Fish Tank, Drunk Tank, Think Tank

When I was a little kid, I used to dream of diving into my fishtank and living out my days swimming around, happily diving and playing in the water. Even now, when I’m at an aquarium or zoo, I have an almost uncontrollable desire to dive into the artificial aqueous environments and swim around with whatever makes its home there. I even think it would be fun to make my diet off of the raw fish that would be flung at me by my keepers. (Kept woman fantasy and all) I’d also like to learn to break oysters and clams over a rock I held on my belly a la the sea otter, but that seems like some pretty advanced sea livin’ skills.

It was christmas eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, wont see another one
And then he sang a song
The rare old mountain dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

(Sorry, Jo)

I’ve never spent Christmas eve in the drunk tank, but not so for Christmas day. You’ve all heard the story by now. But you mightn’t have heard about the Christmas spent in Budapest, all day in a good friend’s bar, “Fairytale Of New York” on heavy, heavy, heavy rotation, eating tandoori chicken, potato cake, loaves of fresh bread smeared with goose fat, hash brownies, eggplant, langos and other bizarre but delicious non-Christmas-y food. The only thing traditional was the whiskey someone’s brother’s friend’s flatmate’s cousin dropped off when they were passing through town from home, where in this case, home = Ireland.

When you leave the greater DC area and tell people you work at a think tank, it’s fun to watch the expressions on their faces as they try to form a mental picture of what that is. Occasionally someone will make a joke indicating that they understand, sort of, conceptually, kind of, but usually people stare blankly and/or ask what it is that people do there and why. Over the last several years, I’ve spent a lot of time in and around think tanks. When I think of think tanks, I think of eccentric, gruff, middle-aged men dozing off in their office “Dogs Playing Poker” Laz-y Boys, listening to the Blind Boys of Alabama on their Bose Waves. I also think of the east end of Dupont Circle, specifically Massachusetts Ave. where Brookings and the Carnegie Endowment make their homes. Over the years I’ve eaten more free lunches, sandwiches at my desk, and sometimes even dinners at think tanks than I care to remember. Nothing special, and I’ve never had any preconceived notions as to what sort of food one eats while thinking – maybe salmon (yay Omega-3!) or some other brain stimulating sort of thing. The reality is more sandwiches brought in from the Corner Bakery, or at one place in particular, weekly Chipotle, picked up and delivered to us by young research associates and/or interns, depending on the time of year.

So, what’s the point? I’m not sure. I have an interview today at yet another think tank, but didn’t want to do “interview food” as it’s been done, and I won’t be having any. (though, word on the street is this joint has a great dining room and free muffins and cookies) I think that “lunches one might consume in various tanks” is a little limiting, but if you can work with that, go for it. I was hoping that in typing this, I’d get to a point, and, I think maybe I’ve arrived at one. Brain food. What do you eat when you’re hard at work on a challenging, thought-intensive project? What do you eat when you need to appear smart to the folks your dining with? (I stay away from things that I’m not 100% sure of how to pronounce) What foods help get your creativity and intellect churning?

And, of course, what are you eating today? (smart or dumb) WFL?