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.

Videorama

Do you enjoy humor? How about my brother and sister-in-law, do you like them? If so, get over to REblog and check out the videos they made for this year's JingEling gift DVD. There are some limitations on how quickly you can download the videos, but I think they're worth the wait. My favorites are Kindergarten Recall and Gettin' Lucky, though the end of The Pink Panther slays me every single time.

Ain't No Air in Space

Went down to the Mall yesterday and visited the National Air & Space Museum as well as the Archives. Naturally, I have no pictures of the Constitution from the Archives, but I did get a few shots from NASM and of Chris Ogle, who came to visit while he is nearby attending SAR school down at Yorktown. We also went up to DuPont Circle for dinner and beers at the Brickskeller and out to Murphy's in Old Town. It's a shame we missed the Patriots whaling on the Jaguars; I know from the Superbowl last year that it's a great place to watch New England play. And today we went and saw King Kong - good times.


SpaceShipOne, now on display at museum on the Mall

N-X-211, The Spirit of St. Louis

LT Ogle, USCG

New Home Candidate #1

Went by the first of a few potential new places to move to here in Alexandria. I have to move, since my current landlord has decided to sell my place and I cannot possibly afford it. So, here is the first of the possibilities. It is in the Rosemont neighborhood, about 2 blocks from the new entrance to the King Street station. It would be about 11% more in rent, and a 20% decrease in square footage. Two bedrooms, one bath, W/D, dishwasher, full gas oven and range. Concrete backyard, on-street parking. Comments?


The kitchen, with my friend/attorney Chris Ogle

Back bedroom

Another view of the back bedroom

Front bedroom

Closet of larger bedroom

Carmageddon

Chris loves Saabs. Over the years, he's had quite a few, mostly 99s from the 1970's. He works on them himself quite a bit, maintaining them even though some are over 30 years old. His brand loyalty now extends to the field of entertainment: he found these two videos that you may find amusing, especially if you are a bit of a gearhead.

Extraordinary

Now is the time of year for resolutions. I don't have any. Not that I don't have room for improvement - no one is more keenly aware of my many faults and shortcomings than I. But so many New Year's Resolutions don't get kept. For instance, I know the gym will be very crowded for the next two weeks or so. But then the crowds will start to thin out, and it will be back to normal by February.

Beyond fixing faults, though, I'd like to have resolutions to make my life extraordinary. I find that most of my family and friends are, in some sense, extraordinary. Ryan and Beth make movies and are two of the funniest, kindest people I've ever met; Beth is even becoming a nurse to help heal the sick. Chris is brilliant, as proven by the cards he makes every year for Christmas (just the tip of the iceberg, believe me). Jane volunteers for everything under the sun. Nessa is getting her masters in a field where she can make a difference in matters that are important to her. Heidi is becoming a great pastry chef at CIA. Chris P. made a beautiful, brilliant woman his bride, and is teaching english halfway around the world. Jesse is making a great deal of money down in Florida, has a family started, and bought land back home in Vermont that he already has plans to develop. Matt Boulanger moved with his lovely new wife to a new town, in a new state, and found multiple jobs that he is eminently qualified for, and is also starting to write poetry again. Steph runs marathons and triathlons; rows crew; makes cookies, cakes, and incredible meals for people at the drop of a hat; and is a dedicated, talented officer besides. My parents just cut ties to the place they've called home for more than 20 years and are living where they want, working the jobs they enjoy, and quickly moving towards well-earned retirement. And these are only a few examples of what people I know have done, extraordinary things.

I'd like to be extraordinary too. Or at least fix some of my more glaring shortcomings. Got suggestions? Please post anonymous comments, which I will possibly disregard so I can catch up on taped prime-time television. Happy New Year!