Ronald Reagan Airport Cathedral Ceiling

hubster blackberries

I never noticed this before! I met a friend for dinner at TGIF's at our nearest airport, the Ronald Reagan airport or DCA, and lo and behold, I glanced up at the ceiling and it looked like a gothic cathedral. And the reason I had my camera with me was to take a photo of our friend at the airport, but of course, it was another one of those times when I brought the camera along for a specific purpose and drab nabbit, I forgot to snap the shot. By the time I remembered I had the camera, she had run off to her flight!  The three of us -- hubster, friend and I -- had managed to have some dinner together -- a not too dreadful pecan-crumbed salmon salad thing -- and of course, a martini for  me. Once she'd scurried off for a TSA handling experience, I glanced around and noted the wide open space, the mosaics on the floor, and the careful lighting of what is a very controlled environment. So, is an airport some kind of new cathedral?

Rustik Tavern in Bloomingdale

Well, it's just amazing to me that there is now a decent bar where we can go for a drink and snack and that is within walking distance of my house in this section of the city I have lived in for over 25 years. This is the Rustik Tavern which opens at 4 pm every day and serves drinks and pizza and a few other things up to 1 pm daily. We went there Saturday evening about 5 pm and hubster ordered a Ying Ling beer and I had my customary vodka martini while sitting at the bar watching Manchester United beat Manchester City on the large HD TV screen hanging over the bar. The smiling waitress also served us a pizza -- I think we got some sort of veggie thing -- that was about 12 inches diameter and enough of a snack for two people. They make the pizzas in a fiery gas oven over on one side of the tavern that you can watch while they cut and chop and bake 'em.  While we were there nearly all the tables filled with mostly all the young people who have moved into the neighborhood over the past four to five years. They even bring their kids in with them as one little girl was running up and down between the tables and the row of bar stools.  It's a very nice atmosphere and we stayed for a couple of hours and even noshed on some baked potatoes with bacon and cheese bits and a poached pear dessert during our second round of drinkies.Of course, I had to check and see if there was a wheelchair accessible doorway that my son could use when he comes home and wants to go out for a beer or whatever. And yes, they have such a doorway but it's a bit blocked by surplus chairs on the inside. That's a No-No!  I got the impression that this bar attracts more singles later in the evening but I'm really not sure about that.  It's clear that when the weather gets warmer they will have tables outside and that might be a fun activity too, watching the world go by on Rhode Island avenue in Bloomingdale.   I might try the kale salad then, which I'd seen being delivered to another table. Well, we'd prayed for the neighborhood to improve, and now, prayer answered! Thank God!

DC Chinatown is Fine

I was sitting on the corner of H Street and 7th NW waiting for a bus to take me back to work and I looked up and saw the old and the new buildings and the marvelous painted archway in Chinatown. Although it was cold, I enjoyed the view of the new buildings and the fresh paint which is a big change from how it looked about ten years ago. All of a sudden this intersection and the area around it look like New York city. It's all because they built the MCI center, whoops, now called Verizon center and that became a magnet for a lot of great development in what was becoming a decaying section of the city. My bus finally came and I found myself glad for the resurrection of this part of the city.  

Hubster Kills Computer

The crashing and banging sounds emanating from the study upstairs, and that were paired with masculine oaths and thudding sounds, caught my attention from the downstairs living room where I was calmly and quietly catching up on Facebook entries. In some alarm, I called out "what's going on up there?" Hubster yelled back that he was "sick of this da** computer" and that the email had frozen up on him "one time too many times." In response to my further concerned inquiry, through gritted teeth, as he whacked the computer with our heaviest hammer, he said "not to worry, I'm killing the computer."  Once I opened wide the study door, there he was, Computer Axe Man demolishing an e-machine, shards of plastic and metal flying about as he tore into what was a desktop computer. "I've been looking forward to doing this," he said, as bits and bobs flew and landed against the far wall. I knew things weren't going well with this particular electronic device as I have heard him previously invoking various well known Anglo-Saxon epithets at the screen of this computer. It does -- did -- seem to freeze up a lot, you know, just when you're downloading a critical IRS form or that email from the boss or the plane ticket confirmation, all of which disappear forever and which will require you to execute a repeat of at least an hour's worth of computer entries to get to where you were before the computer freeze-up occurred.Clearly, it's time to buy something new and shiny and fast and loaded with tons of memory. And time to make sure the hammer gets back in the tool box.

Another Rant About Late & Packed DC Metrobuses

In this cold snap of weather we're having I'm finding myself very irritated when the bus is late, or crowded, or fellow passengers are well, just disagreeable. This week has been difficult.  On Monday morning I waited 20 minutes and the first bus that came was packed with passengers so the driver didn't even stop and waved to the fifteen (!) of us that were now waiting at the stop to indicate that another bus was coming. So we all got on that a few minutes later, a bus that filled very quickly by the next stop and was jammed with Monday morning scofflaws holding steaming cups of coffee that I felt sure would be spilled on me. Why do the drivers let people bring cups of hot liquid with them? On Tuesday, I missed the bus as it came earlier to the stop than the schedule indicated and I saw it whizzing gaily past at the top of the intersection, too far away for me to run and try and hail it..Someone said it was the earlier bus, but just running late. Oh well. On Wednesday, I waited in the cold wind again during another ice age while going home and it seemed like everyone on the bus was coughing and not covering their mouths.  Thursday, the bus was totally packed again and some little girl kept sneezing and wiping her nose with her hand and then -- watching in horror -- I saw her touching just about everything she could reach within arm's length, like the hanging strap, the hand rail, the overhead bar, the rim of her seat and the rim of all the seats around her. Truly, I was getting grossed out as over a ten minute ride she sneezed three times and did this. Did I mention my SmartTrip card didn't work half the time on the electronic meters, even though I know it has over $40 on it? I'd wave it over the sensor and the stupid thing wouldn't beep or the screen would give up an unintelligible illegible message so I'd ask the driver "did it work?" and they'd just wave me past as this was happening to every other passenger getting on the bus and the drivers really are trying to keep to the schedule, I think. And the stinking smokers! People whose clothes stink of cigarette smoke shouldn't be allowed on buses when it's packed as there is just no seat to shift to and get away from it. And what about those people who start cursing and running their mouths at any ole provocation or who glance at you sideways because your bag brushed against them? The bus is jammed full, buzzbreath!  Tomorrow's Friday, so who knows what irritating thing will happen?  Maybe, it's just this long cold stretch of winter causing me to feel like I might dump out a hot coffee on someone, stomp on someone's toe and utter some unladylike verbal exclamationsl!.