Sights of Maryland

Rows upon rows of crabcakes.

Mmmmmmmmm.

In Which I Geek Out

So yesterday was my birthday.  The Mister whisked me down to DC, in a sweet chariot called "the DC metro", and took me to lunch at an awesome little Italian place in Chinatown.  The pasta was handmade and so delicious.

Then, we went to the National Museum of American History.  I tend to really, really geek out around museums.  I love them so much that I once spent a summer interning in Death Valley because it involved working in a museum (let me repeat: summer. Death Valley.).

And the crown jewel of the entire Smithsonian is, in my humble opinion (not! If you say another museum is better I will fight you) the National Museum of American History.  Did I mention that I also interned at this particular museum for six months when I was in college? I did. I got to wander around on my lunch break and see the attics of this museum - Seinfeld's puffy shirt, the original Kermit the Frog, C3PO, the star-spangled banner.  I get tingles thinking about it.

Anyway, The Mister is a smart man and knew that this would make my day - and it did.  We took the metro through my old commute, walked along the mall and through the city, weaving our way around the monuments.  It was a beautiful fall day - and a perfect day for celebration.

My old stomping grounds - this is the view from where I used to work.

Naptown, for realsies

I almost don't want to tell you this, because you will almost certainly make fun of me, but when I was in high school in Maryland, we referred to Annapolis as "Naptown".  NAPTOWN.  As if we were gangsta or something, with our popped collars and pink and white polka dot hair ribbons.  I mean seriously, is there a preppier place on earth than Annapolis, Maryland?

But, it's where I grew up (mostly) and you just can't deny your roots.  This morning The Mister and I grabbed the mama-in-law and headed downtown to the old stomping grounds - we had been in town almost 18 hours and had yet to eat anything crab-related.  And if you're from this town, that simply won't do.  So we went to the docks, got pre-birthday cupcakes from Nostalgia Cupcakes, and ate crab dip and crab soup at Chick 'N' Ruth's Delly, which also holds the distinction as being the first date site of The Mister and I.  Magic happens in there, obviously.

The day was beautiful - 70ish degrees and sunny (don't hate me, Arizona peeps - I love you!) - and I also got to meet up with some college besties for an outdoor lunch.  Overall, a lovely day.

I may or may not have maaaany memories of eating ice cream cones from this very shop, back when The Mister was, like, soooo cool because he had his driver's license and could take us down there HIMSELF.