WEEKEND: Spring Peeks Through

ALTHOUGH IT IS A LITTLE BIT COLD AND BREEZY, Saturday's been quite beautiful thus far. The skies are very clear which has made taking photos great. Here is Jefferson Place, looking out toward the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and 18th Street NW. Note the budding trees. St. Patrick's Day was a pretty low profile evening for me. No need to battle crowds, the nonsense and the various shades of green out and about on the sidewalks of the capital.

But I did overhear some classic conversation on the 98 bus Friday evening. Rounding the corner at 18th and U streets NW, a woman told what I assumed to be her significant other to look out at the northeast corner of the intersection. The old convenience store that had been there has been reshaped this winter as a new wine store ... De Vinos.


"Look! I wonder what happened to the party store. There's a lot of wine in there."

"Yeah," her companion replied.

"I wonder who owns the place. I bet the Argenteeneans own it," she said.

"Yeah," her mate muttered, not seeming to be too interested.

"Yeah, this city is filled with Argenteeneans."

I then looked back at the two, in bewilderment. I think she meant Salvadoran. Or who knows, maybe even Eritrean or Ethiopian. They're all at lower latitudes anyway.

I wanted to refer her to Wednesday's Ask Tom chat on washingtonpost.com:

Alexandria, Va.: Tom,

I've asked a few weeks in a row about possible Argentinean restaurants. Are you not answering because you don't know of any or are you just not getting to my question?

(I will be trying the gelato from today's food section).

Gracias!

Tom Sietsema: I know of no good Argentine restaurants in the Washington area. Does anyone here recall the very good Las Pampas in Georgetown? I used to save up my tips to eat there with dates. I can still taste that wonderful steak...

Maybe I'm wrong though. There could be a lot of Argentines in the Adams Morgan/U Street area. It's just that they don't open restaurants like the Salvadorans, Ethiopians or Eritreans do.

AND IN UNRELATED NEWS, look how Jessica Cutler responded to my post from last week about the artillery barrage exchanged between Wonkette and the former Washingtonienne. Quite clever if you ask me:

From: xxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxx.gov
Subject: OH WHAT ARE WE TO DO WITH JESSICA CUTLER?
Date: March 17, 2006 3:16:36 PM EST
To: me@jessicacutleronline.com

"Never! Never, Marge! I can't live the button-down life like you. I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles. Sure, I might offend a few of the bluenoses with my cocky stride and musky odors. Oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called city fathers, who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about what's to be done with this Homer Simpson?!"

Simpsons references never go stale. Does this mean I'm a "so-called city father" ... ? I'll add that to my resume.