Potential Shutdown Boredom? We Got Ya Covered

It hasn’t happened yet, but the hours are running out: the federal government may shut down if the Administration and Congress can’t reach a spending-budget deal.

As of Friday afternoon, federal workers are figuring out what to do if the government does close — and how to spend their suddenly free time.

BTW, 14th & You takes a look at the District Government’s plan and why, exactly, we can’t spend our own tax dollars for stuff like, you know, trash collection and libraries. And, Metromix and Florida Girl in DC have great round ups city-wide deals and specials for government employees.

Will it be a day? Or a week? Who knows? So, we polled the Borderstan Team and here are some ideas on what to do with free time you may have next week — all close to home.

Alejandra says…

• Linger over a cup of coffee and a croissant at Dolcezza.
• Peruse the vintage books at Kulturas.
• Take care of odds and ends at our True Value on 17th Street.
• Snap pictures of all the budding spring flowers along my way.
• Grab lunch, maybe on the patio, at L’Enfant Cafe and top it off with a boozy crepe.
• Stop in at Ansonia Wines and pick up a bottle of fun wine and chit chat with the owners.
• Head home for a nap – why not indulge.
• Get some friends together and head over to 1905 for dinner!

Cecile says…

• Shake your booty at BTI Dance Studio.
• Enjoy a super grilled cheese and amber ale at Stoney’s.
• Organize a bar crawl on U Street or Connecticut Avenue.
• Find something fun for your apartment at Miss Pixie’s.

Keri says…

• Plant a garden or pots on the patio. Go to Old City Green, corner of 9th and N Streets NW to select from the many herbs and flowering annuals and perennials! Show your Federal Working ID and receive 20% off (the owner sent out a promo email).
• Try a new fitness class! Go to BFit DC and try the barre class.
• Write the book you have always dreamed of, while sipping the best coffee at Mid City Caffé.

Khelan says…

• Retail therapy. New shoes always make me happy. How about a new pair of Jack Purcell Converse sneakers?

Laura says…

• Gather your coworkers and take advantage of all daytime bar/restaurant shutdown specials.
• Three words: Daytime bar crawl.
• Avoid the 6 pm rush and take a daytime gym or yoga class — they won’t be as crowded! Try out a class at a new local spot. Some of my favorites include: Boundless Yoga, Tranquil Space, Yoga District, Bikram Yoga Dupont, and Flow Yoga Center.
• Check out LivingSocial’s Capital Bikeshare deal and hit the streets on your bike
• File your taxes, run errands, all that stuff you never have time for during the work day…
• If political activism is your thing, call your DC and home state representatives and tell them to stand up for health care, Planned Parenthood, EPA funding, and NPR. If this bothers you, we can agree to disagree politically here…
• Since DC trash collection will be suspended in the event of a government shutdown, make plans to take your trash out elsewhere, as these folks are planning to do with their trash.
• And lastly, some of us still have to come into work on Monday… so don’t have too much daytime fun without us.

Mary says…

• Go to the only non-government museum nearby, The Phillips Collection. Or try the Corcoran for free coffee and admission for government workers.
• Walk an embassy tour up Connecticut Avenue or Massachusetts Avenue and beyond.
• Find free jigsaw puzzles on the net.
• Play chess in DuPont Circle park.

Matty says…

• Spend extra time with your dog. Take him or her for long walks — Meridian Hill Park is a great place.
• I also vote for gardening. Get some spring flowers in, or even plant summer ones early.
• Go off the grid as much as possible. Try to read, cook, enjoy the outdoors.
• Cook! Bake a pie! Grille something!

Michelle says…

• If my Gchat and Twitter feed are any indicators, this furlough feels more ‘spring break’ than ‘spring cleaning’ attitude. As such, here’s my picks for Spring Break 2K11, DC Wonk Style:
• Breakfast at Kramerbooks and Afterwords Cafe. You’ll feel intellectual amongst the stacks, even as you laze about over a Barack Obamlet or your laissez faire approach to governing with banana French Toast.
• Walk it off along 14th Street and Logan Circle as you play “which condo building will fold first if the shutdown goes on more than a pay period?”
• Shrug off your malaise and snark by volunteering for a cause that will remind you how pampered and over-privileged, even if temporarily unemployed, you really are. May we recommend Miriam’s Kitchen, Thrive DC or DC Central Kitchen?
• If it’s Thursday, relive your glory days and eat as many free tacos as you can at Front Page, then hit up ‘what you can pay’ night at the DC Improv. If it’s not Thursday, get your culture by window-shopping the many galleries on 14th Street NW.
• On Friday, dress up to the nines and go find yourself a sugardaddy or sugarmama at Russia House, Nellie’s, The Gibson or just someone to cover your cheap drinks at Rumors. Okay, kidding, but with just a few vodka drinks at any of those, you will be feeling far less pain than you entered with, at least for the night.
• Recover at any of the many brunches available around the hood. If tomato beverages are to your liking, I think Bar Pilar has one of the best Bloody’s you can get, even if you have to scrounge up the change in your couch to pay for it.

Mike says…

• Take 15 of your friends who are also looking for things to do and order the 9-pounder burger at BGR (ordering at least 24 hours in advance). And yes, I’ve done it. So gross, but totally worth it.
• Answer a trivia question and get 10% off your froyo at Mr. Yogato.
• Stop by JR’s to sing along with your favorite showtune on Monday night.
• Grab a drink at my favorite dive bar in town, Townhouse Tavern.
• Have a cup of hot chocolate named for your favorite diva at ACKC.
• Find something to read at Kramerbooks and Afterwords Cafe… and enjoy a meal.
• Sit in Meridian Hill Park and enjoy the fountain, or wait until Sunday night to partake in the drum circle.