The event stage will be located on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Several video screens and sound towers will be placed along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and on the grounds of the Washington Monument. ...

FFFV – Washington DC Edition. August 25, 2010. by Juice. Thursday – Tank's first visit to DC. Figuring out our route on the Metro. On our way! Tank had two requests for his day in DC. He wanted to see the Washington Monument and he ...

Grass prickles the arms folded under my head, the smell of it fresh and strong. My elbows already itch from cutting my lawn. I somewhat fear a rash, itching eyes and sneezing, the welts that will come, but for now it smells like summer.

It is summer.

Around me a dull buzz of conversation and laughter breaks into my podcast about a family's hitchhiking vacation as people spread their blankets and limbs, lounging and eating, laughing and talking, waiting for the sun to set.

The women and toddler next to me pick up their feast, their chips and salsa and watermelon salad and move away from the dark lights overhead and the barrier cum bike rack.

"Hi, baby," says a voice overhead but it's not for me.

A man leans in to kiss the girl who'd just announced that her leg had fallen asleep. He'd brought a friend as did she, and I half listen to awkward introductions as I roll onto my stomach and watch an ant cross the red plaid of my blanket.

A voice shouting "Laura" pierces my concentration but the murmur takes over, the growing din, as we wait for the movie to start.

The sun glows golden and sweet, low in the sky by the Washington Monument. Planes streak the sky over the Potomac. The kickball game that elicited so many shouts of excitement seems to have disbanded, giving way to tarps, quilts and mats. Blankets. Sheets.

I came alone for no other reason than the fact that my friends had other plans and no plans at all and no desire for them and I didn't ask. I worked from home in my pajamas all day. I needed to get out. To do something. To see Henry Fonda hang a jury more than a half century ago.

A week ago, I visited a Norman Rockwell exhibit at the American Art Museum, with photos, study and painting of his Jury Room. The piece came out two years after the film and features a young female juror holding out against her male counterparts. In 1959, the year of the painting, three states didn't allow women to be jurors and other states limited female participation in juries.

A few days ago, I responded to my own jury summons. It was my third time at the Courthouse but I still didn't see the inside of a courtroom. I never participated in the voir dire process much less faced a trial or my fellow jurors in deliberation. I saw them in the lounge in front of a TV showing Sabrina and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I considered whether or not I wanted to join them in the queue for my $4 check - nothing so weighty as a innocence or guilt, life or death.

The Oscar-nominated film had been on my radar for as long as I could remember. I just hadn't seen it. With a death penalty on the line, a dissenting juror holds his unpopular position and brings reasonable doubt to the minds of the panel. A heavy topic for a summer night, it seems somewhat perfect as the jurors complain about heat, sweating in the close, tense room and we can identify.

What better time or place than here and now, in the grass between the glow of the Capitol and the Washington Monument with the National Gallery on one side and Air and Space on the other, barefoot in the grass under an almost full moon?

People jump and wave their arms for the HBO dance. A young girl giggles throughout the Looney Toons opener - Mugsy and Bugsy. A shooting star streaks the sky. The jury is hung and swung and I sneeze. I clap. I wipe a tear from my eye and pass the Supreme Court on the way home.

If not now, when?

Tag: HBO Comcast Screen on the Green

***I received this wine as a sample***

2008 Big House Red

Normally, I write posts about my workday and the wine I enjoy in the evening, but this July 4^th was a big wine holiday for me.  Hubby and I stayed in DC for the long weekend, and, in an effort to avoid the crowds that are drawn to DC for Independence Day, we tried not to stray too far from the condo.  Plus, this year, the high temperatures would have squelched any thoughts of heading to the National Mall for the Capitol 4^th Concert and fireworks.  Instead, the holiday weekend was the perfect opportunity for me to open the box of 2008 Big House Red I had on my counter, as I could easily grab a glass on my way to the pool or before heading up to our roof deck, where we can watch not only the fireworks display over the Washington Monument, but also the fireworks in Maryland, which are visible along the horizon.

The 2008 Big House Red 3-liter Octavin Home Wine Bar (winery, snooth) was made with 23% Syrah, 14% Petite Sirah, 9% Grenache, 9% Montepuliciano, 6% Mourvedre, 6% Sangiovese, 6% Algianico, 6% Tannat, 5% Nero d’Avola, 4% Sargentino, 3% Touriga, 3% Barbera, and 3% Petit Verdot grapes.  The wine was a medium-to-dark purple with flecks of ruby.  On the nose, there was a blend of red and black berries, mainly blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries.  There was also black pepper and something oily.  In the mouth, there were tart blackberries and strawberries, cranberries, smoke, cedar, and a touch of vanilla, dark plums, pepper, and something metallic.  The wine had low-to-medium tannins, medium-to-high acidity, and a medium body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $20 for 3-liters, or the equivalent of $5 a bottle, this wine has the quality/price ratio working in its favor.  It isn’t a wine that stands out as something special, but it’s a surprisingly decent option.  Admittedly, the 3-liter container is probably more than you need for after work, and it’s not a wine I would open and drink over a couple of weeks, as after several days, the wine developed a strong metallic taste; however, if you’re having a BBQ and are looking for a cost effective way to provide your guests with a good red wine, the 2008 Big House Red 3-Liter Octavin Home Wine Bar is worth considering.

I paired the wine with Hubby’s homemade Philly cheese steaks, which he makes with provolone cheese, and the wine definitely held its own with the big flavors of the sandwich.  The key role for the wine, though, was played when I brought it with me to watch the fireworks, and there is no question that was a perfect pairing—beautiful fireworks, friends from our building, my Hubby, and a good California red.

Hope everyone had good Fourth!!

Overall: 3 Corks

There might be only one thing that can make me feel more awesome about Washington DC than watching "The West Wing." That one thing is the Fourth of July. Like a Disney World draped in nationalism, this events in the city previous weekend combined unbearable heat with food, parades, music, eagles and freedom to amount to a tremendously fun time.

With temperatures in the mid-90s, tourists blanketing the city, and shady spaces at a premium, I knew only the strong would survive. Needless to say, Colin and I had what it took to celebrate the day full force. We started out by watching the parade on Constitution Avenue in front of the National Archives. If you like high school marching bands, this was a parade for you. If not...well...you're out of luck. My only recommendation for the parade is that they should throw candy from the floats. What good is a parade without the opportunity to race children for free candy? Seriously.
Next we went to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival for a sampling of cultural activities from Mexico and the Central Pacific. The festival offered music, lectures, educational displays, shopping and best of all: cold, refreshing beer. It offered a nice escape from the heat and unavoidable learning. Even on days of celebration, the Smithsonian doesn't let up a bit on education. Gotta hand it to them.

What came next in the day was a bit trying. We spent three hours baking in the sun waiting for the Capitpol Fourth Concert. Temperatures reached 1000 degrees. Celsius. We arrived at 5 to stake out excellent seats on the steps of the Capitol building for premium concert and fireworks viewing. It's a good thing too, because they stopped letting people into the concert at about 6:30.

Three hours in the agonizing heat may or may not be worth it to you for a free concert, but let me remind you of a few things. 1) We're kind of tough. 2) We're talking about B-list celebrities here. 3) America.
The concert started out with some of the soulful Gladys Knight. While other divas (cough cough, Whitney) have lost the stuff of greatness, Gladys Knight truly worked it. :Midnight Train to Georgia" sounded as good as ever.

In between acts, we saw the National Symphony Orchestra, Lang Lang (a pianist, not a panda), and the Marine Corps band.

I was most excited to see Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame, but Darius is Hootie no more. I was hoping for some of the classics, like "Dolphin Made Me Cry," but instead Ruker only played vapid country songs. It's hard to believe that he has turned his back on his identity as Hootie. It makes me wonder if the 90s were a lie.
Reba really stole the show, though. She sang "Consider me Gone" and "Fancy." She was awesome. If you didn't catch the show on PBS, I recommend checking out this video of Reba. Go ahead and fast-forward to "Fancy." It's worth it.

Top it all off with fireworks and the cites of the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, and you've got yourself a night. Well, we did. We had ourselves a night.

The Cherry Blossom Parade is pretty big time. It's obviously not as big as the Macy's Day Parade, but it's the best non-Disney World parade I've ever seen. Plus floats just look hilarious with the backdrop of the Washington Monument. Here are a few of my favorite pics.VeggiTales was by far my favorite.

Kermit shows off his height.

Whether it's a bird or a plan, I can't seem to take a picture of it. Alls I can say is that I tried my best. I'm not so hot on hand/eye coordination. This could be the issue here.Today we went to Gravelly Point in Arlington, VA. It's a teensy-tinsy park in along the George Washington Parkway. On one side, you have a few of Washington's monuments (capital building and Washington Monument), and on the other you have a view of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The park is known for its views of the takeoffs and landings from the airport. Today, however, it could have gotten it's fame from the seagulls who were losing their cool over a few snacks offered by park-goers. They were also losing their cool over the wind. Seagull bodies are not equipped to fly in the wind. Once again, my pictures pale in comparison to the ones Colin took. No surprises there.
Take your lady there; she'll like it. I liked it. I'm a lady.