Once again it’s time to saddle up the 737 MAX, spread the prayer rug out and make obeisances to the East while chanting regulations from the NVLSP’s Veterans Benefits Manual™ (VBM). Twice yearly, the faithful are called to attend this ritual to ensure they have satisfied their religious need for continuing legal education (CLEs for short). Truthfully, you can get away with going once in every four conferences and still qualify for your CLEs but what the hey? This is a dynamite time to network with the big boys in the industry. Or, it’s the camaraderie of old friends who share your zest for helping Veterans. It’s rumored some come to learn law. 

Whichever way you view it, it’s almost a must for the FNGs with shiny new JDs. There they learn things you don’t find in books. I’d think it one hell of a disappointment to rack up seven years of college and law school only to graduate and find out VA law is like Greek to them. Worse, you can’t fix it with Babbel®.

This year we’re partying  booklearning at the Hanoi Hilton in DC. I did a google maps on restaurants within spitting distance… and promptly ran out of ‘virtual’ spit. Boy howdy is it a target -rich environment for food. That’s good. I was getting bored with the menu at  Hyatt’s Article One restaurant. The bar food  over at the Kimpton Hotel is to-die-for but this trip I wanted to stay in the place where they’re holding the gig.

Weirdly, the Hilton doesn’t have a restaurant for dinner. Go figure. They do have a credible lunch restaurant that seats about 30 with a bird’s-eye view of all the homeless across the street (just kidding). They do overpriced nitnoy bar hors d’ oeuvres out of a pseudo kitchen from about four to midnight.  The menu takes up one side of a plastic-encased card. The other side is one thousand varieties of Margaritas. Turnaround time from ordering to delivery is about 2.5  TNTs  (Tanqueray ‘n tonics). You can almost hear Tim Allen saying ‘Arruhhh’?

Wednesday Night’s Adventure in Good Dining

I decided to walk point this January when I went back for the second VA ILP Greenhouse hearing. The lobby concierge informed me they’re doing a heavy duty remodel to floors 3 through 7 (or was it 11?). That partially explains why I’m so familiar with the bar hors d’ oeuvres. Seriously, the Maryland crab cakes were almost invisible behind their forest of garnish. You’d also need about 6 servings to avoid anorexia. That or about 4 double margaritas to get you blind drunk so you don’t notice the size.

But hey. We’re not going for the chow per se. We come seeking knowledge. They do provide breakfast so we have that going for us. Maybe I should get one of those fashionable over-the -shoulder “man purses” that are all the rage now and stuff it with sweet rolls and fruit for later. No thanks. I’m not that desperate but I confess I’ve seen others do so. It must be one of those ‘attorney’ affectations.

The good news is my dad’s ensconced across the river a short distance away at ANC and the Wall is just a hop, skip and a jump down the street. How cool is that? I’d like to have a word with the joker who keeps stealing the 50¢ pieces I put on top of Dad’s headstone. How uncouth. Stealing from the dead.