arlington Archives - Memos and Mirth

Our First Washington D.C. Independence Day

July 5, 2018

Women lighting fireworks in Logan Circle, Washington D.C.

Independence Day was strange this year.

Having a Holiday in the middle of the week was unusual. The office closed early on Tuesday, which really just meant that the support staff went home early — the associates stayed as late as usual.

After work, I went to drag queen bingo at Shaw’s Tavern with Michael, Brody and Krystal. The host gave out a ton of prizes — half the time the people next to the bingo winner would get a prize as well.

Despite the generous prizes, going to drag bingo after a 12-hour workday was a poor choice. I was exhausted and totally unprepared for the shitfaced rowdy crowd. I felt like running out of the place after bingo ended.

I was in better shape Wednesday morning when we regrouped for brunch at Oz Arlington. This was our first brunch in Arlington since moving to D.C., and I now realize why D.C. people think that Arlington is such a haul from the city.

I guess I’m spoiled with my $8 Uber rides already.

Chinatown / Home Decor

Moving out of Virginia

June 27, 2018

One of the Riverhouse apartments in the Pentagon City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia.

We moved out of Virginia and became official D.C. residents this weekend.

Moving is always an irritating experience for me because I have to confront all of my past bad purchases. However, this move was easier than most.

We were adults and hired movers. Getting out of the Virginia apartment did take a while however because of the sheer size of the building (long hallways, etc.) and the perpetual weekend traffic jam on the bridges connecting Virginia to Washington D.C.

Washington DC

Oh, you live in Virginia?

March 5, 2018

I am at a rooftop bar on U-Street when one of our friends introduces us to his ex, Jack. We have the obligatory “I hate asking what people do, but…” exchange, and then Jack excitedly tells us about how much U-Street has changed over the years.

Jack: “It has really gentrified. You know, the only gay bar around here was Nellies – can you imagine? I bought my place around the corner from here 10 years ago and the area was rough.”

Me: “So I’ve heard.”

Jack: “I love how much stuff we have here now. What a remarkable change! You know, if you stay in D.C. you should really buy. It was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made!”

We talk about how expensive real estate is in D.C. (it’s ridiculous.) Jack says that there are still many “up-and-coming” neighborhoods, and rattles off some names that I have never heard of.

I then tell Jack the story of my coworker from Dallas who bought a house in an “up-and-coming” neighborhood that never gentrified, so he just lives in the hood and has to ward off stray dogs and drug dealers from his property.

Jack: “Unlike Dallas, The District has a limited amount of space. The gentrification will happen. Plus, the neighborhoods are pretty safe, although I did get held up at gunpoint by my place last year…”

Everyone in our group exchanges horrified looks as Jack launches into his “when I got pistol-whipped in front of my townhome” story.

LLM / Washington DC

First Impressions of Washington D.C.

August 29, 2017

Gunter at the Washington Monument in D.C.

We’ve been in Washington D.C. for about two weeks and it’s fabulous.

Classes started and I am already well-acquainted with the law library.

The LL.M. program is going to be challenging, but it’s also a luxury to focus on nothing but tax law for two semesters. My J.D. program felt like a hodgepodge of different topics at times, whereas my LL.M. classes are clearly interrelated and cover much deeper material. We’ll see how I feel in a few weeks.

Buildings along the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. is beautiful and dense. The lack of tall skyscrapers for landmarks makes it difficult to navigate at times. I’ll eventually figure out the grid system.

The streets are very diverse and busy without being crowded. There are tourists with cameras, people wearing suits, baseball jerseys, children running on the subway, and very aggressive panhandlers.

Many areas of town are busy late into the night, but there’s always the looming threat of getting mugged — so I guess it’s like any other large American city, just with more museums than most.