Attention

I want to tell you about the time I almost died.

Last night, after Half Day Friday, I had myself a great afternoon. I watched some TV. I went for a bike ride on the Mount Vernon trail. It was warm and sunny, but very windy, especially closer to the river. It felt like I was going uphill the whole way south. However, the ride back was a wind-assisted rocket ride to the moon.

As soon as I got home and cleaned up, I went to the store to get ingredients for apple pie, and vanilla custard to serve on the side. The new apple-peeling machine that Beth & Ryan gave me for my birthday worked incredibly well - I foresee many pies in the near future. The pie came out of the oven about 15 minutes before I head over to Steph's for the 1st barbecue of the season with her and Aaron.

It was a massive amount of food. Chips and homemade guacamole (excellent), barbecue shrimp (a first for me; it was ok), cold noodles with spicy thai peanut sauce (fantastic), mashed potatoes (great), grilled vegetables (tasty), salmon (succulent), beer can chicken (superb), and the pie. A word about the chicken. I was not there to see it started, but to make it you shove an open can of beer into a chicken. Steph & Aaron both agreed it was graphically disturbing, in a way. Aaron and I nicknamed it either "SVU: Chicken" or "Detective Munch's Barbecue Chicken." Watch Law&Order enough and it starts to seem funny. Since Steph is a "flexetarian" and not having meat that night, Aaron and I were left to eat the chicken. We did a number on it, and by the end were tearing pieces off with our fingers (neither good at carving birds).

Sat back and relaxed a little after dinner, and cleaned up the mess we'd made eating in the back yard. It was a really great evening, and I appreciate it even more since they will be out of town traveling, on-and-off, for a few weeks. It's been a damned good day, and now I can go watch the finale of Battlestar Galactica (It's a good show. NO, I'm not a geek) and hit the hay.

I take the leftover pie and start driving home. At the intersection of Oronoco and North Patrick Streets, I was not paying attention, and almost completely ran the red light. I screeched to stop in the middle of the intersection. In front of a white Ford LTD heading east on Oronoco. He stopped just in time. He was about to hit me, at speed, fully on the beam. I back out of the intersection. He yells out his window, giving me a fully deserved ration of shit. I drive home, knuckles white on the wheel.

Stella should be totalled. At the very least, I should have a broken left arm and a concussion. Who knows what my mistake would have cost the man in the LTD. And it would have been completely and utterly my fault.

When I first learned to drive, Mom told me the same thing Papa told her when she first got behind the wheel. "This is a deadly machine and you could kill someone with it, including yourself. Never forget that." I forgot that, and only by the greatest luck avoided paying for it. I wasn't going to write about this, because it certainly doesn't reflect well on me, and will surely worry my folks ('cause that's what folks do). But I decided that it is better for me to be embarrassed and let anyone who can, learn from my mistake.

Be careful out there.

Ginkgo Biloba Baggins

I've been a little off my game the last few days. I keep forgetting to do things: bring gym clothes to work, recharge my phone, get heating oil, fax my check-in inspection, get tax forms, etc. It's as if I'm distracted, but there's been nothing on my mind; a zen-like blank slate. Work is busy, but not so busy I should be so neglectful of other things. But just today, I forgot to pack a towel in my gym bag, so I couldn't use the pool. But I was doubly forgetful, because I didn't remember that I have my Emergency Towel stowed in Stella's trunk. It's good tomorrow is Half Day Friday - I need some time to get my head straight.

[I referenced ginkgo biloba for the quick memory gag, but when I checked the spelling on wikipedia, I found out that they are pretty fascinating plants. They are almost completely unrelated to any other trees - the full Linnaean classification is Plantae Ginkgophyta Ginkgoopsida Ginkgoales Ginkgoaceae Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba. And they are supposedly one of the best species of tree to plant in urban areas - keep that in mind for Arbor Day, I guess.]

And just in time for the warmer weather, my oil tank was refilled today. I prefer to think of this as cannily trading in energy futures. I'm betting the price of oil will go up, so sitting on this fuel for 7 months will save me a bundle come October. This explanation has the benefit of making me look smart, instead of lazy and forgetful.

Numbers

I am forgetful and not terribly bright, I'm going to admit to that right up front.

Not my best evening last night. I lost track of time at the end of work, and ended up leaving too late to fit in any time at the gym before dinner. I get home and do some chores, and go to start dinner. "Seems a little chilly - I'll turn up the heat." I do so, but I don't hear the furnace kick in. I don't think much of it, and after dinner head upstairs to work on my tax return and such. It's always warmer in the attic, so I don't think about the temperature.

I got a fair amount of the return done, and head downstairs to work on indexing the library. And it's actually pretty cold. I check the thermostat, and it all seems in order. I head to the basement to check the furnace. Nothing obviously wrong. But attached to the furnace is a check sheet, with a list of items to inspect if the furnace isn't operating. "Check oil tank." Oh, of course. I couldn't find a gauge anywhere, but the hollow noise when I knocked on the tank answered all of my questions. Damn.

But I'm in luck! I have the fireplace, and wood on the porch. I get the fire going, thinking this time will be different. I'll keep the doors closed, so the smoke goes up the chimney instead of into my living room. But the doors are not air tight. Not at all. So, it starts to smell like a campsite again. I set off two smoke alarms. I dump water on the fire, because if this goes on much longer, I won't be able to sleep. I go looking for air fresheners to cover up the smoke. While I'm away, the fire reignites. Damn! I put it out again, and start ventilating my living room. At least it isn't below freezing outside.

I check the thermometer in the kitchen, and it reads 62°. I decided to call it a night.

I remember once growing up, when our old furnace died. In the middle of winter. In Vermont. It was frigid. I remember going to bed in long underwear, under many extra layers of blankets, comforters, and afghans, for about a week. So this wasn't so bad. But it got down below freezing overnight, and the kitchen thermometer read 51° when I got up. Oddly, plenty of hot water - turns out my hot water heater is gas fired, like my oven. Only the furnace needs oil.

Then I forgot my gym bag, so I probably won't go the pool today, either. This sucks, and the fact that it is all of my own doing makes it embarrassing to boot. Not exactly my best day ever. And if the fuel had just held out a few more days, I might have been fine - we may touch 70° this weekend.

Naan Proliferation Treaty

For a few years now, I've been meaning to try the Afghan Restaurant on Route 1 just south of Crystal City. Well, my new place is about 400 meters away, as the crow flies, and not much further when you can't cut across any backyards (damned barbed wire). I finally gave it a try last night with Steph, and it was incredibly good. The naan bread alone was worth the trip- it came fresh from the oven, and was delicious. We tried an appetizer, a kind of pastry called boolawnee, stuffed with potatoes and leeks - very good. Steph had the vegetarian curry and said it was excellent, and I went overboard and got the Super Combo, because I wanted to try a little of everything. Beef, lamb, and chicken kabobs over saffron rice, with meat sauce on the side. I'm going to steal an idea from the rice - it was basmati rice served with raisins and thin strips of carrot, and it was superb. And I had a side of naan, of course - I used it to make little kabob sandwiches. Clearly, we were stuffed by the time we left. Though the exterior is a little sketchy looking, and the interior is a little oddly lit, I recommend the Afghan Restaurant without reservation.

After dinner, Steph hung out for a while, then it was TV time. I'm really glad I got the DVR. It's just as Jane predicted - I don't even know when shows are on anymore, I just wait for new stuff to appear in my recorded list. I just need to figure out how to export from the DVR to the computer with the DVD burner, so I can make copies of the movies I record (so far I've got Forbidden Planet, Back to the Future, The Conversation, and The Sting).

I got a nice comment about Pegasus recently, from a woman who was apparently just browsing through and saw the sailboat pictures. I thought that was kind of cool - I've never gotten comments from anyone but old friends and family before. Well, other than a few 'comments' about how I could make money in minutes and get "Great deals on C1ALIS." I'd like to find out if she sails - I'm a little rusty, and it would be good to have some crews lined up.

On The Street Where You Live

I've lived in Del Ray for over a year now, but my old place was on the southern edge, by the middle school and Metro station. Also, I have a much smaller conception of 'neighborhood' than most people here. My new place is in the heart of Del Ray, and I'm getting out and exploring it more, now that I'm moved in. It's great.

The area now known as Del Ray began as housing for workers at the nearby Potomac Yard railroad yard. It included areas known as Del Ray, Mt. Ida, Hume, and St. Elmo (these all remain as street names in the neighborhood). It became the Town of Potomac, which was later annexed by the City of Alexandria. What were once blue-collar homes have become very trendy, as single family homes in traditional neighborhoods have become hard to come by close in to D.C. And we've got everything you need, usually within a few blocks. Elementary school, middle school, rec center, library, lots of restaurants, groceries, and various boutique shops (florists, artists, custard...um...ists).

I've been on a few walks of the area, and noticed a number of homes and buildings I thought were interesting. I went back today to get some pictures to share. It's a great neighborhood - come visit Del Ray and I'll show you around.

Nice, well tended home across Randolph Street from my backyard

Very nearly a House of Seven Gables. Note also a skylight and a gable with no windows

The Gable that Became a Room. Seems a little top-heavy

I once went to great lengths to mix a custom paint for some shelves I made, which I called 'Chrome Blue.' I never dreamed I would find a house painted in that color

Del Ray has a number of small parks, some of which are just short-cuts through residential blocks

The Octagon House. It always makes me think of spiders and octopi

It took me a moment to figure out why this house looks odd. Where's the foundation? The Sinking House

The Incredible Bungalow that Kept Growing and Became 217 East Del Ray Avenue

Royce Florist, with a nice mural of a flower on the side

The coolest little hardware store on Mt Vernon Avenue. I go there whenever I can find an excuse ("I need two-prong plug adapters!")

The Evening Star Cafe and Planet Wine. Excellent food and drink

The House with Teeth

I really like this place; It's a small, tidy little house

Alexandria Fire House #202, formerly the Town of Potomac Fire Station; one of the unofficial symbols of Del Ray. At first I didn't notice, but the entrance under the tower is also marked "Town Hall." I'll have to find out more about this building.

A single family home that used to be a duplex (note the old stairs and the windows on the right that used to be a front door)

A lot of windows for the front of a pretty small house

The Purple House

The Tiniest House in Del Ray (but they have a big corner lot, and a detached garage)

The House that Wanted to be a Caboose

I think there was a sale on miscellaneous windows and they jumped on it

Another smart little cape that typifies much of architecture in Del Ray

Tagged on the sidewalk; I don't know what it means

Apparently this house is on the town historic register; I haven't the foggiest idea why

My street, packed with well maintained bungalows, all about 70-80 years old

My favorite house in the neighborhood - right across from my front door. It's well maintained, a good size, great color, and even has some shaker shingles on the upper story. And...

...it's registered with the Town of Potomac Historic District. Why, and what that means, remains a mystery.

From the archives...

Courtesy of Matt Boulanger, we get a treat: a picture of Steve Schlesinger, Jesse Brisson, me, and Matt at what I think is a U-32 track meet back in high school. But it could be almost anywhere. We're all between 17 and 18 years old here. We're doing our kick-ass "Cornholio" impressions from Beavis and Butt-head. Very trendy with the high school boys back then.

Classy

Matt sent us the picture on account of Steve's recent birthday. So a big happy birthday to Captain Schlesinger, U.S. Army.

Dan Eling, Yachtsman

I got some great news this week. Tyson Scofield called, saying he finally got word from the Coast Guard detailer about his next billet. Though he put in for a number of engineering positions aboard the 378' and 270' cutters out of Alameda and Boston, he was offered a choice between an MLC spot or EO of the USCGC Alex Haley. She's an unusual ship for the Coast Guard, a converted Navy salvage vessel. But he and his family will be moving to Kodiak this summer to begin his tour aboard her. I'm excited for them - my Air Force friend Aaron Rivers was recently on temporarily assigned duty (TAD) in Alaska, and described it as "like Vermont, but more so." Sounds great to me, and I'm sure the Scofields will do well there.

The great news is, Tyson has offered to give me his old sailboat, a Luger Leeward 16. She's named Pegasus, which is a great name for a small sailboat. The only question now is how to get her from Swampscott to here in Alexandria. Either I'll have to go up to Boston to get her (Stella has a trailer hitch), or perhaps my folks can trailer her down and visit. Either way, it's great to think that I could soon have my own boat again. We're just waiting until Tyson gets his orders confirmed, so I hope this doesn't jinx anything.

Otherwise, it's been very quiet the last week or so. Now that Jane is gone, I don't have a lot of conversations at work - I'm all business. I miss talking about cyborg monkeys. And I don't have time to do much on weeknights after exercising and doing chores, and most folks are busy on the weekends (Steph has an insane amount of training to do, Jane & Ian go out to Manassas and have dinners with their friends and families, Mike is going overseas, etc). So it's been pretty uneventful. On the other hand, it's less than a month until Opening Day, so maybe I can see some baseball games soon. And once Pegasus is here, I can hit the water and get way from it all. As Tyson would say, sweet.