Blossoms Revisited

It was the 7 o'clock hour early in the morning in Washington DC. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival has yet to begin, but the pink buds are beginning to burst open with life and transform the view around the tidal basin once again. This precious fleeting beauty is a reminder of so much in life that seems to come and go in the blink of an eye.

Behold.

Past Due

No, Mom, don't worry - my bills are being paid.

There is a reason we all study history. For centuries, societies have deemed it of necessary importance to remember the past. Explorers, leaders, heroes, tyrants, societal movements, cultures, successes, and otherwise unspeakable horrific events all have been documented to either forward the progress of humanity or forewarn of the scope and capability of evil men. History, grasped with a serious mind, can inspire and enlighten or it can frighten.

Just as studying political and cultural history provide a preparation for future events, studying one's own life history should necessarily provide a key to one's own future. I have always identified more with the school of thought that says it is more important where you are going rather than where you have been. However, what if certain events in your history held clues or keys to your future? If who we are is a collection of decades of actions, experiences, and thoughts, then it would seem appropriate to study one's own life history to come to a better understanding of, not only trends and themes, but perhaps even a model that relates to a purpose. Read any biography, and you will find clues that point to an eventual understanding of a life lived. How strange that few of these clues seem obvious in real-time to ourselves. I have always found it profoundly difficult to predict the future based upon my wants and needs. Just as dreams come to us in the night so that our brains can tell us a story, perhaps some research back into these brains will show us the right way to achieve our dreams in the light. The lesson of history surely can be found in its tendency for repetition, however more acutely, it may be evident in what's past is due.

Ryan and Phan's Wedding

 

 

Home

Is it where the heart is, or is it where you hang your hat? Is it where you were born or where you intend to die? Is it where you choose to live, or is it a place that chooses you? Is it just one place?

Imagine my quandary as I leave my Penn Quarter abode for an extended weekend to fly across the country to California. "Going home", right? I suppose; it's a big state though, and same language aside, San Francisco is no San Bernardino. Ya know? And when I head back on Tuesday, guess what? Going home. When I first return from abroad and land to go through customs in Miami - yup, home. And I've never spent 24 straight hours in Miami... therefore, my country is home! I suppose if I went to the moon, Shanghai would be home, and I've never even been there. "Ni hao! Wo meiguoren!" Actually, I know that's Mandarin, but whatever; my Shanghainese is rusty.

Sooo, obviously everywhere is not home. That has to be true, but there are default homes and there are homes that are a conscious project. We will always miss the food, the customs, the sights, and the smells of a place we love. Hopefully we, too, are missed, and that, definitely is part of the allure. But, that could include a number of locations spanning the globe. The home you choose as your actual residence is central to an active purpose. It is neither a predicament nor a destination; it is a base of operations. It should be a place of solace, yet it should be a source of inspiration. It is a reflection of you, yet it does not define you. We think of home as a finite boundaried existence, however I believe that where I live should never confine; it should provide. It should provide for our purpose... wherever that is.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Adams Morgan is unique slice of Washington, DC life. There are nightclubs, restaurants and small shops. You can find reggae, blues, jazz, and karaoke. Good eats include Ethiopian, Peruvian, French, Mexican, a 24-hour Diner, and of course, Jumbo Slice. Now there is Jack Rose Dining Saloon to complement the southern tip of 18th Street.

I walked in one very hot day in May of this year, uncertain about what my very near future held. Unlike most unopened restaurants in my past, this place looked fully built and ready to serve! The huge granite bar, the comfy booths, and all the wooden detail. beautiful! Then I saw the upstairs Open Air Terrace, semi-private Tiki Bar, Scotch room, and balcony overlooking the smaller pubs below, and I was convinced that this was going to be a cool place. Chef Michael showed me around and gave me a detailed plan of his menu for the downstairs Dining Saloon as if I was already hired and getting ready for service that night. It was basically a done deal; my new challenge would be to become a whisky expert. With well over a thousand whiskies lining the walls like books in a library, it was sure to become a destination for aficionados of the brown spirit. Someone would have to be able to talk about them.

Jack Rose has been an idea long in the making - to essentially become the largest whisky bar in the world. The bulk of the collection are single-malt Scotches, however there is a very large selection of American bourbons and ryes, even some white whiskeys and little-known selections from several US states outside of Kentucky and Tennessee. The Irish collection is nothing to scoff at either, rounding out the western end of the bar. The curious will also be delighted to find the award-winning Amrut from India, as well as single malts from Japan and Austria. A significant number of rums, gins, tequilas, vodkas, and cordials take up some space as well. However, anyone seeking their favorite Ardbeg, Caol Ila, or Talisker, or hoping to find a rare or special release of Macallan, Bruichladdich, or Springbank should be delighted at what they find.

Contrary to what my mentor, Harvey, says that "Who drinks whisky with food?", Chef Michael has put together a cozy and eclectic, non-traditional-yet-familiar menu to make Jack Rose also a food destination. Some favorites so far have been the Buttermilk Fried Frog's Legs, the grilled "New Caesar", and the Braised Local Pork Belly - for starters. The grilled ribeye Steak Diane is sumptuous and captivating, and the Pennsylvania ? Chicken with beet and goat cheese dressing will re-affirm your love for the often maligned poultry. New items for the fall include Boneless Bison Short Ribs, a Muscovy Duck Breast, and a Stuffed Saddle of Rabbit. I think we can get people to eat with their Scotch. In fact, I have already begun working on pairings. Dessert, anyone? Try it with a Willett rye. Ever try chocolate with a port-aged Bushmills? How about vanilla ice cream with Jack Daniel's Honey? Or Cabrales cheese with a sherried Scotch? I have. I think we can make it work.

I will look forward to your visit.

To Remember

Ten years.

It has been quite a decade.  We all remember the horrors of that September morning.  I won't re-live it here, but I wonder what did we discover about America that day... and the days that followed?  I will always remember demonstrations of extreme heroism, kindness, and patriotism.  We were angry.  We were vulnerable.  We were full of grief.  Quite frankly, we were dumbfounded, and we were scared.  However, what struck me following the horrific attacks of that day, was how we were all American again; we were a people.  We were determined to overcome being dumbfounded and scared by being proud of who we were... or at least, who we were supposed to be.  We have all grown up knowing stories of American courage - from George Washington to Martin Luther King, and beyond.  We tapped into that because it is part of the American identity; we do love a comeback, and we have a core belief that good will conquer evil.

Of course, we should never forget the lives lost and the practical lessons learned from September 11th, 2001, but the discovery I hope we all will share ten years forward is just how good we can really be.  May God comfort those still grieving, protect those still defending, and fill us all with the will to recapture that American spirit.

 

What You Don't Know

A younger friend recently asked me to comment on the decade of a person's twenties, as of course I am an expert in such a topic. It got me to thinking that as life takes you on your journey there is simply so much you just don't know. As luck would have it, part of the beauty of life is finding knowledge, gaining experience, and growing into someone who is wiser than the younger version of yourself. Inevitably, we all learn some things the hard way, and that is not always beautiful. Eventually you find yourself in a place where you simply don't know what you don't know, and have the maturity to realize it.

When my mom last visited here in DC, we toured the National Geographic Museum to experience, what was well-documented and vividly retold, the story of two expeditions racing to be the first in history to reach the South Pole. Both teams made it there, but only one team made it home; the other team froze to death in the snow and ice. It was not a matter of courage or of determination, but rather a battle against the unknown. One team was better prepared.

As it turns out, life is a battle against the unknown. Variables are everywhere, and even some of the best plans fail. Friends will disappear. People will die. Politicians will disappoint. The company for which you toil will actively work against you. Terror will strike. Even God may say no to your prayers. What on earth can you count on? There is one certainty, aside of course from death and taxes, and that is uncertainty. The sooner we accept that, perhaps the better. This is not to say we give up, nor is it to say we should have no faith. On the contrary, uncertainty in the world is what gives us purpose in our ability not only as a variable, but in our ability to affect other variables (too algebraic?).

When we are young, we spend a lot of time seeing the world in the manner which it affects us. As we grow, we learn that we can and should actually work to affect the world. Throughout that path we grow from idealists to pragmatists. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an example of a man who not only had a dream, but acted on a purpose to attain an achievable peace. It is only through purpose that we navigate through this sea of uncertainty and only in our resolution that we find success. It takes a good bit of life to come to that understanding.

But, what do I know?

"Thy purpose firm is equal to the deed. Who does the best his circumstances allows, does well, acts nobly; angels could no more."
-Young