The EPIC-ness Has Only Just Began

So. We managed to plan our DC trip for the same weekend as Glen Beck's Restoration rally. We didn't do that on purpose.
I arrived in DC on Thursday evening, and the girls were waiting for me at the terminal. We hopped on the Metro (so exciting and motion sick-y all at the same time), and three stops later we were at Rachel's place. Super-cute little brick townhouse painted yellow (a good yellow), with its own front yard. We trekked to Pat Troy's Irish Pub to enjoy some drinks on the patio.
Friday morning we ate blueberry muffins and then headed off to D.C. (Rachel lives in Alexandria) to visit the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum Of Natural History. The Portrait Gallery was super cool. There was an Americans NOW exhibit as well as a Norman Rockwell exhibit. The Rockwell exhibit was super cool, with photos from his life in addition to his famous cover art. We also checked out parts of the Museum Of Modern Art, which had a Presidents exhibit. There was a bad-ass gigantic mosaic of Bill Clinton's head. We also hit up the Butterfly Room, where, for $5, you could walk in the land of butterflies (which was totally awesome). We left the museums for lunch, and ate at the Austin Grill (lots of veggie options), and the food was delicious. From there we bought some souvenirs and then headed home. Rachel made us a delicious stuffed pasta dinner, and we drank wine and watched girly movies, with a break for The Dairy Godmother (where I ordered the homemade blueberry cobbler, topped with vanilla custard).
Saturday we woke up bright and early so that we could hop on the train to catch our 11 am "tour" of the Washington Monument. The tour consisted of shooting up in an elevator, viewing the city from tiny windows in all four sides of the monument, and then catching a couple of the featured blocks of rock on the way down. Rachel timed our tour with the rally, so walking in with the flow of American flag-bedecked tea-partiers (and then looking down upon them from The Monument) made for interesting people watching. We got pictures of lots of amusing shirts and variously decorated vehicles. (Because nothing restores one's honor like a shirt with the preamble to the Constitution written on it). After our tour, we went to the Old Ebbitt Grill. It was delicious. Hummus, crab artichoke dip, and house salads with gorgonzola. Our super-cute server (in suspenders!) sold us on Peach Cobbler for lunch. (Which beat the pants off the blueberry cobbler from the day before). Then we did a little shopping at H&M (my first time). I scored big time. I got a super cute polka-dot button-down dress, a western shirt (super good fit), a flowy gray tank, a ring, and a necklace. I also bought boots at Payless (because apparently I only shop at Payless when on vacation).
After wearing ourselves out with all of that shopping, we headed back to Rachel's to rest before our evening out. We then proceeded to get ready just the way we did in the old days. Music on, pre-drinks in hand, trying on various shoes and jewelry in the hallway of adjoining rooms, applying make-up and fixing hair. It was very nostalgic, and probably my favorite part of the trip. We were having so much fun that we missed our train and ended up staying in Rachel's part of town. Which worked out well because we were able to bar hop. We hit up a karaoke joint (not Rachel's favorite, but Michelle was ready for it) and ended up at Murphy's Irish Pub (with an Irish server, no less!). Michelle managed to find the one tea partier in there and have a political debate with him. We tried to carry our party on to the only dance party in the vicinity, but it had already closed by the time we'd finished all of our shots. Instead we walked home and had a dance party of our own, while we made various "don't be hungover tomorrow" snacks. The pictures are quite entertaining, but will not be presented here. Ha.
Sunday some of us woke up with hangovers (ahem, Michelle, you are a ridiculous freak of nature)...so the snacks maybe didn't work as well as we'd planned. We realized that our brunch/second pass of H&M plans were ridiculous, and we ended up eating McDonald's while we packed to go home. Amazingly, everything fit in my luggage. We Metro'd back to the airport, and hugged goodbye. I'll leave out the unpleasantness of my flight due to my slight hangover.
All in all, it was an amazing weekend spent with girls who make you remember who your friends are. Girls who help you remember who you are, when you find that you're a little lost, who you used to be, when you find that you've grown into someone different, and who you want to be, when you're with people who love you for all of those different people that're wrapped up inside of you.
Thank you, ladies, I love you.