HTM-Hell

I've been monkeying around with the code for this website, trying to personalize it some, make it a little more memorable. I have met with... limited success. This is because I am completely and utterly ignorant of HTML code. The only successes I've had, adding the banner image of Eagle and changing the title font, have come from copying example code available on the internets. It has brought up some bad memories of required C++ programming in college. I think I may not be destined for a career in website design. Got any (simple) ideas for improvements? Leave comments.

The Story of O's

It has been a busy few nights. Saturday was mostly given over to errands and resting after all the excitement of Friday night. Sunday night, however, Chris Ogle came by again. We met up for dinner and a few beers with Jen & Blake Stockwell, who have just returned from what sounds like a great vacation sailing in the Virgin Islands. I hadn't seen them in a while, nor had Chris, so it was a lot of fun. Chris then crashed at my place and spent the holiday checking out some sites in DC. I had to work, like a chump. But he came along afterwards to look at the rentals, and then we got back to my place just in time to welcome Kirk. He's in town very briefly to interview for a position at the White House. Around 6:30 Mike Cintron joined us, and we went down to Mai Thai in Old Town to meet Tim Haas (sp?), Steph Morrison & Aaron Scholer for dinner. Chris had to split to make it back to Yorktown, but he got to at least say hi to everyone. Good times, all around.

New Homes

Please feel free to leave comments or email about any of the New Home Candidates I've been posting. I'd like to see what other people think of these places. Here is a map showing the locations of the places I'm looking at right now; I haven't visited 2619 Randolph, 2713 Dewitt, or 331 North Patrick yet, but they're on the slate.

New Home Candidate #4

3023 Manning in Del Ray / almost Chirilagua.
3% more rent, 5% less space. 2BR, 1BA. Half finished basement, wall to wall carpeting on 1st and 2nd floors. Central air and heating. Enclosed porch, small back yard on alleyway and park.


Exterior, showing enclosed front porch

Inside of enclosed porch

Living room/dining room

Living room, stairway to second floor

Kitchen

Laundry room in basement

Finished portion of basement

Back bedroom

Bathroom

Front bedroom - though these photos make the two BRs seem indistinguishable. In fact, they are.

New Home Candidate #3

Leslie Avenue in Del Ray.
18% more rent, definitely more space (don't have figures, though). 3BR, 1BA. 1 story with finished attic and basement storage. Oil heat, window units for AC. Hardwood floors, fireplace, sun room, garage in basement. A little worn down - kitchen and bath haven't been redone in a while, by the look of it. Interesting house, though.


Front exterior

Living room w/fireplace

Sun room. Radiator covers have been stored here while work has been going on in the rest of the house

Master bedroom

Bathroom, with access from master bedroom and hallway

Another view of the bathroom

Second bedroom

Dining Room

Kitchen... a little retro, maybe

Middle of attic

North end of attic

Cedar closet in attic

South end of attic

Basement with washer and dryer

Doorway from basement to garage

Northern exposure

New Home Candidate #2

6 East Bellefonte in Del Ray.
11% More in rent, 9% decrease in square footage. 2BR, 1BA. W/W carpeting throughout, redone kitchen and bath, central AC and heat. On-street parking.


Exterior

Living room, stairs to second floor

Living room, dining room beyond

Kitchen, looks like it was redone in recent past. Full size oven, dishwasher

Basement, with washer and dryer

Front bedroom w/closet

Front bedroom

Back bedroom

View of backyard from second floor; note alleyway on left

Another view of the back bedroom

Bathroom, also looks like it was recently redone

Surrender Dorothy

I saw an excellent show tonight at the Kennedy Center. It was the second-to-last showing in D.C., I think, of Wicked. I got the tickets via my neighbors Will & Abby as a gift for Steph Morrison to celebrate her racing in the Half Ironman triathlon and the Marine Corps Marathon last fall. The earliest available date was mid-January, but I think it was worth the wait. It just hit all the right notes for a good show - excellent story, very good work by the leads and the supporting cast (the background dancer doing flips deserves to be singled out here). The singers seemed strong, the music was catchy. The whole production did a good job of making it an exciting, involving evening, with fine touches of humor throughout. I really enjoyed seeing it, and it sounded like Steph is a fan too.

Before dinner, we went to the Circle Bistro on Washington Circle. Excellent food, and a pretty nice little setup. From experience, I can say that the pork tenderloin is quite good, the mashed potatoes are very buttery, but the kale is very skippable. Try the martinis, enjoy your meal, and be sure to tip your waiters. Good night, folks!

Oh, there was one thing missing from the show, though. As a kid, I was terrified of the apple trees that threw their own apples, I didn't care for the Tin Man's voice, and thought the poppy field scene was pointless. But I always liked the "Surrender Dorothy" sequence. That was just cool, and it does not get shown in Wicked. I guess it wasn't perfect, then; but it is a good musical. If the tour comes to your city, I recommend it without reservation.