Tee Off For Tots

Well…our annual charity golf tournament has come to it’s conclusion yesterday.  We had fantastic weather for our outing.  Too bad the stock market wasn’t too cooperative.  Yikes…what a horrible day to have over half the office out playing golf!  Hopefully our clients understand that the basis for our event is to raise funds for a lot of great charities in our area that depend on our annual giving to meet their budget needs. 

Every year I feel we learn things about how to make the tournament run smoother.  For one thing we absolutely must nail down our rules for our tournament games.  This year was a huge disappointment as our volunteers were left wondering what they were suppose to be doing for the “Hit The Green” and “Putting” contests.  The board is going to have to discuss some of this flaws and make sure that doesn’t happen again.  Those flukes upset me but by the end of the day I didn’t have the energy to deal with it.

At the last minute Kristen Flocken and I got paired with the two Steves.  Having both guys named Steve certainly made it easy for us to remember.  One is a client of Bob & Germaine.  The other was a Sun Life wholesaler who took the place our Mike Hanselman.  The wholesaler turned out to be an AMAZING golfer.  The client was also a really good player.  Flocken and I also had several drives and puts that we used (captains choice game).  As a matter of fact my very first drive was were we played from.  Rock on!  My game is better than I thought.  Now if I could just get out there and practice a bit more.  At the banquet our team discovered we’d one First Place.  Seriously…I was shocked.  I’ve never won a sporting event in my life (okay maybe a few volleyball games in my day and a fencing match here and there…but that was WAY back in HS).  Anyways…at the end of the evening I was beat.  I went home and showered and climbed straight into bed. 

I’ll add pictures to my blog from the event as soon as I download them.  You may not hear much from me for a few days as the market is nuts and I’ve taken on helping out another advisor for the next three months.  I’ll be busy…busy…busy….but hey it helps the day fly by!

Wine Tasting This Weekend

Virginia Wine Festival

http://www.virginiawinefestival.org/

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 27-28

Prince William County Fairgrounds

10624 Dumfries Rd.
Manassas, VA

• Information: 703-823-1868

• Price: $25, $20 in advance

Attention, oenophiles: More than 50 wineries are scheduled to attend the Virginia Wine Festival at the Prince William County Fairgrounds (a new location this year). With unlimited samples of hundreds of varieties and wine seminars and cooking demonstrations included in the $25 admission, the festival is sure to have something for every palate.

Luke Brindley, the Grandsons, Bio Ritmo and Sapphire: The Uppity Blues Women are all scheduled to perform on the festival’s main stage. More than 100 artisans will show their work in exhibition tents.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 once the festival begins. Designated driver tickets are $15. (Designated drivers will not be served wine, but free non-alcoholic beverages are provided, and drivers may purchase wine in bottles or cases to take home). The fee is $15 for ages 4-21 and ages 3 and younger get in for free.

Because this festival revolves around alcohol, it’s best to avoid driving.Washington Wine Academy is organizing charter buses from the Vienna Metro station for $26.50. See Web site for details.

Keith’s Chronicle of our adventure on La Sonata

Who knew Keith had this in him???  He wrote a beautiful chronicle of our sailing trip:

Before you even arrive you know you are in for a special experience.  The request to come aboard brings a tour of La Sonata that quickly has you marvelling at the spacious efficiency and charm of the vessel.  Hosts Bob and Cathy continue to bring you into the feel of the excursion with their generosity and patience for those without seafaring knowledge.  ‘Captain’ Bob and ‘Admiral’ Cathy set the perfect tone and make sure you don’t forget that the time is to be spent on enjoyment.  Breakfast brings only an inkling of the culinary delights possible aboard when someone with Cathy’s knack for food and entertaining is in control.  With the lines cast off from the dock the adventure continues as the sights and sounds of the Annapolis waterfront move astern and the raising of sails signals the start of the expanding water.  Making your way into the Chesapeake Bay past Thomas Point Lighthouse brings the power of the wind being harnessed and motivates you towards able bodied seamanship with the instruction of Captain Bob.  Just as you might be thinking there must be  too much to be done to make the boat do what it is supposed to do when tasked with conforming to Mother Nature, you realize you have the whole idea wrong ………. the calmness and hospitality of Bob and Cathy keep you in place to adapt to what comes your way.  Great food keeps appearing and you keep making your way effortlessly through the Chesapeake to a destination of your chosing.

What will you remember through the time spent aboard?  The good food, the good compay?  Maybe the wind, water and texture of the daytime skies.  Maybe the star filled night or the misty morning on the water away from the city lights and noise.  Or is the route of Bloody Mary’s in the morning and whatever exits the Margaritaville mixer for the rest of the day’s libations pushing that relaxation button.  Could the realization that the timeless pace a sailing vessel can provide was shedding the modern day stresses from you be what comes to mind?  Whatever your desire or expectation at the beginning, rest assured that in the end La Sonata can provide.  A piece played well.

Celebrate Fall In Virginia

Here’s a great link all about Fall Events in Virginia:

Virginia Fall Events

Hit the road this Fall and enjoy the outdoors!

Oktoberfest At National Harbor This Weekend

Check this link out for details:  Das Best Oktoberfest

Germany Pictures

My brother in law and husbands uncle took many more pictures.  My camera battery died early on…but here are the pictures I took.

Halloween Headquarters

 

 

 

 

Markoff Haunted Forest Tour

Friday, October 24^th, 2008

 

Departing from the Tysons Galleria II mall around 6pm on Friday.  Join us for a tail gate, bonfire and tour of the Markoff Haunted Forest.

Click here for details:  Markoff Haunted Forest

 

To RSVP email Jackie Montgomery @ curebloodcancers@gmail.com

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Janice & Darrin Collins Annual Halloween Costume Party

Saturday, October 25^th, 2008

 

This party is held every year at my friends home in Dominion Valley (Haymarket, VA).  If you and I know each other and your interested in coming let me know and I’ll get you an invite! 

 

To RSVP email Jackie Montgomery @ curebloodcancers@gmail.com

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Private Halloween Costume Party

Top of the Hill Bar-over Pour House
319 Pennsylvania Ave. – SE, Washington, DC 20003 US

Saturday, November 1, 9:00PM 

ts that time of year again…..the 8th Annual Halloween Costume Party is on! We’ve rented out the Top of the Hill bar once again for this private party. Get dressed up in your favorite costume, and spend the night in DC drinking and dancing. Here’s what’s included:

*ALL-YOU-CAN-DRINK Beer (Yuengling, Bud Light and Red Hook IPA) and house wine from 9-midnight;
*DJ and dancing until close
*Full cash bar available

Cost for all of this fun is just $38 per person, and bartenders’ gratuity is included. That means there’s no need to tip the bartenders unless you feel like you make them go above and beyond!

Feel free to invite your friends too. All are welcome! However, since this is a private event, we’re limited in the number of guests. You must be on the guest list to get into the party, so RSVP and get me all of your friends’ names ASAP. $38 per person should be paid to me at least 1 week before the event.

Please mail cash or checks (made out to Scott Thompson) to:

Scott Thompson
10507 Hayes Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20902

To RSVP, please request to be added to the evite by emailing scott_thompson@discovery.com.

Here’s a great link to other events in the area:  Halloween In Northern Virginia

 

A weekend aboard La Sonata

This weekend Janice, Darren, Abby, Keith and I joined the owners of La Sonata (A Jeanneau 49DS Sailing Yacht) for a sail from Annapolis, MD to St. Michaels, MD.  The owners are Bob & Cathy Clime.  We all instantly loved our capitain and his wife.  They are an absolutely lovely couple!  Bob is an ex- Navy Captain who flew fighter jets.  He’s nicknamed the “Hornet” by his flying buddies.  He now works in the IT consulting field.  His wife Cathy works for a local law firm.  The yacht is absolutely georgeous.  I’ll upload my pictures this evening but you can see many pictures of the boat on the La Sonata website (www.lasonata.net).  Cathy and Bob hire a management company to lease the boat out.  But for our trip they offered to captain the boat if we paid for their hotel room in St. Michaels.  That was a bargain.  Especially since we loved Cathy and Bob and they fit right in with our crowd! 

It took about four hours to sail from Annapolis to St. Michaels.  The winds were perfect for sailing.  We all wore light sweaters or long sleeved shirts as it was a bit chilly at times.  We started off the morning with a breakfast stuffed crescent roll (eggs, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and cheese inside a crescent roll).  Janice made these for us all.  Later while sailing the boys made us Carribean Caress frozen tropical drinks and brought them out of all of us girls who where lounging at the front of the yacht (sorry I still don’t know my nautical terms…other than port, starboard and aft.)   We also enjoyed chips and salsa (Cathy makes a fabulous salsa!) and a variety of gourmet shrimp. 

Once we landed in St. Michaels we checked Bob & Cathy into the Harbor Inn & Spa.  They had a beautiful room facing the docks.  Knut and I came to St. Michaels years ago and stayed at the Inn at Perry Cabin.  I have to say I prefer the location of the Harbor Inn.  It’s still expensive.  Thier room w/ tax was $368 for the night.  But the quality of the rooms seemed much nicer than what I remembered at the Inn At Perry Cabin (we had major plumbing issues in our room and they never offered to move us or give us a break in our bill…guess we didn’t complain enough).  Our entire group loaded in the hotel shuttle and headed into town.  All the ladies took off to shop while the guys headed to the local pub for a beer.  We found a great christmas shop with beautiful ornaments.  Each of us bought a few to take home.  I found some great one’s to represent our honeymoon in london (red double decker bus, black taxi, and a typical london phone booth.  Then I picked up two Las Vegas themed ornaments (since we got married in Vegas).  I also bought a pretty three tiered cake to represent my cake decorating hobby.  After shopping we rejoined the men.  We took some humerous photos in front of a canoe surround by pumpkins and gourds (you’ll see what I mean when I upload the photos!).  Then our group decided to eat at the Crab Claw while Kathy and Bob wanted to visit a local Bistro they enjoyed.  The Crab Claw was okay.  Abby wasn’t impressed with the packaged tartar sauce that came with the meal.  However we all agreed that the hush puppies rocked.  I haven’t had those in sooooo long!  After our dinner we took a long winding walk through some of the neighborhoods on our way back to the yacht.  The homes were absolutely adorable.  We all fell in love with this one craftsman home w/ a pool in the backyard.  It was picture perfect.  And of course the owners lit the whole house up and left all the windows open.  So being the vouyers we are we could look through the home and admire the owners decorating style as well.  Once we all got back to the boat we were absolutely exhausted.  We watched a bit of tv on board and then crashed for the night.

The next morning we all went and showered at the hotel.  Then Janice, Abby and I wandered back into town.  Janice wanted to go to the maritime museum shop before breakfast.  We didn’t know how to operate the espresso maker on board so I settled for a purchased bottle of Starbucks Vanilla Frapaccino.  This did not agree with my stomach one bit.  I instantly felt ill.  Not a good thing when you know your going to be on a rocking boat all day!  Once back at the boat Kathy made us all breakfast.  We had breakfast burritos smothered in her homemade salsa and fresh cantelope and melon cubes.  It was a nice hearty breakfast.  After my stomach was full I started to feel much better.  Everyone else started off with bloody mary’s.  I stuck with a diet coke until I was sure I was a-ok.  After a bit of sailing I opted to open up the champagne Abby and I bought in town.  We all did a toast and promptly killed two bottles.  The winds were not cooperating for the sail home so we couldn’t put up the sails.  Bob let each of us take a turn at the helm and navigate our way back to Annapolis.  I spent quite a bit of time up there.  I was so nervous about getting too close to the crab pots that were all over.  That and running us a ground.  At one stretch there were just too many obsticles and I had Bob come take over again.  It was great to get the experience of trying that!  The whole day was just a lot of fun!

Once back in Annapolis Bob and Cathy invited us to join them at the Fleet Reserve Club down the street.  We all piled into Bob’s Lincoln Navigator and parked at his club.  (You have to have a permit to park there…hence why we all drove in his car).  While we dined we got to watch all the sail boats and yachts coming into the harbor for the night.  It was a perfect location.  Abby paid for our dinner (it was only $55 and I picked up the drink tab $26).  We couldn’t believe how inexpensive this military club was! 

After dinner we headed back to the boat to unload all of our goods.  We all said our good byes and were on our way.   I for one feel asleep the moment my head hit my pillow at home.  I hope we’ll be seeing Cathy and Bob in the near future.  Cathy is sending us invitations to the upcoming grand opening of  Passion Fish.  This is a new restaurant in Reston Town Center opening in mid-October.  One of her sons works there.  Passion Fish is from the creators of DC Coast, TenPenh, Ceiba and Acadiana.  I’m so excited to check out this new restaurant (http://www.passionfishreston.com/)  So we’ll certainly see them then.  And Janice and Darren invited them to the annual Halloween party.  I can’t wait to see them again!  I really wish Knut had been able to join us on this trip.  He would have had a great time.  Despite missing him it was a perfect weekend!

Oh and on a side note we learned John Travolta had recently been on board the La Sonata to check it out.  It seems he’s commissioning one for himself.  Pretty cool!

Upcoming Book Festival In DC

http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/

Co-Authors Laura Bush and Her Daughter, Jenna Bush, Will Present at the National Book Festival on the National Mall Sept. 27

First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter, Jenna Bush, co-authors of the book “Read All About It!” will join the authors and special guests presenting at the 2008 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and Mrs. Bush. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, rain or shine, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 3rd and 7th streets. The festival is free and open to the public.

Among more than 70 authors and illustrators participating in the National Book Festival this year are Tiki Barber, Marc Brown, Warren Brown, Kimberly Dozier, Arthur Frommer and Pauline Frommer, Philippa Gregory, Steven Kellogg, Brad Meltzer, Salman Rushdie, Bob Schieffer, Daniel Schorr, Alexander McCall Smith, Paul Theroux and Dionne Warwick. Jon Scieszka, a children’s book author recently named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Librarian of Congress, will be among the authors presenting in the Teens & Children’s Pavilion.

EVENT ALERT – Northern Virginia Brewfest!

Sept. 27 – 28th

http://novabrewfest.com/summer/