A few weeks ago Dating DC thought about ending her blog due to a guy’s negative reaction to it.  Well, this week, she is back and offers some honest thoughts about what it means and feels like to connect with someone.

Eating around DC compares cupcakes to cocktails, but admits that the conversation was better than the cupcakes.

Ever feel like a walking contradiction?  I know I do on a daily basis.  But we are not alone. This week Shannon Sez So poses some interesting questions that may make you re-think why you do the things you do.

Finally, Unsuck Metro got some serious press this week (and so did a few metro workers).

A burning desire for parenthood from Hilarity in Shoes

DC Blogs Contributing Editor Magnolia sounds off about the Congressional indignities heaped upon the District with the latest federal budget.

An American Girl in Washington gets all kinds of geeky over proximity to a few members of the SCOTUS.

Sarah and the Goon Squad makes the argument that “little kids saying curse words are funny.”

Lifeinflux writes in support of (or homage to) the thank you letter.

Not only does Awkward Sex and the City cop to her love of “big dumb guys” she makes a cogent argument for them too.

We’ve all been at a Denny’s or Waffle House after last call and have seen what Average Bro calls a good old fashion “hoodrat fight.”

Pie Charts make everything better. Grant’s Blog takes a look at the similarities between Christianity, The Taliban, and LOLCats.

There’s a Possum in The Slow Cook’s basement, and he’s not quite sure what to do with it.

Quirky Mom Funny Farm recounts a conversation with her son about his need to expand his sheep collection.

And finally, One Photograph A Day treats us to an amazing shot of New York Avenue.

How Hausaufgoblin spent her last few hours before the shutdown…or so she thought.

Wild and Crazy Pearl takes on one of the many new DC BBQ joints to determine if she’s eating BBQ goodness or BBQ mediocrity.

Can’t. Stop. Thinking. About. This. House. Neither can DC Socialite.

I thought I was a busy lady with a lot of laundry to do, then I read about what’s on Candy Sandwich’s To Do List.

This is quite a twist on Happy Hour, and it sounds like fun. From DC-365.

[OK, so this one's not a blog, but here's a link to exactly how DC's government will be affected should the government actually shut down tonight. Fingers crossed that by the time you read this, it's all moot…]

…but in case it’s not, Herb of DC reflects on how the lack of parking enforcement that would result throughout the District is not the great thing a lot of us would think it is. I hate parking tickets as much as the next person, but food for thought.

Ever been to a wedding or other catered to-do and been… underwhelmed, we’ll say, by the food? Edatrix had a wedding, and she was not about to let that happen. She and her friends “ate GOOD.”

Speaking of parties, sometimes corporate parties don’t always result in fun, especially when travel is involved. Blarney Crone takes us on a slightly bumpy, and thoroughly brand-loyal, jaunt to Wilmington, Delaware.

Oh, Baltimore, our oft-ignored cousin to the northeast. With all of our monumental largesse here in DC, sometimes it is admittedly hard to keep another city’s attractions straight. But this particular mistake had me rolling in the aisles, as it did for Alice’s Adventures Underground.

And to wrap up the day-trip troika we have going here, Peace Love Nicole recalls a not-so-great trip to Colonial Williamsburg. History and water rides? How can you go wrong?

Now for this week’s pretty pictures of food. Soul food is amazing. Trust me; I’m Southern, and I ate this way most of my life (and somehow have a cholesterol reading under six million). Hungry Sam had a transformative experience at Georgia Brown’s at lunch the other day. I am officially jealous of this meal.

Congratulations to Sean at Sean’s Ramblings on the birth of his baby son! He shares some early thoughts about fatherhood, both funny and poignant. Plus, there’s a reference to Dinosaurs, which will be this week’s Gen-X pop culture check-in. (SUCH a great show…)

Come mid-afternoon at work, I will often kick off the heels and walk to the printer from my office barefoot.  But to do that for an entire day? Bunny Cakes describes doing just that at work as a way to raise awareness all of the children in the world without shoes and how one pair can change a child’s life.

Speaking of special days at work, Listen to Leon lays out five holidays that should be real.  My favorite? Number five.

Looking for a new restaurant to try?  Mango & Tomato shares her experience at Estadio (giving it rave reviews) and provides some beautiful pictures of the food.

Finally, the budget (or lack there of) has been at the top of the headlines all week.  Will the government shut down?  We should know soon.  I met with a member of Congress yesterday who told me his constituents are calling non-stop urging a shut down.  But those of us inside the beltway have a different perspective. Lost on the Beltway describes the Real Federal Employee and what a shut down would mean to that person.  Still not convinced?  All Life is Local provides a list of DC services and programs affected by a government shut down, including trash pick up.  Gross.

Mountain Girl Musing tries to reconcile the poetry and prose of campaigning and governing.

…speaking of government reality, Grant’s Blog argues that defense funding is grossly under-reported.

A reader writes to the Prince of Petworth asking for help dealing with a problem with a neighbor. What would you do if an elderly man in an adjoining condo smoked weed constantly and the smell was always in your house?

Lemon Gloria takes winter extending into spring a little personally. She may have describes yesterday morning’s rain as “Devious droplets of dickishness.”

Noted without editorial comment – from Suicide Blond: “It’s not easy to find a man who will choke you.”

DC Native Joe Flood has finished his novel,  Murder in Ocean Hall. The local writer was featured on Borderstan.com, where he gave a brief interview about himself, and his book.

Did you have a favorite toy as a child? Perhaps it was a stuffed pink poodle named “Fifi”? A battered teddy bear in over-alls?  Rude Cactus poses this question to his readers, and muses over his own children’s favorite possessions.

I’ve always said the term “wayward penis” should be used more in casual conversation, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg with this hilarious, and witty blog by Date Me, D.C.!

Technology has come a very long way in the last hundred years, but it’s done more change to our manners and lexicon in the last few years than ever before. Soup is Not a Finger Food discusses the changes.

The cherry blossom has long since been a symbol of the beauty of Japan. As they bloom all over D.C., Bunny Cakes takes a moment to remind us of all they really represent.

Sassy Marmalade has always been open with the details of her relationship, which unfortunately, recently ended. Now, she bares a new side of herself; her broken heart.

Apparently people have some incredibly disillusioned misconceptions about the funding of public broadcasting, according to Talking Points Memo.

Fifth Floor Kitchen makes a pie that is fairly unconventional, but looks really really good.

When do boy bands, beers, sports, and late night donuts all come together to make an evening? During Kickball Season, says Absurd Reality.

As always, Edatrix gives us pretty pictures of delicious food; this one looks pretty good and as a bonus, it feels very science-projecty to me.

Bowser the dog can JUMP! Juxtaexposed captures him doing it.

Dating is tough: sometimes Sober Single DC feels like all is going swimmingly, and sometimes she wants to “go home and change into pants without a zipper and watch Jersey Shore while eating an ice cream sandwich.” Decisions decisions.

New Columbia Heights moves…to Gaithersburg?

[Happy April Fool's Day to all of you intrepid readers out there! You have my word that this collection of links is 100% prank-free. Enjoy…]

One of the perks/headaches of living in the nation’s capital, depending on your perspective, is dealing with Hill interns. Bless their ambitious little hearts. Famous DC presents these plucky, idealistic souls with a handy flowchart to help them navigate their time in our fair city. (And it’s good for a laugh or two for the rest of us.)

I am a teacher’s daughter; my daddy has taught kids for years and years all over the South. Thus, things like this beautiful, realistic and passionate defense of teachers from American Girl in Washington warm my heart. No matter what your opinion of school reform may be, teachers are amazing.

It’s Cherry Blossom Festival time! That explains the serious uptick in out-of-towners around these days… which in turn tends to repel those of us who have to contend with them every day. But really, we have a fantastically beautiful thing in our cherry blossoms, one that we may not appreciate as fully as we should. Wade Chi has some amazing shots of our signature trees.

Everyone and his brother seems to a) love Mad Men and b) be distraught beyond belief at the prospect of an entire year without their favorite obsession. Fear not, fans of Don Draper; Cosmopolitan Conservative has brought you all a set of coping mechanisms to get you through the next twelve months.

It’s time for baseball season! Joy! Or, if you’re a Washington Nationals fan, time for another season of potential dashed hopes. Federal Baseball recaps the cold, damp and disappointing beginning to the hometown boys’ 2011 campaign. (And I was there; TRUST ME on the cold and damp part.)

Speaking of cold, let’s all indulge ourselves in some serious denial and pretend that we’ll be able to wear shorts before the 2012 election cycle starts. Capitol Hill Style has some rules for how – and how NOT – to wear shorts. Think warm thoughts…

And would it be a Friday post without pretty pictures of food? I think not. Thanks, C+C Marriage Factory, for a killer recipe, beautiful shots of it, and one of my favorite blog names ever. 1980s dance-pop/rap references for the win!