Get ready, Washington! There's a storm a'comin'!

Sorry for the silence, faithful readers. The life of the Pumpernickel is a busy one, and this week was no exception. I promise to do better.

At any rate, the city is all atwitter today as we prep for our first big storm of the season. I just returned from stocking up on provisions at my local market. Hint: the next few days will involve cheddar cheese shrimp and grits and my world famous sweet potato gnocchi. Jealous?

Our modern oracle of weather, aka Weather.com, is predicting accumulations of 10 to 20 inches through Saturday night. Check out their ominous warning:

Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
3:11 pm EST, Fri., Dec. 18, 2009

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE... SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... HEAVY SNOW WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING... SNOW WILL BEGIN BETWEEN 11 PM AND 2 AM TONIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL BE HEAVIEST BETWEEN 8 AM AND 6 PM SATURDAY.

* TEMPERATURES... UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S THROUGH THE EVENT... LOW TO MID 30S IN COASTAL SOUTHERN MARYLAND.

* WINDS... 10 TO 20 MPH THROUGH THE EVENT... WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE VERY RAPIDLY SATURDAY MORNING AND WILL MAKE TRAVEL EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS.

Extremely treacherous! Wowsers. Think about that for a moment: DC is a city that can't handle 3 inches of snow, let alone 20. Folks, get comfortable. You may not be leaving your homes for some time. I, for one, do not plan on braving the elements anytime soon. No word yet on whether I will come out from under my covers, which I intend fashion around me like a warm cocoon.

If you'll recall, Washington got off easy in the snow department last year. Sure, we had some precipitation. But it was nothing major -- definitely nothing that got anyone off of work, much to everyone's chagrin.

Unfortunately, this nor'easter had to come on a Saturday so the workweek will probably remain unaffected, but who knows. Maybe working folk will get a break on Monday. A two hour delay, perhaps? Do those exist for anyone out of grade school? There's always hoping. At any rate, I'm looking forward to riding out the storm with some hot, alcoholic beverages and some good company.

For some good ideas on how to keep warm, check out my post from last year. Methinks there will be some good sledding to be had this winter!

The Pumpernickel sits down with Ezra Furman & the Harpoons

This post is featured on the Sum of Change blog.

Sum of Change made the long trek to Baltimore last Tuesday for some brew, billiards and of course, music.

We were attracted to Ottobar, a hip and happening venue in the Charles Village area, by Ezra Furman & the Harpoons, a young band on the road full-time for the first time.

The four lads met during their undergrad years at Tufts University and made the decision to tour after graduating in 2008. They're a dedicated bunch, putting on a spirited show for the somewhat sparsely attended gig. But despite the fact that Tuesday nights in a city far from Boston don't make for the liveliest of crowds, those in attendance were quick to get into the groove.

Transitioning from university students to rough and ready musicians can't be easy, but Ezra Furman & the Harpoons seem to enjoy it. These boys may just make it big some day.

Ottobar
2549 North Howard Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-4506
(410) 662-0069

Boozing it up at the State of the Alcohol Industry Briefing

Last Thursday, I finagled an invite to the first annual State of the Alcohol Industry Briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Actually, 'finagled' is a bit of a misnomer. Went to their website, registered myself and then printed out a free ticket is a more apt description. It was pretty easy to get in.

Once inside, the scene was a bit like a room in Willy Wonka's factory. Except everything was alcoholic. As the man says, candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.

Set up along the walls were a myriad of alcohol stations. Custom martinis with Kahlua liqueur and pumpkin spices, flights of variously aged Hennessy, drinks mixed with top shelf vodka and gin, and more types of wine and beer than I could count. It was glorious.

A prime rib carving station, a chef making custom risotto dishes and countless hors d'oeuvres were also available for our enjoyment.

Incredibly, the entire event was free. Not to say the evening came without a price; my gaggle of friends and I found ourselves in the obvious minority as the youngest patrons in attendance. And perhaps the only liberals. Big surprise, the alcohol industry is comprised of lots of old conservatives. Who knew.

This didn't seem like such a bad thing until a particularly sleazy one began chatting up a friend. Let's just say the old guy's comments were less than PC. Here is a truncated version of the conversation that ensued:

Old guy: I like that snazzy shirt you're wearing. (Points to my male friend's red shirt) I bet you're popular with the ladies.

Friend: Um, well. I dunno. I'm here with my girlfriend.

Old guy: Because there are a lot of tasty young things here. (Points to me and my two female friends).

Friend: Um...

Old guy: That one of the right is cute. (Nodding at my friend) But she's a redhead. You never know what you're getting with those.

Friend: Yeah, uh. Well...

Old guy: The one in the middle is nice looking. (Pointing to me) She kind of has the cute Washington thing going on. Only good for one night, though.

Friend: I don't think I could feel more uncomfortable...

Old guy: Now, that girl on the left. (Points to African American friend) I've never had one of those. I'd really like to sink my teeth into that.

Friend: ...and there we are!

Ah, yes. My first taste of truly creepy, old, conservative Washington.

Interestingly enough, none of the six people in my early to mid 20s aged crowd were carded. I don't think I need to tell you that I could easily pass for 20 years old. Just saying.

All things aside, it was an extraordinarily fun evening. So much fun, in fact, that I would happily endure again a stream of come-ons spouted by a man old enough to be my father. A small price to pay for such enjoyment.