Angelina M. Lopez
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Contemporary Romance Author, Hyperromantic
Eighties and '90s-retro dance nights are plentiful in the DMV and would seem like the perfect option for a fun night out for us In-Betweeners, a chance to embrace our past and dance like we did at prom. However, the popularity of these nights with the under-30 crowd has made me feel a little old and silly at them. And a little…annoyed, like the event has been co-opted by people who think we went around wearing neon all the time.
I intensely dislike the no-reservation trend at popular new restaurants. So when my husband and I walked into the no-reservation restaurant Rose’s Luxury on Barracks Row Saturday night and were gently informed that it would be a two-and-a-half hour wait, I reacted with an eye roll and a, “You’ve got to be out of your…” Once we sat down in this fairyland-like restaurant with its playful food and deep-down-to-the-root-of-my-taste-buds flavors, I knew even a longer wait would have been worth it.
We went to Hershey Park recently to celebrate my youngest becoming a teen, and after a couple of turbo rides, the kids kindly asked us to leave them alone. They wandered off and we were left with a serious case of wooziness and a mild sunburn. What we were going to do with ourselves the rest of the day? Until amusement parks decide to install a napping spot, here are some suggestions for enjoying yourself at Hershey Park.
Part of the reason I started this blog was to give potential employers in the wine, spirit and hospitality industries a sampling of my writing ability. But I've also embraced this mission to discover fun activities for those of us 40-55, and I don't want to give the impression that our fun is dependent on having a drink in hand.
Virginia wine country is unique from Sonoma or Napa because of its history. The ancient stone inns and horse fences stretching over pastoral hills are beautiful in their longevity and sense of place. Wine is produced in every nook and cranny of Virginia – it’s the fifth-largest wine-producing state – but we stayed north of I-66 and east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where we had almost 40 wineries to choose from.
Okay. Maybe I don't hate the 9:30 Club. Maybe I just hate those two lumbering boy-men, those big boys with scraggly beards and fuzzy hair and heavy-rimmed glasses who were trying to get around me the last time I was at the 9:30 Club. I didn't know I was blocking their way. I didn't know until I heard a, "Umm...excuse me...ma'am."
It's easy to bring a bag of chips, but I like to make my potluck offering a gift to the host, a little something to acknowledge the work she or he has done. The trend that is the Mason jar is the perfect way to offer that gift. It allows you a beautiful way to present your goodie, to make goodies single-serving if appropriate and to designate adult drinks from kid drinks. I've included some of my favorite jar offerings in this blog. Enjoy!
