It only took 13 months, but I have finally found a reason to wake up before 10am on a Saturday morning.
Tennis!!!
Amy and I have been making an effort to get out and do exercisey things more often, including biking and throwing a softball and frisbee around on the National Mall. We've also gone on the hunt for tennis courts in the District that we could get to without car (please write to your Senator and Congress-person to encourage the construction of a court or two on the Mall), and discovered that there are plenty within walking, biking and metroing distance. At one such court we noticed a flyer for a tennis league that was just getting underway.
Of course I began reminiscing about my days of high school tennis glory. Starting out as a scrub freshman year during our school's inaugural season, I worked my way up to slide into the sixth and final slot on the varsity squad by the time I became an upperclassman. The highlight my senior year was making it to the sub-state round as a team, which my doubles-partner and I contributed to by winning our first match in districts before getting trounced by the eventual state champs from Oelwein in the second round.
With a little encouragement from Amy, I decided to jump in and sign up for the league. With my time somewhat tight and unpredictable at work, I realized that weekends would be my best time to play matches, and with the recent heat wave, mornings and evenings would be the most comfortable. The result being my first match this morning at 10am. Yes, I actually got out of bed on a Saturday while the hour-hand was pointing at a single-digit number that was not followed by "PM"!
It felt great to get the first game in, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this season and the beginning of the next. Feel free to follow my progress and live vicariously through my match scores by checking the excellent web site. I'm currently playing in the "Men's Sum. #2 Comp. A" league, Nalbandian division.
Little known fact: Adam has not smashed a tennis racket to pieces out of frustration at his own poor play since 1995.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Friday, June 23, 2006
More excitement!
Thursday night was the most excitement we've experienced since we moved to DC. Well, except for blowing a tire on the beltway during rush hour. Or nearly driving off a mountain road in the middle of the night. Or having two car batteries die within a week, both times while we were at least 30 miles from home. Ok, maybe it was the most exciting non-car-related time we've had.
Adam had to work late Thursday, so we met at McDonald's for dinner. While we were there, someone came in and said that all the power had gone out in Chinatown. Adam hoped that his office had been affected and I hoped that our apartment building had not been. We were both disappointed.
When I returned to the building, I had to go in through the front door, which was being propped open with a carpet roll because they keypads weren't working. The lobby was dimly lit and crowded with residents, concierges, and maintenance people. One of the four elevators was working and there was a line to use it. I thought about trying the stairs, but the doors into all the floors above the first are usually locked.
When I got to our apartment, I changed into shoes and socks (for once remembering how freaked out I get about rats after dark when I'm wearing sandals) and left the building via the stairwell.
Chinatown was dark and more subdued than usual. People who had been kicked out of bars and restaurants wandered around the neighborhood and emergency vehicles with flashing lights lined the streets. Two crossing guards directed traffic at 7th and H.
I spent about an hour in the air conditioning at Barnes & Noble, then called Adam and arranged to meet him at 7th and E. It was one of those evenings when you feel like you are being slowly pressed into the sidewalk and lose all will to move. We stood on the corner for several minutes discussing our options before deciding to take the Metro to Kramerbooks & Afterwords at Dupont Circle.
After some drinks and a slice of pie in the cafe, we browsed in the bookstore until 11:30, when we decided we'd better catch a train before the Metro closed at midnight. While we walked to the Metro, huge bolts of lightning flashed across the sky. I was afraid we were going to get soaked in a rainstorm, an occurrence that has become all too common in my life, but we managed to make it all the way home with just a few sprinkles falling on us.
Back in Chinatown, it was obvious that the electricity was still out, and let me tell you, Chinatown with no light other than flares on the streets and huge bolts of lightning in the sky is one eerie place. We made it to our apartment and looked out at Mass Ave, where there had been traffic cones and flares set up in the middle and on the edges of the street. Apparently Washingtonians can't be trusted to drive properly in the dark without some help. Adam napped in the recliner while I read on the couch with the help of our trusty headlamp. Even if we had gone to bed, I'm not sure I'd have been able to sleep with all the lightning and thunder. At 1:30, the lights came back on and the storm abated. After checking the refrigerator and freezer to make sure none of our food had spoiled, we finally went to bed.
Adam had to work late Thursday, so we met at McDonald's for dinner. While we were there, someone came in and said that all the power had gone out in Chinatown. Adam hoped that his office had been affected and I hoped that our apartment building had not been. We were both disappointed.
When I returned to the building, I had to go in through the front door, which was being propped open with a carpet roll because they keypads weren't working. The lobby was dimly lit and crowded with residents, concierges, and maintenance people. One of the four elevators was working and there was a line to use it. I thought about trying the stairs, but the doors into all the floors above the first are usually locked.
When I got to our apartment, I changed into shoes and socks (for once remembering how freaked out I get about rats after dark when I'm wearing sandals) and left the building via the stairwell.
Chinatown was dark and more subdued than usual. People who had been kicked out of bars and restaurants wandered around the neighborhood and emergency vehicles with flashing lights lined the streets. Two crossing guards directed traffic at 7th and H.
I spent about an hour in the air conditioning at Barnes & Noble, then called Adam and arranged to meet him at 7th and E. It was one of those evenings when you feel like you are being slowly pressed into the sidewalk and lose all will to move. We stood on the corner for several minutes discussing our options before deciding to take the Metro to Kramerbooks & Afterwords at Dupont Circle.
After some drinks and a slice of pie in the cafe, we browsed in the bookstore until 11:30, when we decided we'd better catch a train before the Metro closed at midnight. While we walked to the Metro, huge bolts of lightning flashed across the sky. I was afraid we were going to get soaked in a rainstorm, an occurrence that has become all too common in my life, but we managed to make it all the way home with just a few sprinkles falling on us.
Back in Chinatown, it was obvious that the electricity was still out, and let me tell you, Chinatown with no light other than flares on the streets and huge bolts of lightning in the sky is one eerie place. We made it to our apartment and looked out at Mass Ave, where there had been traffic cones and flares set up in the middle and on the edges of the street. Apparently Washingtonians can't be trusted to drive properly in the dark without some help. Adam napped in the recliner while I read on the couch with the help of our trusty headlamp. Even if we had gone to bed, I'm not sure I'd have been able to sleep with all the lightning and thunder. At 1:30, the lights came back on and the storm abated. After checking the refrigerator and freezer to make sure none of our food had spoiled, we finally went to bed.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Our 'hood
GP Living has posted a link to a slideshow of photos of our neighborhood. In other Gallery Place news, we are very excited about the new CVS at 400 Massachusetts that will open any day.
Though Adam is still incredibly busy at work, we finally reached our goal of seeing every exhibit in the American History museum this weekend, except the ones that were closed for construction. We hope those exhibits will be available for viewing before the museum closes for renovation in October. Our next whole-museum project will probably be the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, both of which are reopening after extensive renovations on July 1, and which are only a few blocks from our apartment, a definite advantage in the oppressive Washington summer.
Though Adam is still incredibly busy at work, we finally reached our goal of seeing every exhibit in the American History museum this weekend, except the ones that were closed for construction. We hope those exhibits will be available for viewing before the museum closes for renovation in October. Our next whole-museum project will probably be the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum, both of which are reopening after extensive renovations on July 1, and which are only a few blocks from our apartment, a definite advantage in the oppressive Washington summer.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Excitement!
Obviously it has been a while since either of us posted here, but we finally have something newsworthy to write about...
While we were out and about walking along Pennsylvania Ave tonight we had the great fortune of seeing a guy accidentally step on, and then kick, a rat! The little rodent first ran by a family of three, at which the mother exclaimed "Eeek a Rat!", and it then proceeded to run a few yards straight ahead right under the falling shoe of a gentleman. He jumped a bit and then somehow managed to kick the rat up in the air a little bit. Apparently World Cup Soccer Fever is spreading!
His parting comments: "I kicked a rat! The ones in Philly are bigger."
While we were out and about walking along Pennsylvania Ave tonight we had the great fortune of seeing a guy accidentally step on, and then kick, a rat! The little rodent first ran by a family of three, at which the mother exclaimed "Eeek a Rat!", and it then proceeded to run a few yards straight ahead right under the falling shoe of a gentleman. He jumped a bit and then somehow managed to kick the rat up in the air a little bit. Apparently World Cup Soccer Fever is spreading!
His parting comments: "I kicked a rat! The ones in Philly are bigger."
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Zipperific
Ever since we sold our car to the nice folks at CarMax a couple of weeks ago, we have been rejoicing on a daily basis that we no longer owe a large sum of money to the apartment management for parking garage fees each month. Without putting an exact number on it, let's just say we can now afford to eat at Five Guys about 15 more times each month!
Not owning a car, however, does pose some problems from time to time. For instance, I thoroughly enjoy paying one person in excess of $50 to tell me what is wrong with an object, and then a few months later, paying a second person in excess of $50 to tell me what is really wrong with that same object. Without a car, I'll be forced to find another way to throw my money away.
Sarcasm aside, an actual problem with not owning a car is how to get somewhere that is not next to a Metro subway or bus stop. For example, when one lives in DC and wants to take a ski trip to Virginia, the automobile is a good solution. We looked around for the closest vehicle we could legally get our hands on, and it turned out to be parked right in front of our building. We discovered Zipcar.
Having heard about them a few years back in Seattle, and learned much more since moving to DC, we had actually been planning this transition from ownership to rental for awhile. The details are available on their website, but basically, it works like this:
After factoring in insurance and gas costs (both are included in the up-front Zipcar reservation fees), the daily or hourly cost is just as good, if not better than, a lot of typical rental shop deals. And did I mention you don't have to interact with anyone to reserve a car? I really like that part. The XM radio is a nice extra as well.
So here we are, in Charlottesville, VA, having arrived safely in our chosen Zipcar for the weekend, a Ford Escape named Ethel (another difference from typical rental car places: all Zipcars have names). She has been a good steed thus far, and it's nice knowing she'll be ready to take us on another ride when we want to venture outside the reaches of the DC Metro. Of course, Bert, a Scion xB parked near the Georgetown Law School campus, looks pretty tempting...
Not owning a car, however, does pose some problems from time to time. For instance, I thoroughly enjoy paying one person in excess of $50 to tell me what is wrong with an object, and then a few months later, paying a second person in excess of $50 to tell me what is really wrong with that same object. Without a car, I'll be forced to find another way to throw my money away.
Sarcasm aside, an actual problem with not owning a car is how to get somewhere that is not next to a Metro subway or bus stop. For example, when one lives in DC and wants to take a ski trip to Virginia, the automobile is a good solution. We looked around for the closest vehicle we could legally get our hands on, and it turned out to be parked right in front of our building. We discovered Zipcar.
Having heard about them a few years back in Seattle, and learned much more since moving to DC, we had actually been planning this transition from ownership to rental for awhile. The details are available on their website, but basically, it works like this:
- Apply for membership (Zipcar checks your driving history for major problems)
- If approved, your Zipcard is mailed to you
- Set up account on the Zipcar website
- Make a reservation on the website for any available Zipcar in the United States (well, in a few major cities at least)
- Use Zipcard to get in car when reservation starts, and make sure the car is back in its designated parking place when your reservation ends
After factoring in insurance and gas costs (both are included in the up-front Zipcar reservation fees), the daily or hourly cost is just as good, if not better than, a lot of typical rental shop deals. And did I mention you don't have to interact with anyone to reserve a car? I really like that part. The XM radio is a nice extra as well.
So here we are, in Charlottesville, VA, having arrived safely in our chosen Zipcar for the weekend, a Ford Escape named Ethel (another difference from typical rental car places: all Zipcars have names). She has been a good steed thus far, and it's nice knowing she'll be ready to take us on another ride when we want to venture outside the reaches of the DC Metro. Of course, Bert, a Scion xB parked near the Georgetown Law School campus, looks pretty tempting...
Happy birthday, Chelsea!
Exactly one year ago, Adam and I were driving to the hospital so we could be there when our niece was born. We can't believe how much she has grown in just one year. Let me tell you, she is one beautiful little girl, and we wish we could be there to celebrate her first birthday with her!
Thursday, February 16, 2006
When I have fears that our computer may cease to work...
...they usually come true. The (second) motherboard in our (relatively new) computer seems to have bought the farm. You would think that with a computer genius like Adam around, we would never have these problems. Sadly, you would be wrong. This means that the promised picture posting will have to be put on indefinite hold until Adam has time to figure out what the problem is and fix it. Given that he has been working approximately 38 hours per day lately, that could take awhile.
Item #1 in today's News of the Weird is that I have been called for jury duty. IN ANAMOSA. (This is, unfortunately, about as weird as my life gets.) This is funny because a) I traded in my Iowa driver's license for a DC one about six months ago, and b) I have not been registered to vote in Anamosa for at least 4 years. In fact, since I was last registered to vote in Anamosa, I have been registered in two other places: Ames and DC.
Anyway, my wonderful mother filled out the jury duty form for me, but she left the "Distance from residence to courthouse" space blank. After I talked to her, I looked it up: 923 miles. At their rate of $.20-$.30/mile for commuting, that's about $184-$277, which is probably enough for a plane ticket. Given that I'm self-employed and the only equipment I need to do my job is a computer and a high-speed internet connection, and that (News of the Weird item #2) my dad was called for jury duty at the same time (I don't think he was as amused about it as I was), I should totally do it. How much fun would it be to report for jury duty with my dad? Actually, probably more fun for me than for him. He has to actually show up somewhere for work.
Item #1 in today's News of the Weird is that I have been called for jury duty. IN ANAMOSA. (This is, unfortunately, about as weird as my life gets.) This is funny because a) I traded in my Iowa driver's license for a DC one about six months ago, and b) I have not been registered to vote in Anamosa for at least 4 years. In fact, since I was last registered to vote in Anamosa, I have been registered in two other places: Ames and DC.
Anyway, my wonderful mother filled out the jury duty form for me, but she left the "Distance from residence to courthouse" space blank. After I talked to her, I looked it up: 923 miles. At their rate of $.20-$.30/mile for commuting, that's about $184-$277, which is probably enough for a plane ticket. Given that I'm self-employed and the only equipment I need to do my job is a computer and a high-speed internet connection, and that (News of the Weird item #2) my dad was called for jury duty at the same time (I don't think he was as amused about it as I was), I should totally do it. How much fun would it be to report for jury duty with my dad? Actually, probably more fun for me than for him. He has to actually show up somewhere for work.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Coup de Blog
Because I have more time than Adam and because I'm supposed to be the writer in this relationship anyway, I've decided to help him out with the blogging duties. I'm not sure that I'll be any less sporadic than Adam is, but between the two of us we might be able to manage at least a weekly update!
I hope all of our readers (Adam has led me to believe that there are two of you, possibly fewer) had a good Valentine's Day. We celebrated by grabbing dinner at Five Guys, the best burger place in the world ever, then walking around the neighborhood past all the expensive restaurants. We're also taking a trip to Charlottesville, VA this weekend so Adam can emulate the Olympic skiers we've been watching on TV and break at least one bone.
Finally, I've decided that we need to publish a few more of the pictures we have on our computer, so be on the lookout for plenty of pictures within the next few days. Some of these are at least a year old and the order in which I post them will probably be arbitrary, but I'll try to adequately explain them so they're not too confusing.
I hope all of our readers (Adam has led me to believe that there are two of you, possibly fewer) had a good Valentine's Day. We celebrated by grabbing dinner at Five Guys, the best burger place in the world ever, then walking around the neighborhood past all the expensive restaurants. We're also taking a trip to Charlottesville, VA this weekend so Adam can emulate the Olympic skiers we've been watching on TV and break at least one bone.
Finally, I've decided that we need to publish a few more of the pictures we have on our computer, so be on the lookout for plenty of pictures within the next few days. Some of these are at least a year old and the order in which I post them will probably be arbitrary, but I'll try to adequately explain them so they're not too confusing.
Hollywood, DC
Reese Witherspoon was spotted shopping the in District a couple of times last week while her husband Ryan Phillipe is filming a new movie about the FBI and the infamous spy/mole Robert Hanssen called Breach. Last weekend, as Amy and I were walking by the Hoover FBI building on our way to Barnes & Noble, we noticed a strange sight; the entire block appeared to be surrounded by semi-trucks and trailers of many sizes. I didn't immediately make the connection, but once I saw the trailer with a numbers of doors marked with a single star, and another trailer with a door marked "Director", my lightning-quick logic abilities kicked in--there were famous people nearby!!!
Unfortunately, the only people we spotted were the bored-looking individuals sitting in the trucks keeping them warm. Assuming filming was happening in or around the Hoover building, it made me wonder what kind hoops the studio had to jump through to get access.
Unfortunately, the only people we spotted were the bored-looking individuals sitting in the trucks keeping them warm. Assuming filming was happening in or around the Hoover building, it made me wonder what kind hoops the studio had to jump through to get access.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Birthday Gifts
Another birthday has come and gone, and having turned 26 I am now officially on my way to 30 years old. Though approaching that age is just a wee little bit scary, I'm a firm believer in the you're-only-as-old-as-you-feel philosophy, and as Amy would tell you, some [editor's note: where "some" means "most"] days that comes out in the 14-16 year old range.
I had a great birthday, which included an excellent cake Amy made for me from a recipe I got from a coworker. The gist of the recipe: cookie on bottom, frosting on top, cake in the middle. Deliciousness all around. We also attempted to go bowling at the new bowling alley by the MCI Center, but discovered upon arrival that reservations are typically required to get a lane. Since bowling wasn't an option, we did the next best thing you can do in a bowling alley; we parked ourselves at the bar, ordered some drinks, and watched many basketball games on a wall of widescreen TVs.
Finally, a list of a few random events that occurred close to my birthday which I will claim as birthday gifts:
I had a great birthday, which included an excellent cake Amy made for me from a recipe I got from a coworker. The gist of the recipe: cookie on bottom, frosting on top, cake in the middle. Deliciousness all around. We also attempted to go bowling at the new bowling alley by the MCI Center, but discovered upon arrival that reservations are typically required to get a lane. Since bowling wasn't an option, we did the next best thing you can do in a bowling alley; we parked ourselves at the bar, ordered some drinks, and watched many basketball games on a wall of widescreen TVs.
Finally, a list of a few random events that occurred close to my birthday which I will claim as birthday gifts:
- Our vehicle of burden for the past 7 months finally decided to leave us. A 1994 Buick Skylark, it had been in Amy's family since it was new, and had been a solid car for us up until we moved to DC. Ever since we got here, however, the automobile has not been its old reliable self. Flat tires, dead batteries, and most recently, an alternator needing replacement, finally motivated us (me mostly; Amy had been ready to get rid of it since the flat tire) to take a drive to Car Max. They made the process of selling pretty painless, and we were happy with the offer they made. Most of all we're happy that we'll no longer have to pay outrageous monthly parking fees for our apartment's garage.
- Prince channeling Jimi Hendrix with his rocking guitar-driven performance on Saturday Night Live last weekend. He played a tasty tune called "Fury", and got me excited about his next album coming out in March, called "3121". Hopefully his next tour makes a stop in DC!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
What Does A Post Card Exhibit Look Like?
Pretty much exactly what you think it would look like... but a lot of the cards in this exhibit were quite interesting (some pictures may not be appropriate for some people). 
Mooninites Unite!
An Ignignokt sighting while waiting in line for the PostSecret exhibit. I'm sure he was mocking our pathetic and quaint Earth-idea of "lining up".
PostSecret Line
This picture doesn't do it justice, but when we arrived in Georgetown to see the PostSecret exhibit on it's second to last day, we didn't think we'd have to stand in line (for an hour and 40 minutes) just to get inside. From the corner the line stretched down about 3/4 of the block, and to the left towards the museum entrance was another 1/2 a block. Though it was a bit chilly outside, once we were in we appreciated the amount of breathable oxygen; the museum space would have been crazy if everyone had been allowed to crowd in at once.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Home From the Holidays
The holidays have come and gone, and I've since gone back to the normalcy/insanity of the work week. Our two weeks of vacation in Iowa was a very nice time, and a much needed break. Catching up with family and friends, more than the gift-giving and getting, really made the holiday time memorable, especially since we've been halfway across the country for six months. We've done pretty well adjusting to the new distance from home (prior to this we had been used to only having a two-hour drive from Ames to either of our hometowns), and we've even made another New Year's resolution to take advantage of more of the cultural things around the District. The goal is to try to do or see something new every weekend. So far, we have:
Of course, the other tried and true resolution, to be healthier/exercise more hasn't gotten off to as great a start. Even though there is what appears to be a very nice work out facility just off the lobby of our apartment building, it seems like so much effort to use it! I mean, I'd have to change my clothes, walk all the way down the hall, take an elevator down a number of floors, walk into the exercise room, and then I'm faced with an entirely new challenge; Do I go for the aerobic workout on the treadmills equipped with personal cable-connected LCD television screens, or do I start with strength training (a subject where, much like poker, I have gained most of my knowledge by watching ESPN). As you can see, the mental exercise involved is enough to stop me before I've even started...
- Been to the Evensong service at the National Cathedral
- Saw the PostSecret exhibit in Georgetown
- Visited the National Museum of American History (and saw half of the first floor before our legs gave out)
Of course, the other tried and true resolution, to be healthier/exercise more hasn't gotten off to as great a start. Even though there is what appears to be a very nice work out facility just off the lobby of our apartment building, it seems like so much effort to use it! I mean, I'd have to change my clothes, walk all the way down the hall, take an elevator down a number of floors, walk into the exercise room, and then I'm faced with an entirely new challenge; Do I go for the aerobic workout on the treadmills equipped with personal cable-connected LCD television screens, or do I start with strength training (a subject where, much like poker, I have gained most of my knowledge by watching ESPN). As you can see, the mental exercise involved is enough to stop me before I've even started...
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