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Why this place is our home

Pay attention to me
Originally uploaded by ericandkatherine

"Is that Lollipop?"

I hear a group of people walking up behind me as I'm walking the dog. It's two middle-aged women and three kids.

Every kid in our neighborhood knows Lolly. And I mean every kid. Often if we go for a walk in the middle of the day, children will call out from down other blocks, "Hi Lolly!!" When Lolly hears the kids, she always starts to prance and trot.

Many of the kids call her Lollipop. It started with other kids telling their friends what her name was, "It's Lolly, like lollipop." The nickname just kind of grew and we see no reason to correct them. If they want to call her Lollipop, they can call her Lollipop.

One of the older kids repeats her question.

"Is that the dog Lollipop?"

It seemed kind of obvious that these kids had either only heard of Lolly (and never met her) or don't run into her often, as they seemed a little shy. It was also obvious that two older woman were a bit nervous about their kids coming in contact with a strange dog.

"I hear she loves kids," said the younger boy.

"You heard right," I said. "In fact, I think you'd make her the happiest dog in Washington if you would take a second to pet her."

On thing I always admire about Lolly is she somehow knows she can't treat children like adults. She never jumps or moves fast or barks. I have no idea where that comes from, but she just knows. The smaller the kid, the meeker she acts.

The three kids slowly approach her and extend their hands. Like usual, Lolly bowed down in front of them so her chest was on the ground.

All three kids started petting her, and Lolly eventually rolled over onto her back so that they could pet her side and stomach.

Whenever kids interact with Lolly, anywhere, we always tell them the same thing, "Boy, I can really tell that she likes you a lot!"

This always pleases the kids greatly. I think that even kids know there is no bullshitting a dog. If you are bad, the dog knows you are bad. If you are good, the dog knows that too. Getting an endorsement that a dog likes you is probably more authentic than any other compliment you can give or hear.

The two women told them they have to go and all the kids skip off to join the women. 

As Lolly starts to prance back to our house we can hear the three kids call out from behind us, "Bye bye, Lollipop."

Boom bang boom

IMG_8911
Originally uploaded by
the weather man lies

We had our concerns. With the recession, we were wondering if our fellow Petworth residents would have to scale back the fireworks this year.

For those unaware, the Petworth neighborhood in DC, where we live, is notorious for simultaneous amateur fireworks displays in all directions that are amazingly large, crazy expensive, and probably highly illegal. It starts at sundown and goes for hours in all directions.

Thankfully, we were not disappointed. Even some of our party guests--DC residents to boot--were in awe at the spectacle that comes to Petworth every 4th of July. We felt that this year's display was even more intense than last year's, but things started to calm down earlier. While last year we saw overhead fireworks from 8:30 until midnight, last night things were settling down by 11.

As usual, my photos stink. And, as usual, my friend Meghan's photos are much better (though the pics are in reverse order and you have to wade through tons of awful pics of my friends making faces at the camera--how original). And also as usual, my friend Carrie shot some simple video on her tiny camera that probably captured everything best of all. In fact, in addition to the two movies embedded below, she has six other great little videos (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 videos), plus her photos as well.

For those who don't believe this is anything all that unusual, here is the proof. Watch it and I'll guarantee you'll check the other videos and pictures.

Welcome to my 4th

Petworth 4th of July
Originally uploaded by Wayan Vota

Ah, the 4th of July. Always a celebrated holiday in my life.

Later tonight we're expecting some friends over for a little celebration Petworth-style. For those unaware, Petworth turns into Kabul on July 4th, with explosions and amateur displays that beat most small town fireworks. I wrote about last year's here.

On several past 4ths, I've re-posted/linked to a series of blog entries I wrote in 2003--the summer after I started this blog--about another memorable July 4th, in 1991 when I was living in Put-in-Bay, Ohio. It is a tale that goes from bad to awful to worse. It is chronicled in four parts over four days (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4)--and worth every second it takes to read it if you haven't read it before.

Also, it was on a 4th of July many years ago, during a college summer, that my roommates and I accidentally re-invented Harry Buffalo and got our entire block drunk. We called it Yak water. It was delicious, though I've never been able to look at a Kiwi the same way again.

Oh, sweet Independence, how we make a mockery of you.

New PoP guest post: DC Demystification

Somebody stole Tony's rose bush
Originally uploaded by ericandkatherine

I have a new guest post on the Prince of Petworth site, seeking advice about how to translate the sometimes strange and unusual complexities of city living to those who don't live here.

This all started when Katherine and I started to notice that neither set of parents had visited us in our new home after living there for 18 months.

Then I realized that when you totalled up the stories I tend to tell about our neighborhood, it ends up sounding like a terrible place.

Quote:

"But in fairness, when I’m telling stories, I go for the colorful and entertaining, I’m not shooting for high journalistic objectivity and fairness. However, I admit that the end product does come off a bit askew.
Going solely off my solely-for-entertainment-value stories, the unfamiliar might be left with the impression that Petworth is a place where bullets fly daily, bugs and rodents conduct their own ANC meetings, the Sunday paper contains coupons for local heroin and crack dealers, and residents mope down the street openly weeping."

Here's a link to the whole thing.

Springtime decor

pots of weeds
Originally uploaded by ericandkatherine

I like my neighbors. In fact, I like all my neighbors.

However, there is a quirk my next door neighbor has that I haven't been quite able to figure out.

Each spring, they put three pots out on their steps. Each fall, they go back up on the porch. And so the cycle goes.

Here is the weird part--there is nothing in them.

Well, it isn't that there is nothing in them. As you can see in the photo--we have a few things going on. There are dead stems in them. There is some moss. And weed sprouts--there are plenty of them.

But that's it--things are growing in the pots--but weeds. Weeds are growing in the pots. Weeds that grow large enough to cast off seeds...which land in my yard and grow themselves.

I keep wondering about these. Does my neighbor try to plant seeds--and they don't take? Does my neighbor simply like the pots themselves and doesn't care what's going on inside? Does my neighbor know that weeds aren't generally something that people grow in pots?

Who knows. Maybe they actually like weeds--they think they are pretty.

Given my track record of growing plants in pots--I shouldn't be making fun of someone who is actually keeping something alive for more than two weeks.

Caffeinated

U Street Starbucks
Originally uploaded by M.V. Jantzen

When we first move to the DC area, we lived in Rockville. To be more specific, we lived in a very nice apartment complex that faced two different strip malls.

Since we don't drink coffee (no particular reason why, we just don't), this worked out well for guests, since they could just walk one short block to a Starbucks.

Since moving into a residential-heavy section of the city, there is no retail to speak of within about six blocks. (I say "to speak of" because one block away there is a disgusting convenience store, a disgusting liquor store, a disgusting dry cleaners, and a disgusting medical supply store). So this past week Katherine and I decided to save our house guests the now-normal drive or long walk and bought a Keurig "K-cup" coffee-maker--you know, the kind that has a little cup that will brew exactly one cup of coffee.

This weekend we used it for the first time and, for a moment, it was the most fascinating thing on Earth. All three of us stood around looking at the coffee maker work. Breath-taking! Delicious! What will they think of next?!

All in perfect timing, by the way. As this story has just surfaced from one of the Starbucks closest to our house. It seems one of the baristas accidentally shot himself in the leg...with a handgun...that he was wearing at work.

Just to be clear: the coffee dude at Starbucks was packing...and it went off...at Starbucks.

Here's to the Keurig.

New PoP guest post

DC USA Main Entrance at Night
Originally uploaded by otavio_dc

I have a new guest post up on the Prince of Petworth blog.

If you aren't from Northwest DC, you probably won't get the context. The post is about the bane of my existence: the "Pay Here" machines at the DCUSA parking garage. DCUSA is a mall-like structure in my neighborhood that holds a Target, Best Buy, Staples, and several other retailers that normally would have no business locating their stores this deep inside the city.

As part of the lure for the stores, the city built a 1,000 car parking deck underneath DCUSA. The awesome part is that the city subsidizes its operation, so it only costs $1 to park there (as compared to $6-$20 in most other city parking decks). The other awesome thing is that few people drive, so there are always lots of convenient parking spots. The downside is that parkers need to pay at an automated "Pay Here" machine to exit. It should be the simplest thing in the world. Unfortunately, as you'll read, it isn't.

That's because most people are idiots.

Quote:

I think the "Pay Here" machine should function like the ancient contraptions in the Indiana Jones movies. Push the wrong button or do functions in the wrong order or outside of an acceptable time limit and a large impaling spike will explode from the floor, poison darts fly out of the wall, or a giant stone ball will roll out of a trap door in the ceiling, crushing those who find "Please insert ticket in machine" too complex an instruction.

As usual, I expect the commenters will have nasty things to say about me, which is why I enjoy doing these.

[Link] to the whole post.

Poop scoop

My friend Chuck periodically stops reading my blog.

"There are too many poop references," he says.

"How many is too many?" I ask.

"Any reference to fecal matter is too much," he says.

Well, Chuck should probably take a few weeks off until this one rolls off the front page...

We live in an urban environment. There are many advantages to living in a large city. There are a few downsides as well. In the video below, a fellow Petworthian visits Grant Circle (just a few blocks from our house) and spends a beautiful Saturday afternoon picking up every piece of dog poop he finds there.

How much poop? Well, watch the video to find out...he brought along a scale.

Welcome to the coronation

eric hope
Originally uploaded by ericandkatherine

I've heard two things a lot over the past few weeks. First, a surprising number of people have asked if I can hook them up with inauguration and/or inaugural ball tickets. I inform them that the fact that *I* am their best shot at a hook-up means they should definitely make other plans for January 20th.

The second is a large number of people saying, "Gee, it must be amazing to be in Washington during this inauguration."

Let me be clear, it is not.

You know all the chaos that comes right before Christmas? All the running around, interrupted routines, stress, lists of things to do and avoid, as well as preparations to have life be weird and difficult for a few days? Okay, now imagine doing that all over again a month later. Then, add in throngs of hopeless tourists and multiply that by 1.5 to 3 million--and you kinda get the picture.

It seems more like local people are preparing for a hurricane more than a presidential inauguration: buying lots of beer and bottled water, hitting the grocery store early, and planning not to go anywhere for any reason. Many District residents have the day off or are taking the day off, simply because getting to work on Tuesday will be close to logistically impossible. Subways are expected to double their highest ever ridership. All the bridges will be closed, all of downtown DC is a restricted zone.

I plan to enjoy the festivities much like people elsewhere in the world, in front of the TV in my living room.

When people hear this, they are usually quite taken aback. "You are so close to it," they say. "Why wouldn't you go be a part of it?"

As my brilliant wife replies to these queries, "When Neal Armstrong walked on the moon...did you have to be on the surface of the moon to feel like you were part of it?"

However, despite my grumpiness about it, there is something else very Christmas-like that is going on. People are genuinely being more kind to each other. Even in this sometimes awful city full of pessimists, cynics, and skeptics--there is a sense of hope, anticipation, and excitement.

I don't mind that part at all.

From the NYT to my belly

NH Ave in Petworth
Originally uploaded by HeatherBrie

The New York Times ran an article about the restaurants popping up in Washington neighborhoods like ours, rightly assuming that the presence of restaurants is kind of like a neighborhood health barometer. A lot of it focuses on Petworth (including a quote from my friend Dan of the Prince of Petworth blog).

"In Petworth, Columbia Heights, the U Street district and even the dicier parts of North Capitol Hill, a little restaurant revival is under way. Washington neighborhoods that for years were considered too dangerous or too poor for a viable sit-down restaurant are suddenly entertaining quite a few.

Some places, like Ms. Clark’s ode to Southern food in Petworth and the pan-Latin Rumberos in Columbia Heights, reflect the flavor of their neighborhoods. Others could open just about anywhere, but they all are part of a renewed excitement among the segment of this city that doesn’t wash in and out with each new administration."

Here's a link to the article.