Tonight, We're Not Young

A Gen X Exurber's Peek into Millineal DC Land

Before I get too far into today's post I want to give a shout out to the Gamma Girls at the Doing the District blog.  They threw an awesome 1st Year Anniversary Party at the One Lounge last Wednesday night!  What a group of classy ladies!  It's funny what your first impressions are when you first meet another blogger.  I walked into the room and my first thought upon seeing RWB and Thirsty Ivy is - TALL!  I'm slightly above average at 6 feet but I was looking at these enchanting young ladies eye to eye.  I'm just hoping they were in 4" heels!  Anyway RWB, you were having a "good hair day," so stop stressing!  And it was so fun to meet your entire team.  I remember coming across the Date Me DC blog early in my blogging days and really enjoyed it so it was a thrill to meet Katie.

Is this anyplace for family guy?

Oh wait, it actually was my intent to have today's post be about that Doing the District party.  Well really in hindsight it's about when an old guy like myself takes a peek into the uber-chic (there I go again with that uber prefix) world of young and distinguished Millineals!

I have to admit I was thinking about what this post might become on my drive into DC.  I had visions of making the title "You Walked Into the Party Like You were Walking Onto a Yacht."  You know as if my grand entrance would be like David Geffen's entrance at whatever party Carly Simon was at when she wrote that song.  I know pretty bad.

But by the end of my night after fighting traffic and having been up since 5 am in the morning I remembered this video (displayed below), a parody of that Janelle Monae's famous over-played song and far more apropos.

You see Ryan has a pretty cushie life.  As you may have read I live in those "outer-suburbs" way beyond rush hour traffic, beltways, and Metros.  Sure many people out here have to fight those ridiculous commutes into DC, NOVA, MD, or wherever.  But me, I live and work out here in the boonies so I don't deal with all the big-city stuff too often.  So it's always an experience when I fire up the old Kia-family-mobile and venture inside the Beltway but that doesn't happen too often!

I left in plenty of time even beyond the time it normally takes to get into the city.  All went well as I got near the Beltway.  And then I saw it, traffic!  Shit, this ain't Sunday and I ain't driving to the Smithsonian.  This was full on 5 pm rush hour traffic.  Even going INTO DC it was bad (or at least bad for me).  I started to curse the Gamma girls for scheduling a party after Congress was back in session, don't they know DC is dead in August!  Well at least I had left early.  Navigating DC is not really that bad as every street is either a number, a letter, or a state.  I had directions and my iPhone so in spite of a detour for road construction I made it.

Now if you are familiar with this area you may be now saying to yourself, Ryan, are you an 'effing idiot; you drove into the city?  Why didn't you just get off at the Vienna or Shady Grove station and take the Metro in.  Isn't that One Lounge near the DuPont Circle Station?  Of course you are right, driving into the District is lunacy.  But I had to get back home to my life at a rock hard set time (remember, I ain't supposed to be doing this) so I wanted to be in control of my own destiny.  This is actually not too bad because as long as you are not afraid to fork out $20+ to park for an hour there are plenty of parking garages in the Capital District.  However, as I cruised up New Hampshire Ave I quickly realize this is NW DC, home to trendy enclaves of elegant townhomes and bistros.  Great place to visit and eat but a disaster if one wants to park!  I got to the area of the bar about 15 minutes early and began my quest for parking.  I was delighted to find one quickly, fate was on my side as I pulled in and got out.  Wait!  "Parking reserved for the Embassy of Mali Towing Enforced," I read.  Hmm..., I don't want to start an international crisis with Mali nor do I want my car towed so I best go on my way.  Luckily about 2 blocks up and to the right I found a spot.  I looked around at least 10 times to make sure there were no "towing enforced" signs around then I counted myself lucky and started walking toward the bar.

The bar was only a five minute walk and easily noticed as it is on a diagonal street within sight of Connecticut Ave.  The One Lounge has a very trendy look.  Elegant white exterior, seating al fresco, and one long legged gorgeous blond hostess!  She asked me if I was with a group and then showed me to the room where the party was.  Normally I'm a "fashionable late" kind of guy but my leash was only so long for the night so I arrived right on time at 6:05 pm.  RWB and Thirsty Ivy where right there and were very gracious upon meeting a crusty old blogger like me (I think the intent of the party was young chic/hipster-like bloggers).

Anyway, RWB was very cordial and the gorgeous dark haired waitress showed me a very tempting drink special menu.  The drink of the night was a peachy-cranberry Baybreezey-type drink.  I passed as a had a drive back ahead of me and just went with my stand by Dos Equis.

For the next hour I had a delightful time.  RWB is a fan of college football so we talked about all the big games this weekend.  I met Katie from Date Me DC and many other super-cool bloggers.  I love being around young people.  I know your saying, BS Ryan you were just looking to score with some hot young girl.  Well, if I had more time I'm sure I wouldn't have said no to anyone but really my point is that it is really delightful to be around young energetic people.  I had a conversation with a young lady who is a third year med student at GWU and was simply taken by remembering the excitement one has at that time in your life.

But as the clock got closer to 7 pm, I knew my carriage would soon turn into a pumpkin and I'd better be on my way.  I said my good-byes, Katie (Date Me DC) gave me a hug and I left.  As I walked away I was truly glad I went and had that experience.

I found my car and it was still there (sigh of relief).  I got in and started driving back.

Of course due to one way streets the way to somewhere in a big city is usually not the way back.  I quickly realized I would have to negotiate a new route back.  Hey wait, it's 7 pm why is there still trafic aren't people home by now?  Damn, I live in the sticks.

So now I'm on 24th street and then onto FU street (actually I think it was K street, FU is just what the bus driver said to me when I pulled in front of him).

All the while I'm thinking to myself, you know I didn't work out today and I've been in the car for 3 hours now and I feel bloated and gross.  I could be finishing dinner now, perhaps working in the yard while my kids played, and getting ready to watch the Nats at 7:30 pm.  OMG, am I that over the hill!

Well I did get onto K street and that got me to 66 and that got me out of the district.  I was on a highway.  But damn more traffic.  OK, I have driven this stretch of road many times.  I know if I get to pt A then I have x amount of time to get back home.  I was off my mark by a bit but not out of the rhelm of possibility if I could haul ass once I got outside of the Beltway.

Once past the Beltway and that Boiling Cauldron of Hell know as Tyson's Corner I was able to quicken the pace.  Soon I was back on schedule.  No tractors out at this time night on any of those county roads so pretty soon I knew I was OK.

I pulled into my driveway at exactly 8:55 pm.  Of course my daughter's bike was blocking my entrance to the garage as it almost always is.  I should probably yell at her but she would just give me that sad look with those blue eyes and I'd melt so I guess I won't.  I had to get out and push it to the side so that I could pull in.  I walk in the door and before my first foot gets inside I hear "daddy I need help with my math."  At first I sigh (no hug?) and then I smile, I'm glad I got home in time to help with homework and tuck in for the night.  We finish homework and lights are out by 9:30 pm.  I change and go downstairs and flip on MASN.  Joy, I can still watch the last 3 innings of the Nats.  Lannan had done a great job of replacing Strasburg and now it was up to the bullpen to finish off a sweep of the Mets which they did.

By 11 pm I was in bed and glad I had such a wonderful day.  It is fun for an aging Gen X'er to dip his toes in the waters of "the young life."  But it sure is nice when you can get back home, tuck in the kiddos, and relax on the couch with your baseball game and a cookie!  Maybe that is what they mean by balance, whoever they are!   :)

Thanks Gamma Girls!  Congrats on your 1 year anniversary and best of luck to many posts in your future!  You do such an awesome job of bringing style and distinction to a wonderful (and unfortunately much under appreciated) city!

Photos of this wonderful event are here.  You'll probably notice there are no pictures of an old  dude with a vacant look which means I'm not in any of the photos (which is probably good)!

Btw, if Mali's consulate is a brownstone in NW DC I wonder where Andorra's is located (condo overlooking the Anacostia River perhaps)?

Now have a good laugh to this video!