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- Pamela

Fly Me to the Moon...

If you are a business executive, director of events, a non-profit leader, or anyone else who may at some point need a venue to host a private party, you should definitely check out Fly Lounge DC. (1802 Jefferson Place, NW in the side street connecting Connecticut and 19th Street)

Tuesday evening Victoria and I put together a nice little private event for close to 70 hand-picked business leaders and media to “showcase” this cool space for just that purpose. (Thank you to all who attended. We appreciate your support!)

(Pictured: Me, Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, and Victoria inside Fly - compliments of photographer Russell Hirshon)

The neat thing about this unique place (if you haven’t yet been, or if you have been on a typical weekend late night and it was so crowded you couldn’t see 3 feet in front of you much less the “airplane windows” on the wall) is that it is designed to replicate the inside of a plane. The airplane windows are actually computer flat screens that can be used for corporate PowerPoint presentations, logo displays, videos, or whatever your heart desires. They stretch along both sides of the walls, again, to simulate the feeling of being inside a plane.

While the maximum capacity is 150 (and trust me, in the heat of a Friday or Saturday night at midnight, it feels like it is way over that number) private events can be smaller and more intimate and the flow of the room (there is only one room) is quite nice. Lots of comfortable seating, available catering, 2 bars, a sleek interior, lots of mirrors, excellent A/V capabilities with a mic and speakers for a presentation or for comments during the cocktails and a fabulous selection of groovy background music make Fly Lounge DC a fun and cool place to host your next corporate private event. Oh, you can also book valet parking, which is very convenient since the parking around that area (Golden Triangle) can sometimes be tough during cocktail hour times.

Suggested times to book: Sunday or Monday evenings – (Fly Lounge is closed and is available only for private parties)
Suggested hours for regular business evening: 6:30 – 9:30 pm Tuesday – Saturday

Fly opens to the public at 10 pm so if your guests want to stay and enjoy the more "clubby" atmosphere and mingle with those who venture in, they are welcome to. This is a fantastic way to impress your clients, business partners, prospects, your internal employees or the corporate big wigs who come into town.

There are several packages with open bar and catered food, we are happy to work with your requirements. For more information please contact Victoria Michael – victoriamichaelpr@gmail.com – Come Fly Private with us!

99 Years of Life on the Wall... 99 Years of Life!

I have been a BAD BAD BAD girl! No posting for 4 days. Sorry, I was in Atlanta celebrating with family, Grandma's 99th (YES, you did not misread) Birthday! Now that was a cause for celebration. I often wonder if I will make it to 50, much less 99. Anyway, it was an amazingly inspirational time, and I am so lucky to have a Grandmother who STILL has it together, dresses to the 9's and is lucid (more than a lot of people I meet when going out), intelligent, funny, witty, and can walk faster than me (but that is not saying much). So I apologize for bailing out on my writing responsibilites, but I am sure you can understand. It is not everyday you celebrate a 99th birthday!

(*Pictured: Victoria Michael, Me, Philippe Cousteau, Suzanne Coffin at an ExecutiveBiz Executive Connect Happy Hour)

You MUST get your TV tuned or your TiVo in gear for this coming Sunday the 21st at 8:00 pm. The Donald and Rosie are doing Celebrity Boxing on UPN! Just kidding. Actually, someone who is a dear dear friend, who is classy, hilarious, handsome, charming, sincere, kind, generous, humble, philanthropic, and an extremely hard worker, oh, I almost forgot, "BRILLIANT!" (that is one of his favorite sayings) Philippe Cousteau, will be premiering the show "Ocean's Deadliest" on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel simultaneously. This is the last project Aussie Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) did before his sudden death, when his heart was pierced by a stingray this past summer. (note, Philippe and others were with Steve on the boat when the accident happened. They worked tirelessly on reviving him on the boat for close to 2 hours.) After the show airs, the channels will present a tribute to the very much missed Crocodile Hunter.

Philippe, son of Jan and Philippe Cousteau Sr., and grandson of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, started with his sister Alexandra, the non-profit EarthEcho International. The environmentally educational focused, DC-based organization was started in 2000 by the two children in memory of their father. Philippe Sr. died tragically in a plane accident prior to Philippe Jr.'s birth.

The main focus of EarthEcho International is ACTION. Everything each of us does everyday, in our normal lives, has an effect on the environment, whether we realize it or not or whether we care or not. It is about understanding lifestyle choices (as simple as: Do you leave the water on when you brush your teeth? to: Do you ask for line caught salmon when you order in a restaurant? even: Who do you vote for when it comes to election time?)

Until I met Philippe, through Brian Williams (whose awesome company Viget Labs will be taking over this blog site soon and FYI, get ready for some really cool changes in the look), I never really thought about "Green" and anything I did ever making a difference. I mean, look, I am ONLY ONE PERSON. And aren't people who care about that "stuff" all funky and wear beads and Birkenstocks, make peace signs, and are also Vegans? (ok, I totally stereotyped - badly) Well, after talking with Philippe, listening and reading, not just his material, but others, I really started to "get it." Each of us has a CHOICE and truly, a responsibilty in everything we do, to make a difference. The cool thing about EarthEcho is that they get the message out through new media and through hip fun ideas and activities (rock climbing, snowboarding and other more Xtreme sports).

As they say "It's not your father's Oldsmobile." Well, it is not your father's planet anymore, nor your grandfather's. It is ours. And our children's (well, I don't have any, so its other people's children's). What we do or not do today, will truly affect our children's and grandchildren's planet.

I am not here to preach, just to make those who had never heard of EarthEcho International, or the "green" movement aware that there are opportunities to make a change. TODAY. And TODAY it is a really cool sexy thing to be empowered by this knowledge and do something about it.

Check out the website. Watch Animal Planet or Discovery on Sunday at 8pm. Talk with Philippe or his staff. They are incredible people who are interesting and not "crunchy", so don't get all worried about that. Those are yesterday's stereotypes. Let's keep this planet alive and gorgeous, so when we are all 99, our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids can thank us.

Read My Lips: No More Texts!

To all my dear wonderful friends who love to communicate with me only by text messaging,

I write to you to inform you that I have given up that mode of communication for the New Year (easier than going on a diet/workout regimen/marathon training). I apologize if you have texted me lately and I have not responded. I apologize in advance if you will text me and I will not respond. My reasons are found in the body of this letter. Thank you for reading.

I understand that text messaging can be:
Fun
Cute
Sexy
Charming
Convenient
Good to use when you are in a loud place and can’t hear the phone
Great to use when you are in a group at dinner and want to talk with the person across from you about the person next to you
Something to do when your dinner date gets up and goes to the restroom
Something to do when you are bored in a meeting/passenger in a car/in the office/in a park/at a bar
Something to do when you are in need of conducting banter with someone because you are lonely
Something to do when you are waiting for someone to show up at your meeting place so you look busy
Last but not least (and please forgive me if I have left off any other reasons to use text messaging) – A really great way to AVOID actually SPEAKING with the person you are contacting

Ok, ALL super reasons to use this advanced data transport method (also know as Short Message Service or SMS). And obviously the entire world thinks so because text messaging has reached an all time high - in the billions per month. However, when I opened up my latest Verizon Wireless bill, I was less than pleased with the dollar number staring back at me. (Let’s just say it was over $300) Then I went back to months and months prior, each one getting larger and larger. I noticed that I was getting killed KILLED on Data i.e. Text Messaging. You pay for each incoming and for each outgoing. I immediately called Verizon Wireless, who immediately obliged me and changed my plan to “all you can eat/text” for $10/month – but the catch is of course, only with those who are on the same network.

I took this information and pondered in my heart and in my checkbook and then deeper. I have been getting very frustrated with the whole process of having to respond to people by way of texting. Not that I don’t want these people to get in touch with me, they have my phone number for a reason. I really just wish people would pick up the phone. OR, they can email me. I am happy to do that too. I have a blackberry and a phone and a voice and ears. And this is ironic coming from me. I used to be the Queen of Text Messaging. However, after years of thumbing through conversations I decided the texting thing is a pain for me for several reasons:

My predictive text never gets the words correct to the sentence I want to create. For instance – I want to write: "I am home now." What will appear is: "I am good now." I want to write. "I did not go out last night." What will appear is: "I did not in out last might." You get my drift. I for one do not have the patience to go back and search and type on that little phone every little letter hunt and peck style. I can type easily on a keyboard or on the blackberry, just not on the phone.

I can be a verbose person when it comes to writing. I find it challenging to be cryptic. And when someone writes: "What did you do last night?" Easy for THEM to write, but they expect me to write in text, letter by letter, an account of everything I did? Uh uh.

I like having phone conversations. You can hear the tone in a person's voice, you get the full message in 1/10th of the time it takes to write. And you can get on and off the phone quickly, if you say something like: "Oops, I have got to take this call." Done. Simple.

And email - c'mon. That is an easy one. That was here way before the advent of the text messaging craze. We have blackberry's and Treo's now, so it is possible to get in touch with most people through that form of messaging. It just doesn't cost per email and the messagings can be more explicit and understood.

So, call me old-fashioned, call me impatient, call me not technologically of this era (I don’t have an iPod, satellite radio, nor do I have nor have I ever owned a Razor, Krazor, Chocolate, Pearl, Sidekick, or any of those fancy little things that for some reason, remind me of Paris Hilton), call me all of the above. Just don’t text it to me.

Thoughts on text messaging positive or negative? Post a comment!

Postcards From the Couch

Well, I finally finished The Collectors (David Baldacci). Wow, I was sad to close the book. I was so addicted, and it was like 1:30 am Sunday night. Finishing a really good book can be a bit bittersweet. I feel like I don’t ever want the story to end, yet, I can’t wait to get to the next page. Kinda like life too, right? I again, really recommend picking this treasure up. I have a feeling there will be another sequel to this novel, which was the continued story from The Camel Club.

(*Pictured above: Christophah, Tony, Pawlie "Walnuts", Silvio - the main freakin' charactah's on the groundbreaking and bone breaking drama now headed to A&E)

So I am wondering about how the heck A&E is going to air "The Sopranos"? (p.s. the cable channel paid a record cool $2.5 million per episode) I suppose they can get away with a lot more, since it IS cable (heck, the amount of graphic exposure shown on even network i.e. CSI, or any other crime show, is laden with bloody violent images) but seriously! The whole reason people are addicted to this HBO drama is BECAUSE of the graphic violence, language, nudity and sex. Isn’t that why it was created FOR HBO? ("It’s not TV. It’s HBO.") What is left? Carmela making coffee and Tony eating bacon/pasta/sausage/pasta/some sort of meat dish or smoking a cigar? And will they just “blur” out the nakedness? Will they change the vulgar words, and replace with “I’m gonna FREAKIN’ kill you, you little SHYSTER!” (One can only guess what words he really said on HBO.) Or will they just blank it out “I’m gonna SILENT kill you, you little SILENT!” If that happens, my goodness, ¾ of the show will be in quiet mode. You may think you hit the Mute button by accident. We'll miss the entire script.

Anyway, I think it will be quite entertaining to see how this airing happens. I thought about that when USA Network decided to air Sex and the City. I tried it watch it once, and got bored. Who wants to watch a show that has spoiled you with ZERO interruptions WITH stupid commercials and half the content taken out? I just used my remote to choose HBO On Demand and watched about 4 episodes uninterrupted, in a row, with pausing and rewind capability. Now that is great TV watching.

And how about that BCS Game last night. I'll never eat a Tostito again. I can’t even bear to think about that one. I started watching the bloodbath in hopes of a slaughter in the right direction (Penn State entered the Big 10 when I was a freshman there, ok, now you know how old I am, and why is it still Big 10 when there are now 11 in the conference?). Unfortunately for Ohio State, the 51 days to prepare, apparently only hurt them. I think I started cringing right around the 2nd quarter. Or was it the 1st quarter? Don’t remember, it was just all bad. 41-14 Gators over the Buckeyes. Ouch. Hurts to type that.

I was home to watch two of my favorite shows (Law & Order:CI and :SVU) brand new episodes tonight. I was thinking how I have pretty much seen every episode of those shows maybe twice because of my addiction to USA and how they play back to back episodes constantly. Someone is a marketing genius over there. You can’t even get up off the couch to get a drink of water before you are drawn in to the next show. Next thing you know, it is 4 hours later. I need an intervention. However, interestingly enough, a dear friend of mine’s friend was the head of the company who invented the split screen on network that allowed for scenes from “next week’s show” to be played while the ending credits of the current show played. Genius. That way, you kill two birds with one stone, AND you never get the viewer to change the channel. They are drawn into the show that follows what they were watching.

And America seems to have a sick fascination with doctors, lawyers and no, not Indian chiefs, but rather cops, or sexy detectives. I am sorry, but seriously, WHAT crime scene investigator looks like THAT (and you know who I am referring to)? And are there really doctors that look like Dr. McDreamy? (if so, I will change doctor’s RIGHT NOW) and why after nights of working hard on a case or surgery, is everyone’s hair perfect, makeup not smeared, lipstick still on, no bags under the eyes, clothing not wrinkled (for CSI: Miami fans, not much clothing is worn on the women), cleavage all up and at attention, and really, everyone looks, just so GREAT?

Oh, I remember now. It’s not real life. It’s TV.

Hungry? It's a Foodie's Paradise Out There!

Every year, the Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington bring our city the Winter Restaurant Week. This year, it is this week, January 8 – 14th. I have learned that 170 restaurants are participating, so talk about choices during this 10th annual event!

A bit about the week:
Participating Washington restaurants from every cuisine background offer a 3 course gourmet prix-fixe meal during lunch and dinner. The lunch menu is $20.07 (get it? 2007) and dinner menus are only $10 more for $30.07. (The prices do not include tax, beverage or gratuity.) Reservations are highly recommended and when you get to the restaurant, don’t just assume you will get any 3 course meal for that excellent price. The establishment should have a pre-printed menu specifically for this week’s special offering. If they don’t present to you right away, do make sure you ask for it!


Here are some links to learn more about it:

Washington, DC Tourism and Convention Corporation

OpenTable

AOL City Guide

Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington

Do your best to come into the District (there are some restaurants in NoVa also participating) to taste some of the country’s best chefs in their beautifully designed restaurants, try a new place you have been reading about, or even that little place you’ve always been wondering about. It will be worth it – and at those prices, you can’t lose!

I welcome your comments on where you went, your reviews and suggestions.

Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week ...

Remember those classic lines from the hilarious movie “Airplane!” when Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges) says, “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop drinking/smoking/sniffing glue/amphetamines.”? Well, it appears that I picked the wrong week to START my diet/yoga/getting more sleep/amphetamines. Ok, that last one was ajoke. With the whirlwind of activities from the NYE weekend over, I had a fresh outlook in mind and a well rested soul from hiding away during the week. That meant of course, I was itching to have fun again Friday night.

(*Pictured: Me, Dina, Victoria, Anna, Paola, Kimberly at the Verizon Center)

I met a group of friends pre-Wizards vs. Clippers game at Rosa Mexicano. I really love that place, and talk about perfect location: right across the street from the Verizon Center. Fortunately for Rosa, the prime location, awesome pomegranate margaritas and fantastically tableside prepared guacamole means a packed house at all times ESPECIALLY, pre- and post-game. Great for them, bad for those of us who arrive and have no place to sit, who are constantly being bumped around, and who have to wait 4 deep at the bar to order from the already swamped bartenders. Still, I do love that place. Warning: as great as those famous pomegranate marg’s are, I suggest a limit of two in one sitting. There is something in that secret recipe that kicks in later. I hear from people that strange activities have occurred later after having more than two of these delicious concoctions (i.e. dancing in the street, making bad decisions when choosing who to talk to from the opposite sex, making bad decisions when choosing who to give a phone number to from the opposite sex, making loud comments to no one in particular that could be construed as asinine, calling radio stations, calling ex-'s, howling at the moon, etc.).

The group was Scottie, Paola, Anna, Dina, Jimmy, Rupert, and Gal. Victoria was already at the suite ordering the food and drinks, so we headed over. Philippe showed up later. What I enjoy about sitting in the suites, it that it is a great atmosphere to converse, socialize, drink, eat, and enjoy oneself comfortably, however, sometimes I personally feel as if I am in a living room having a party, not at an actual game. So next thing you know, as I talk and laugh and get into major discussions with the folks in the room, I start wondering “Is there a game going on? What quarter is it? Who is winning? Who is playing? Is it over ALREADY?” and yes, it was over – The Wizards won!Congratulations to the birthday boy, Gilbert Arenas, who was certainly having the best pre-birthday party game of his life.

As I glanced down in my handbag at the black heavy unique invitation from Love with the Black Arenas Card tucked within, (take off of the Black AmEx) with my very own name on the card, with the guest number of 4613 (Gilbert and I are very close, he promised I would not be the invited group of 5000, RIGHT!) I thought to myself, There is NO WAY we are going to that party, on the other end of the world, and join, last I heard, 5000 + invited guests. However, I have to hand it to whoever created these invitations. They are extremely cool, and must have been a fortune to create. Gilbert’s face is imprinted where the face of the Roman is on real AmEx card. They are very clever and extremely well done.

The consensus was, and we all had card invites, to skip the party. We felt it would be too much of a hassle to get to, the open bar was now closed, and getting back to “mid-town” from Love on Okie Ave NE, could present a challenge. So, we decided to run across the street to another favorite, IndeBleu. There we made our way up the stairs to the bar across from the dining room, where I saw Saeed Bennani, of IndeBleu management. He is such a gracious host and he happily opened his arms to us (6 women – Scott and Philippe were eating in the dining room and the Jimmy and Gal had not joined us) and started us out with champagne. Saeed then became “Sir Mix A Lot” and spent his time working on some tasty creations that were eagerly sipped up by this group. Time to move on, we thanked Saeed, and jumped in a cab (we were starting to lose people now) and headed to Fly to go dancing. I guess that is the only way I have been keeping in some sort of shape, dancing and walking to the next venue.

We all had a really fun time there, it seemed like a lot who came FROM the birthday party were ending up there. I still haven’t heard the real LOWDOWN (not including what was in the papers, of course) on the party, just little bits, here and there. If anyone has the REAL scoop on what really happened, feel free to comment. I was sorry to have missed it, but our group had a fabulous time just playing locally in our old stomping grounds, dancing, taking tons of pictures, and cheering in the weekend. Happy Belated Birthday Gilbert. Til Next Year!

A 10 Year Celebration Not to Miss!

Wow, does time fly by. I think it has always moved quickly for me because I have always been in corporate sales. The “End of the Month” or “End of the Quarter” was this scary looming date that seemed to move faster than a locomotive and speeding bullet put together. Even though I am now out of sales, by doing marketing and promotional activities, upcoming deadlines and dates to finalize projects still keep the timeline tick tocking away.

I think back to 10 years ago. Wow, a DECADE ago, and wonder, what was I DOING? How have I progressed? How have I digressed? (ok, don't answer that) Do I look any differently? (ok, don’t answer that one either) If I try hard enough to see 10 years ago in my mind, I recall I was a crazy kid, a few years out of school, working, dating, going to Dewey Beach, enjoying life and I would venture to say, the term “adult responsibility” had not yet fully sunk in to my beer drenched, apartment sharing, dented car driving young self. And what were OTHER people doing 10 years ago?

If we got into a time machine, and set if for 1996, and asked it to take us to Susie Kay’s life, we’d see a school teacher who decided to leave her job to start a non-profit to make a difference in the lives of high school students, whom she believed in, and knew they had the ability to go to college, but didn’t have the means. Susie Kay risked everything in order to help better the lives of hundreds of students. She is the Founder and President of the local philanthropy “Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund” and on February 27th, 2007, the HDSF proudly will celebrate its 10th Anniversary at the downtown Ritz Carlton.

Wow Susie Kay – you should be SO proud of yourself, because everyone else is. Susie has been a friend and someone I have looked up to (well not physically, she is a tiny little thing, and I look like the Jolly Green Giant next to her) in every way. She is the hardest working, most dedicated leader for her cause I have ever met. Everyone who meets her loves her and has such respect for her. And on top of this, the girl KNOWS how to have fun. Trust me, she is not ALL business. She knows how to dance and parties like the best of us.

Many folks have been along to help with the HDSF for years, including George Newstrom (who was at EDS at the time and the first big donor, great story, now with Lee Technolgies), Jimmy Lynn (AOL Sports), Ted Leonsis (AOL Vice Chair and majority partner of Lincoln Holdings, LLC, who own the Caps, Mystics, and part of the Wizards), Tien Wong (Opus 8), Miriam Pollin (PwC), Jan Rosen (TeleSave Solutions), Shelia Johnson (Salamander Hospitality), the Kimsey Foundation, and so many others. These people have given dollars, time, dedication and most of all BELIEF in Susie, the Mentoring Program, the students, and the true results of the Fund.

I congratulate everyone who has been involved, Susie for her perseverance, the students who have gone to college and graduated and those who are now in the program.

Please help these fine folks in celebrating AND have a blast (remember, Susie hangs with FUN people!) on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 2007. The dress is cocktail, it starts at 6:30, tickets and tables are still available! (Hosts: Ted Leonsis, Sheila Johnson and the Honorable William T. Newman, presented by the Freddie Mac Foundation with the MC being Jim Vance from NBC4!) See you there!

Last night I met Victoria at Café Milano for dinner with Jason Binn. He was in town back from hosting Heidi Klum, Seal, and Mariah Carey in Aspen for NYE. He had hilarious stories about the holiday’s events. Of course, I was sorry I missed THAT party, and also the party that a friend told me about in South Beach. 1000 people, live alligators, jaguars, gorgeous women serving cocktails in all body paint (well, I could have dealt without that part) but still, the crazy life OUTSIDE of DC that exists! And I am still working on my trip to the SuperBowl this year. In any case, I was pleasantly surprised as I waited at the bar (now non-smoking, thank you DC Council!) sipping my martini, that a special guest would be gracing our presence during dinner: Arianna Huffington. Now, I had never met Arianna, but I had seen her sophisticated image in Gotham, Capitol File, LA Confidential, and Vanity Fair to name a few publications. I knew she had just finished a book On Becoming Fearless (which I still need to read and once I do, you know I will give a review!), was very influential (named 1 of Time Magazine's 2006 most influential people), smart, ran The Huffington Post and had been in DC briefly for the screening of my friend John Scheinfeld’s film, “The U.S. vs. John Lennon” several months ago. And as someone who really loves to write, having the opportunity to meet those who really CAN write and who are PUBLISHED many times over, is a wonderful honor. (John is an accomplished screenwriter, producer and director, so you know I eat up what he has to say.)

The crowd was nice and low-key for the Wed after NYE, and I ran into my old friends Rick Rickertsen and Mark Ein who were dining with Susan McCaw (U.S. Ambassador to Austria, and wife of Craig McCaw). It was pleasant to catch up with them.

We chatted until Arianna arrived and then her Political Editor, Melinda Henneberger, joined us with her daughter. Nancy Pelosi’s tea was yesterday, plus there were tons of events going on, as with the rest of this week, for the new administration locally and of course as the 110th Congress is sworn in. (which is why Arianna was in town) It is an exciting energetic time in Washington DC! For those of you who are into political celeb spotting and eavesdropping, this would be the week to be on the prowl. (check out Café Milano, anywhere on the Hill, the Oval Room, the Palm, the Capital Grill, places along Penn Ave - there are tons of parties tonight.)

We had a really nice time and conversation, dinner was delicious as usual, and as we were saying our Bon Soir’s, Victoria and I decided to meet some friends real quickly at IndeBleu for a night cap, then head home. The great news coming from that side of town, is that the Wizards won in the LAST SECOND! Gilbert Arenas, the Birthday Boy of the Year, was the hero of the game scoring the winning 3 pointer to make the final score 108 – 105 against the Bucks… he will have much to celebrate this Friday night at Love (I hear there may still be some tickets still available - You too could be one of the 1000's celebrating his 25th birthday!)

All Dressed Up and Don't Know Where to Go?

I think it was around August when I wandered into the Georgetown Barnes & Noble and settled into the Daytimer/Calendar section. There it was, a beautiful soft cover, red, leather (ette) B&N Weekly Desk Calendar for 2007. It was perfect for taking with me to meetings and pulling out in front of present company. My current daytimer was so embarrassing to look at, I usually left it at home and was constantly writing dates on cocktail napkins. Ok, some of my meetings are in places where one would find a cocktail napkin. Or I was unable to commit to dates because my handy ripped up, dog eared, well loved calendar wasn’t right at my fingers, so I had to guess if I was available for a future event. And no, I don’t use my Blackberry for its calendar capabilities. That would be way too modern for me. Well, in saying good-bye to 2006, I said hello to my new pretty red calendar, that I shall haul around with me to most occasions (as long as it fits into the handbag I bring, of course).

The best part of a new calendar (it's the little things in life) is the collection of fresh empty pages, just waiting to become black and blue with words, scribbles, numbers and cross outs. It reminds me of an artist's blank canvas, just waiting to be covered with colorful paint strokes, til the naked eye can see no more white space. Yes, I eagerly whipped out the red book, my pen and giddily, I started filling in space after space with event after event.

Below are a few that I am helping to promote for friends. They are fun, will have a fabulous crowd, and benefit worthy, wonderful causes.

Friday, January 19th: The Washington Ballet’s Jete’ Society is holding their Dance Party at the gorgeous Italian Embassy this year. Tickets are only $75 each, the event starts at 9 pm and you will be able to shake your booty and dance into the night until 1 am. This year’s chairs are the beautiful Ashley Taylor and the handsome, charming Winston Bao Lord. Expect a fun time with the young hip movers and shakers (literally) of Washington DC – bring your dancing shoes, and drink a few Red Bulls prior!

Tuesday, January 23rd: The Potomac Officers Club Luncheon will be held at the Fairview Park Marriott from 11:30 am – 1:15 pm. This exclusive executive event is for POC members and their invited guests only and marks the beginning of this non-profit speaker series’ 5th year. Special guest speaker: Washington Post Sports Columnist and Pardon The Interruption Co-Host, Michael Wilbon. Wilbon was a huge hit last January with his candid comments and his SuperBowl prediction. We look forward to another great event AND prediction! Registration is $75 for members and $95 for invited guests.

Tuesday, January 23rd: The Washington Humane Society is hosting their 5th Annual “Sugar & Champagne Affair” at the sexy new Hotel Palomar. The event, which was created by Todd and Ellen Gray of Equinox, will start at 7 pm and will feature excellent sparkling wines, champagnes, and desserts. Bring your pups too! Tickets are $75 a person, proceeds benefit the WHS and if you want to upgrade - the VIP reception and dinner at the hotel’s Urbana (which is fabulous) is only $300. To buy tickets please call 202.723.5730 x 206.

Again, I know there are tons of events going on out there (whew, I barely caught my breath from my 4 night streak) so if I hear of some “must attends!” I’ll make sure to mention. For now, I must brush off my cocktail attire, dust off a business suit, perhaps find a dog to borrow (anyone need to puppy sitter on the 23rd?) and fill up my bubbly flute. 2007 is off to a fabulous start!

I hear the key to life is Moderation...

Scott Stephens, this one’s for you.

*(Pictured: Me, John, Victoria, Josh, Kim at the Redskins game - taken by Melissa Hall)

I’d be lying to you (and myself) if I said that doing “nothing” for 5 days/nights didn’t give me a LITTLE bit of pent up energy. And what does one do with all of that pent up energy, when one returns from the country to the grand city? I am thinking that the City Mouse did something similar when he came back from switching places with Country Mouse: Make up for lost time out as soon as possible.

The following is an account of the whirlwind action that took place during the evenings of December 28th through the wee-hours of welcoming in 2007. Warning: Some material may not be suitable for children.

Thursday the 28th 7:47 pm left house
Met my dear friend Philippe at the neighborhood destination, Sette Bello for drinks/dinner. Sette Bello (Beautiful Seven) in Clarendon is the 3rd of Franco Nuschese’s (Café Milano, Sette Osteria) sumptuous Italian establishments. Enjoyed great catching up time, my favorite oven baked pizza with the arugala and shaved parm on top, and a great wine. Headed downtown to meet friends at Blue Duck Tavern. Nazy from Niche Media was in town with some of our buddies, Pirooz (Grooming Lounge) and Arash (Deep Dish Productions). Had a blast, laughing, drinking bubbly, catching up, celebrating being back in town – probably had the staff there wanting to kick us out, but they were really professional and gracious, even at midnight. The Park Hyatt DC is so gorgeous, and the service is always spot on. Called it a night …started to turn into a pumpkin.

Friday the 29th 7:05 pm left house
Ouch, should have left before I turned into a pumpkin last night. Headed to OYA for Paige’s holiday say good-bye to 2006 party in the private room for about 40 of her closest friends. Sushi, wine, delicious cuisine galore. Great conversation. Topics included: What the hell are you doing for NYE? Are you going to Gilbert Arenas’ 25th birthday party next weekend? (please note, he has rented out all of Love, invited about 5000 of HIS closest friends and fans, attendees must have the mailed Black Arenas Express card invitation, which is numbered, by the way, with their ID’s, and I hear it is open bar.) What did you do for Christmas? Typical conversation. Oh, and What are we doing after this party? Paige, Philippe, Victoria and I jumped in a cab (heaven forbid we only go to one place in a night) and made our way to Fly Lounge. There, we drank bubbly, danced and enjoyed the crowd, until a few SDG’s (read: Stupid Drunk Girls) with attitudes decided elbow me numerous times and laugh about it. Sigh. How to ruin a great night. I have a Zero Tolerance for SDG’s and SDI’s (read: Idiots that are of the Male Species). Gave myself the hook, just in time. Another late evening. Yikes!

Saturday the 30th 5:45 pm left house
Ugh. This was getting tough. Redskins game. Victoria had booked 5 tickets from a friend on the Owner’s Suite Level (my favorite) for the Giants game. Took John T (Cloud Dining), Josh (Nage) and his wife Kim. Had a blast, the suite was crowded with friends and I was really getting a headache. Little engine that could was going through my mind. Went to 5th Quarter for a split second. Keri’s last Redskins game – she is going to RedPeg Marketing. Wish her the best of luck! She is awesome!

Left game, stopped back in the city to dance at Fly. Now I really had a headache. Gave myself the hook again. One more night to go …

Sunday the 31st, New Year’s Eve 7:46 pm left house
Dear Lord, I can make it though. I know I can. It was the Home Stretch. Saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Saw the Finish Line. Just a few more hours. Were those bags under my eyes? Or was the lighting bad? And how could I gain 10 lbs in 3 nights? Never mind, stop staring in the mirror and get going. Headed to Nage for dinner with friends. It was a nice crowd, as usual, the food there was wonderful. Love that place. Champagne anyone? Left there and in the rain, went to IndeBleu. Was there by 11ish, stayed to ring in the New Year – NO KISS. Sigh. Went to Fly to end the night. Oh, did kiss someone there, but he was with our party all night. Then left and did a “drive by” with a group to a house party. Oh, it was time to call it. Unfortunately, missed the party at Napoleon, but only b/c logistically, it became impossible to fit in.

WOW, made it through the 4 Night Party Tunnel alive. Have to say the best times were dinner at Sette Bello (probably because I was so fresh) and the last night at Fly (probably because I got a kiss!).

So, What Did YOU Do This Holiday?

Who me? Oh, nothing. NOTHING at all. Ok, well, I exaggerate a bit. I slept. A LOT. I read. A LOT. I ate. A LOT. What I didn’t do A LOT of is drink nor exercise. I suppose one “x’s” out the other, so I am even in that regard. In any case, when you are high up in the mountains, where the temperature is about 30 degrees F, where the winds freeze the water tearing from your squinting eyes before it even hits your red cheeks (NFL fans, think "Frozen Tundra"), where cell/wireless service is the poster child for the latest Cingular dropped calls commercials on a LUCKY day, where the term “high speed” literally means going 15 miles above the 65 MPH speed limit on Rte 68 and where “broadband” may in fact be an accepted term for an all girl instrument group: there really IS NOTHING to do. And I loved every minute of it.

This is not to say I spent the festive holiday season holed up like a crazy recluse. No, I was lucky to have much time with my wonderful parents and family out near Deep Creek Lake, MD. Away from the hustle, bustle, and rats racing for first place. I had been looking forward to these days and nights for so long, you cannot imagine. I know, it sounds crazy coming from me, whose nights are most people’s days and whose calendar sometimes has more engagements per evening than is physically possible to experience until cloning becomes legal. (It is for BUSINESS, I swear!)

“R and R” means PEACE and QUIET which for me, translates to: catch up on reading, movie watching and of course, sleeping. Because for five full nights, I had no social adventures to report to you readers, I thought I’d share with you my reviews and recommendations for a few books I got to check out.

Extraordinary Women – Fantasies Revealed: Produced by Ilene Leventhal and Francine Levinson, Photos by Clay Blackmore, Text by George Nicholas (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $35.00). This was a gift from my dear friend Elaine Leibsohn. A gorgeous coffee table book, this 144 page colorful piece showcases 58 women of accomplishment who portray their true hopes and dreams. The cover has the beautiful Ann Curry from The Today Show whose fantasy is to be a Humanitarian. Also included in the 58 are locals like jewelry designer Ann Hand (To Sing Mimi in La Boheme at the Met), wife of Ben Bradlee and media extraordinaire, Sally Quinn (Chanteuse), Marie Johns (Bistro Owner), who was the CEO of Verizon DC as well as a recent Mayoral candidate, and Lynda Carter (Olympic Gold Medalist), who’s name goes hand in hand with the most gorgeous super heroine ever, and who is married to lawyer Robert Altman. These are just a handful of the fun delights you will find in this fabulous book. Local photographer Clay Blackmore, does his artistry more than well (I have had the privilege of working with this portrait master on a shoot for a past Washington Life Magazine piece.) This awesome hardback is priced at a mere $35.00 and proceeds benefit the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubs of Washington DC.

The Phony Marine: Jim Lehrer (Random House, $23.95). I picked up 2 copies of this clever novel (personally autographed) one for my father and one for me, at the last Nathan’s Q & A of the year, featuring Jim Lehrer himself as the luncheon guest. Carol Joynt does a wonderful job of interviewing her media friends and accomplished journalists, especially those who come prepared to sign their recently written books. The authors are more than happy to stay, chat with the luncheon attendees, and autograph books. This makes for an easy gift, and a fun way to meet these successful interviewees, who would normally be seen to we regular people on TV and computer screens, Time magazine, or national newspapers.

Lehrer’s writing style offers the reader an intelligent story, while not getting too far into details, so it moves right along. It is only 206 pages and because Lehrer is an accomplished novelist, it was pure enjoyment to read and I myself wanted to wander into Border’s for another one of his works. The premise is based in DC (I love books like that, we can RELATE!) and tells of an ordinary man, Hugo Marder, who buys a Marine’s Silver Star medal on eBay (legal) and begins to wear it (not legal), all the while, noticing how differently people treat him now that he is a “hero”. Next thing we know, Hugo researches how to BECOME that Marine hero (physical appearance, walk, clothing, talk, and knowledge of Vietnam War) so that everyone will believe he truly IS that Marine hero, even those who have actually served our country. Anyone knows, especially in Washington, falsifying someone who earned a medal like the Silver Star in the armed forces is NOT an easy task … pick up this book and find out what happens to Hugo!

The Collectors: David Baldacci (Warner Books, $26.99). Oh my goodness, can I say – Baldacci is my favorite author. He has been for the past several years. I have read pretty much all of this local (Alexandria, VA) writer’s works. He bases his books mostly around the local metro area and is a political suspense, spy, espionage novelist, who, for at least me, is so engaging it is hard to put his books down. Where Lehrer doesn’t get so caught up in minute details, Baldacci is king. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what mood you are in. His books can take some quiet and concentration, but hey, if you always wanted to learn about the history of pretty much anything political, the CIA, the NSA, how to be a con, how to beat a con, all while wondering how close to “true” are his stories (I mean, how much can you trust the government after reading these books?), I say go all out Baldacci.

In The Collectors, his characters take you on a roller coaster of adventure, entwining you into their lives, secrecy and risk taking til your heart is beating and you are at the edge of your seat. His most recent book is a continuation of his last publication, The Camel Club (whose major character, Oliver Stone, gets more play time in The Collectors). I am still reading The Collectors, but I can tell you, if you read the previous book, this is a more fun read, as it introduces a con artist, Annabelle Conroy, into the Club’s life, and starts with the assassination (if you read a lot of Baldacci, political assassinations are a plenty) of the U.S. Speaker of the House. Get ready to jump on this roller coaster, where the characters who are collectors, wind us from the casinos of Atlantic City, through the streets of DC, to the historic tomes of the Library of Congress, to the stark whiteness of the U.S. Capitol. The not so smart characters take us to their deaths and the smart ones- to their prize.

I hope you get a chance this holiday season to read at least one of these picks, whether while jetsetting to a fun destination, laying on a tropical beach, lounging by a ski lodge's cozy fire, sitting in a Georgetown Starbucks, or just relaxing at home by yourself. Turn off your phone, grab a drink, and totally escape. Enjoy!

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Who is the Furriest One of All?

For a town that is so P.C. (ok, we have had a FEW hiccups in that department here and there) it is shocking to be invited to an event where the theme is “Come Party With Us Wearing Your Favorite Fur” or some variation of that, but the main gist – of the “Fur Ball” is WEAR FUR.

I have to admit, I am not one for themed parties. I have a hard enough time trying to decide what to wear to run into CVS, so for someone like me, who has limited time to venture all over DC to shop for a costume that fits a particular decade, country, holiday or otherwise, a themed party can be challenging. I can deal with color themes (Red / Pink / Black) pretty well (if we stick to those colors!). Lucky for me, the fur theme happened to fit into my wardrobe. I found something rabbit in the back of my closet. And I do own very few pieces. (PLEASE don’t compare me to Madonna who was recently chastised by PETA for wearing a $70,000 chinchilla. For one thing, I don’t have $70,000 to spend on a coat. Secondly, if I did, I wouldn’t. I have read how awful the process is to kill the little animals. I read the coat was made with 40 pelts. Maybe she can adopt a chinchilla to make up for it. Or go into fur rehab.)

The night started at Café Milano, or Cafeteria Milano, as I sometimes affectionately call it. Not because it has a cafeteria menu, but rather because the clubby atmosphere reminds me of an office building's upscale cafeteria. You walk in, see everyone at their regular tables, come over sit, chat, double kiss, say hi, what is new, who else is here, did you hear the latest, blah blah blah, just like you would in ye ole office cafeteria. (The Palm has that same feel.) Of course, the main difference in the comparison is, Milano brings in a constant celebrity clientele. Not too many office building cafeterias can claim that. I was meeting with my friend Rafael, and he was introducing me to a wonderful couple who are friends of his to discuss some potential business down the road. They own a luxury car rental company called Pure Exotics. We had great fun there, and eventually decided to move the party over to Blue Gin, where THE FUR BALL was already in full gear.

And was it ever furry in there. And very festive. And VERY crowded. And VERY VERY hot. I suppose the mild 50 degree weather doesn’t typically motivate us to wrap ourselves in animal skin that brings our own body temperature up to about 100 degrees, but we all pretty much tried to stick with the theme. Everyone and their mothers, brothers, sisters, and fathers were there. It was a true party. Jamie Hess and his host committee had invited pretty much everyone and they all pretty much showed up. At one point in the night, I heard one attractive young woman who was beginning to “glisten”, ask her friend, “Do you think this could be a fire hazard?” I think it was at that point I had to sneak out and grab a cab. I love Blue Gin, it is one of my favorite night spots (I held my 5th Annual Birthday Bash there this summer.) and they have to be happy with the business they did last night. I think everyone had a fabulous time, fur and all, even though within a few minutes of being in there, everyone started stripping off their “theme”. We hope next year it will be a bit cooler outside AND inside so we all can stick with the fur – but if the host committee wants to change it to a more P.C. theme that fit the season, remember what I said about your basic colors? Think Red and White and Green ... just a thought!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Well, not if you count the super mild weather we've been having in DC and the spotting of some pasty white untoned legs on some shorts wearers the other day, but certainly if you try to venture into Tysons Corner, Georgetown, or a Target parking lot at any time during the morning, afternoon, or evening. And forget about getting in to eat anywhere. ‘Tis the week for boisterous holiday office parties! You, who just want to eat with a friend after a full day of shopping, head to the bar or a fast food place. You may be waiting in line for a week for a table.

(*Pictured - me, Victoria Michael, Cindy Jones - photograph by Sarah Rosenwinkle)

Last week I tried to forget about the repeating ads for everything "½ off" in every store, the crowded malls, restaurants and roads that reminded me that the commercialized Christmas season was already here. Instead, I concentrated on looking at the gorgeous lights and decorations (I pretend I don’t see any plastic lit up Santa’s on people's yards) up and down the neighborhoods, M Street and in beautiful office buildings. But I was still missing that one kicker of a moment that really sets me into “Christmas Mode” (when terror strikes me that I have done no shopping, basically.) And that came upon a midnight (well almost by the time we left the gala) clear – at the Kennedy Center for the Choral Arts Society’s Annual Christmas Music Concert and Gala.

First, friends and I met up at the Four Seasons for their annual holiday party, where the theme was “Roaring ‘20’s / Depressionesque”. It was a fun theme, with boas, and hats, and tons of food and drinks, and they had obviously spent a lot of time creating a very festive atmosphere. Tiffani Cailor, who runs public relations for the hotel, was our hostess, looking beautiful as usual. We then had our group sprint over to the Kennedy Center, where we met up with the rest of the crew. Cindy and Evan Jones had graciously invited us. It was Victoria Michael, Lacey Kirstein, Lynly Boor, Paola Domenge (Tiny Jewel Box), Paige Bishop (Capitol File), Sarah Rosenwinkle, Jason Binn (CEO of Niche Media) and me.

The concert was held in the Concert Hall. It was filled to the brim with attendees. The choir sang absolutely gorgeous, lovely Austrian Christmas music which fully placed us in the holiday spirit. The orchestra was the American Youth Philharmonic, their Maestro Conductor, Luis Haza, and they were outstanding (I played the clarinet when I was younger in the band, so I had total appreciation for these kids). Norman Scribner, Artistic Director, did a fantastic job of putting the concert together, and was able to get the audience involved by not only turning around from the conductor stand and conversing in a jovial way, but by asking us to join the choir and sing along. Now, I don’t sing (I could make a dog cry) and out of respect for those around me, I kept my mouth shut. However, I did enjoy listening to those in the audience, whose life long desire was to stand in the Kennedy Center and sing their lungs out, do just that.

The nicest thing about this event, was that it was very elegant. There were stunning gowns, men in white tie with their tails, men in black tie with festive bow ties, and every jeweled color represented in dresses. There were furs galore, diamonds, rubies, emeralds. It was a gorgeous painting of people. After the concert ended we went to the Silent Auction and cocktail party held on the Rooftop Terrace. There we mixed and mingled with the rest of Washington DC society and after that, we headed to the sit down dinner. The table was fun and of course, everything was beautifully decorated. The most hilarious thing was, the main course plate was AUSTRIAN. Basically, it was cabbage, beef, and potatoes. It fit the entire night’s theme really well, however, it just didn’t go with my appetite. I was starting to feel like I was part of the Von Trapp family by the end of the night.

Monday night’s concert was exactly what I needed to kick start me into “OMG, it is REALLY HERE!” It IS here, but then it will be over before it even started. I can’t wait to go back up to Deep Creek to see my parents, hopefully there will be a few flakes falling (as it is so much colder up there) while I am in the country.

I wish everyone who reads this, a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and Safe Holiday! And NO, I still haven’t decided what to do for NYE – HOWEVER, Aspen may be in the picture … Apsen Peak Magazine’s NYE party with Seal and Heidi Klum - hmmm… more to come - but first I have to find rummage through the closet - FUR BALL IS TONIGHT!

It's December 18th -Do YOU Know What You Will Be Doing For New Year's Eve?

Ahh, the unavoidable, undeniable stress of the holidays in Washington, DC. The parties, the shopping, the traffic, the parking lots, the shopping, the credit card debt, the shopping! And this is BEFORE we adorn our silly black plastic hats and blow our crazy horns while watching Ryan Seacrest, or whomever it is this year, reciting the countdown in Times Square. Well, forget about all the Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza stress. Let’s pack that all away for a few minutes and tuck it in a nice box, wrap it with a velvet bow, and stuff under the tree. Trust me, it's not going anywhere. It will still be there when you are done reading this.

Let’s concentrate on New Year’s Eve, or NYE, as I like to call it. This city has so many choices, SO many activity choices for this holiday. There is not one hotel, restaurant, club, lounge, large socialite homestead, or suburban cul de sac, that is not planning SOMETHING special for YOU to attend on NYE. This situation can be a confusing for many. It can become a dilemma for most. It can be equated to the woman who goes to her stocked full designer closet and exclaims, “I have nothing to wear! What shall I do!? Go out and buy something new?” Well, for some Washingtonians, that is exactly what they do. They jump on a plane and head elsewhere to ski, sun, or party in the entrance of the new year. For others, they start the search process for the local party – probably right about now.

Since I have celebrated in just about every way imaginable during my 30 something years, I came up with a few tips for those of you in the midst of deciding what to do for this monumental evening of saying “Farewell 2006, and Helloooo 2007!”

1. Decide what “MOOD” you are in for NYE. Are you feeling like a party? Or do you want something romantic? Do you want to keep it low-key? Do you want to ring in with an intimate group or do you want to be with the rest of Washington DC and their mothers? Do you want to be in jeans and a sweater or in a cocktail dress/tuxedo?

2. Figure out a realistic BUDGET. Most places do “all inclusive” but remember travel fare from home, place to place, and back home, or your hotel accommodations. If it is not "all inclusive" realize you WILL be paying extra for and food/alcohol. Don’t forget tips, or other miscellaneous expenses during the night. And if you are going to HOST the party, definitely determine and stick to your budget as best you can. Hosting can be extremely expensive, even without the travel and hotel cost. Food, beverages and decorations aren’t cheap (and you may need a carpet steam afterwards!)

3. Determine WHERE. Do you want to celebrate in your neighborhood, downtown, or out of town. Do you want to stay in a hotel, get home, or pass out at your friend's house who is hosting the party?

4. Once you have decided 1, 2, and 3, WHO will be in your immediate group? Just your significant other, or just your friends? Just the girls, just the boys, or both, or couples? Be cognizant, if you graciously invite 3 couples, then your sister who is single, she may feel like the odd one out. Or maybe she’ll run off and leave you at midnight with a hot guy she met on a dance floor.

5. There are several placed to go ONLINE to help you narrow your choices down. DCCompass– an online video website about what goes on around the city, will have promotions for about 10 places in the District that will go up later this week. DC About is non-video site to check out for text, links and suggestions. And of course, you can always check out the Washingtonpost.com city guide.

6. Pick up any NEWSPAPER or LOCAL PUBLICATION this week and next and there will be NYE specials plastered everywhere.

7. Call places you’ve always wanted to check out and ask what their NYE SPECIAL is. If it is a hotel, make sure you ask about their dinner / entertainment / room / brunch package. If it a standalone establishment, ask if they have an arrangement with a close by hotel. (i.e. Fly Lounge is offering a package with Topaz Hotel .)

8. If you have friends who have mentioned being on a HOST COMMITTEE for an event, check with them, perhaps there will be a whole group of friends going, or you can create a group to go to dinner pre-event. (I am actually on the host committee for the opening of Napoleon in Adams Morgan. The owner of Café Bonaparte, Omar Popal, is hosting his new restaurant lounge's "opening night" on NYE.)

9. MULTIPLE PLACES? You may want to limit yourself to one place for the evening, but don’t feel like you have to. If you choose a fun place downtown where you know there is another fun place within walking distance (cabs may be a hard find or you may have a car service, or take the Metro) book a table or tickets to the place after dinner. Variety is the spice of life! Just remember, when you are already IN the place that may have dinner, then dancing, consider yourself lucky. You are already there, and don’t have to worry about walking through weather or standing in line.

10. BOOK EARLY AND OFTEN. This is the week that everyone is starting to figure out their plans. Places in DC get booked quickly, and typically, since there are “specials” and a lot of folks come in to the District for this night, you will be in major competition with a lot more people. In fact, book more places, and if you want to cancel, most places have a 48 hour cancellation policy. Just don’t forget to cancel or else your card will most likely be charged. Also, make sure you make your travel arrangements when you book your restaurant, bar, club, hotel or way home. Car services fill up quickly and they are at a premium this holiday if you wait! And oh, if you have CHILDREN and no nanny, make sure you find a babysitter ASAP.

11. Last but not least, RELAX, ENJOY, HAVE FUN AND REALLY CELEBRATE SAFELY! We made it through 2006! Washington DC has a place for anyone and everyone to celebrate, no matter, who, what mood, where you want to go, what your budget is - you can find it in this city. And if you truly decide that this holiday is not for you because you don't want to wade through masses of people, make reservations, worry about what to wear, or who to go out with(remember, we still have the Christmas pressure to deal with) – I say, hey, TAKE IT EASY, stay at home with your significant other, best friend (s) or yourself, get some great movies, some bubbly, make a nice meal and relax. At least you won’t be greeting 2007 with a massive hangover in a hotel room trying to remember who you kissed at midnight!

Four More Years! Four More Years!

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have much of a green thumb. I can’t keep a cactus alive much less grow a fern. Heck, I could probably kill ivy. So, when I know I was actually physically THERE the day a seed was planted, and four years later, it has grown into something big and wonderful, you cannot imagine just how truly ecstatic I feel.

This December marks the closing of four full years of growth, prosperity, and success for my little seedling turned into a big redwood tree, the Potomac Officers Club (POC). I was THERE for the first teeny weeny event years ago, when Jim Garrettson, the Founder and President, asked me to “help out with registration”. “Pamela, its winter, its dreary out, most of these executives don't have a job right now (remember winter 2002? Something about a bubble bursting?) and we need a nice smiling face at the registration table!” Well, four short years later (where DOES the time go?) of hosting now nationally known speakers on a monthly basis to address the area’s top level CxO’s, who are members of this elite business executive private networking club, we are proud to say we ready for year FIVE.
(oh – and I moved quickly from the registration desk to promoting events, getting speakers, and finding members and sponsors. Jim knew I was a sucker for those types of responsibilities.)

*(Photo by Victoria Prouty - pictured from left to right: Paige Bishop, Keri Meslar, Jason Campbell, me, Kyle Mody)

We celebrated our success of 2006 and almost half a decade of hard work together (we now have 500 members and have seen the likes of Jack Welch, Bob Dole, Chris Matthews, Gary Forsee, Bob Johnson, Carly Fiorina, Jim Kimsey, and more speak monthly) at the gracious home of Roger and Kyle Mody. Roger Mody is a POC Board member. We had a lovely fun party where POC members came, drank some holiday cheer and ate delicious bites, laughed with each other, posed for pictures, and enjoyed the outstanding Christmas decorations that adorned the Mody home.

Typically, we have a “Headline Speaker on a Headline Topic”, however, a holiday party didn’t match that theme, so we had invited the “Headline Quarterback” of every week’s Washington Post, Redskins Jason Campbell. Jason, who again, I had heard was just a stand up class act guy, was just that. In person, he is tall, extremely handsome, EXTREMELY handsome (can I say that just one more time?), EXTREMELY handsome – he should be a spokesperson for something, I tell you. And he was just nice as can be. He came with the newly crowned Miss DC, USA, who I found out through asking, is DIFFERENT than Kate Michael, the woman I know, who is Miss DC, Miss America. So confusing these beauty pagents! And I heard on "Imus in the morning", yes, I was watching MSNBC this morning, that Trump may be taking the reigning Miss USA’s crown back. Apparently, she has the weakness for the party and the alcohol, which is a no-no as Miss USA, especially is you are UNDERAGE. Yes, she is 20. Oops. Apparently, it is ok if you are Lindsay Lohan, to run around and whoop it up in LA and NY night clubs, but not if you have a crown and are basically owned by The Donald.

I digress, the point is, the evening was just absolutely wonderful. It was fabulous to see old friends who have been supporting the POC and our group for years, who have helped to make this executive club the success it is today, by sponsorship, membership growth, continuous membership, and other wonderful things they do.

We look forward to FOUR MORE years together! (sounds like a political campaign, but its true!) And thanks again Keri Meslar for bringing Jason to us last night. And special thanks to the following for great support and showing last night: Fernando Murias, Paige Bishop, Tim Jessell, Jeff Houle, Jim Speros, Tien Wong, Charlie Thomas, Bob Kipps, Gabe Battista, Bennett Zier and so many others.

For more information on how to apply for membership to the POC - please visit the website: Potomac Officers Club

Shoot for the Moon and You Just May Land in the Stars

Last night was the “StarChefs Rising Stars Revue” held at the National Housing Center Atrium on 15th Street, across from the Madison Hotel. StarChefs.com is publication for “culinary insiders”. Those in the industry are very familiar with the magazine, while those who may be the typical layperson, like me (I LOVE great food and wine and those who can create such, though I am no where near the definition of a “foodie”), may have never been introduced to it until last night.

I was a guest of DC Modern Luxury (thank you Peter Abrahams, Publisher!) who was one of the sponsors. If you were one of the 500 attendees at last night’s extravaganza, you would have hopefully walked out with a full stomach and one of their holiday magazines that were handed out as a complimentary gift.

We started with the early VIP reception. That was really nice to be able to walk through the Atrium and check out what chef was where, and get a good lay of the land. Some of the winners represented were: Eric Ziebold (CityZen, in the Mandarin Oriental, who came from the prestigious French Laundry), Heather Chittum (Pastry Chef, Dish and Notti Bianche) , Tony Conte (Oval Room), RJ Cooper (Vidalia), and Todd Thrasher (Bar Chef, Restaurant Eve and the PX). Many more winners were represented and each had a wine or beer that was to be paired with their dishes.

Now, I LOVE the idea of walking around, talking, tasting and learning, especially with these culinary masters, who were sharing THEIR time AWAY from their own employers on a Wednesday evening during the holiday season. That was just fantastic! And to have wine experts near each station set up (as the chefs and sous chefs worked away) with a wine that went so well with each dish’s taste, was just a fabulous idea. I’d say the only challenge that didn’t make this the most perfect event, was the issue of eating and drinking at the same time. Because this was a “walking” event, and because the wine glasses they handed out to each attendee were no teeny weenies (which we were all happy about!) it became a bit cumbersome to actually do what they wanted us to do: PAIR the food with the wine. I may not make it on “Survivor” for longer than 5 minutes should they put me on a deserted island with crazy people, but my instincts and survivor skills in a situation like last night, allowed me to spot a place near the back where my friends and I could stand, but our glasses down, and eat somewhat comfortably, without spilling on each other or ourselves. (Ok, maybe that is not the most noble of the survivor skill sets, but this is the life I lead! One must be able to be deal with all situations presented, especially when it comes to tasting a fabulous oatmeal ravioli and a silky cabernet sauvignon!)

As I was getting fuller and fuller as the night went on, so was the Atrium. The place was filling with foodies, industry folks, media, and those who just have a love and curiosity of this great city’s Master Chefs. Victoria and I headed over to OYA, to get there prior to the “industry people only VIP party” that was scheduled to start around 10ish.

The VIP party filled up quickly, and we ran into some more fun people – but I had to call it a night. Something about eating incredible dishes for four straight hours and drinking wines and champagne was making me very sleepy (and OYA is dark and comfy with the fireplaces built into the walls), so I headed home.

StarChefs.com (based in New York) tours the country and comes back to DC every two years. They meet with about 60 or so different chefs to decide on their winners in each category. The criteria in rating come from not only the dishes themselves, but how the chef interacts with the community and the establishment itself. It is a really cool idea, especially for Washington, DC, to be a part of this celebration of how wonderful our own chefs are. Years ago, we have lagged behind major markets in the restaurant and fine culinary world, but over the past several years, with so many new places opening, we are really attracting top grade chefs and restaurants. I heard on WTOP, over the next year, 900,000 new restaurants are expected to open in 2007 + in the U.S. We look forward to some fantastic new ones in the DC region, but until then, we congratulate the fine ones who were winners last night!

For more information on StarChefs.com please check out click on their name to get to their site!

It's All Greek to Me!

Among the jewels of this fine Capital city are the gorgeous embassies, fascinating Ambassadors, and the receptions and events each have on a continuous basis. I was fortunate to be a part of such an event Monday evening.

A great friend invited me to join him at the recently constructed Embassy of Greece on Massachusetts Ave, right next door to the original Embassy. The Embassy is able to use both buildings, depending on its needs. The event I attended was the exhibition opening of “Hidden Children in Occupied Greece”, presented by H.E. The Ambassador of Greece and Mrs. Alexandros P. Mallias, as well as The American Friends of the Jewish Museum of Greece. This emotionally moving exhibition tells the tales of 11 children who were hidden and protected during the Holocaust by Christian Greek men and women who risked their own lives. It will showcase from December 11 to January 10th at the Embassy and will continue to tour the U.S.

The attendees who gathered for the reception were treated to remarks by the Honorable Paul Sarbanes, who will be retiring after 5 long terms of serving the State of MD, the Honorable Richard Ben-Veniste, who may be best remembered as the Assistant Prosecutor and Chief of the Watergate cover-up trial, but his remarkable career carried him to being appointed to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the U.S., which issued the 9-11 report in July of 2004. There were several other notables (including Greece's Tourism Development Minister, Fanny Palli-Petralia) who made outstanding speeches and allowed us to not forget the horrific deeds of the Holocaust, especially in occupied Greece. We were also educated on facts (58,000 Jews were murdered during the Holocaust in Greece) and we were able to celebrate the bravery of those who risked their own lives and families in order to help the Jews who hid within their very homes.

I think the most moving moment came when Moissis Konstantinis, a Holocaust survivor, who flew in from Athens that day and was scheduled to fly out that evening, got up to the podium and addressed us in Greek (with a translator). He was wonderful, it brought tears to my eyes to hear his story, as a child who was told to be quiet and hide, and was scared moment after moment, who had to move from place to place at night for fear of death or even worse. That is a great courageous man with a story most cannot even imagine. Konstantinis is now the President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece.

We continued next door to the original Embassy for the reception after the presentations were over, where I was able to shake hands with Senator Sarbanes, the Ambassador and his wife and a few other dignitaries. The Greek theme of the evening was not yet to be over! We then skipped over to a favorite Greek restaurant, Mourayo (Greek for "a fisherman's safe harbor", you'll love the sailor theme!), on Connecticut Ave. YUMMMM. I have eaten there a few times prior, but each time I devour each delicious course with velvety wine. The owner is always happy to recommend if there are questions.

Seriously, if you are looking for a fabulous Greek restaurant with excellent service, an intimate comfortable ambiance, and food that is out of this world, with a straightforward wine menu, I recommend Mourayo, but I also recommend you come with an empty stomach! And definitely ask for suggestions from the wait staff, each are quick, informative, and happy to educate. I went home chuckling to myself that night - I had more Greek lessons in a few hours than my four years as a Tri-Delt at Penn State!

From Gowns and Bubbly to Helmets and Boos ...

Sunday was quite a long full day. It started with a brunch for about 250 elite fashionistas of D.C. (and some men who were dragged a long, but certainly had a reason to enjoy during the fashion show), including Michelle Fenty, the Mayor Elect’s wife, at Saks Jandel up in Chevy Chase. My friend Cindy Jones and her husband, Evan (who is the co-founder and now retired CEO of Digene) and their friends Ardis and Doug Eby were hosts to a fashion show of gorgeous gowns, furs, suits, and some brightly jeweled kaftans by THE Mark Badgley and THE James Mischka. The couple, who have been dressing first ladies, the red carpet and women in between (who have means for a $5,000 gown), were there to meet and greet in person. Also, 10% of the proceeds purchased that day went to the Research and Discovery Fund at Children's Hospital.


(*Pictured above compliments of photographer Russell Hirshon - Left to Right: Mark Badgley, Cindy Jones, Ardis Eby, and James Mischka.)

The fashion show was to showcase their 2007 Spring/Summer line – even before our first snow! But you know how the fashion world is – you need to get your order in so you can be the VERY first to wear the gown to a spring ball. Or, at least say you ordered it so no one else can after you. That would be embarrassing – (well, for the other lady, after all YOU put in your order first!) The line was absolutely stunning, and worn well by the local models. Some drew ooo’s and awww’s, especially when the furs came out. Even I was salivating, remembering when I got to model a gorgeous Carolina Herrera gown for a past issue of Washington Life – the price tag was a mere $3,890 – and a dress you really could only wear ONCE. But, like one loves art, one watches the awesome dresses swish and sway past like a fine moving painting. It was truly enjoyable.

Once that was done – we jumped into a car service and headed to the second half of the Eagles beating the Redskins. Sigh. And it was sooo close too! It was a really pretty day, and I love sitting on the Owner’s Level because again, it is fun to see everyone you know, or run into those who you haven’t seen for a long time, the food is wonderful the suites comfy, the service impeccable, and its kind of like old home week.

Actually, it was funny; I DID run into a guy I knew from my years at Penn State. It was kind of awkward, because he was obviously with a girl. He and I had had one of “those” types of relationships, so it was a bit strained when we saw each other. He is a great guy, it was just weird. And we both couldn’t concentrate more on what type of cheese/meat/veggie we wanted to put on our plates fast enough, rather than the “so what is new, how have you been, blah blah blah” type of conversation. Don’t you love those situations?

Too bad for the close score of the game. ALMOST … and really was sad the way everyone booked out of there at a minute left – talk about fair weather fans. And all though the title of this post says "...Boos" - it was actually pretty silent when the crowd left, like a march to our deaths. So crazy how different the feeling is in the stadium when the Skins Win versus Losing. However, if one goes to the infamous "5th quarter" on the Club level, it doesn't matter whether there is a W or an L, it is all craziness down there. Yes, for those who can't get Dewey Beach out of their systems quite yet, this is heaven.

Luckily, we were able to book Jason Campbell, who I hear is a class-act, for Thursday’s Potomac Officers Club Holiday Party, at the private residence of Roger Mody (Thanks Keri Mesler of the Redskins!!). That will be quite interesting – and we’ll have a few other Skins represented, old, new, and my friend Larry Michael. Hopefully, we’ll bring them some holiday cheer! I am sure I’ll write all about it Friday – more to come!