to love -down time with the big kids, not to mention - being the only child for the weekend. Plus, I was able to line it up with Jazz Fest - what has been defined by the locals as the authentic New Orleans holiday (as opposed to the imported Mayhem of Mardi Gras).

I hadn't been to the whoodat nation since aforementioned shit show. So the plan was: fly in, burn through my magazine stock on the flight (2 months behind), hang with the parents, get fat, do some jazz fest, and roll out. The real success of the weekend was I made my flights - both of them - shocker.

I rolled in alright - completely exhausted from the week. All I wanted to do Friday night was pjs and sleep. But Dad and Kim were so flipping adorable. I was expecting to the obligatory rolling curbside pick up. But as I come down the gang plank - there are these two little faces peeking out from the Useless TSA Forbidden items/threat level placard. Damn near scared the crap out of me. Loved it.

I was so hungry that Dad vetoed Mother's (a highly recommended diner) and opted for a local dive in Bucktown called Deanie's. EVERYTHING on the menu was deep fried. So I thought I'd combat that with a salad and share some shrimp off Kim's plate. Only their small servings could feed three. Shamelessly I waddled out. Mission accomplished.

The next morning - Kim and I got up early to get our walk on to hopefully clear some room for the rest of our gastro-weekend. I think we may have spent more calories gabbing than striding.  They're neighborhood has three lakes - and I kid you not - Kim knows every web footed resident. Bonus Mom gets bonus points for trying to pawn me off on the single neighbors, quaking and otherwise.

The plan was to hit the jazz fest - but I had been whining about my quickly depreciating caffeine levels - I was demanding a Starbuckios sippie cup. So to shut me up - Dad pulled over. Only my green headed maiden was not the Seattle goddess - she was a Frenchie caked in powdered sugar called Cafe du Monde. I'd been to the sticky dive in the French Quarter last year - but who knew the powdered sugar, cash-only palace was a franchise! I split the beignet and splurged on my big cup o' joe.

Not only did they look at me like I was crazy - the clerk openly judges, "You gonna drink all that?" Before I could fire a witty zinger back - Dad jumps in with a, "hell yeah - she's from DC." To which the line (clearly eavesdropping) understandingly nods in unison. Once again the caffeinated cheese stands alone.


Wholly unprepared for the our next stop, we make our way to the Jazz Fest. Couple of notes for next time - not media, flip flop, definitely not conservative Palin-loving-parent-friendly and if you didn't pack your umbrella/camp chair/ or rain boots - not Jen friendly. It's a great deal - $60 for a full day of awesome performances but when Dad offered to drop me off rather than buy into activity, I started making plans to go next year with my sissie and our matching Koozies instead.

Instead we headed back to the French Quarter. Dad insisted on taking me to see Marie Laveau's tomb. I'm thinking dead people over covers of the Grateful dead? Really? But I have to say - the man did his research. He's zipping between tombs (totally creepy btw - there are over 600,000 people burried in this graveyard the size of a city block) firing off facts like an ipad loaded to a Wikipedia page. Thirty minutes later we finally get to Marie Laveau's - the voodoo queen's, tomb. I could go through all the info but here's the important part - everyone comes here to make a wish on her tomb. And there are quite a few "thank yous" on there too. Say what you will about throwing salt over you shoulder - but this diva's got something going on when people are coming back to say thanks. So here Kim and I are marking x's and spinning around like fools. If you told us to hop on one foot and say the alphabet backwards I bet we would have done that too. Not the highest point in my wishmaking career.

Then we hit Canal Street for a little shopping and more food! Don't judge - I said FAT! So we split a muffaletta at Central grocery and a pellegrino. Then swung by the tourist trap - Jimmy Buffet's for a Mojito. I've had better - but Daphne the bartender was HILARIOUS. If your in town say hi for me!

On the way back - it occurred to me where I get my frugality - Dad insisted we play in Harrah's casino for 30 minutes so we could get free parking. BRILLIANT! They even won $30 between the two of them. I lost $10 but earned it back in cocktails. Should have brought my own sippy cup - shake shake. Just sayin.

We had these big plans to cap the night with a movie and ice cream but Kim and I fell asleep as soon as our purses hit the couch - let alone our bums. I'd like to blame it on couch commando and his NHRA but we were whooped.

Day two they tried so hard to keep me entertained. I have to be honest we could have driven in circles and I would have been completely happy.

They drove me through the Garden District and like a good real estate agent - told me how perfect I would fit into these multimillion dollar estates. "Look Jen - there's even a Land Rover. You could move down here and work for the news media (guess who else listens to talk radio) and cover the corruption. That's a hot story." Thanks Dad I've still got my work cut out inside the beltway. The sad part is - I think he was serious.

As the tornado watch burned we had breakfast at the original O' Henry's and toured the neighborhood.


Then it was time to catch the ugly flight - N.O. to Chi-town and red eye into BWI. Stupid Jen...Stupid Stupid Stupid. What part of red-eye did I miss? I had just enough time to drop my suitcase - change into work clothes and head into the District for work.

Apparently Pres. Obama had the same idea I did, because on the way to the airport, Air Force One was taking off right over our heads. He was in town for the oil spills. And while Dad and Kim were dumbfounded - I'm thinking - wait- come back - I need a direct flight back to DC too.

New AWLENS

Dad and Kim finally made the hard move to the Big Easy from San Diego. If you haven't heard me gushing yet...I am a HUGE fan of move!

They are now just a few hours instead of a days worth of flight time away....and my super Bonus Mom is really good about keeping me abreast of the differences between So Cal and No-leans.

For example....the neighbors....do you think Hermes gives a discount if you bring your own material?