dAvepril 2010

Dave's month, in one ultra efficient graph:

It's got all the goods: The date, daily mood, average mood for the month, daily top events, whether I went out or stayed in for dinner, and what I ate.

And yes, I'm aware that all this seems fairly pointless. But I think charting & sharing one's daily activities for an entire month is kind of like like tweeting, or blogging in general, but perhaps more vulnerable and honest. It doesn't allow me to filter out the boring and somewhat embarrassing things (look at all those Chicken Bagel Sandwich dinners! Is that normal behavior?), and gives the reader a potentially valuable opportunity to see how another person actually lives his life. I would be curious to know the types and frequencies of things other people do throughout their month...

So the chart is the mostly-honest representation of my real life. And now for the filtering:

Highlights

Friday, April 2: Mingled with the thousands of tourists enjoying the Cherry Blossoms by the tidal basin. We sat by the water, and I accidentally killed a spider with a stick from five feet away.
And saw the Lincoln Memorial at sunset on the way home, which was tops:

Thursday, April 15 - Tuesday, April 20: Flew back to Arizona for my dad's 60th birthday.

Excellent family and home town quality time. Got my dad some cake, tequila and an iPad for his birthday, which he seemed to enjoy. He was a pro in just a few minutes:
And my brother and I stopped in Phoenix to visit the grandparents before I flew back to DC:


As for the rest of the month, I drank a lot of wine, met a few new people, watched some movies and had some excellent dinners. Details to follow.

Movies

Watched an above average number of movies this month.

At home:

The Blind Side - Overrated, especially Sandra Bullock's acting. But I do believe I got somewhat teary-eyed at some point during the film...

Crazy Heart - As good as I expected, and worth watching. The Dude did well.

Youth in Revolt - Uniquely funny. Recommended to those who appreciate Michael Cera.

Bourne Identity, Supremacy & Ultimatum - All three were pretty great, though I'm not sure if they lived up to my extremely high expectations. If I had lower expectations, I would be gushing now, I'm sure. Excellent action. And for the series, the movie rankings are 3 > 2 > 1. Just like the Star Wars prequels.

Out:

We watched The Lives of Others at the Goethe-Institut in Chinatown, which was followed up by a one hour discussion between the crowd and a professor of film studies from NYU. The movie was damn good. And I'd say this was probably the most moving movie-watching experience I've had in years.

Wine

A new - and necessary - category for this blog. And I apologize in advance for increasing the probability that you believe that I am including this category as a desperate grab for higher status. Look at it as a form of advice.

Here's a ranking of the month's wines, from worst to best:

8. Tuscan Moon Sangiovese 2008
7. Laurent Reverdy Sancerre
6. Barefoot Chardonnay
5. Vinas Chilenas Cabernet Savignon 2009
4. Tres Pinos Tierra Blanca White Wine 2008
3. Jacques Bourguignon Chablis 2008
2. Il Valore Sangiovese 2008
1. Aquila d'Oro Chianti 2008

The winner for the month, by a somewhat small margin, was the Chianti:

Nothing truly special, but drinkable and tasty, especially compared to the other not-very-notable options on the list - and only $8 at Trader Joe's. And the other valuable advice I will give: Avoid the Tuscan Moon Sangiovese with all your strength (also at Trader Joe's).

Perhaps by the end of the year, I'll taste-test the winners from each month in The Great 2010 Wine-Off. That ought to be a joy to read about.

Restaurants

Taste of India - Nothing better than an evening spent sitting by the street, eating spicy Lamb Vindalu and drinking two giant bottles of Taj Mahal.

Himalayan Heritage - Atmosphere was engaging, food was delicious. Lamb Ko appetizer was good.

Rajaji - Indian food, right next door to Taste of India in Woodley Park. Quality is better, but for a higher price. And, importantly, it's right on the street and they have Taj Mahals.

Buca di Beppo - Italian food in ultra large plates + Peroni is another one of those wonderful combinations that make my life so enjoyable. One without the other is just not good enough, but the combo is great.

Romo's Mexican Restaurant, Holbrook, AZ - Check this out:

That's a Red Enchilada Style Beef Burrito, #14 on the menu. One of my all time favorite meals. And I will die early because of that fact - but it's worth it.

Wayside, Holbrook, AZ - I used to go here as a kid, and I ordered a grilled cheese for many years. Then I graduated to the Patty Melt, which is what I had this time. The nostalgia was very tasty, not to mention the onions and red chili fries.

El Rincon - In Adams Morgan. Nothing special, but the Lomo Saltado was fairly tasty. Though I'd place it second of the three places within a five block radius I've had Lomo Saltado. First place, by the way, is at Inti on 18th Street.

Stats

Miles Jogged/Walked: 23.8 miles
Average speed: 3.6 mph

Bars Visited: 4
This stat has been trending down for months. Perhaps next month I'll share my Bar Graph...

Haircuts: 0
Again.

Strangers met: About 15
Strangers whose names I remember: 2
...John, Brian.
Perhaps I need to start writing these things down...

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And that ought to do it. I'll leave you with a picture of the good stuff: