Dinner, July 9

With school running from 6 p.m. to 9, I race to DC from Baltimore, desperately fearing that I will be starving or near death because I will miss the dinner hour. I think I may have found the most delicious solution: Julia's Empanadas.

As if a sign from above, traffic was lighter than light down the parkway and I immediately found a street parking space near school. I was due to present to the class that night - over the course of the semester, we are assigned to write 11 speeches and must deliver one to the class; I chose to deliver a presidential nomination acceptance speech I wrote for Joe Biden - and therefore, even more fearful of becoming ravaged by hunger. So when I saw Julia's out of the corner of my eye, I thought to give it a try.

In the tiny storefront, one man manned the counter behind a display of nothing by empanadas. That's all they sell there, in addition to drinks. He asks for my order, and having never eaten an empanada before, except for a few at higher-end tapas places, I asked for his advice. He suggested the chicken one - perfect pastry stuffed with shredded chicken, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs (!) and lots of spice. I could hardly eat half, but went into class knowing that I wouldn't collapse with hunger pangs before I got home around 10. Phew.