Monday Morning Circle Time

Originally uploaded to flickr by skinandbone

There is something to be said for a cool breeze, low humidity and temperatures in the low- to mid-80s. While it’s not yet time to squeeze into a pair of jeggings and slip on some knee-high boots, it gives me hope that fall — by far the best season in the District — is just around the corner. How did THIH writers and editors spend this unseasonably cool weekend? Read on to find out!

Maria walked around the neighborhood both Saturday and Sunday, enjoying a mild local weekend.  She tried to photograph a pizza mid-toss at Seventh Hill and failed, and enjoyed becoming the mayor of las placitas on foursquare a little too much.

Jon: Spent Friday being entertained: in the morning at Port Discovery in Baltimore watching my toddler climb up rope ladders and pretending to sing karaoke in the mock music studio, and in the evening at Theatre Lab DC’s production of “Rent.”  Saturday morning was spent at Old Maryland Farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and the day ended with a nice dinner at La Loma followed by a trip to the Dairy Godmother for fancy popsicles.  Sunday was spent catching up on life–yard work, laundry, and grocery shopping followed by a dinner with family in Alexandria.  We successfully covered the entire DC metro area in 3 days.

Claudia: Friday night I had dinner at the new Carmine’s restaurant downtown and got to check out the secret service entrance. On Saturday I took a photography class through the Smithsonian Resident Associates program, then had dinner at 7th Hill, and ended the day with an amusing round of Scrabble and Apples to Apples with some neighborhood friends. I used the rain on Sunday as an excuse to be lazy and read and catch up on some house chores before having a relaxing dinner with family.

Liz: Still at the beach, doing back-to-school shopping in the seashell shops. Gotta accessorize the blue and white uniforms with starfish pencil holders and scrub down with seashell-shaped clean-behind-your-ears soap. Someone’s cutting in front of me now at Kohr’s Custards, but I don’t care because they are mixing the chocolate custard with the strawberry for me.

Jen: Friday we met up with some good friends from the Hill who had just arrived in Switzerland and we toured Chateau Chillon, a medieval castle. That evening my husband and I escaped after dinner and went to the casino in Montreux, not as sketchy as AC but not a James Bond Monte Carlo crowd either. Saturday we went to the new Cailler (Nestle) chocolate museum and factory and were impressed depsite a disappointing lack of of Oompa Loompas; the kids stuffed their pockets with chocolate samples for which I am deeply grateful. Sunday brought more rain which was annoying but I did get to see a spectacular rainbow that went from Lake Geneva and seemed to end somewhere up in Heidi country.

Nichole: Friday I had “girls night out” on H Street starting with Happy Hour at Toyland, followed by beers and whiskey at Little Miss Whiskeys, and ended the evening at H Street Country Club with ‘ritas and skeeball. Saturday I worked at Arts On N followed by a wonderful nap and then tacos at a neighbors’. Sunday was more Arts on N and then a great, if occasionally bumpy dinner at Acqua al 2 followed by after dinner drinks at Ted’s Bulletin. I love that the Hill has become a destination for friends not just because they want to visit me but because we have the food and drink to lure others to our amazing neighborhood!

Robert: Friday drove from Bozeman to Grand Teton National Park, via Yellowstone. In the rain. Saturday & Sunday: Yellowstone Park in glorious weather.

Kyra: This weekend I traveled 120 miles north to the great state of New Jersey. Including the extra two hours added to our trip courtesy of the Delaware toll plaza on Interstate 95, we spent a good deal of our weekend in the car. We drove to the park and to pick up pizza for lunch. I drove to a bridal shower that was literally in a field in the middle of no where. As much as I love my home state and the family that still lives there, I wouldn’t trade my car-free life on the hill  for all of the affordable housing and tomatoes in New Jersey.