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Sorry, I haven't had time to update here in awhile. Between my new extended work hours, the gym, chores, and selling stuff on eBay in the evenings to make a little extra money, I hardly have time for anything anymore. For more timely update, see my Flickr photostream, which I play with as time permits. Hopefully, I'll be able to post here again soon.
Believe it or not, in the mid-late 1970s, when I was a kid, I had the iconic Farrah Fawcett red bathing suit poster on the wall of my room. Looking back, I'm surprised my mom allowed it, but I had so many other posters and crap on the walls it probably eluded her attention. What a gorgeous photograph, with no plastic surgery or photoshopping in evidence, maybe just a hint of airbrushing.
When I first laid eyes on the poster, I realized I LIKED girls, and no longer found them yucky! I discovered I was straight thanks to Farrah Fawcett, and now she's gone. More and more of my childhood heroes are fading away, and it definitely makes me feel sad, and old. I wish I had kept that poster, but I moved it around frequently and it had so many holes in it, it was pretty much trashed after a couple of years. I can imagine an autographed original fetching a tidy sum today on eBay, as another 40something man tries to recapture his youth.
When I first laid eyes on the poster, I realized I LIKED girls, and no longer found them yucky! I discovered I was straight thanks to Farrah Fawcett, and now she's gone. More and more of my childhood heroes are fading away, and it definitely makes me feel sad, and old. I wish I had kept that poster, but I moved it around frequently and it had so many holes in it, it was pretty much trashed after a couple of years. I can imagine an autographed original fetching a tidy sum today on eBay, as another 40something man tries to recapture his youth.
- Mood:
sad
Gene Weingarten had a couple of good quotes about teaching a friend how to drive a stick-shift in his column in the Washington Post magazine last Sunday. I pretty much agree with him that ...the near extinction of the manual transmission is a national disgrace, one of several signs of Americans' growing fecklessness and lassitude... it is embarrassing that Americans' driving infantilism is the laughingstock of people in other countries.
- Mood:
amused
Overall, I'm extremely happy that Barack Obama is President, and that the dumbass George Bush is outta here. There is always room for improvement though, and I'm a bit disappointed that Obama has fallen behind the curve on gay rights. Why is "don't ask, don't tell" still the rule in the military? I understand these things take time to change, but Obama hasn't even made a statement condemning the policy. If gay people are welcome to serve in the greatest navy to ever sail the seas, why can't they do so openly in the US Navy?
Also, it would be nice to see Obama take a swing at DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. Recent filings from the Justice Department have defended the statute, in contrast with statements Obama made on the campaign trail. Does anyone doub that 25, 50, or at the most 100 years from now, people will look back on DOMA, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell with horror, the same way we now look back at the Dred Scott Decision?
Also, it would be nice to see Obama take a swing at DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. Recent filings from the Justice Department have defended the statute, in contrast with statements Obama made on the campaign trail. Does anyone doub that 25, 50, or at the most 100 years from now, people will look back on DOMA, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell with horror, the same way we now look back at the Dred Scott Decision?
- Mood: discontent
Out of the blue the other day, the thought occurred to me: why doesn't Anchorage, Alaska have an NHL hockey team? It would be the perfect place for a franchise! It's cold, it's dark, there's nothing to do, it's close to Canada, and Sarah Palin recently mentioned she was a "hockey mom", so a lot of kids must play hockey up there. It's not a very large market, admittedly, but they'd have to fill up the arena more than the teams in Atlanta, Tampa, and Phoenix. C'mon, not only do they not have ice naturally in Phoenix, they don't have water. It's the desert! Hockey should be played in cold, dark regions, populated with many beer-drinking guys. Sounds like a team would be a perfect fit in Alaska.
- Mood: refreshed
This week marked the end of Washington Post Metro section columnist Marc Fisher's long-running column, blog and online chats. As part of the overall restructuring and cost-cutting at the Post, they have kicked him upstairs, to become an editor at the helm of a small "enterprise group" of presumably inexperienced (cheaper!) your reporters on the Metro beat. As usual, I'm not a fan of fixing something that isn't broken, and in this case, I think the move will be a net loss for Washington. Whatever comes of the new venture, which to me seems a bit ill-defined, I don't think it's worth the loss of Fisher's excellent columns, blog postings, and weekly online chats about the Metro area. Over the past decade, his name has become synonymous with the Metro section, and as a classic old-school columnist, he has generated as much if not more hate mail than fan mail over the years. Love him or hate him, he's a DC institution, and the city will be poorer without his daily writings. Over the years, I've agreed with him (development, density, preservation, hatred of Dippin' Dots) as well as disagreed with him (smoking bans, cab meters, pets), but I always appreciated his dogged pursuit of the truth. The Washington Post will be the poorer for his absence.
- Mood: disappointed
Today, there was a guy selling baby turtles on the street, in front of the Samuel Kelsey apartments on 14th Street NW in Columbia Heights. The poor creatures were in little plastic containers, the kind you'd find in a pet store for bringing fish home, with nothing but a few drops of water. The vendor didn't have a table or anything, just a pile of baby turtle containers on the hot, dirty sidewalk. Some kids from the neighborhood were buying them, and lord knows what kind of short and miserable lives these poor turtles will have.
Where did this guy get the turtles? Did he raid a wildlife sanctuary, or plunder Rock Creek Park? Were they a rare species, smuggled into the country? Does he breed them in his home? I'm guessing he didn't have proper permits and whatnot.
As I walked by, I briefly thought about buying all of them, and setting them free, or bringing them to my friend who works at the zoo and who could likely assist in rescuing them. G, if you're reading, what do you advise? Then I thought I should just call the police, but decided otherwise when I imagined the conversation with the 911 dispatcher. By the time I thought to call the DC Humane Society, it was too late - the turtle seller had gone. If he comes back tomorrow, I'll try the humane society and see what they recommend.
Where did this guy get the turtles? Did he raid a wildlife sanctuary, or plunder Rock Creek Park? Were they a rare species, smuggled into the country? Does he breed them in his home? I'm guessing he didn't have proper permits and whatnot.
As I walked by, I briefly thought about buying all of them, and setting them free, or bringing them to my friend who works at the zoo and who could likely assist in rescuing them. G, if you're reading, what do you advise? Then I thought I should just call the police, but decided otherwise when I imagined the conversation with the 911 dispatcher. By the time I thought to call the DC Humane Society, it was too late - the turtle seller had gone. If he comes back tomorrow, I'll try the humane society and see what they recommend.
- Mood:concerned
So, it looks like we'll have another wet weekend, followed by a crisp, sunny Monday and Tuesday, when it does nobody any good (well, except the unemployed). WTF is up with this pattern? Once again, there will be no bike rides, no outdoor photography, no long walks, no sitting at an outdoor cafe. The government should shift the work week and make Monday and Tuesday the new weekend by decree, or shift it on a case-by-by-case basis so that the hardworking people of the east coast megalopolis, the nation's economic engine, can get a break on occasion!
Meanwhile, my wife is in Hawaii for a conference, where she'll hopefully have some downtime and be able to hang out on the beach, or hike around Diamond Head (or stalk the actors in Lost, ha ha).
Meanwhile, my wife is in Hawaii for a conference, where she'll hopefully have some downtime and be able to hang out on the beach, or hike around Diamond Head (or stalk the actors in Lost, ha ha).
- Mood:
annoyed
May is travel month for my wife. She just got back from a week in Chicago for her employer's annual meeting, and next week she's going to Hawaii(!), also for a business-related trip. I'm holdingdown the fort here, taking care of our refinancing (need to get that power of attorney form!) and trying to keep up with this crazy kitty, who really misses his mom. Me too!
- Mood:
crazy
Just a quick update to say I'm really getting tired of this rain. It has rained on and off for a full week, and it isn't supposed to start clearing up until Sunday (just in time for the work week!). It's like the Pacific Northwest here, and it's making me crazy and depressed, not to mention sleepy. Where is the sun?
- Mood:cold and wet
Up until a few years ago, I was an avid reader. I loved reading long novels, and was sad when I finished them. Nothing suited me better than sitting in a comfortable chair, with a good novel. Mostly sticking to pre-war classics, I eventually branched out into modern literature, and discovered authors like Martin Amis, and Will Self. there was always a book in my backpack or work bag, and if anyone asked me "what are you reading?" I always had a interesting answer to give. However, this all began to change a few years ago. It was gradual, but is now complete, and it just hit me today.
The last real novel I read was either Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, or The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon. A few months ago, my wife tried to get me to read The Kite Runner, and I picked it up a couple of times, to no avail. Each time, it felt like I was wasting time, slugging through pointless description and character development. I got antsy, and had to put the book down, preferring to read the summary on Wikipedia. It was impossible to read! I wish I could read like I used to - there just aren't enough hours in the day, and not enough days in the rest of my life to do it anymore. Other information is simply more pressing, in the competition for my attention.
Mass media, the internet, and my hectic schedule has corrupted my ability to read works longer than short articles and essays. What am I reading now? Several blogs, the latest WashingtonPost.com chat, 2 neighborhood listservs, an article in Salon, Facebook updates, whatever is on the crawl at CNN/MSNBC, 157 people's Flickr photostreams, DCist comment threads, a million little snippets of information, the useful as well as the useless. I've drawn a line in the sand at Twitter, as I think that would push me over the edge. I barely have time for this blog anymore!
- Mood:overstimulated
Or, more accurately, not sleeping enough. I started out the week with a night of only 2-3 hours sleep, due to worrying about various things. Since then, I haven't recovered, and while I've intended to go to bed early and catch up on the missing shuteye, it hasn't happened. There's simply too much to do! Consequences include being hungry all the time, resulting in overeating, and I have no energy. I tried to go to the gym last night, but had a terrible workout, despite consuming a packet of GU with caffeine beforehand. Hopefully, this weekend I'll catch up.
- Mood:
tired
Good news - the DC Public Library is now on Flickr! They're putting up their excellent collection of historic photos, and sponsoring a DC Then & Now photo contest. This is exciting stuff for us local history and architecture geeks.
- Mood: excited
This weekend was pretty refreshing, and I got a lot done. I ran on the treadmill at the gym twice, five miles each time, and did my usual weight training as well. I cleaned the windows in the living room, which were pretty dirty on the outside. I gave myself a haircut, swept out the garage, and took my wife to dinner for her birthday. J and I spent Sunday afternoon relaxing in Alexandria, VA, walking along the waterfront, having a cup of tea, and taking a few photos. Back to work today!
- Mood: good
There's a pair of jeans on top of the glass canopy over the Columbia Heights Metro Station entrance (the one by Potbelly). I noticed the pants a few days ago, as they are visible from the windows in the gym. They started out pretty high up on the roof, and with the wind and rain, they have migrated down into the gutter area, where they're hung up and unlikely to become dislodged. My guess is they will be around awhile, as I don't think Metro regularly cleans the canopies.
- Mood: amused
Today, I went to the gym in the morning, and spent almost 2 hours there, working every muscle in my body. Returning home, I was pretty sore, but felt revived after lunch. It was such a nice, sunny (if windy) day, I decided to take a bike ride in the afternoon, and ended up going a little further than I anticipated. Now I'm really sore, especially my back.
- Mood: sore
Today was an unexpectedly good day. It was supposed to be rainy, but instead the sun came out, and it was quite refreshing. I slept until 9:00, which is uncharacteristically late for me. Had a nice breakfast, then went to the gym. Since I ran 6.5 miles yesterday, I stuck with weight training, and had a good workout. Lunch consisted of a sandwich from Subway, which was healthy and satisfying, and then my wife and I took the Metro downtown to see the cherry blossoms.
Normally, we'd shy away from such a tourist-intensive activity, but it's been such a dreary, rainy spring so far, we were dying to get out of the house. Surprisingly, it wasn't that crowded, and the cherry blossoms were beautiful. It's amazing how nondescript these trees are 90% of the time. Then, for one short week each year, they burst forth in color and beauty. I took lots of photos, which I'll be uploading to my Flickr account shortly.
After we had our fill of the cherry blossoms, we headed to TangySweet to scratch our frozen yogurt itch. I had plain yogurt, with granola, almonds, and dark chocolate chips, so I kept it healthy. Then, back at home we had a nice relaxing whole wheat pasta and low sodium sauce dinner, with a glass of pinot noir on the side. An all-new episode of the Simpsons rounded out the perfect Sunday, and shockingly, I'm not dreading work tomorrow as usual!
Normally, we'd shy away from such a tourist-intensive activity, but it's been such a dreary, rainy spring so far, we were dying to get out of the house. Surprisingly, it wasn't that crowded, and the cherry blossoms were beautiful. It's amazing how nondescript these trees are 90% of the time. Then, for one short week each year, they burst forth in color and beauty. I took lots of photos, which I'll be uploading to my Flickr account shortly.
After we had our fill of the cherry blossoms, we headed to TangySweet to scratch our frozen yogurt itch. I had plain yogurt, with granola, almonds, and dark chocolate chips, so I kept it healthy. Then, back at home we had a nice relaxing whole wheat pasta and low sodium sauce dinner, with a glass of pinot noir on the side. An all-new episode of the Simpsons rounded out the perfect Sunday, and shockingly, I'm not dreading work tomorrow as usual!
- Mood: content
At the gym, I frequently see a man I thought I recognized as DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D, At-Large). While I'm often mistaken about celebrity sightings, I have an eagle eye for local politicians, minor media types, and other obscure public figures. I was 100% certain this guy was Mendelsohn- after the first time I saw him there, I image-Googled him and thought it was an exact match. After correctly identifying NPR/PBS film critic Bob Mondello there recently, I was overconfident of my people-spotting abilities.
The other day, "Phil Mendelson" was walking down the hall to the locker rooms and I was coming out. I stopped him, and said "Hello Councilman." He appeared confused for a minute, then looked at me like I was crazy? "Aren't you DC Councilman Phil Mendelson?" I said. He replied no, but said he knows him and has some professional connection with him (I forgot what the connection was). I apologized and slunk off, red with embarrassment. I'm such an idiot!
- Mood:
embarrassed
There's a no parking sign on my block that was defaced with graffiti awhile back. Someone scrawled all over it with permanent marker, giving the immediate environment that lawless feel. I decided to try to clean it off, as I have had some success cleaning off the base of the streetlamp in front of my house with a powerful, highly toxic graffiti remover I bought at the hardware store. However, all the previous graffiti I've cleaned off has been paint, not permanent marker, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway.
Off I went with the graffiti remover, a couple of rags, latex gloves, and a plastic bag. Rather than spray the sign directly, I thought it would be safer to spray the solvent on the rag, and then wipe it over the sign. If that didn't work, I'd spray it directly on the graffiti. Much to my chagrin, as I wiped the rag over the surface, the graffiti remover dissolved not only the magic marker, but took the paint right off the sign as well. D'oh! I immediately stopped, but the damage was done - the bottom third of the sign is now a swirl of mixed up green and white paint, and black marker. I suppose it doesn't look any worse than it already did, and now the kid who wrote on it won't have the satisfaction of seeing his handiwork live on, but I was pretty disappointed in the results.
To atone for ruining the sign, I figured as long as I was outside with latex gloves and a plastic bag, I went around the block as picked up trash from the street. I scored a few beer cans and bottles (we need a bottle deposit/return law!), paper, plastic bags, cigarette packs, and other assorted trash. No further description or photos of the sign - I don't want to get myself in trouble!
Off I went with the graffiti remover, a couple of rags, latex gloves, and a plastic bag. Rather than spray the sign directly, I thought it would be safer to spray the solvent on the rag, and then wipe it over the sign. If that didn't work, I'd spray it directly on the graffiti. Much to my chagrin, as I wiped the rag over the surface, the graffiti remover dissolved not only the magic marker, but took the paint right off the sign as well. D'oh! I immediately stopped, but the damage was done - the bottom third of the sign is now a swirl of mixed up green and white paint, and black marker. I suppose it doesn't look any worse than it already did, and now the kid who wrote on it won't have the satisfaction of seeing his handiwork live on, but I was pretty disappointed in the results.
To atone for ruining the sign, I figured as long as I was outside with latex gloves and a plastic bag, I went around the block as picked up trash from the street. I scored a few beer cans and bottles (we need a bottle deposit/return law!), paper, plastic bags, cigarette packs, and other assorted trash. No further description or photos of the sign - I don't want to get myself in trouble!
- Mood: embarrassed
Last weekend, my wife and I took a mini-vacation to Charleston, SC. Photos are being uploaded to Flickr as we speak. We had a great time, but I returned with two unwanted souvenirs: a cold, and a bad case of sunburn on top of my head. The whole time we were in Charleston, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but I didn't bring sunscreen or a hat, because, you know, who gets a sunburn in early March? It had recently snowed, with temps well below average, and every day prior seemed overcast and grey. By the time we realized it, and bought sunscreen at a CVS, it was too late. My poor balding head took the brunt of it, and I feel like a freak walking around with a red, peeling scalp and forehead. The rest of me is still pasty white, somehow. The combination of cold symptoms and sunburn is pretty uncomfortable, but it was fun while it lasted. Back to work for now!
- Mood: calm
