Last weekend, I headed to Stetsons to celebrate the engagement of my friends Alex and Zvi.

While we were there, I noticed a woman (probably I little older than I am) who seemed extremely drunk – she was swaying, eyes half closed, and couldn’t walk straight… I pointed her out to my friends because I was so taken aback by what I saw. She was leaving and I made a comment to the effect of, “no one should let her near those stairs”, but then I saw her boyfriend follow behind her and figured that she’d be taken care of so I turned around and continued my conversation with my friends. Not a second later, we heard a loud THUMP and looked down the staircase to find her sprawled on the floor. She was completely unresponsive and a med student who had run down seemed to be having trouble locating her heartbeat. Luckily, an ambulance had been parked across the street and so the paramedics were able to get to the scene pretty quickly.

As my friends started turning away and mingling amonst themselves, I realized that this girl’s friends were still upstairs and didn’t know what had happened. I went up to them and told them she had fallen down the stairs. When they came back from checking on her, they didn’t seem that phased — probably because they hadn’t seen her at the bottom, limbs at awkward angles, with no sign of life in her — but mentioned that she was whimpering in the back of the ambulance. Her friend made a comment that she didn’t know how this could have happened because her friend wasn’t that drunk. That statement completely baffled me as I had immediately noticed the girl and her state…

This incident has really stayed with me. This woman’s life may have very well changed drastically, and all it took was a single misstep.

Being the klutz that I am, I’ve always been really aware of the danger of steep, long staircases in bars. I had even begun a list in my head of bars to avoid. Since then, the list has grown and I feel like I should get it down on paper/screen to share with all of you. I asked my friends for their inclusions and the same bars came up in conversation again and again.

So, I present to you my list of the worst stairs in DC bars.

Dupont Circle

1. Lucky Bar – Steep, narrow, and the only path to the bathroom makes for a lethal combination.

2. Public Bar – Getting to the roof means going up 4 flights of stairs.

3. Front Page – The stairs down to the bathrooms are brutal.

U Street

1. Stetsons – For obvious reasons.

2. Local 16 – The staircase is windy, crowded and tends to be slippery. Yikes!

What did I miss? Let me know in the comments.

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. a real one this time
2. Bonjour!
3. “I am a citizen, not of Athens or Greece, but of the world” -Socrates

Here’s to many more years of Pre-Thanks together!

Pre-Thanks 2010

Pre-Thanks 2009

Pre-Thanks 2008

You might also enjoy these related posts:

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Kickball is really popular in DC so I’m glad to have experienced this rite of passage (another check off the DC Bucket List) and would highly recommend it for the following reasons:

1. Get outside your comfort zone!
As I mentioned, I was not born to kickball. Being up at the plate means a thumping heart and shaking hands, but you know what, there’s something satisfying about getting out there, being completing uncomfortable and making it through. I certainly felt like a stronger person after each game. And then it was time to hit the bar.

2. Meet new people!
Joining this team, where I only really knew my roommate, was a great way for me to expand my social circle in DC. A lot of people who decide to join teams do so without knowing anyone – it’s a great way to meet some people in a safe, fun way when moving to a new city.

3. Enjoy the city!
One thing that I really loved was the fact that we played right in front of the US Capitol. Especially now that I’m not working in DC, having a reason to go the National Mall every week and hang out by the Monuments simply makes me happy and grateful to be here.

SO – Have I convinced you yet? Get out there and play! If not kickball, there are lots of other options in the DMV (DC, Maryland, & Virginia area) like bowling, bocce ball and dodgeball.

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3. Let the Madness Begin!

PS For a pre-show dinner I headed to Momiji (read my Yelp review), a sushi place in Chinatown, followed by a free sample of Rita’s Italian Ice as part of the Grand Opening of its 1012 H Street, NW location.

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3. The Social Media Way Of Life

Which makes me thankful. Really, really thankful. I’m thankful that I live in a vibrant, young city where there is an endless supply of activites with which to entertain myself. I’m thankful that I have a massive group of friends who are also looking to make the most of their time outside of work. And I’m thankful for all the truly inspiring people I’ve met through the DC Tech Scene (I can’t believe I just wrote that publically, but, yes, that’s what it’s called and it’s pretty happening, if I might add) who have become my friends.

Below, I’ve gone back and tried to reconstruct how I spent the month of June. From moviewatching and birthdays to sightseeing and sporting events, I’ve gotta say, I managed to do it all. Here’s hoping that my months continue to be as (mis)adventure filled as this past one has been…

(Please note: I have tried to be sensitive to other people’s privacy. If your name is mentioned below and you would prefer it not to be, simply let me know and I will remove it immediately.)

Monday, June 1 - Attended a lecture by Keith Ferrazzi on the subject of his recently published book: Who’s Got Your Back. Read my reflections here. Afterwards, had dinner at Bistro Bis with great company: @_VNL, @bucchere, @dcconcierge, and @jjgardner3.

Tuesday, June 2 - Asked my readers: Where do twentysomethings live in DC? Read what they answered and share your thoughts. Hung out at Rumors with @abudman and Mark K. One day I will eat and/or go out to Rumors.

Wednesday, June 3 - I believe I spent the evening at home. The first of four such nights in June.

June 4

Thursday, June 4 - Celebrated @mindyzeidman‘s birthday at Asian Spice with Laura, Jackie, @anj39, and @abudman.

Friday, June 5 - Enjoyed a traditional Shabbat Dinner with @mindyzeidman, Daniel, Laura, Zac, Jackie, Scott, Mark, Ben W, @anj39, @dkatzman54, and @abudman.

Saturday, June 6 - Went out to The Park (with five cab-fulls of friends!) for a continuation of @mindyzeidman‘s birthday celebration.

Sunday, June 7 - Brunch at Cafe Saint-Ex with @dcconcierge, followed by shopping in the U Street area and a tour of @dcconcierge‘s apartment . We were briefly joined at brunch by @technosailor.

Monday, June 8 - I believe I spent the evening at home. The second of four such nights in June.

Tuesday, June 9 - Watched the Red Sox / Yankees game at Porter’s with @akmcquade, @sheffi, @lostonroute66, @abudman, Ben W. and @mindyzeidman.

Wednesday, June 10 - Watched the Red Sox / Yankees game at Rhino Bar with @justinherman, @chrisderose, and @asomyak.

Thursday, June 11 - Attended the pre-conference happy hour for Blog Potomac at Carpool.

Friday, June 12 - Attended BlogPotomac. Read what I liveblogged from the conference. Afterwards, I flew to Boston for my sister’s Bat Mitzvah.

See pictures from both the Blog Potomac happy hour and the conference itself.

Saturday, June 13 - Celebrated my sister’s Bat Mitzvah with my family.

Sunday, June 14 - Flew back to DC from Boston and had a late dinner at Clyde’s with @justinherman.

Monday, June 15 - Attended happy hour at Big Hunt to send off Aaron. Read my review of Big Hunt.

Tuesday, June 16 - Attended Sixth & I Trivia at Capitol Skyline Hotel. Spike Mendelsohn was a guest announcer!

Wednesday, June 17 - Attended the NextGenWeb website relaunch at Darlington House. See pictures from the NextGenWeb relaunch.

June 17

Thursday, June 18 - I believe I spent the evening at home. The third of four such nights in June.

Friday, June 19 - Enjoyed a “girls’ dinner” with @mindyzeidman and @abudman at Sakana. Read my review of Sakana.

Saturday, June 20 - Went out to Public Bar.

Sunday, June 21- Visited the FDR Memorial with Lauren.

Monday, June 22 - Attended happy hour at RFD to send Daniel off on a “find yourself” vacation to Israel. Read my review of RFD. Afterwards, relocated to Sushi Aoi for dinner with Daniel, Sam, Bryan, Eric,@mindyzeidman, @anj39, @dkatzman54, @agrossbe, and @skeevis.

Tuesday, June 23 - Attended the Red Sox / Nationals Game with @mindyzeidman.

Wednesday, June 24 - Attended the Red Sox / Nationals Game with @justinherman.

Thursday, June 25 - Attended the Red Sox / Nationals Game with @dkatzman54.

Friday, June 26 - Enjoyed a somewhat non-traditional Shabbat Dinner (take out style!) with @mindyzeidman, Laura, Jackie, Scott, Ben W, @anj39, @dkatzman54, and @abudman.

Saturday, June 27 - Tried my hand at whitewater tubing down the Potomac River in West Virginia with 21 of my closest friends. Long story short, went over the rapids without a tube or a life vest. Collected several bruises as souvenirs.

Sunday, June 28 - Visited the Newseum with @anj39 and later watched Away We Go with @mindyzeidman.

Monday, June 29 - Watched The Hangover with @mindyzeidman, @the_n0mster, and Ben A.

Tuesday, June 30 - I believe I spent the evening at home. The fourth of four such nights in June.

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2. an update
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His message was that we, as a culture, have become isolated from each other yet it’s relationships that drive both professional and personal success.

(A sobering statistic: 50% of individuals believe that someone has their back. Of that 70% are married. That means that only 35% of unmarried individuals believe that they have someone looking out for them.)

During the talk, Keith had us do several exercises with the person sitting next to us.

In the first exercise, he had us identify an ultimate goal of ours – something that we longed for and fear we might never achieve. Those who know me well know that I ended up sharing one of my biggest fears with the Indian gentleman sitting next to me who I had just introduced myself to moments earlier.

In the second, Keith wanted us to think of something that was holding us back, a behavior that was detrimental to our success but we kept doing anyway (an addiction if you will). My “addiction” came to mind just as easily as my “ultimate goal”: My perfectionsim has fueled an aversion to answering e-mails.

I am horrible, horrible, at answering e-mails even though I have the best of intentions. The problem is that when I get a personal e-mail, I want to respond in kind. I want to really sit and write from the heart and be able to edit and re-edit until I get the flow and content just right. 

But in the end, the e-mail remains unwritten.

I know, I know, that my contacts would rather receive something than nothing. And yet, I always find myself in the same situation.

So, as of this Monday, which happened to be June 1st, (a nice round date), I vow to hold myself to a higher standard – or maybe to a lower one, as the case may be – and to really make a concious effort to respond to the personal correspondence I receive.

I haven’t yet read Who’s Got Your Back (although when I do it’ll be a copy signed by Mr. Ferrazzi himself), but from what I can tell, the next step in Keith Ferrazzi’s plan for happiness is to seek out two to four people who can act as a peer support system or a board of advisors. These are people who must exhibit: vulnerability, candor, generosity and be able to hold you accountable to your goals. 

So, if I actually go through with this whole thing and you get a call from me asking to be on my “team” I hope you won’t let me forget this promise I’ve made to myself.

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. June 2009 in Review
2. Letting Loose

Since the collective of the group is always much wiser than my thoughts alone, I pose this person’s question to you in the form of the poll below. Feel free to elaborate on your answer (perhaps explaining why you’ve chosen the answers you have) and to suggest areas I did not include.

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IgniteDC – all similar events around the country – feature 16 speakers who each have 5 minutes and 20 PowerPoint slides to present. This is where people to whom I’m describing the event get confused and ask: “What are the presentations about? Are they company / sales / product pitches?” And this is the part that gets everyone – There aren’t any guidelines or limitations to the subject matter.  

What I think is so incredible about IgniteDC is that:

1. There were no incentives for people to present, other than to have their voice heard. There were no incentives for people to attend, other than to hear what others had to share. And the whole thing was a success. It was a simple exchange of creative information and ideas and very cool thing to be a part of. (The event also took place in a not-yet-finished office building and the crowd was tech-y/artist-y which added to the vibe.)

2. The presentations themselves were extremely diverse. It was interesting to see what people wanted to share.

3. As a “business school graduate”, I am a master at PowerPoint slides. Almost every business class I took required at least two presentations to be given (one individual, one group). The PowerPoint slides I saw at IgniteDC certainly reflected the creativeness of the speakers and were used in ways I would have never imagined.

Where you at IgniteDC? If so, did you have any favorite presentations? What did you think of the event? If not, what do you think of the concept for this type of event? Would you attend a similar event in the future?

On a final note, I’d like to share my favorite three presentations with you (although all sixteen presenters did a great job):

Matt Billings (@easement) – Radiohead, Babies, and SMS Magic

The great use of PowerPoint slides I talked about? It was MASTERED during the presentation. I loved how the slides helped complement the story being told while being powerful and engaging.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyB0ToWRyI4

Erin Rooney Doland (@Erdoland) - The Desk Whisperer

I really liked how this presentation provided information that I could make use of. Seriously. I know that sounds silly, but the points made during the presentation are things that I can do – little things, non-grandiose things (grandiose things are overwhelming for a perfectionist like me) – to, simply put, improve my professional life.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blQqcZnukK0

Sam Nitz (@DCBadger) – Everyone Needs to Come Out at Least Once

This presentation was hilarious. And provided great advice. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ShwVuax2Js

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1. A District of Networkers & Passionate Idealists
2. What Really Grinds My Gears: Facebook Event Non-RSVPers
3. Day 154: Minding My Manners (Kind Of)

DC is really the District of Contacts. It’s all about who you know and, in turn, who they know. I know ‘networking’ as a whole has become a craze lately, but here, networking has always been a necessity and a way of life.

I have business cards in the office, at home, in my everyday purse, in my travel bag… I find them in odd corners of my apartment, in between my work papers. And it’s like this because you never know who you’ll meet.

Another observation:

A few weeks ago I was at an event where an attendee mentioned her frustration that the first thing she is asked when meeting someone new is: “So, what do you do?”. She finds it to be pompus and superficial.

I countered that I really enjoy it. In my six months here in the District, one of the things that I have come to love most about this city is that (almost) everyone here is here doing something they are truly passionate about. DC is a place of innovation, progress, and advocacy.  I love meeting people who are here to make a difference in the world.

Many my age are stumbling their way through life (nothing wrong with that!) but I’ve found that my contemporaries who live in the District have, for the most part, come here with a purpose.  It’s refreshing — and gives me hope for my generation’s future — to be somewhere where discussing ideology and politics and theories and similar topics in casual conversations is the norm.

You might also enjoy these related posts:

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(I have been told that the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden with its “Hirshhorn After Hours” series was the first to try this and as other museums have seen the popularity of the program, they’ve implemented their own versions… Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no?) 

The Phillips Collection, just a few blocks away from my apartment, was the first museum of modern art to be established in the United States.  The museum’s “Phillips after 5″ program, which takes place the first Thursday of every month, has been on my list of things to experience in DC, so when I received a last-minute invite yesterday, I jumped at the opportunity to attend.

First, let me say that I’m always amused when I go to a museum of my own volition. As a child, my parents would take me to museums, classical concerts, ballets, etc. Who would have thought that as an adult, I’d have my own appreciation for the arts?

Second, the featured exhibit was Morandi: Master of Modern Still Life. While I enjoyed the museum overall, Morandi’s art, constiting mostly of paintings of bottles, bowls, and jars, really just didn’t speak to me. Which hopefully is okay to say/type outloud.

Third, I thought I’d share three pieces that did speak to me:

Georges Braque - The Shower

 

Bill Jensen - Deluge

 

Ben Shahn - Still Music

 

You might also enjoy these related posts:

1. Day 792: Pre-Thanks 2010
2. Where’s my sticker?
3. Politicians Let Loose!