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While it is not my intention to use this blog for movie reviews, it has just been that kind of day. I will soon launch a new one dedicated to just that, but in the meantime …
Kellyn and I went to see Man on Wire this evening and it did not disappoint. I had high expectations—as the trailer gave us both goosebumps—and usually that’s room for disaster. That was the case when I saw The Dark Knight. A fine piece of filmmaking but nowhere near brilliant.
However, this documentary was everything I expected and more … Brilliant! Spectacular! Mesmerizing! Unbelievable! Exhilarating! Astonishing! Inspiring! Beautiful! (Insert emphatic statement here __________ )! You get the point. There isn’t one word to describe it.
The story of this tightrope walker, Frenchman Philippe Petit, and how he schemes to walk across the two towers of the WTC takes you further than you might expect. Although being an American you can feel it, there is no mention of 9/11 and there shouldn’t be. This is about one man—not as crazy as you might be quick to assume—and his dream. How can you cover 90 minutes about a man who walks between the WTC towers? You reenact the scenes leading up to the event, explain every detail, and cut between interviews and old footage. We were fully engaged and wanted more. Even if you know how it ends, you can’t help but feel goosebumps at the moment you see him up there. Kellyn cried. My eyes welled up. It was beautiful and totally unexpected.
Watch the preview and go see it.
The poster does not lie
While Kellyn was out shopping for wedding shoes, I decided to do one of my favorite things in the world: watch a movie.
After a good review from a friend—on a film I would have waited for on DVD—I made the choice to see Step Brothers with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Both fine comedic actors. This is a must for fans of either actor. I have been a John C. Reilly fan every since Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (which is, in my opinion, the best satire in the last decade).
Is it stupid? Childish? Raunchy? Over the top? Yes! But, is it funny? Hell yeah … on the border of the “pee in your pants ” kind!
The movie poster (Admit it … you laughed!)
On Friday, I was one of the lucky few to board a million-dollar boat and cruise to St. Michaels—on the Eastern Shore—for a crab feast. Here’s how it happened …
The former Chairman of the NAFCU Board of Directors, John Milazzo, bid on and won this trip for 18 people at an auction supporting the Children’s Miracle Network. He then graciously gifted it to NAFCU and they drew names the old fashioned way: out of a hat. I was the second backup and lucky for me that was exactly how many people who were unable to attend.
It was a beautiful day—as you can see below—and 100% on NAFCU. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity. It was a relaxing ride out and my first time eating a crab … Maryland style! The only thing that could have made this better was if Kellyn was there. A trip is already in the works.^^
**On another note, I have to say I am very pleased with the quality of my iPhone camera. Just look at the photos below! I made a slight contrast correction in Photoshop, but the rest is all the camera. This was initially the least appealing feature to me on this phone, however, it’s proved to come in handy quite well.**
Dock on the way to boarding
It’s waiting for me
My mug on the way to St. Michaels (about 45 minutes)
The other lucky ones
Almost there …
St. Michaels Island
The Crab Claw Restaurant
It is true. The Argentinians make gelato and it’s damn near perfect!
On the way back from our picnic in DC, we headed to Georgetown to go grab dessert at our favorite bakery, Patisserie Poupon. But, alas, it was closed! Then we stumbled upon DolceZZa across the street. When you order peach gelato and it tastes like you just bit into a peach … heaven. No other way to describe it. This is the best gelato I’ve had in the States and it makes me long for Italy. A couple months to go …
Outside the quaint DolceZZa in Georgetown
Adam Express has become our favorite Korean take-out restaurant. You wouldn’t think that much of it just by looking outside. In fact, you might try hard to avoid it. The decor is very old and the place is tiny. But what this small mom and pop restaurant can do is amazing.
We both love sushi. We’ve tried the cheap, expensive, good and bad. Adam Express is THE BEST sushi place and it’s very cheap! Their spicy tuna roll is so tender it melts in your mouth. It’s also one of the few spicy tuna rolls that is actually spicy! The California roll is very fresh and they don’t skimp on the ingredients. The Bibimbop was good but I was a little let down by the Tang Su Yuk. It tasted more like Chinese than Korean.
It’s about a 30-minute Metro ride from where we live, but Daniel was craving for it so much that he went all the way there after work on Thursday to pick it up. That’s how good it is! We met in DC and had a nice picnic at the Navy Memorial.
Adam Express, Mt. Pleasant, DC
Happy to dig in
Enjoying the best spicy tuna roll
Spicy tuna roll, California roll, Tang Su Yuk (Korean fried sweet and sour chicken)
9 minutes, 27 seconds later…
The Waterview building is one of the many new buildings popping up to form Rosslyn’s skyline. The city of Rosslyn, where we live, has happy hour Wednesdays in the summer. I have never enjoyed summer this much. It’s my least favorite season, but this year it’s been full of fun.
Waterview building nearby our apartment
80’s themed happy hour
Key Bridge and Georgetown behind us. It’s a real treat to live so close to the Key Bridge. Jogging, beautiful sunsets and watching the planes fly overhead …
Daniel got us tickets to Coldplay back in April for our anniversary. They ended up changing their schedule to August and it was totally worth the wait! They played in Chinatown at the Verizon Center. I was jumping and screaming and realized my teenage side start to show. I think it shocked Daniel.^^
Waiting for the concert and Daniel showing off his new specs
Thousands of fans
Lights during “Yellow”
Awesome show
Dramatic lighting
They setup acoustic and played “The Scientist” right behind us … AHHHHHHH!
Butterfly confetti
Finale
We recently found out that DC has outdoor movies playing every summer. It’s really awesome and, best of all, free! The District offers a lot of free outdoor activities in the summer and we’ve definitely been taking advantage of them. For the last two weeks, every Monday night after work, we have met at the mall with a picnic blanket and snacks.
On our first outing, we brought leftover Kimbop (Korean Sushi) from dinner the night before, movie “junk,” took a short nap, and anxiously awaited the movie which started just as the sun set. Frank Capra’s Arsenic and Old Lace with Cary Grant screened, but it felt a little “dated.” This past Monday we went for Daniel’s birthday and I picked up dinner at Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck). Billy Wilder’s The Apartment was screening and reminded us how film should be. This pitch-perfect romantic comedy stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley Maclaine and I would highly recommend it. I’m looking forward to the last movie this summer, Superman. We’ll post on that and let you in on a little secret: the infamous HBO Dance. Stay tuned!
For our picnic, I made Kimbop (Korean Sushi) the night before
Rolling … Daniel’s actually better at it
I’m getting better at cooking
Around 5:30 pm, people start to grab their spots in front of the screen
Our favorite picnic blanket. You have to admit it, our blanket pretty much rocks!
Waiting for sunset while listening to music on Daniel’s new iPhone, a birthday gift from me
Our decoration pillow came in very handy for Daniel’s nap
Sunset behind Monument in Washington DC
It’s about to start …
The weekend before my birthday, Kellyn’s mom came over to cook Korean BBQ. She makes the best bulgogi (marinated beef). They stopped by to celebrate mine and Kellyn’s sister Julia’s birthday. She was born just a few days before me. As if food wasn’t enough, they got me a beautiful orchid! I’ll try not to kill it. Thanks Umma!
Beautiful purple orchid
Umma (Mom) enjoying cooking for her Sahwee (Son-In-Law)
BBQ bulgogi with broccoli and asparagus
Gotta have your veggies!
Mmmm … that’s good!
“Ganbei!” (“Cheers!” in Korean)
Ready to make a wish?
Blowing out the birthday candles
Appa (Dad) had a little too much fun
We’ve been super busy over the last few weeks! Everything from wedding planning to DC’s array of great summer events. We’ve also been unexpectedly given some beautiful fall weather (knock on wood!) a little early. It seems to have started to die down after the departure of our “Second Visitor.” You do the math.
So, it’s time to let you guys catch up with us. Lots more on the way, depending on how much more I plan to deprive myself of sleep.
July sunset from our apartment
