Hey there!!!
How was your weekend? I think almost everyone got a taste of fall… I heard some places even got snow! Regardless, I hope that didn’t stop you from spending time doing things you enjoy - whether solo or with friends and family!
I did not plan to have as much fun this weekend as I did, but I was pleasantly surprised :-) I started Friday by catching up with a great gentleman over lunch at Clarity in Vienna, VA. All I can say about Clarity is WOW (well, I had more to say in my Yelp Review)! The food there was truly phenomenal; the wait staff exceeded all our expectations. I am so attached to the city life that I don’t spend a lot of time in NoVA, but I would love to have more dates exploring restaurants outside the city. If I discover more places to love, like Clarity and Tupelo Honey, I might be tempted to spend more time out this way! LOL
Later Friday evening, I went to go see Venom at the movies. I had heard so many mixed reviews, but I personally thought it was a good film. I can’t say that I have read the comic books to know how true everything was to the original storyline, but I can appreciate it as an entertaining superhero film. The only two criticisms I had were:
Venom did not show up at all until a little late, and even then hein his own right until the very end of the movie
Since Venom is actually a villain, I was expecting a much darker character. I am not sure how to describe it… but I guess, it’s fair to say I thought it was a bit disappointing that I found myself really liking him, and wanting him to stay on Earth at the end. I assume the long term strategy for comic book movies is to start introducing audiences to the villainous characters; if that’s the case, I understand wanting to make sure the character’s personalities are at least somewhat like-able. However, I think it’s possible to portray characters whose personalities and motivations are digestible, while still showing them as… a villain? Hopefully that makes sense! I think Christopher Nolan’s Batman films are a prime example of what I would expect the tone of a villain comic-book movie to be more like. My hope is that the new Joker movie carries some of those same dark elements, while exploring what drove him to a life of criminal terror.
When Allison Rose texted me on Saturday about going to a haunted house later that evening, my initial response was a “Yes!”, which quickly turned into a “What the fuck were you thinking?!” Later that evening, I began wondering just how bad of a friend it would make me if I thought up a lame excuse not to go. I sucked it up and mustered up all the courage I could, and we drove an hour north west of D.C. to Poolesville, MD. The small town was so eerie that as we drove through, I actually wondered whether or not the whole town was in on this…
If you’re looking for a haunted house to go to this month, I’d totally recommend Markoff’s Haunted Forest! We made conversation with some of the staff there and learned that the most of the profits go towards a youth summer camp, while the surplus from whatever goal they have goes to improving the next year’s spooky town and trails. We did the haunted town tour and then walked one of the trails. Allison is so brave while I am a total chicken, but we both had so many jumpy moments and had a ton of fun. The only downside was that the lines were so long for the main entrance and also for the town tour (you have to take a tractor ride down to the area where the town was set up). Get there early if you want to maximize your time!
Something funny happened as we were driving back to the city - we were a bit hungry and wanted to stop to grab some fries. The only thing we figured would be open was the McDonald’s. We couldn’t tell if it was closed yet, so we drive into the drive thru and the speaker says “Welcome to McDonald’s, would you like to try our new glazed chicken tenders?” It sounded just like a real person! But just as Allison was about to say our order, it repeated itself as if it didn’t hear us. We were both looking at each other confused… and then the speaker spoke again! We were so creeped out from the haunted town and trail that we literally sped off!
Now it’s Monday - I started my week off by having breakfast this morning with the fun, vibrant Adahlia Cole. She’s visiting D.C. until October 16, before heading to NYC. She is so pretty and has a great personality!
I hope you have a lot of exciting things planned this week! If you don’t, it’s not too late to add some fun to your schedule. In fact, why don’t we plan a date?!
Some interesting reads for the week:
You have to stop canceling and rescheduling things. Really.
A good men’s scent is hard to find. Here’s help. (P.S. - my faves are Santal 33 and Acqua di Parma)
Take this challenge if you want to be happier: 7 Days of Small Acts of Kindness
Another reminder of the end of an era: Sears files for bankruptcy
Millennials have been blamed for everything from the decline of retail to destroying the real eastate market. Just how much power does the millennial generation really have?
The Rise and Fall of Affirmative Action
Use this list to plan the perfect weekend trip in all 50 states (extended date idea!!!)
It’s never too early for wine and my world... I’ll take a glass of Santorini with my bacon, egg, and cheese!