Zondag in het park met Cookie

So this weekend the weather in DC was nothing short of glorious. Friday was still muggy and gross out but it improved for Saturday and Sunday. Lots of sunshine, low humidity (this is what really counts!) and just generally pleasant in the 80s. The sun was hot and I got some time in at the pool with my boy :-) It was a return to normal - though very brief since today and tomorrow it is going to be so hot and humid that there are multiple health warnings. I am not looking forward to going outside later.

But yesterday evening I recovered from my horrific hangover thanks to those adult slurpee drinks they sell at Lauriol Plaza called frozen "swirl" margaritas (ow my head). I headed to the new Giant in Columbia Heights which was very pleasant - they have a parking deck. I always park on the roof b/c the sunset is very nice up there and there is always a breeze. I bought some healthy greens, white and purple peppers (from Holland!) and some assorted fruit. I went home and grilled some chicken on the indoor grill, sliced and diced the fruit, macerated it in wine and packed everything in a little cooler and a Trader Joe's bag and then hopped a cab to Dupont Circle (I was running late!) to meet my friend whom we shall call the Cookie. Cookie is my lil South African friend. He speaks English with the most fabulous accent and when pressed teaches me Afrikaans (baby Dutch). We always have a faboo time together. We are both very animated and more so when together. He brought some nice wine in a plastic bottle and we drank out of little plastic cups so as not to get arrested for drinking in public. In hindsight this is funny considering the homeless people wandering around and openly drinking beer from cans...

We just sat on a blanket, ate our little feast (replete with creme fraiche for the fruit - i created a little cooling system using ziplock bags and disposable tupperware) and watched people. It was exceedingly pleasant. The weather could not have been better. There was a cool breeze, people we smiling and lauging around us. Happy gay couples, heteros and every other mix of people formed the ecclecticism we like to call Dupont Circle - DC's version of Washington Sq. Park in the Village. We told stories, laughed about our exploits and prattled on about boys boys boys. We also discussed politics, philosophy and then planned the opera series we are going to buy in NYC at the Met to remain slightly cultured. How refreshing! Cookie and I have such a good time - he is my sista. It is so nice to have someone I can argue (well discuss) with about European politics and the fate of the EU. We can talk on any subject and for hours. I did not want to leave.

This is the life I want to have - this is a scene from Europe. There people take the time to enjoy the weather, have a simple healthy meal with some wine and reasonable portions and talk about life, love, philosophy and yes all the dirty things that roam the mind. This is what America misses out on while standing on line at the Cheesecake Factory in yet another strip mall. I am so happy I have friends that see life differently and that I am blessed to have little hideways in the city that support this "real" living.