I know people have brain hiccups from time to time. (For your humble editor, it’s an alarmingly regular occurrence.) looking2live had one the other day. I don’t know about y’all, but that makes me feel a little less alone.

Here’s a lesson I think we here in the nation’s capital could heed a little more often. In our hard-charging type-A existence, bloomindc.com reminds us that sometimes, it’s OK just to say… no.

Oh, C + C Marriage Factory, you have hit me where I live for this go-round of pretty pictures of food. Bloody Mary salad? Yes, please.

The age-old conundrum that strikes us all as we get to a place of maturity: rent or buy? hey, love ruminates on the choice to buy, and all the consequences it brings.

I, as a twice-a-day Metro rider with no car, happen to think our transit system deals with an inordinately large share of complaints relative to the issues it causes. However, I am 100% on board with the premise of this one. Unsuck DC Metro gives us the lowdown on jerky Metro rides. As someone who always ends up with a bruise on whichever shoulder is next to the partition wall from one too many Orange line short-stops, i’m glad to see it explained like this.

And finally, a tiny vacation picture from the fauxtography phlog. Happy weekend, y’all!

Fire and Nice’s friend guest blogs about a guy who just won’t take a hint that she does not want to go on a second date.  On a more serious note, Date me, DC writes about how men need to start getting the hint that no, means, quite simple, no.

Meeting Girls on Metro tells a well written tales about just how casual sexting can be.

Um, beer week? Yes, please.  DC Beer gives you all the info you need to know about the upcoming Belgian Restaurant Week, including where to get the best belgian beer.  I cannot think of a better way to cool down from this heat.

An appreciation: The deli, So’s Your Mom, which Where the Beltway Ends, describes as The Place for Bagels, Sandwiches, and Deli Philosophizing.

The Edited Life lists a few things that writing and shooting have in common. Who knew?

Lunch at 11:30 is not Goth. I repeat, she is NOT Goth.

Got a boring packed lunch habit? Take a little inspiration from fANNEtastic Food.

It’s like A Little Nosh found a four leaf clover….in the form of a heart shaped strawberry!

An emotional little story from Hilarity in Shoes …

Ahh, it really is a small world. Doin’ The Grown Up pens a tale of true horror: Running into your OB-GYN’s assistant at a party as someone’s date.

The Cutter Rambles reviews Transformers: Dark of the Moon for readers, quipping that, “for a movie called Transformers, the robots are really just a backdrop. (Contains a few, very minor spoilers).

Kids say the darndest things! This kid, brought to you in a post by Love, Elizabethany is no exception. Check it out, it’s a video of the kid’s reaction to a gay couple. It’s pretty inspiring, actually.

French Twist DC has a recipe for a Lemon Basil Cocktail that actually sounds pretty out of this world.

There are all kinds of assumptions floating around out there, and Biscuits and Gravy takes a few lines to set the record straight about one preconceived notion in particular: Grown up and still living at home.

According to The One With The Red Stethoscope, at some point during the second date there comes a tipping point which determines whether there will be a third date or no more dates. Hear what happened on her most recent second outing with a gentleman.

Cootie Chronicles has a bone to pick with Nordstrom’s bony fitness models.

For Been There, Eaten That, The Proof is in the Pudding.

I can’t honestly say I’ve ever thought to myself before “I want to go to Vermont!” but thanks to Wild and Crazy Pearl, now I do.

Just Another Day in DC

theartofbalancingitall

Watching The Americans

Scaling New Heights

U Street Dirt

Hungry in DC

Your humble editor turned 30 last weekend, and it’s led to some lifestyle change questions coursing through my head. But giving up work to stay home with a baby? Man. That’s a shift I can’t even contemplate. Here’s a meditation on doing just that, courtesy of Love is Blonde.

And because it seems to be a theme this week, here’s the other side of the baby question (the one that seems to resonate most with me), thanks to Always a Drunk, Never a Bride. Read and see where you shake out…

Perspective is a good thing. So is remembering the perfect little days. Thanks for this small dash of pure unadulterated happy, Rude Cactus.

How ’bout a whole meal’s worth of pretty pictures of food, Falls Church style? (Though the meal itself is droolworthy, the masthead alone sucked me into Librarian… Shot the Food!)

And to send us out in high style, gorgeous shots of Tangier Island, Virginia, courtesy of Tina dela Rosa Photo Blog. Go have an adventure this weekend!

The summer is already halfway over.  Sprite Writes wonders where the time has gone and shares with us the things she still wants to accomplish before the leaves start falling from the trees.

G’s live here gives us not only the recipe for bran blueberry muffins but also provides us with a reason why she cooks when she is stressed.  Looking for a full summer meal?  How about BBQ chicken and roasted fingerling potatoes?  Check out The Arugula Files‘ recipe.

After all that eating, want your significant other to go to the gym with you?  Check out In it to Gym it and the attached article to learn why that might not be such a hot idea.

And finally,Travel Eat Repeat’s friend shares a guest blog post about her move from DC to NYC

Ed. Note: this particular edition of DC Blogs Noted has been designated a “Casey Anthony Free” zone. No pun intended.

Date Me DC is single again after a “blink and [you missed] him” relationship. Her retelling/explaining the quickie boyfriend is really worth reading (especially for the Venn table of incompatibility.)

If you don’t know about Wolf Trap, you are missing one of the true joys of summers in the DC area. If you don’t know about the Wolf Trap blog, well, you’re just like most people… but it is worth reading. Their latest is a round-up of “News and Notes about artists coming to Wolf Trap this summer.”

…speaking of Wolf Trap, KidFriendly DC shares some thoughts about the park’s “Children Theater in the Woods” Program.

Regular readers of Alice’s Wonderland are well aware of her magnetic effect on trouble, stripper poles, and sundry interesting situations. Fortunately, her holiday post is “Happy 4^th of July! I didn’t Get Arrested.”

Writing critically of an unseen, unmade movie is usually hazardous to one’s credibility. However, the case of Hello Negro’s call to action regarding the forthcoming Django Unchained is a notable exception.

From the Things to Do Desk: The Prince of Petworth writes about the upcoming Green Tomorrows and CSA Open-House where attendees can learn about urban gardening and farming, better access to fresh produce, and ways to improve your health.

Just in case you missed all of the fireworks, The Foggy Dew has some stunning photographs of the celebration… Happy Birthday, America.

Thunderstorms shook DC and the surrounding area over the weekend. I slept like the dead. Unfortunately,  Stimeyland wasn’t so lucky.

Summer Weight Loss Woes get to the best of us.  BlarneyCrone does her best to figure out how to jumpstart the process for herself.

If you’re okay with a little adult language, check out WashingTina’s post about Spongebob. It will make you giggle.

Computer problems are the norm these days, but like every good relationship,  Alice’s Adventure’s Underground wants to work through her issues with her computer, rather than kicking it to the curb and finding a new one.

As our nation celebrated our Independence Day on Monday, several bloggers took a moment to reflect on the Good Ol’ USA:

Positively present lists some reasons why it’s so great to live in the United States.

BF Butler Photos posted a simple, yet powerful picture of one of the symbols of liberty, and freedom, that have come to represent America. One Photograph A Day also has a snap to help capture the spirt of the Fourth.

Though it’s amusing out of context, it’s also sort of scary that some folks think we declared our independence from China. The DCist has the details on a poll from Marist College that tests our knowledge on US History.

And finally, speaking of US History, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History Blog has a little background information on patriotic clothing.