DC Cowboys Hoedown

What better way to unwind after a long week than with a little gay line dancing? I'd never even seen real live line dancing before I went to watch a former coworker perform with the DC Cowboys, an all-male, all-gay country dancing group, but I don't know how often Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" enters the rotation at other country bars. The Cowboys will perform tonight at Remington's at 11:30, but get there early to catch the regulars, whose elaborate moves are just as impressive. The fast-paced numbers are interspersed with sweet, slower, kind of waltzy-looking songs that draw couples of all ages. Not convinced? No cover with coupon.

DC Cowboys Hoedown Party
10-12
Remington's
639 Pennsylvania Ave., SE (Eastern Market Stop)

DC Rollergirls Spring Fling

The DC Rollergirls are having their second home bout of the season this Saturday in the Armory at 5. I went with a fellow Gone-Outer to their first bout in February and it was like nothing I'd ever seen. The fans are insanely enthusiastic (nothing says team spirit like a giant home-made flag that says HATE), and watching amateur sports has the added diversion of allowing you to picture the women skating and elbowing furiously, going to work in some public health NGO on Monday in an Ann Taylor twinset. It can be a little tricky to follow if you don't know the rules, but even if you have no idea what's happening it's still plenty entertaining. One caution- last time, we severely underestimated the appeal of roller derby to the DC public, and ended up two thirds back on a line that snaked from the entrance of the Armory almost to the Metro entrance, so it pays to get there plenty early. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for kids 6-11, and free for kids 5 and under. You can order them from Ticketmaster, but they'll gouge you in typical Ticketmaster fashion, you'll still have to wait on the will call line, and on opening day there didn't seem to be a problem with capacity. There's an afterparty at the Pour House in Eastern Market following the bout.

DC Rollergirls Spring Fling
DC Armory (Stadium/Armory stop)
Bout starts at 5, doors open at 4
Ticket $12
Metro from the Armory to Capitol South: $1.35
Drinks: The Saturday night special is $10 Bud Light pitchers and$2.50 Bud/Bud Light bottles

Free drinks are the best drinks

City Paper is hosting a Best Of Ballot Party! tonight. It includes, “Free drinks! Free food! Free balloting!” Yes, the party involves voting for the Best of D.C. Any event with free drinks and food, you should get there early because because you know the food will be gone in no time flat and the drinks will get progressively worse as the night goes on.

Lounge 201
201 Massachusetts Ave. NE (at 2nd and D Street NE--one block from Union Station)
6-9 p.m.

WSC in DC USA

I was psyched when I found out Washington Sports Club was opening a branch in the DC USA shopping center- a gym close enough to my building that I don't have to change there hopefully means no more days like today, when I get out of the shower with the spotty water pressure, wrapped up in a towel roughly the size of a Post-it, only to open my gymbag and realize I'd forgotten half my work clothes. Today, my sources (i.e. the guy behind the desk) told me the Columbia Heights location is opening on May 8.

Italian Ice For All

It’s Free Italian Ice Day at Rita’s. Head over to your nearest location for a 10oz cup of your flavor of choice, but first you’ll get to stand in a really long line. If you are feeling brave, you can opt for their newest flavor- Birthday Cake cream ice (this does not sound appealing).

Your closest locations will probably be-

1781 Florida Avenue NW

3237A 14th Street NW

2318 Rhode Island Avenue NE

Or for more location options, go here.

I will most likely not go for free italian ice because the cost of the metro ride to the closest location is worth more than the 10oz of italian ice. But if you find yourself close to one, enjoy!

Nothing like blind Tibetan children climbing mountains to make you feel bad about your accomplishments

“Blindsight” opens for a 6 day run at the Avalon Theatre today. It documents the journey of six blind Tibetan teenagers who decide to climb Lhakpa Ri, 23,000 feet up Everest. I’ll be checking in out (and reporting back) because this film is of personal interest for a couple reasons. After a tumultuous adventure in the Tibetan settlement in India in the summer of 2006, I was given a book called “My Path Leads to Tibet” written by Sabriye Tenberken. She writes of her experiences as a blind woman in Germany studying Tibetan culture to opening a school for the blind in Lhasa. Upon receiving the book, I thought is was a very thoughtful gesture, but a screwy gift to give someone whose time working with Tibetan refugees was cut significantly short due to illness. I basically shelved the book for over a year out of pure bitterness but I finally gave it a whirl last summer. ANYWAY, back to the movie- “Blindsight” is actually about Sabriye and her students who team up with blind mountain climber, Erik Weihenmayer to climb Lhakpa Ri. Not only an inspiring story (having been to Everest Base Camp, I cannot possibly fathom doing anything other than sitting quietly and trying to breathe), but the landscape will certainly be breathtaking.

The nitty gritty-

Avalon Theatre
Thursday, March 20, 2008 - Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tickets: $9.50
Matinee $6.75
Seniors and Students $6.75
Address: 5612 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Metro: Van Ness/UDC (Red line) then L1 or L2 metrobus to Chevy Chase Circle OR Friendship Heights (Red line) then E series bus to Connecticut Avenue
Phone: 202-966-6000
Email: info@theavalon.org

Shop & Support

Unique items, be it clothes, furniture, etc..., are great in theory, but can be quite pricey. Which is why sometimes, despite my intense urges, I avoid boutique shopping. But, tomorrow is the perfect day to splurge a little. Thursday, March 20, 2008 is officially a "give a little, get a little (or a lot, depending)" kind of day. In addition to having one-of-a-kind finds, a number of the U-street boutiques are teaming together to help Miriam's Kitchen, a local organization that provides nutritious breakfast to homeless individuals everyday of the week. So you bring in one item, which the store will then donate, and you get some kind of discount (varies depending on the store) off your purchase!

Click here for a breakdown of the stores, their location and what you need to bring to save!

And just on a personal note, I recommend Nana. They have really cute clothing items, and the people that work there are incredibly friendly. Also, it isn't mentioned on the pamphlet, but they are giving a 15% discount if you bring in vitamins. If you buy something, they will probably ask you to be on their listserv; a certain blogger (ahem) may already be on it, and she thinks that the deals and insights are superb.

U St. between 15th and 17th, NW
6 to 9 PM

FREE cooking class

Tomorrow night, Whole Foods on P St. is offering “Simply High Protein with Rupen.” This class will show you how to incorporate beans, legumes, and other protein options into your vegetarian diet. This is awesome because I don’t know anyone in their mid-twenties who can’t benefit from a cooking class. For the person who hates cooking meat (minus grilling in summer, that's me), this class is helpful because you’ll learn how to get enough protein into your diet without eating meat. It’s free- plus you’ll be able to have a couple of handy dishes to prepare, which will save you money in the long run. You need to RSVP 24 hours in advance. To register, call 202-332-4300 ext 4 or email heather.foley@wholefoods.com.

Wednesday, March 19th
Simply High Protein with Rupen
7:00–8:30 p.m.
Whole Foods Market
1440 P Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

Major Barbara

I went to the Sunday matinee of Shaw’s Major Barbara. Three generations attended the show- myself, my father, and my grandfather. I’m certainly no theater critic, so I can’t offer any deep insights on the show but in my opinion, no matter what age, this show is highly enjoyable. The audience loved it, clapping after the best lines with laughter. The actors were wonderful especially Ted van Griethuysen who played Andrew Undershaft and Helen Carey as Lady Britomart Undershaft. It was my first show at the Harman, which is certainly a beautiful place (BUT do NOT get me started on the bathroom and food/beverage situation). However, I wonder if the intimacy of the Lansburgh may have served the show better. I have to agree with other reviews that I’ve read which commented on some muffled dialogue. I’m not sure if this is a matter of the large space for the actors to fill or the actors themselves. Besides those remarks, I highly recommend it. Plus, for those of you who are under 35, you can stop by the Sidney Harman Hall Box Office (610 F St. NW) or call 202-547-1122 to get one of the 20 pairs of tickets priced at $10. ID is required to pick up tickets.