It was October 23, 2015.  The Manor was one of the few bars that served as a repeat venue. The event that we held here last November was a blast, but sadly this could be my last. 

When you first entered, you walked up a flight of stairs. The bar and dance floor was on the first level with several ottomans and couches. The empire chandelier and the antique fireplace gave the lounge an elegant touch.  The second level was the mezzanine where VIPs could look down at patrons chattering and cavorting.

As usual, the Hors d’oeuvres table was ample and enticing, and Jim and Jason had made a beeline there.

Federal employees by day, party-goers by night, the patrons of this event were the future movers and shakers who were making their indelible impression on this city.

It was great to see Audrey Pichmimi, a DC transplant from France. The last time we embraced was at the Nepal relief fundraiser in May, and she also attended the Food Bloggers Happy Hour at Mio last year.

“Enjoyed meeting Sunita and participating in her folk dance,” she said.

“You’re a woman of the world — touched by many different cultures and art.”

“Yes, my goal is to reach new heights while taking time to observe the world around me.”

“Where is the next adventure?”

“Colombia, Czech Republic and the Shenandoah Valley, you name it.”

In attendance were Jim McBride (Network for Progress), Angel S., Joseph Garcia, Leonard Tyson and Jason Morenz, and about 100 others.

Angel is also a food writer for DC Fud who I met at Cuba Libre a few years ago. Since then she has been a frequent attendee to our events such as the GOP debates at Cambria, Food Bloggers at Mio, and the Draft Biden fundraiser at the Sauf Haus.

Greg O’Neill with his flowing blond hair and good looks could be mistaken for Owen Wilson on any given day. Since 2008, Greg O’Neil curated the best collection of events on his website Greg’s List. It was critical to get my events featured on his site, since Greg loved to tell people about things to do in the city. A recommendation from Greg was like stock pick from Elon Musk.  Greg was a socialite who loved attending events. But if he couldn’t attend, he would try to have boots on the ground to cover them.

“Congrats on the Blue Jays,” I said. “They had a great run.”

“Yes, they came close to returning to the World Series. Hoping the Raptors will have a good year also.”

“How are things at the GSA (Gerontological Society of America)?”

“Everything is great…doing a lot of civic engagement. BTW, I’ve heard a lot of good things about your events,” Greg said. “hors d’oeuvres, fun times, networking. You’ve covered all the bases.”

“Thanks Greg, and thanks for publicizing them. It was always my goal to get your stamp of approval.”

“Sorry, I can’t attend many of them, but I do send my roving reporters out sometimes.”

“Thanks so much. But I’ve been feeling burned out lately. Some people don’t realize what it takes to pull one off.”

“In this city, where there’s a ton of events every night, it’s tough to stand out from the pack.”

“And hosting events really isn’t our business model.”

“Oh yeah, I thought that’s what you guys did. Maybe it should be.”

“Not quite. It’s discovering restaurants and retail online.”

“Just in the DC area?”

“Mostly in the Beltway, but also in Baltimore and beyond.”

“How do you reach out to faraway places?”

“Via social media. But I think it’s time to take a long road trip to the Shenandoah and contemplate my next move.”