The Smudge of Ashen Fluff has posted mp3s of the Q And Not U Ft. Reno show.

(Quit your bitching, the band is about to break up and I doubt they’re likely to deprive fans of concert bootlegs.)

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Dear Mr. Metropolitan Police Parking Enforcement Officer:

Yes, it’s very gratifying that you’re enforcing the 4:00-6:30 No Parking period at 4:01 PM as I’m outside my office, taking three minutes to unload stuff from my car into the waiting arms of my coworkers. Really, we’re all very pleased that you’re so dedicated to your job.

But I only have one question.

Where the FUCK are you at 5:30 and 6:00, when there is ACTUAL TRAFFIC being SEVERELY BLOCKED?! You know, when the FedEx truck is parked on L Street unloading a hell of a lot more stuff than it takes to full up the back seat of my Beetle.

But I also suppose I should thank you for taking your time on the truck in front of me that had been left at the curb, leaving me just enough time to DRIVE AWAY before you got to me.

Love,
Tiff

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

California Tortilla, the little burrito joint that could, is having Freeze Pop Day at its restaurants tomorrow (it’s our birthday, too! We didn’t even know they were fans!) :

It’s that time of year again: Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 20th is Freeze Pop Day at your local California Tortilla! (I love Freeze Pop Day.) Our spunky employees will be anxiously standing by to give you your favorite Freeze Pop color. (The jury’s still out on whether they’re actual flavors).

So, take a break from your workaday life and get a freeze pop. They’re located all over the greater DC area.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I had a lunch meeting with a friend over in Farragut North today, so I figured a quick stop up the red line and away I’d go. I walked into the station, expecting to wait a couple minutes, but sure enough, a train was pulling into the station, just my luck! Were it only so good going home. I descended the escalator back into the station, post-meeting and bam, there are the blinking lights. Score. Train impending!

Or not.

5 minutes pass, blink, blink blink.

10 minutes pass, blink, blink.

Wait, are those people in the tunnel?

Sure enough, 3 metro employees are checking the tracks, walking up the tunnel. blink, blink, blink.

At this point, the platform is restless, the black man in the suit and tie, the clay aiken wannabe in the bad pinstriped suit, the pregnant woman on her cellphone, the glamour model leaning against the payphone, we’re all bored stiff, pissed off, and angry that we’re wasting a good 20 minutes of our lunch hour to deal with Metro’s complete and utter incompetence.

blink blink.

blink.

fucking lights blink.

The PA crackles to life, and warns us of a delay on the Red Line at Farragut North.

Great. blink. blink. We know this. blink.

Finally the train comes, packed full of frustrated workers, disheveled and angry tourons, and the clueless folks that have nothing better to do than ride the Metro at 1:45pm. Back to work.

blink.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So I’ve often thought that Metrobuses are microcosms of DC society, more so than the tourist-riddled Metro.

Each bus line has its own personality.

Some are completely cut-throat:
“I’m not getting up for you, pregnant lady!”

Some are pulse points of DC professional stress:
“Did you just touch my jacket?!!?”

Some are quiet, courteous, and deadly.

Take my line, the venerable 66. As a regular rider now for the past five years, I’ve discovered it has two important rules, and both were on display this morning.

1) Always greet the bus driver.
If you greet the driver consistently, with a sad and sleepy “Good Morning,” you can eventually break through his gruff exterior. He may actually recognize you, and one morning slow down (!) or even stop (!) and wait while you stumble blearily across the street to catch the bus. I reached this exalted state today, and even got a “Late this morning, honey?”

Of course I paid dearly for ignoring important rule number two…

2) Be Nice to the Church Ladies.
This prevents them from talking about you loudly as if you weren’t there. “Who does she think she is, making us wait for her?” Note that if you’re in plugged-in iPod bliss, they will talk about you even louder, and if the driver is nice to you, count on instant elevation to “Jezebel!” status.

Tomorrow will be an interesting ride…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Last night at the Nationals game was probably one of my more uncomfortable moments in Washington. Sitting out in the open in ninety degree heat with seventy percent humidity is not my idea of a good time, but I’m such a baseball nut that I knew I could do it. I got to the stadium early, set up my scoresheet and waited for the game to kick off. The guy in front of me proceeded to taunt the Red Sox fans that went by, which wouldn’t have been such a bad thing if he didn’t proceed to tell a group of young teenagers that they should all die horrible deaths. I swear, Yankees fans really have no business ever coming to baseball games. It just serves to remind the world that trolls really do exist in real life.

The game was a good one, but I think the official scorer for the Nats needs to re-examine his hit/error calls from last night because I can think of at least three people that deserved errors last night, but instead got mercy calls. A first inning blooper ends up a double when a couple of fielders converge and the ball is lost. A late inning ball hit over the charging Preston Wilson’s head (dude! Back the fuck up when the ball is hit your way, you can always readjust!) turns into a stand up triple.

We didn’t stay into the seventh last because it was just so foul. My shirt sticking to my back and sweat running down my calves (damn you corporate dress code! Damn you to HELL!) and no air movement at all in the upper deck allowed us to hear the end of the game from the air conditioned car on the way back across the 14th St. Bridge. This swampy existence of ours is not worth living sometimes, and it definitely makes me wonder “Why the hell didn’t we put our capital someplace with better weather?!”

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Screw tipsy, now I’m angry. I just went to take a shower, to wash off the smoke of JR’s Show Tune Night (please, dear God, Smoke Free DC) and instead of nice hot water when I turn the faucet, all I get is the sucking sound of empty pipes.

This is the fourth time in a year that I’ve come home to a water-free existence. I don’t know if I should blame WASA or my apartment building for this outage, but I’m feeling like its WASA yet again. Love ya houses with kids, but I could care less about the lead problem. Buy a Brita fools. Its the lack of water outright that ticks me off. I’ve had more reliable service in Third World backwaters like Ulaan Baator and Kampala than this nation’s capital.

Ugh, to bed I go yet again, showerless and grumpy. Thanks for nuttin WASA.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

On Friday we mentioned that Metro was starting a Riders’ Advisory Council made up of local patrons of WMATA (Metrobus, Metrorail, etc). They have now published the by-laws revision for public comment. Ideally, the board would be seated this November or so, made up of six members for DC, six from VA and six from MD. There would be 2 members from each jurisdiction that would be metrorail passengers, two more that are bus-riders and two more than use para-transit. More on this at metro’s site. They’re seeking comments on the draft by-laws through August 16th.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Baltimore Symphony is having some serious drama this week as it moves toward appointing a new conductor. It appears that the orchestra doesn’t like the favored choice and wants the committee to search for another. The twist? The favored choice is Marin Alsop, who will conduct the London Symphony in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino and Beethoven’s Fifth next friday. Were Alsop to be selected, she’d be the first woman conductor of a major US orchestra, but it’s not entirely clear why players are opposed. No word on whether management will seat Alsop or not at this point, but I can’t see how that could remotely be a good idea…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

As you head out for lunch this week, thinking you might spurge for a Cosi salad instead of the cold and soggy sandwich you brought from home, take a gander at what the folks over at American Enterprise Institute have on their subsidized, in-house menu. If you intern there you get breakfast and lunch for free! Lobster stuffed veal and muscovy duck breast, wow! the Dark Side does eat well.

Tuesday, July 19
Appetizer
Marinated and Grilled Baby Artichokes with Avocado Soffritto Chicken.

Hot Entree
Pan-Seared Eye of Veal Loin Stuffed with Lobster, Shiitake Mushrooms
and Fresh Herbs served with Risotto Gallelle and Roasted Mustard Seed
Sauce.

Cold Entree
Salad of Columbia River Salmon, with Black Beans, Corn, Onions,
Tomatoes, Roasted Bell Peppers and Shredded Cheese tossed with Cilantro Lime
Vinaigrette.

Wednesday, July 20
Appetizer
Pan-Seared Maine Divers Sea Scallops topped with Asparagus and
Mascarpone Ravioli and Saffron Cucumber Reduction.

Hot Entree
Thai-Style Saut

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I know, this photo taken at the Elephant & Castle is a little more abstract than the one Wayan took. But since his competitive ass is too busy trying to win his bet with John to post his, here’s mine.

As taken at the Metroblogging DC Happy Hour on Friday night. Wanna party with us? Now you can.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

This morning I sat down at Cosi for a bagel and some strawberry lemonade, hoping desperately to escape the hot dampness that feels like you’ve put on two ponchos made of old army blankets that have steeped in boiling hot water. Sadly, Cosi was not the place to be. With their power just barely back on after last night’s severe storms, and the oven on all night, their AC just couldn’t compete and burned itself out trying. I sat in the hot damp of the cafe, with perspiration beading down both my neck and the side of my lemonade glass. I wondered, how the hell did the founders do it?

It’s not like they could wear shorts and a t-shirt and a ballcap and be taken seriously (not that I ever expect to be taken seriously in such garb, but still) ? I mean, breeches, stockings, waistcoats, it’s a scary thought, having to wear all of that, in wool, around this town.

Seriously, I definitely question the sanity of those lawyers and lobbyists who choose to put on a three piece suit and go outside in this weather. Hell, I question anyone who feels that a silken noose around their neck in this weather is a good idea. Oy. I will now retreat to my air-conditioned lair now.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Are you reading this right now, at 9pm on Saturday night, in Washington DC? If so, you better be using a battery-powered laptop because that lightening you hear? Yeah, that. It will fry your electronics in a heartbeat if it hits the transformer near your house. One just blew across the street and I can hear the folks cussing already.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

As seen on L Street yesterday afternoon. I have no idea what was going on.

Caption this image. Best caption wins… my undying respect. :)

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Today is Vienna’s first blogiversary celebration, they’re celebrating their first year of existence with an amazing party. Hey, wait, so are we! Wednesday night is getting closer and closer. The t-shirts have arrived (and look smashing!) and the drink specials have been set, and dj lil’ e will be getting her warmup on tonight over at Right Round UP at the Black Cat, so we’re getting into the final details now, kids.

Come on Wednesday, enjoy cake, some fantastic tunes, inexpensive libations, and t-shirts for cheap that will rock you to your very core. Or at least give you an extra little shake.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Attention Everyone: There is an Independence Division Kickball All Star Game this Saturday at 1pm on the mall. If the weather will not allow us to play we will still be drinking at Porters around 2:15. The cost is $5 which allows you to drink as much beer as you can till our kegs run out. In addition to that there are 2 more All Star Games scheduled with other divisions. One with Federal (still being planned) and one with Potomac. Here is the info for the Potomac All Star Game:

The 1st annual Independence vs. Potomac All Star kickball game will be held Monday July 25th on the mall (at a location to be determined). Each team is asked to submit 2 nominees by COB July 20th. Game time will be 7pm. After the game there will be a party at the Irish Times with the Potomac All Stars (Those who were at the Flip Cup Battle Royal know that these Potomac folks are crazy!).

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Gridskipper is running a World’s Sexiest Cities poll this week, and it appears that DC is up for…World’s Least Sexy City?! People, c’mon. This is ridiculous. Time to go vote for Detroit. Get on it.

I’d really like to know how DC missed the “Most Gay-Friendly City” category. New Orleans? Please.

Go vote Detroit or Munich, folks.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

With Metro complaints being numerous and well-deserved, WMATA’s board has decided to create a Riders Advisory Council, made up of transit customers. Six members from Virginia, six from Maryland, and six from DC, the council will help advise WMATA. Of course, we’re not sure exactly what they’ll advise WMATA to do…or how the riders will be selected, but apparently that will be up on Metro’s site on Monday.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Colleague local blogger Rob Goodspeed caught this sight yesterday on the corner of L and Connecticut. How do I know that? I recognize that storefront- I work right there.

But alas, I spent most of the morning at my company’s other offices and totally missed the blue Baltimore crabs.

Freakin’ job. I miss the BEST STUFF.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

When the food court over at the National Press Building re-opened last month, DC got another Five Guys location. Known for their amazing burgers and their crack-cocaine-laced fries, these are some great eats if you’re looking to completely abandon any notion of nutrition or proper diet and pig out.

Of course, that’s it’s appeal, so lots of folks go and get their delectable foods.

I was jonesin’ for something along those lines after a hard week, so over to the “Shops at National Place” for a Five Guys burger and some cajun fries. Up the escalator (working, natch, Metro please take note.) and into the large open space I went, and that’s when I saw the line. 30 people deep, just to order, and another 40 people hanging around waiting for their food. Lines that long hate freedom, people. I took my wallet and ended up with so so chinese food from Cafe 1200.

Oh, but how I did want those fries…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs