BEST Best Summer Ever EVER

Now that we've successfully transitioned from the Best Summer Ever into the Best Fall Ever, we'd like to pay our respects (with a little bit of self-indulgence) to what has proven to be a spectacular few months. As we look back on the previous posts of the summer, we decided to highlight the good times and not-so-good times in one final goodbye to the summer.

So here it is, The Best of Our Best Summer Ever:

Race for the Cure: I like my daily dose of calcium as much as the next gal, but the idea of gulping down any sort of dairy product after running a 5K in June is not the least bit appetizing. Even as I sit here writing this, hours after the event has ended, my stomach still churns at the idea of yogurt after running.

Rolling Thunder: A lot of people went to Vietnam and fought in the Vietnam War. And then they came home. Some of them bought motorcycles. On Memorial Day, they bring those motorcycles to DC from all over the country and walk around our National Mall with plastic cups full of beer.

Krispy Kreme burger: Slide the patty on top of the half of the doughnut, making sure the cut side is on the outside. Wait! Stop right there! Top with the other half of doughnut, cut side facing up. Can't breathe, can't breathe!

Take Pride in America: So, as I am hauling branches up the Anacostia River bank, I can’t help but thing of the horrible, horrible irony of the fact that while I started this day to reconnect with America, I was ending it by assisting others chop down trees for a park used primarily by heroin addicts.

Sarasota: The routine is not completely set in stone however, Justin informed me that sometimes they mix it up and switch the order of “eat thai food” and “see a movie”. Also, there is a potential add on of “get icecream”.

Crabbing: It turns out that underneath their hard shells, beyond all the mustard (also known as “guts” or “doody”), and underneath the lungs (which look like crab meat but aren’t), crabs are pretty delicious little buggers, especially when covered in butter and Old Bay.

DC Pride Week: Coco.... her milkshake brings all the 18 year old boys to the bar

Bouquet Toss: Yes, the girl who cannot commit to watching Lost has been deemed the next bride.

American Gothic: Instead of the actual painting hanging up, there is a POSTER of the painting with a little paragraph stating that the actual painting had been in DC but it had been returned to Chicago a week earlier!

An Inconvenient Truth: Even if you are not a fan of documentaries or Mother Earth, it is worth watching the used to be the next President of the United States speak with the uncanny resemblance of Eeyore.

Loveless Café: The guy at the hotel desk had told me that Loveless was “overrated”, however we were not to be deterred as it was written up in “1000 Places to See Before You Die” and the brochure contained words of praise from both Al Roker and Willard Scott. I consider Al Roker and Willard Scott to be the most authoritative Today Show Personalities when it comes to all things eating.

Bonnaroo: So, a few weeks ago, Sheila, Ming, Will and I headed down to Manchester, TN for four days of peace, love, happiness, and portajohns.

Gomez: At one point during the show, one of the singers says, “Does anyone have britches* for (other band members name here)?” *Gomez is from England, so they say things like “britches” without being laughed at.

Wegmans: Thousands of questions began running through my mind. Will this live up to the hype? Will I get lost inside? Will Danny Wegman be serving at Danny's Deli? Am I in Buffalo?

South of the Border: The South of the Border Billboards, which featured stereotypical Mexican “Pedro” who could only be more stereotypical if there were flies buzzing around him (he already had a burro), and touted the wonderful things that South of the Border holds for the wayward I-95 passengers.

Galaxy Hut: With a capacity of only 48 and a sign made out of construction paper, Galaxy Hut is the one place in Arlington that you can be assured you will not be groped on a Saturday night.

Java: Experts recommend that to “beat the heat”, you not engage in any activity which involves moving. If you are thinking about moving, it’s recommended that you use plenty of sunscreen and consume at least 32 ounces of water an hour to stay hydrated.

DC Duck tour: We rode around on a giant boat on wheels that sucked down 900 gallons per mile on the first free-bus-ride-so-you-do-not-drive-and-add-to-global-warming day.

Fringe Festival: And, without any formal training, I managed to successfully rip the tickets in half. I know what you're thinking, "Wow, she's a miracle worker."

My Cousin's wedding: I ran with her to the dance floor and proceeded to take part in the boys versus girls dance off to the entire thirteen minutes of Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.

Jacksonville: One of the highlights of my trip (aside from breakfast at the Waffle House) was my visit to Southland Waste Systems, where they have not had an accident in 000 days

May 39th: Despite all of these futuristic things, the essence of the awkward morning after remains.

Spring Alibi: Rather than give away the entire alibi, let's just say it involved "becoming the master of one's domain."

New Mexico: The stores are brimming with southwest tourist crap - hand made pottery, hand made blankets, hand made figurines, hand made jewels, hand made turquoise, hand made pots, hand made pans, hand made baskets all hand made by Indians (and yes it's New Mexico - you are allowed to say "Indian")

Rhode Island: An infant's bedroom, the pediatric wing of a hospital, and the Valentine's section of Hallmark are all appropriate places to have an insane number of stuffed animals. A Bed & Breakfast, however, is not the place.

Pretty Woman: He opened his wallet to produce what I would assume to be a business card. But instead, he pulled out a checkbook.

Verizon: I'm pretty sure that the glint of crazy in my eye dissuaded him from attempting to up-sell me on any of the stupid extras that they offer… after forty minutes of wasted time in the middle of a hectic Monday afternoon, I was ready to rip the cell phone off the belt of any toolbag that so much as mentioned the words "Bluetooth".

Monday morning at O'hare:
My new arch-nemesis: (smirking and nodding) It's Monday morning at O'Hare.
Sooooo?
My new arch-nemesis: Yep, sorry. These things happen on Mondays.
What does? Mechanical problems? Cancelled flights? Oversold situations? What exactly is it about a Monday that makes an airline different than any other day of the week? So, you're telling me that every six days you prepare yourself for a trillion unhappy customers because it's another Monday morning?

Code orange flight: Thursday is also the day that ordinary freedom loving Americans were having their bags emptied out and criminalized for possessing such items as chapstick, contact lens solution, hair products and other assorted liquids and gels.

Segways: It really does live up to its multitude of uses as the "ranger" appears to off-road through the woods despite the fact that an obvious walking path is right next to him. I wonder if a bear can reach 12.5 mph.

College throwback weekend: When drunken idiots dropped their sophisticated drinks at Cubby Bear, the glass shattered, leaving my sandaled feet soaked in beer and shattered glass. In college, the classy plastic cups left my feet sticky, but never gouged and bleeding.

It all came together: Anyway, we didn't end up capturing the Segway using my phone, by the time I had located my phone and opened up the camera, he had left us in his 12.5 mph dust.

Conversations:
Emily: "Guess my name."
Dude: "Kathryn"
Emily: "No"
Dude: "Kimberly"
Emily: "No, but CLOSE!!"

Award winning post: Does this put Em and myself one step closer to quitting our jobs for the man and becoming professional bloggers?? If only there were "Blog for Food", "Blog for Rent" and "Blog for Clothes" contests....

I'm with the Blogger: As Emmmm is introduced to other staff in the office I realize something. My roommate has turned from Emmmm to Emmmm, The Blogger.

I'm from Wisconsin: When he spotted the Miller Genuine Draft vendor, he took in a deep breath of the MGD-saturated ballgame atmosphere and remarked, "Ahhhhh, the smell of my childhood."