Monday, June 09, 2008

June 2008 Activity -- Evening at the National Press Club (with speaker Helen Thomas)



An Evening with Helen Thomas
June 26, 2008
5:00-7:30pm
The National Press Club
Cost: $45

The invitation read, "Helen Thomas shares her insights about the presidential campaign and stories from her career as a White House Correspondent."

We were so excited to see legend Helen Thomas speak, that we almost excused the ONE HOUR DELAY in this program getting started. However, as the host of the event finally approached the podium, she told us that Helen was in the ICU and could not be there and that Kathleen Matthews would be speaking instead.

Kathleen Matthews is very accomplished, but she is no Helen Thomas. So, it was kind of hard to not be really, really disappointed. Kathleen talked about some of her most memorable experiences as a reporter and anchor in this area, shilled for Marriott numerous times and then got on some tangent about potting and repotting and a big global pot (snicker). Also, we found out that her hubby, Hardball's Chris Matthews, mows their yard himself. (Kind of a physics feat, considering his tremendous melon.) (Why am I so mean?) (Because it's funny.) (Is the reader even needed for this discussion?) (No, not really.)

After the question and answer session, where we learned that Kathleen has a Facebook page, we headed over to Butterfield 9 for dinner and drinks. Our waiter seemed none too pleased that we were ordering small plates. However, once we had bread and a delightful blended arugula amuse bouche, we were all pretty happy we did order small.

Overall, an anti-climatic night...but always fun, thanks to the dilettantes.

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