By Don
‘King Street Metro’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’
Well I guess there are weirder places to get your news. The on-again off-again rail to Dulles romance seems to have entered a more serious phase of the relationship, and hopefully this will make it harder for these crazy kids to call it off again: Mark Warner just twittered* “At Dept. of Transportation w/ Sec. LaHood and Gov. Kaine for signing of Dulles rail funding agreement – finally!”
* I refuse to say ‘tweeted’
By Wayan
Could the recent parking meter hike be reducing the number of parked cars in downtown DC? Looking for a spot today, it seems that spaces are plenty. More than I have ever seen on New Hampshire Avenue before.
Maybe it is a combo of beautiful afternoon perfect for walking and an increase in Metro ridership. Or just a random Monday fluke.
By Wayan
Snow blower drag racing
One week ago today, I was at IAD after a half-day flight snow delay. On a people mover, we stopped mid-trip to let a funny convoy pass – runway snowblowers coming back from the March morning task. In the middle of the orderly progression, a race was on! Two snowblowers were going for the gold in the last winter blast.
Anyone else miss the snow yet?
By jasmine
‘Game on’
courtesy of ‘cruffo’
As it starts to get warmer, I know I’m not the only one thinking that I should be getting outside more. I know about the prolific kickball leagues in the area, but are there any regular pickup games that you guys know about and could share? And not just baseball, folks–anyone know where a girl can get her cricket on?
By Donna C.
‘IMG_0566’
courtesy of ‘staypuftman’
Yep, it once again sounds like spring on the trails around DC.
Let me say first off that as a runner, I’m a looong way from setting any land-speed records. But I do run outside all winter, and every year during the first warm weeks I notice the same thing. As the birds begin to sing and the frogs to croak, the runners migrating back to the trails make their own special springtime sounds, louder than any I’ve heard for months: whoof, choof, hee, haw, gasp, huff, gaaaaah.
While I sure do sympathize, I admit to getting a little kick out of this. Go, runners! It’ll ease up soon.
By Wayan
Check out the bbq action in Petworth. Over at a friends house we are getting all pro on the grill. We got apples with cloves coming up on the charcoal. Next are plantains and kabobs. Desert is gluten free brownies.
This is the only way to enjoy a 70 degree Sunday in March.
By AcaciaO
‘Three years of correspondence’
courtesy of ‘L. Marie’
So, not surprisingly, President Obama has been getting a letter or two. What else do you expect to happen when you ask for everyone’s input in how you do your job? Its that whole, you know, open government business.
How can you help? By reading and responding to President Obama’s mail. I don’t know about you, but this sounds fascinating. There’s got to be a whole spectrum of reasons people have for writing to their president at this moment in time and so many stories they want to tell. Mail reading will be going on from 6-9 on Thursday nights. You can sign up here if you’re interested.
By Donna C.
Had enough American Idol and The Bachelor drama this week? Let’s give reality movies a whirl instead.
The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital starts with a special event next Tuesday and runs through March 22. It stars 136 films, with oceans and sea life as this year’s theme.
Local faces and places on the big screen include Restaurant Nora’s owner, Chesapeake Bay oysters, a toxic dumping site under Northwest D.C. (who knew?), and a plan for ick-free area rivers (hear, hear). Just the break we need.
By AcaciaO
‘Clocks’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
You’ve begun to feel it — spring is looming. No longer is it dark both when I enter work and when I leave it. This Sunday marks Daylight Savings time so put your clocks forward an hour (remember: Spring ahead, Fall back). I know will gladly loose an hour of sleep to give me another hour of sunlight daily.
Maximizing the amount of daylight has very practical purposes: more sun later means less lights turned on and less energy used. Time was standardized with the advent of the American railroad system at the onset of the twentieth century. Before then, telling time was somewhat arbitrary — a fact that gives daylight savings and time-keeping more of a romantic feel than one might expect in our very punctual day and age. Continue reading
By Rebecca
courtesy of the New York City Ballet
This weekend the Kennedy Center is hosting a very special guest: The New York City Ballet. The group will be performing three mixed programs choreographed by their founder George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp. There are 5 shows this weekend, including Saturday and Sunday matinees. If you have never been to the ballet before, this would definitely be a fantastic and memorable first time experience.
By Katie
‘National Gallery – Mirror Burst – 9-1-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
Did you feel it this morning, DC? The underlying warmth sneaking through the morning? It’s coming, I tell you, and no one is more thrilled than I am for this weekend’s 68 and 70 degree temperatures. They’re lurking right there, I could feel them walking to work this morning.
So what is a girl to do this weekend? Well, I’m itching to try out a new park. Iwo Jima is a staple in my household, we regularly head there when the weather gets warm, but I think it’s time to break out of the bubble and head somewhere new. I’ve admittedly never been to East Potomac Park – I’d love to go out along the water this weekend, and I hear the biking out that way is great!The second place I’ve never been is Meridian Hill Park (which Tom JUST wrote about!), with water features and plenty of monuments and statues, it seems like the perfect city oasis.
Thirdly, my back-up option is the Georgetown Waterfront which holds good memories for me from last summer – there you can grab an ice cream cone and sit along the water and watch the kayakers and boats go by. But hey, I’m open to reader suggestions – what is YOUR favorite DC park that I must visit?
By Max
When Dinosaurs Attack by M.V. Jantzen
If you’re a night owl and have no plans tonight or tomorrow night, why not go see a classic flick at the E Street Cinema? By far my favorite theater in town, their midnight movies are back and they’ve got a nerdy lineup for the next two months:
Jurassic Park • Mar 6 & 7
The Rocky Horror Picture Show • Mar 13 & 14
Fight Club • Mar 20 & 21
Ghostbusters • Mar 27 & 28
Star Trek: The Motion Picture • Apr 3 & 4
The Rocky Horror Picture Show • Apr 10 & 11
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan • Apr 17 & 18
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock • Apr 24 & 25
All shows start at, of course, midnight.
By AcaciaO
‘Day 119/365 – The Winter’s Tale’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’
Shakespeare’s assertion that “a sad tale’s best for winter” seems certainly to be ringing true this year: the deepening recession, the recent dreary snowpocolypse, Blago’s book deal; all these are enough to depress even the heartiest optimist. The play The Winter’s Tale, as performed by the Folger Theater company at the Folger Shakespeare Library, however, is a bright spot as winter wanes and not to be missed in this, its last weekend.
I saw the play on the early end of its run. It was an evening of firsts — the first time I had seen a play in the adorably authentic Globe-like theater as well as the first time I had seen The Winter’s Tale performed. I left feeling giddy and strangely uplifted, despite the fact that the first few acts are practically scarring. Though the play is a comedy, it hinges upon the extreme shift from dark to light, despair to hope. Continue reading
By Rebecca
courtesy of philliefan99
It seems to me that the first two months of 2009 have been a commuting nightmare. The morning traffic report on NPR is always citing a series of major delays on the metrorail, metrobus or the DC Metro area roadways. In recent days it’s been an Orange/Blue line derailment and traffic ridden lane closures on Route 50, not to mention the havoc caused by Monday’s Snowpocalypse. Even for those of us on foot, the congestion and hecticness of navigating the DC streets seems to have multiplied in 2009. Pedestrians and drivers are more irritable, hasty and almost reckless with their decision making. Yesterday, I saw a jaywalker hastily cross the “Vortex of Doom” (aka the Farragut North junction) without looking both ways and he quite nearly got creamed by a double decker bus. Could the state of the economy and the accompanying angst be trickling down into the state of our daily commutes?
By AcaciaO
‘Brad Pitt Posing’
courtesy of ‘KJB Photography’
Brangelina decends! Brad Pitt, reportedly here to discuss New Orleans reconstruction efforts with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi today, was spotted in Dirksen Senate Building near Senator Blanche Lincoln’s (D-AR) office. He met yesterday with energy secretary Stephen Chu.
Angelina Jolie is here this week filming the the action-spy flick Salt. Despite efforts at being low-key camera vans clogged up D St SW and Salt signs were posted on telephone poles — verrrry sneaky, guys.
By jasmine
‘Volcano Taco’
courtesy of ‘brunorepublic’
While I am all for thrifty dating, I have to draw the line somewhere. Specifically, that line is Taco Bell. I just want to go on the record as saying there is nothing romantic about Taco Bell. Fellow blogger KatieT claims that it’s perfectly acceptable once you’ve been together for a while, but not I. I don’t care how long you’ve been dating or how much you love the Bell; cheap, terrible, fake Mexican fast food is how you know the romance has died. And this? I really, truly hope nobody began a marriage that way.
By Katie
‘Hustla Poker’
courtesy of ‘Funkman’
I’m pretty bad at poker. But then again, I’m not super good at card games in general, I’m better at say, oh, Apples to Apples or Balderdash. That said, I can respect a girl who can get down with poker.
If you are a woman with card skillz, or know of one, tell them to head on over to Restaurant 3 on March 22nd for ‘Chicks with Chips,’ a charitable women’s poker tournament and cocktail competition. The part that intrigues me? Local female mixologists from the likes of Tabard Inn, PS7’s and Ardour will be on hand to craft the perfect complement to your game. I can always get down with fearless female cocktail creators (how’d you like that alliteration!?).
Restaurant 3 is located in Clarendon and the tourney will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The play price is a bit steep, at $65 per player, but proceeds from the tournament will benefit New Endeavors by Women, a charity that helps women take control of their lives and move out of homelessness, so you can feel good about that.
‘Traffic light’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
If you find yourself getting regularly ticketed as you go just a liiiittle too fast through Chevy Chase Village, you may be interested to know that there’s a class-action suit pending. The company that operates the cameras for the county earns a fee for every ticket issued, which sets up a financial incentive for the company to issue more tickets, and to therefore potentially fudge the camera’s calibration and sensitivity. No one seems to be making any accusations of improper camera operation, but since some jurisdictions have been caught illegally shortening yellow lights to generate more revenue out of red light cameras, the existence of an additional financial incentive to increase the number of tickets issued seems like a conflict of interest.
Some of the Maryland jurisdictions in question are already moving to alter their contract with ACS State and Local Solutions to pay a flat fee for operation and maintenance of the cameras in order to avoid this problem in the future.
‘St. Patrick’s Church – Forked Tongue Devil – 3-4-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
So is it that the gargoyle has a forked tongue, abnormally large fangs, or is it that he’s been out too late and partying too hard?
I’m guessing your answer says a lot about you, but I can’t figure out what.
By Katie
‘Oatmeal’
courtesy of ‘oztenphoto’
But Jamba Juice doesn’t care. They’re now offering oatmeal as a new breakfast product. You can top yours with fruit or brown sugar, and if you use this coupon, you can snag it for only one dollar, all March long. A thrifty deal if I’ve ever heard one.
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