Surviving Jonas in DC

I’m sure you’ve heard about it, if you’re not currently living it, but it’s been a snowy couple of days around these parts. It’s been pretty crazy to see two feet of snow accumulate outside, but we’re very lucky to have a safe, warm place to sleep and not have to worry about it too much.
I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical this storm was going to pan out exactly as predicted. DC tends to FREAK OUT about impending snow storms that turn out to be a mere dusting (or completely forgets to tell us about a rush hour storm that cripples the city for hours) so I was kind of expecting the whole thing to be a crock. But it wasn’t.
The snow started Friday afternoon and accumulated quickly. Ashton was not at all impressed.
I wish he was one of those dogs that loves to romp in the snow, but he absolutely abhors it. Instead, I watched as the empty lot outside my window became a makeshift dog park during the storm. There have been dogs out there almost constantly since the snow started and it’s adorable to watch them play in it.
I was thankful for the window entertainment, like this guy skiing down the road. Impressive.
I was actually kind of grateful for the storm, as it gave me the perfect excuse to slow down and relax for an entire weekend, something I haven’t done in as long as I can remember. Friday night we hunkered down, ate soup and went to bed early without feeling lame – what else are you going to do during a blizzard?
The next day we woke up around normal time and made pancakes and eggs and prepared for a leisurely day of Netflix, until the bright snowy light filtering in through the windows showed me how dirty my apartment was, resulting in a clean-a-thon that Tom didn’t much appreciate.
Luckily, we’re currently living in a very small space so the cleaning went quickly. The snow didn’t seem to be coming down too hard outside, so we decided to venture out for a bit.
We bundled up so well that we didn’t feel cold, and decided to walk over to the river and beyond.
The Department of Transportation appropriately had their sidewalks cleared very early on, but some of the walking was pretty treacherous for a short girl. The drifts were quite tall in some places, as in up to my tall, dark and handsome husband’s waist.
We obviously attempted a few snow selfies. In addition to highlighting every speck of dust in my apartment, it turns out that snowy light is rather flattering for selfies, kind of like that fancy case that Kim Kardashian has on her phone.
As we were walking around, I thought about the pros and cons of living in the city during a big snow storm. A con is that it’s hard to find those beautiful untouched patches of snow in a city apartment, although you can find them if you look hard enough.

A pro is that no matter how much snow there is, something is always open within walking distance. After a half hour of wandering around we decided to warm up for a bit at Due South. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones with this idea.
Although insanely crowded, we were greeted instantly and seated at a table at the bar. I know it sucks for restaurants to open during inclement weather, but everyone we interacted with was in good spirits and happy to have a bunch of Navy Yardians (does that work?) hanging out.
We weren’t all that hungry, so we each had a drink and split a bowl of hearty Brunswick stew. Our cocktail choices brought two different kinds of heat, my spicy bloody mary and Tom’s hot toddy.
Although it would have been fun to stay awhile and ward off cabin fever, the snow started coming down a lot harder and we figured it was best to trudge on back home.
There are few things as satisfying as the kind of lazy you’re allowed to be during a blizzard. We enjoyed it thoroughly all during the rest of Saturday. The crock pot made us dinner, we baked a cake (from a mix) and caught up on new episodes of Shameless.
With no obligations the next day, we purposely slept in. I mean, who could interrupt this adorable scene?
It had stopped snowing around midnight Saturday, so we woke up to lots of snow and sunshine to start our Sunday. After fueling up with another delicious homemade brunch of pulled pork omelets, we hit the streets again.
With the sunshine we barely felt cold as we walked twenty minutes to Eastern Market.
We did our part to support restaurants who opened during the storm. The restaurant industry took a bit hit over the weekend, but those that did open were rewarded with dining rooms full of spirited Washingtonians avoiding roommate drama and empty stomachs.
We started with cocktails at barrel…

Before moving onto drinks and snacks at Hank’s on the Hill…



And more snacks at Beuchert’s Saloon…



Cabin fever thwarted and the economy properly supported, we returned home for more laziness. But hey, walking through the snow is pretty good exercise so it was well-earned.
The city continues to dig out, and the roads are starting to get better but it will be a long time before we forget Winter Storm Jonas in DC. Stay safe out there friends!