Sister, Food, and Hockey

My sister, Jen, is here visiting from Seattle. It's been four years since I've seen her (I know - WAY too long!) I lured her here, promising that I'd go with her to a Capitals Hockey game!

But our evening at the Caps game was more than just a game. Madi, Jen, and I started our evening with a trip to the Portrait Gallery for a look at the Norman Rockwell exhibit. (Did you know the Portrait Gallery is adjacent to the Verizon Center, like right across the street?) It was well worth the stop. Those faces, the characters, the scenes...captured by Norman Rockwell...some so familiar, others new to me. Here's what I loved - I responded emotionally to each picture whether it was a laugh or a tug on my heart. What an amazing artist.

After the art museum we looked for a place to eat dinner. I had wanted to go to GB - which is a great restaurant in this neat old building with a coffered ceiling. But the wait was too long. So we walked up and down the sidewalks through the swarm of red (Caps fans are serious fans!) until we happened upon Carmine's Italian Style Restaurant. There was an open table next to the window. Carmine's serves family style food. The waiter warned us that the portions were large...but we were still surprised. I think there were at least two heads of broccoli in that bowl. We were served an entire loaf of the bread. And the meatballs were the size of tennis balls. It was so fun.

Nothing could have prepared me for the excitement of a Caps game. It's a spectacle. The red lights, the music, the fans...and of course, the game. We cheered, screamed, and hid our eyes when they started fighting. The game went into overtime and then to a shoot out. Though the Caps lost, we had a great time!