After 40 years, the Childe Harold shut down Saturday for the last time. The owner made no announcement, saying he was too grief-stricken over losing something that has been in his blood since he was a teenager washing dishes in the kitchen and, later, broiling steaks for Springsteen between sets.

– WaPo: An Early D.C. Stage For Musical Greats Has Quiet Last Call

Childe Harold has only been a part of my life for the past 10 years, just about the entirety of my life in DC. I’ve been there with nearly every friend, every date, every boyfriend, every visitor. I’ve suggested it to people for a nice easygoing yet not completely laid back place to eat. Shawn and I started going there for a prime rib before heading out for drinks and dancing, I mean hell what better to soak up the eventual booze you’ll be packing away and it always precluded the need to go out afterwards for greasy food.

It’s even harder to swallow the fact that it was yet another real estate problem. This city is moving towards some kind of strange cultural implosion. We force out the people that have been here forever, the businesses that know you like family, and for what? It just isn’t worth the cost.

Don’t use guilt or passive aggressive behavior on your friends. They deserve better. I don’t mean this in situations where it is actually for their own good, such as getting them to get over some stubborn or prideful block that is actually harmful like not going to the doctor when they’re very sick. I mean times when you’ve got something to say, or something you’d like them to do (for you) and you can’t just come out and say it.

I won’t say that preventing this from happening is easy and of course every situation is different, but it happened recently while chatting with a friend and I had to show a remarkable amount of restraint not to send back, “What the fuck did you just say?!”
</vent>

In other news: red wine is really a good match for buffalo wings!

I strongly suspect that it has a lot to do with last night’s martinis, but today has just been a day full of cravings, some of them quite random. It may also have something to do with my pregnant co-worker sitting next to me and my getting sympathy cravings as well.

First off, I really wanted a glazed donut at Starbucks, but they were out. Then I wanted sausage, but we hit the cafeteria too late, and it was too cold to head back out. I craved tacos around mid-morning, then wanted shrimp for lunch which I was able to get hold of. After lunch I wanted Lay’s plain potato chips and pickles, and when returning from being unable to find that, I wanted roast chicken. Then just before leaving the office I could have really taken down a big ol’ prime rib. While walking to Best Cellars in Dupont I almost took a side trip over to 17th Street to get some merguez and hummus, and finally when I got home, wings were all that would satisfy.

So I’ve settled on wings this evening, with some good wines. I suppose more than anything I should be proud of myself for not succumbing to any or all of the above today. Tonight’s going to be one of the first really cold nights, and even though I’ve had the heat on a while, it doesn’t feel like it’s working. Normally my place benefits from the ambient heat from the floors below, but today I’m wondering if something’s up with the building heating, or if it’s finally reached that cold point where even ambient heat disperses too quickly.

*ding! Food’s here!