Yard of Mysteries

Odd appearances, strange comings and goings in my yard recently.

FIRST - The Metal Detective.  Last weekend, a man I did not know came to my side door (not the front), knocking as I was getting ready to go for a bike ride.  He explained he had spoken with my landlord about sweeping the lawn to look for... treasure, I suppose.  I explained that I had no problem with it, provided he didn't dig any especially large holes.  He's reappeared a few times, sweeping various sections of the yard.  He said he was hoping to find silver coins, since the property is pretty old for the area.  I don't think he's found anything.

SECOND - Beach Ball.  A cheap plastic beach ball, inflated, showed up in my fenced yard.  Not odd in of itself, but I couldn't figure how it got there.  The fence would keep most things out, and if someone threw it in, why wouldn't they come and get it back?  It probably blew in on a windy day; admittedly a minor mystery.

THIRD - Chutes & Ladders.  I'm impressed I even noticed this one, at first.  As I drove past the side yard on my way to back into the garage, I noticed an extension ladder, lying partially hidden alongside the house.  There's been a house going up down the street, and some painting crews working nearby.  But I could't figure for the life of me why anyone would just drop a ladder in my yard.  I figured the landlord had contracted for some work on the house.  Further evidence supports this theory - there are now paint chips in the yard, and the trim in those areas looks like it has been repainted.

For all the time I've been here, I've never known anyone to come into the yard.  Now in the space of a few weeks it is starting to seem like a public park.  Maybe I can get the city to mow the grass for me...

Gordie Howe Hat Trick

A friend offered me a ticket to the Capitals pre-season game against the Flyers on Friday night.  It was pretty great - we were 9 rows behind the penalty boxes, as close as I've ever been to the ice at a pro game.  The Caps had a good game, winning 5-1.  We debated whether Ovechkin qualified for a Gordie Howe hat trick: he had a goal and an assist, and got sent to the box for fighting.  Problem was, it wasn't the gloves-off kind of fight that leaves no room for doubt - more of a scuffle.  And besides, it was preseason, so does it really count?

For a follow-up, on Saturday I biked over to the Shirlington Oktoberfest after checking out Art on the Avenue.  It was pretty fun, once I managed to meet up with friends and stow my bike at their house.  Great weather for biking, and the perfect way to avoid the headaches of parking.  It was an absolutely enormous crowd, which usually makes me kind of squirrelly.  But it was very relaxing, just hung out and tasted a few beers.  Afterwards, watched the first half of the Alabama game at the apartment before riding home.  And then watched baseball until bed.  Pretty good day, I'd say.

Cricketeer

I hate crickets. Ever since they started getting into my first apartment here in DC, chirping away while I'm trying to get some sleep. One of them got in the door, inside the hollow metal front door, and it was like an amplifier, chirping in surround sound THX.

So, this evening after watching some tv, I headed downstairs and heard one. In the house. And when they hear you coming, they go silent. Oh, they stay silent until you spend hours tracking them, waiting for another of their damn chirps so you can triangulate. So clever, hiding in the smallest places, moving just when you think you know where they are. And even when you find them, so quick, flying and jumping.

But I've dealt with them before. I dealt with the ones in the basement (left out deep pans of water - they go in, can't get out. Can't chirp in the water, you bastards), I dealt with the one in the door (at about 3 AM), and I dealt with one tonight. There was some collateral damage, as seen in the photo, but the job got done.

As a soothing contrast, I found a nice shot from Two Lights park in Portland that I took the other weekend. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for being by the ocean.

Landscaping

When I got home on Monday, I was surprised to find a team of landscapers working on my yard.  The property management does this from time to time, usually without any advance notice.  It's nice, for the most part - they trim back the hedges, clear up the fences, etc.  However, they never deal with the real problem of the yard, which is the crabgrass-infested lawn.  Also, without fail they seem to arrive each year just as the honeysuckle blooms, and proceed to absolutely destroy it.

Inspired by their example, I finished the job after dinner by mowing the lawn.  It got a little long, since I was out of town last weekend.  And thick, since like I said it is mostly crabgrass.  It think I should plow it all under and restart with something more manageable.  Lichen, maybe.

Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood

So my friend Z is dog-sitting a few blocks away, and stopped by while walking said dog last night.  This thing is huge - a Great Pyrenees that has got to be nearly 200 pounds.  Very well behaved though.  In fact, despite her size I was able to finally get some use out of the fence enclosing my yard - we were able to just let her out there without any worries.  Apparently a very lazy dog.

I can't remember the last time any one of my friends lived close enough they could just drop in while walking the dog, going for groceries, etc.  It's kind of a neat.  I'd go over to where she is dog sitting and ask to borrow a cup of sugar, but she only uses sugar substitutes like Equal.  What's the point?

Big Time in the Jungle

On his way back from Grandma & Grandpa's 60th anniversary party, Chris was able to stop by this past weekend. He had spent some time in Columbus as well, watching minor league games and visiting his old friend Virgil. He got here late on Thursday, and I left him to his own devices on Friday.

Saturday, we had hoped to go out to Shenandoah and hike Old Rag, but the forecast said there could be strong thunderstorms because the atmosphere was "energetic." Instead, we went up to Rock Creek Park.

I've ridden through the park plenty of times, but never really stopped there. We hiked out from the Nature Center (which includes a planetarium!) and went to the ruins of a Civil War battery, Fort Drury. Not particularly impressive, just mounds of dirt really. But interesting for as a touchstone of local history.

We headed down into the park, and ended up going along the creek for some distance. Not rough hiking, by any means - easy grades, well maintained trails. Really quite nice. It was easy to forget we were essentially in the middle of the city - felt like a "real" forest. We even came upon a deer on the trail - clearly used to people, since it let us get within about 15 feet before shambling off. And while it was hot and humid, but proximity to the creek and the plentiful shade helped ease things a little.

Unfortunately, the free park map doesn't include a lot of detail on the trails, things like the badging used to mark the way. And the signage and badging was fairly poor. So we ended up doing a figure eight instead of a loop, since I took us left when we should have gone right. Still, it was a lucky mistake - the distance ended up being just about perfect, about four and half miles of easy trails. And that extra loop was very nice - it reminded me of some of the cross country trails we ran in high school.

The timing could not have been better - we got home, and just as we finished cleaning up, the sky opened up. The storms were brief but intense. I'm glad we weren't stuck out in anything like that out on the Blue Ridge.

After that, we had lunch, and went to see the new Indiana Jones movie at the Odeon Uptown, the big movie palace up by the zoo. Pretty fun movie, if you know what to expect (basically a 50s B-movie with modern effects and a huge budget). And the Uptown is just a fun place to see a movie - huge curved CinemaScope screen, real balcony, etc. They even show the awesome 70mm prints sometimes - better than HD.

And we ended up back in Del Ray, having dinner at the Afghan Restaurant and Strawberry Shortcake (with fresh Del Ray Farmer's Market berries) at the Dairy Godmother. So, pretty good visit.

Chop Chop Chop

I caught a quick case of the stupids yesterday.

We went out to lunch, and ended up driving past my house. I was embarrassed by how bad it looked - I hadn't mowed the lawn or trimmed along the fences since last year. So I resolved to take care of it as soon as I got home.

Things were going swimmingly - the electric mower was making short work of the long grass. Then, as I came to the last corner of the yard, I had to back up - not enough room to turn. As I pulled back, I can clearly remember: "I should be careful not to back over the cord, 'cause that would be stu... "

I was shocked how easily the blade sliced through the cord. I am not surprised that the blade was able to cut it, but the mower didn't even stutter. Like a hot knife through butter. So I have two very nice plugs, and about 48' worth of perfectly good extension cord. Just that last two feet...

Luckily, one of my favorite shops in Del Ray was open, the Hardware Store at Mt. Vernon and Custis. While I was there, I picked up the new weed whacker I've needed since last year. So now the lawn is no longer embarrassingly overgrown. And I must have picked the right day to be out doing yard work, because after two years of living there, I had my first conversations ever with not one but two of my neighbors. I guess I finally stopped putting out creepy vibes.

Dan vs. Nature

I noticed recently that a tree in my side yard has grown up against the house. In fact, some of the branches have damaged the roof, slightly, peeling away a handful of shingles. The branches also provide my nemeses, the squirrels, access to the roof and the upstairs window. So I resolved to cut back the tree.

Of course, first I made sure I had the right tools (a Leatherman with a saw blade) and a way to access the branches (climb the tree). I formulated a plan (climb tree, start hacking) and put that plan into action. I thought it was foolproof. Unfortunately, I was the fool who had to prove it.

I started to climb the tree, and the very first branch I stepped on turned out to be problematic. In the sense that it was dead, and immediately gave way. Since it was the first branch, though, my journey earthward was thankfully short. I did get some nice scrapes on my legs and hand to help me learn an important lesson. After that, I was more thorough about testing the limbs I used for support, and made it up the tree without much trouble.

Once at the top, I took some time to savor the view (Shingles!). I then discovered that the Leatherman saw is best suited for cutting branches for use roasting s'mores . My stay at the treetop was lengthier than I planned. But the limbs did get cut down.

Climbing down was... tricky. I remember flying up and down the old maple tree behind our house growing up. Now, I'm think I might be sore tomorrow from this minor chore. I'm reminded of a quote, "we are not now that strength which once moved heaven and earth."

For my future landscaping projects, I think I'll stick to mowing the lawn, mixed in with the occasional weed-whacker run.

Vermin

I was doing some chores around the house this weekend, and made an interesting discovery. Squirrels are eating my window frames.

Upstairs, there is a windowsill that is close to some branches of a tree in my side yard. Apparently, the squirrels were curling up there to enjoy some of the heat leaking out through the very old windows. While they were there, they must have been teething or something, because they have gnawed away much of the part of the windowframe that holds the storm windows. I put in some stop-gap measures to secure the storm window, but more is required. I need to find an extension ladder, so I can get up there, remove the storm window, rebuild the frame, and reinstall. Also, I need a way to kill squirrels. I should probably trim back the tree limbs while I am at it.

If I owned the house, this could easily be the start to a number of small maintenance projects - the trim could use new paint, for instance. But I think I'll have to talk to my landlord, and see if I can get him to take care of a few things. It seems like once you start down that road, there's always another project cropping up, something else that needs to be stripped, painted, rebuilt, replaced, or repaired. Perhaps if I enjoyed the sweat equity, but just not worth it in a rental.

Vile Weed!

It's been quite some time since I've done any real cooking. Since well before the holidays, even, I've been making very simple stuff. Pasta with store sauce, quickie grilled chicken. And those were the fancy meals. There have been many servings of buttered noodles and grille cheese.

So this was an itch I've been meaning to scratch. Luckily Zina, Sarah & Paul, and Jane were able to come over tonight for dinner and give it a sense of occasion. This did require some adaptation on my part; I had to add some vegetarian options, and even made a bowl of foul broccoli. But it all worked out pretty well; I went so far as to get wine, which I almost never drink myself (though it was left untouched this time).

It was a surprisingly easy meal to make. The entree was Monster Pork Chops, accompanied by Coconut Rice, Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Pine Nuts, apple apricot sauce from Trader Joe's, and the aforementioned vile weed. Dessert was Gingersnap crumble ice-cream tart, with reinforcements from various other cookies. It seemed like the entire meal was well-received. But I especially enjoyed the evening for the company; it's been a while since I've had people over, and it was a welcome change. It helps that this was an especially fun group of people to bring together - very similar senses of humor, and all quite clever.

On a more professional note, I've started looking for symposia and calls for papers that I could submit my (still hypothetical) paper to. One good candidate came up in the latest Naval Engineers Journal: the West Coast Combats Systems Symposium. I checked the Call for Papers, and it says abstracts are due on February 31st. I assume that means they must be in their offices by a quarter past Never on the Eleventeenth of the next Triple Leap Year.

Spookfest 2007

Ah, Halloween. Twenty years ago, my hometown had a yearly "Spookfest," where locals would donate instead of handing out candy. The donations went towards a central party, where you could go to get candy. One stop shopping - very convenient. We would usually hit the Spookfest first, then work over the rest of the town - Halloween was a big deal in Bristol. And in 1987, I won a contest for the Spookfest button design, so I also got a savings bond. So Halloween has always been good to me.

This past weekend, I went to a costume party for the first time in years. The hosts required group costumes, so I went with Sarah & Paul and Zina & John as Dog, Beth, etc. from Dog the Bounty Hunter. Sarah put up some pictures here. Hilarious and quite a lot of fun. We spent almost as much time getting ready and sitting around in costume watching football as we did at the party itself. More fun than it sounds like, I assure you.

The weather is pretty great today, so I expect to get more trick-or-treaters than last year. I was disappointed, especially by the high proportion of not-really-costumed no-good teens. I would break out the hose, but I think that would cause too much trouble. Even if it would be ridiculously fun. Get off my lawn, you meddling kids!

Arts & Sciences

For the first time in a few years I went to Art on the Avenue and actually bought some art. Nothing fancy, mind you, but art nevertheless.

After doing my chores and getting my mop chopped, I joined Sarah & Paul for the biggest party in Del Ray. There was some really nice work for sale - I especially liked some handmade photo montages and a few Asian-styled silk screens. But after some encouragement, I bought a print of a still life by a local artist. The full size original was done for the owner of the Nationals. It is called "Still life with Baseball." I think I will hang it in my office at work, which could use some decoration.

Of course, afterwards we had no choice but to go to Poblano, followed by custard. Today's flavor was pumpkin, which is like eating creamy, frozen pumpkin pie. Extremely good.

I am very pleased, on the whole, but especially with the print. I've always had a very weak sense of aesthetics; matching colors can be a challenge for me. But I really think this print will work nicely in the office, particularly since it isn't a nautical picture like most folks have. Not that those are bad - I'm a big fan, I've got at least a dozen at home. Variety is good, though. And it helped that Sarah and Paul, who are much more aesthetically gifted, agreed.

In other news, I am jealous of Steph. Her boat will be out on San Francisco Bay, just for the day on Monday, to work 1 buoy and watch the Blue Angels. That sounds like a pretty great day at the office.

Programming Note

Just a reminder to anyone in the DC area, tomorrow is Art on the Avenue, easily the biggest yearly event in Del Ray. The whole of Mount Vernon Avenue in the neighborhood is shut down, and filled with booths selling food and various arts and crafts. There are also 3 stages of music and performances, and most of the businesses do something special (especially places like the Cheesetique and the Dairy Godmother). I highly recommend it.

Lawn Boy

What is the stereotypical disease that affects all suburban home owners? You see it in movies and poorly plotted sitcoms all the time. It's superficial and tedious, and oh-so-much about Keeping Up with the Joneses. Oh yes, it's lawn care.

I had been rolling along quite comfortably with an ugly lawn. My crappy reel mower (old fashioned, Leave it to Beaver style manual cylinder of curved blades) was not particularly effective, especially if the grass got a little long. It was completely unable to deal with the very large patches of crabgrass I had cultivated. I often joked that my yard made it look like a witch lived there.

Finally, I cracked. I bought an electric extension cord mower. I sprayed some foul chemicals on the crabgrass. I attacked the fenceline with my weedwhacker. And now... it looks slightly better. Respectable, but I should have realized that only a huge capital outlay, with professional intervention, would really improve things.

I do feel my lawn no occupies a fitting place in the spectrum of yards in my neighborhood. Across the street, the loveliest house on the block sits on a perfectly manicured lawn. Next door, the entire property is a riot of plant growth and lawn gnomes. In every way, my yard is right in between. I think I can live with that.

Single Combat

When I bike on the streets, I am scrupulous about following laws and regulations. Not because I'm some sort of goody-goody; I enjoy breaking rules as much as the next 8 year old boy. But a few close calls in my past convinced me. If I get in front of a car, they might get their paint scratched. I get my legs broken. Risk assessment has to account for probability AND degree.

And it isn't enough for me to just follow the rules myself. I want everyone else to follow the rules, too. For a two main reasons: 1) If you follow the rules, you're less likely to directly endanger me, and 2) drivers often don't respect bikers since so many bikers break the rules. If there is a stop sign, put your foot down and stop. You wouldn't drive right through, right? So drivers learn to disrespect bikers, making it more likely they'll endanger me, no matter what I'm doing.

So it pisses me off when a cyclist rolls through a red light, or doesn't give me a bell or an "on your left" when they pass. And some guy did _b0th_ of those things, one after the other, this morning.

I often mark other cyclists as my goal for that particular ride. Usually, I see them up ahead, and make it my target to catch them before a particular point, or when our paths split. But this guy cruised by and built a big lead, and I knew I had my target for my morning ride.

Problem was, this son-of-a-bitch was fast. He was bigger than me, and riding a mountain bike vice my road bike. And I had to push to catch him. Our paths were almost identical - I trailed him from the intersection of Glebe and Commonwealth all the way to the 14th Street Bridge. And he drafted off me until Maine Avenue. About 4 miles or so, all told. Not much of a race, but it was a regular duel, exhausting. But I gained satisfaction. I made sure to yell "on your left" particularly loud, over the interstate traffic, as I passed him.

That was when a grey-haired gentleman passed me like I was standing still. Without making a sound. Damn it... He went the other way at the Jefferson, so I never had a chance to return the favor. I'll see you tomorrow, old man.

Of course, the locker room was unbearably hot, and the cold water ran out (how does that happen?) so I was overheated all morning. And the forecast reads "scorching" for this afternoon. I sure wish my big A/C unit was working right now.

Underway is the Only Way

After many busy weekends, I finally got Betty back on the water on Saturday. So, of course, the air was light and fluky. I had hoped to sail past the Alexandria Waterfront Festival, but there simply was not enough breeze to get there. In 4 hours of sailing out of Gravely Point, I didn't get farther than the south end of National Airport. In fact, I had to use the pedal drive for most of the the return leg. Even so, any day on the water is good. I've been getting a lot of compliment on Betty, usually at the dock. But on Saturday I was overtaken by a Catalina 25, and then a ski-doo, and all the occupants were appreciative. "Where can I get one of those?"

I hoped to go sailing again on Sunday, but there was even less breeze. I did get a chance to go out to brunch with Sarah, Steph & Aaron. We went to The Evening Star Cafe, and it was excellent as always. I was pleased to hear Sarah liked it, since she & Paul have been looking for a place to succeed their neighborhood brunch spot back in New Orleans.

Not sailing worked out well, since it forced me to do something productive with my day. Specifically, clean up my bike after riding in the rain last week. It was a mess, but now it rides like a dream. Very satisfying work, too - stripping the bike down, cleaning, re-greasing bearings and chains.

And the cherry on top was free cake. Yes, free cake. Steph had made some, but she and Aaron are both out of town, so I did them a favor and took the cake off their hands. Chocolate. But you must have ice cream to go with you chocolate cake. None at the house, and I didn't feel like going to the store just for ice cream. So with Can-Do American spirit and frontier-style ingenuity, I made my own. Just like Davey Crockett.

• 1 Gallon ziploc bag
• 1 quart ziploc bag
• Ice cubes (about 2 trays)
• 6 teaspoons Salt (ideally rock salt)
• 1/2 cup Half&Half or light cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Fill the large bag with the ice and salt. Place the rest of the ingredients in the small bag and seal it. Seal the smaller bag inside the larger bag, surrounded by the salt and ice. Now shake it all for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the smaller bag from the larger, then open the smaller and eat the ice cream inside.

Criminiminiminal

From the City of Alexandria Municipal Code:

Sec. 10-4-40 Location of parked vehicles.

No person shall park a motor vehicle on any street except close to and parallel to the right curb or the right edge of the roadway; provided, that a vehicle may be stopped close to and parallel to the left curb or left edge of the roadway on one-way streets and may be parked at an angle to a curb or roadway edge where permitted by proper authority and where the space is clearly marked for such parking. (Ord. No. 3402, 9/16/89, Sec. 91)

I had parked in front of my house on Thursday, and Friday night I noticed the ticket. I have never seen a cop car in my neighborhood except for responding to minor traffic accidents or the one small fire. But apparently they do make patrols past my house. So, don't park on the street facing against traffic, unless you are trying to offload $40.

Consonance

I am not telling you anything new; you have heard of The Onion and appreciate its excellence. Recently, The Washington Post announced it was partnering with The Onion to present a local DC edition.

I was very happy to hear this, and not just for the humor. The AV Club section online and in print does an excellent job on movie, book, and music reviews. They have a good crossword each week. But best of all, I've always heard that the local print editions do a good job of covering local events. Theater, museums, all kinds of music shows, etc. And the print edition is free! To Hell with the express and The Examiner. Too bad it only comes out once a week.

The only problem was tracking down my copy. The DC edition launched the first week in April. Word on the street was it would be available near other free paper boxes. But I saw none at my metro stations on either of the past two Thursdays, when it comes out. I was understandably disappointed and looking for answers. I even wrote in to the WP online chat about the new offering, asking "Where is it?" Nothing doing, last I checked.

Imagine my surprise and happiness, when I found a stack of copies at The Dairy Godmother. I love her frozen custard - and now she has my Paper of Choice on hand for free. And it makes complete sense, since she is from Wisconsin and The Onion started in Madison. All good things are in harmony.

It's a Celebration

Slate recently had a very interesting piece on the planned town of Seaside, Florida. If you saw The Truman Show, you've seen Seaside - most of the movie was filmed there. I've never been to the town, so I my opinions are only based on photos and the descriptions of others. But I have a somewhat mixed reaction. I like how it looks, I like the plan to make a walkable town, the attempt to roll back the trend of building around automobiles. On the other hand, it's only made possible by very strong regulation, controlling what owners can and can't do with their property. The libertarian in me intensely dislikes that aspect.

Seaside, and other planned towns like it, such as Celebration, help frame larger questions. What kind of towns do we want to live in? Is New Urbanism really nostalgia dressed up as a movement? Free market thinking would indicate that the kind of towns people really want are suburbs designed around automobiles. Or is that putting the cart before the horse - is that what everyone is buying because that is the only thing available?

But more interesting to me is the more central question of design. How do we decide what is best in design? In my work, in engineering, this is often a very straightforward question: the ship must meet certain specifications for speed, strength, mission capability, etc. But once those criteria are met, the process becomes much more gray. Is it better if the messroom is forward off the galley, or starboard of it? Questions of arrangements, especially, fall into this category. The challenge is more akin to architecture, and city design. And very few engineers are equal to the task. I know I'm not. Luckily, not my job right now.

The challenges of design impact my city, my neighborhood, quite directly. Many in DC are now questioning the height limit. Unique among modern American cityscapes, Washington hugs the ground, and the skyline is punctuated by a handful of significant buildings - the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Cathedral. I am a big fan of the height limit - it makes DC unique and special. Seeing the Cathedral in the distance from the Metro bridge still amazes me. Others argue that the height limit stunts the growth of the city, and encourages sprawl. But I've also heard about low tenancy rates at many office buildings, and a quick look at sites like Near Southeast show more space is coming. I say keep infilling around existing Metro stations, right up to the height limit, then worry about sprawl.

Closer to home, the Potomac Yard development is going up just a few blocks from my house. The renewal of the the largest undeveloped urban tract on the east coast is at least attempting progressive design. It's not a pocket suburb of cul-de-sacs and curving lanes - it is set up as almost a city-in-miniature, with a downtown commercial area surrounded by a grid of residential streets. As I said above, I'm not sure if I'm necessarily a fan of new urbanism style designs like this, but it is definitely better than another strip mall fronted by massive parking lots. And there is a chance it could lead to an infill Metro station closer to my place. In about 10 years...

So, what kind of place do we want to live? Distant suburbs and exurbs, with plenty of space for yards and garages and playgrounds? Dense urban centers, served by mass transit and only footsteps away from the full range of services and cultural activities? Do you want to own property in the boonies where you can do whatever you want with your land, or live in a condo with a million rules but right next to the Kennedy Center? I say give Burlington, Vermont some thought. Recently cited as the "Best Green Place" in the country, among it's other accolades, it's a fine town. Big enough, but not so big it suffers for it. But don't move there - too many people would ruin it. Go find someplace else like it, though.

Beyond cities and homes, what makes for good design? Is pragmatism the only yardstick, or should we give weight to aesthetics? But if "form follows function," isn't extra credit for aesthetics immaterial, since if it works well, good form will naturally follow? Then we just need to define function. It's easy to decide if a stapler works: it staples or it doesn't. How do you measure measure the functionality of a house? A city? Is a pleasing aesthetic part of the core function of a city? I think so, but taste varies so much, the city might "function" for some and not for others. I think you are starting to see why I'm an engineer, with more straightforward design questions, rather than an architect like Chris.

Spring & Hubris

Spring is ... springing here in Del Ray. I think we've seen the last of the snow, runners and bikers are returning to the paths in force, and I found some flowers blossoming in my front yard. Using my expertise in horticulture, I can tell you that they are yellow (see photo).

This is a good thing, since it means it will soon be warm enough for bike rides. I may even be able to bike into the DC office instead of riding the Metro. As much as I enjoy the convenience of Metro, I like the idea of getting in to work for free while also getting my daily ride at the same time. Efficiency appeals to us engineers.

I noticed the flowers when I left the house to visit St. Elmo's. Really, I was just getting out to get some fresh air. I topped off Stella's tank yesterday, and forgot that she has a minor fuel leak. I think it is in the fill line, since it only happens right after I fill up. No puddles of gasoline or anything, but the smell is quite strong. And having forgotten, I parked her in the basement garage. Under my bedroom. So the house, especially the bedroom, smells like a filling station. It gives me a terrific headache.

So, I aired out the house and went for a walk to clear my head. If I'm out in the neighborhood on the weekends, I usually go by St. Elmo's for hot chocolate and cookies. They have good chocolate chip cookies. But it is also a great place to people-watch and eavesdrop. Not the most appropriate entertainment, maybe. Today I sat next to three young women who are all engaged to wed soon. I listened to a long conversation about their future children, and possible names. Lot's of "I think Jack is such a cute name! And how about Charles! I would call him Charlie, and dress him up in little short pants and bow ties!" I feel sorry for Charlie. Please, don't pick out your kids' names because they are "cute." Cuteness fades. Choose a name that means something, either from a family connection, or it's own history. Don't name your child "Dakota." What the hell? Why not just name him Indiana Jones?

At any rate, I cleared my head. Maybe part of the headache was from the night before. I had told Ryan about getting the PC version of Halo, so he got it too. He called me up and suggested we set up a game online and play each other. I thought "hell yeah, I would love to spend an hour taking him to school." He. Kicked. My. Ass. Seriously, the dude can bring it. We had some technical problems setting up our own games, and ended up having to join other's already in progress. Nevertheless, we went mano-a-mano a few times, and I went home limping. Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make proud. I am psyched for playing again really soon. I'm going to lose, but I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.

Last, a note on the second photo. Walking home from St. Elmo's, I noticed this truck. I remember the converted Hearse-style ambulance from Ghostbusters, but I've never seen a converted truck-style ambulance. It looks like someone might be living in this thing. I don't think it would very comfortable. But I developed a bit of a taste for living on the road from our family camper trip Out West when I was 12, so I definitely see the appeal.