Snow Days and a Weekend in NC

SNOW DAYS

Mike and I both had Thursday and Friday off this past week due to snow. I am so ready for warm weather that it isn't even funny. I almost miss the unpredictability of DC's weather which would have normally broken up the snowstorms with a few 60 degree days. Not this time. I wish I had some pretty pictures of the snow to share, but truth is that we were hunkered down indoors most of the time. The first night Mike and I got takeout from Far East Taco Grille which is too close to the house for us to have never been to it before. We have been maybe 3 times since discovering it 2 weeks ago and are Korean fusion converts. (I HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone living in NE DC.) Then we had a snow party with Ben, Sara, Jeff, Mike and I watching the BlueRay version of "The Room" (one of everyone's favorite bad movies) and Pulp Fiction. We had white wine and scotch because all of our respective schools had already been closed for the next day. The next couple of days I worked from home, but Friday was also Valentine's Day, otherwise known as House of Cards day. House of Cards is a political drama/thriller set in DC and the 2nd season (all of the 2nd season) was set to be released on February 14th. Mike and I waited up until midnight to try to watch the first episode at which point we realized it was going to be released at 12:01am Pacific Time:/ so we just exchanged cards/gifts instead. And then we spent our Friday evening watching most of the 2nd season and eating funfetti cake cookies for lunch and ordering in Sticky Rice* for dinner. I can't think of any other way I would have wanted to spend the day. Sometimes staying in is the most romantic. *A word to the wise: "Bucket of Tots" is an actual bucket and not meant to be shared for any less than 6 people.

Perfect card choice, MJ! <3 #morehugs

NORTH CAROLINA

On Saturday, we drove down to North Carolina early and got brunch with Mike's dad at a Turkish place on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. I forget the name, but it was mostly empty when we went (everyone else packing the bars to with TVs to watch the UNC game) and we got to choose a window seat which was basically a turkish tent draped with beautiful fabrics. I had never been to a Turkish restaurant before, but it seems to be lots of lamb, sauces, hummus, vegetarian options and the sauce they brought out at the beginning for us to dip our bread in was divine. It was filling and felt healthier than other alternatives so I was a fan.

L to R: Me, Marilyn, Mike. Jake's instagram of our Duke adventure. I didn't know how else to get the pictures besides screenshotting it.

After brunch, we met Jake and Marilyn (and Rigby their dog!) at their apartment in Durham to hang out before they went to the Duke/Maryland game. They took us for a campus tour of Duke and the Duke gardens and it was apparent that campus mostly shuts down on basketball game days. The Duke Gardens were lovely, but I'm sure I would have been able to appreciate them more if there were more terrain options besides mud and ice. Apparently they got more snow than DC did, though! I've never been a fan of Duke's basketball team, but I have to admit the campus was beautiful. Then Jake took us all to downtown Durham for a tour of old tobacco factories that have been renovated into restaurants and storefronts (tBurt's Bees is centralized here) and, although a little deserted, you can really tell how packed it would be on a warmer night. All restaurants have outdoor seating and lighting and bridges zig zag back and forth between buildings. I really hope to visit at some point this summer.

Later that night, Mike's mom made dinner for us (shrimp/spinach/parmesan pasta and oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies) and Mike and I finished our last two episodes of House of Cards! The next morning, we headed to DPAC for the Book of Mormon with Mike's mom and two of her friends. I was so glad that I had the soundtrack beforehand to learn all of the songs (Mike and I sang to it the entire way down)! I got to hear the audience respond to some of the jokes I already knew about and then finally get ones I hadn't understood before. It was "something incredible" and we still sang some of the songs on the drive home!

L to R: Mike, Leslie, Michael James, Me at a restaurant before the show.

Playbill! #thisbookwillchangeyourlife

I was really excited and forced a selfie before entering the theater. I need better excitement faces.

This picture was most important so I can remember what kind of bottle our blackberry wine came in and be able to find it again!

Headed back to VA after the matinee, I downloaded the Yelp! app and found a Korean restaurant (Koreana) near the interstate with good reviews. We've been really into Korean fusion lately, but decided to go for full Korean and were not disappointed. The restaurant  seemed overlooked because it was a little empty (what other reviews had stated), but our server was the nicest lady ever who made recommendations for blackberry wine, Bulgoggi, and Gop Dol Bim Bi Bap. It was all delicious, inexpensive, and fast. Plus, I was grateful for a mini-date before we headed back to DC. 

I've had today off due to President's Day. Mike and I went on a run to the Capitol and back (something we haven't done together in a while) and realized it's still quite an obstacle course of mud and ice out there. Thus, we started talking about how we're in training mode for our Disney trip (about 20 days away!) and how taking advantage of all the theme parks have to offer is all about agility, endurance, and being able to sprint to any character you come across! Tonight, we're going out to a restaurant in Old Town Alexandria with Absi, Zan, Kacey, and Steve and then I'm sure we'll be swearing off eating out for a while. :)