Monday, June 30, 2008

Week 3- Really?

Monday, Week 3 of "work".
Weekday One of the new 30-series metrobus schedule.
It looked pretty good heading uphill to Tenleytown. Buses popping up at regular intervals, and the 37! Wow! Limited service downtown for the taking. The naturals of bus bunching and the punctuality of the new routes made the scheduling work, contrary to what I thought would happen, on account of treating the 31 as a separate line from the 32 and 36. Home, and Little Brother did his best- 14 years on play mode on Locomotion. Pool late in the evening after the storms, and home again, contemplating on the new square-shaped gallon milk jugs that Sam's Club now makes.
We're finalizing Jangoomag July. Look online soon!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Weekend Basics

Saturday-
Tilghman Island was the destination. En route, we would stop at Annapolis. Then, we got back on 'route 50', but there was a 17 mile backup- 3 lanes just wasn't enough. Change of plan- North Beach, the old-time bayside resort on 'our' side of the peninsula. It went OK- there was so much to do that I didn't read a page of the Cold War history!
Thunderstorm at night, very loud, distracted me from the Mayday.

Sunday-
7:45 am early mass. Went to Mc D's for the free sandwich, bought something small to not cause trouble in the big line, got $2 bills in change. West Virginia, microbrewery root beer, multiple crossings over the Potomac, long trip home, got lots of the Cold War History read.

I must shower now.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Post Script

This Washington breed of exercise-sport, bus chasing, always takes a toll on me. I was real sweaty; it was a hot and humid day, and still is. When I got back, the work gang was watching This is Marshall. Soon, it was lunchtime. I was so thirsty that I drank two of those little milk cartons- that really filled me up. On the way home, I hopped (saying 'jump' might mean something radical to my readers) off the bus, and got a free M&M ice cream bar handout. Awesome! Home, I watched up on Canadian television on YouTube- Mayday, about the Marshall plane incident (sometime in the '70's) , as well as the Aloha flight 243 (Apr. 28, 1988) - amazing survival story- all the passengers survived.

People updates, from Facebook.
c. is getting ready for the Potomac Life tennis tournament(L5).
al. et fr. are coincidently going to Maine soon, on two different vacations- so will I!

Busywork

For work, today, I was sent to the Employment Service's H street office. To get the best deal on the ride (as Little Brother insisted), I used the 30 bus to transfer to the X2. Great idea, but it didn't really work: I ran at par with the bus for three blocks, sort of gave up, then picked up the pace. Boy, was I tired! Anson (A Little Brother's classmate from Pre-K) insists that I don't jaywalk to catch buses, and I kept that in mind as I went downtown in solitude. I made it, 7 blocks from the origin. Lafayette Square, the park in front of the White House, was the transfer point. No bu for a while. Fear: bus would get very crowded. Reality: It was only 'standing room only', not too bad for this route. What busywork. I knew that the item I was sent to collect, my debit card, was not there, yet I was sent there. I got back 2 hours after I started, on the Red Line after X2.

This afternoon- pool and storms.

Anson is fighting to keep his Wisconsin Avenue position as he was listed for transfer to 16th street.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Did it come yet?

I should have reported this before the 5 pm news, but I did check the Supreme Court database prior to 5pm.

There are no gun stores in DC that sell to individuals, according to ABC 7.
Most semiautomatics are banned, they also said. Of course.

However, the news-people were making the decision seem more unpopular than it really was. According to a poll, 2/3rds of the voters supported the decision. Of course, non-DC could have voted, but DC is the nation's issue, not its own.

A joyous day, but I'm not going to buy a handgun, quite yet, and maybe never will. But after watching a film, which will not be named, I think I'll build a misfire-safe range somewhere, and have fun with it.

PS- I was so excited to write this post that I turned off Locomotion to do so.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

COPS!

Today was another day of work. A Pennsylvania businessman talked to us about entrepreneurship. Something bad happened recently with a few of the supposed co-workers; intelligence reports that police were involved, but that might just be a rumor. I'll watch the crime reports in the Current to see if this rumor was true or not. Nevertheless, as a result, we all had to eat in. It was crowded. The bus ride home was crowded. But I did not get off and go home; I had to go to the H street office- for the fifth time. The X2 was again, crowded, and it was a mess at the site. Well, half an hour later, I was out with a badge-card, but no debit card yet. Home, and get ready for violin lesson. I had a good night there. NOW I was tired, and now as well.

As I said, I have 60 cans of soda in the storage room.
I'm seeing to see if I can vendor them without paying licensing fees. I don't think so.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Tuesday Again

help im a prisoner trapped inside of a fortune cookie

Little Brother came to work today, and he was really, really bored. I went on, reading Cicero, and I'm nearly done with it- 9 pages to go, I should finish it tonight. After an overtime group lecture about respect at the workplace, there was a slow ride home on Wisconsin Avenue. It was 2:00 when we got home. Little brother then went to his follow-up appointment to pick up his retainer. he got home at 3pm. He played Locomotion, 20 slow years to 6pm as I did work- violin, etc. After supper, a long bike ride to The Mall, and he seemed to try to rid of me in front of cars, but I made it home, albeit tired.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Tisk

This will be a shortie post- I still haven't flossed yet, and it's already 10:20.

Little Brother finished his orthodontic treatment today, and likewise got a bag with a King Size Snicker's bar, popcorn, and tootsie pops, all on the orthodontic no list. M'kay. So I should be getting that sometime relatively soon as well.

I finally got to sign in as my real name today, after being hassled at the Convention Center on Saturday. Little Brother's first day of work should be tomorrow. Will blog on that.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

To Baltimore

'John, there were more like 22 D's on the history final, not like 27.
Based on my final semester score, I had to have scored in the mid-to-upper 90's, therefore, getting all these D's wrong is not a logical conclusion.
This makes me totally sound like a geek that I remember something like this.'

Little Brother went out on a shopping trip, and gave me a slight reprieve to check my email, blog, etc. I have to push our small staff to finish July's JangooMag. But not much. I needed to practice the violin, and he just walked in. M'kay.

I went to Baltimore, and since it's so close to DC, it was not too critical to do everything to do there. This was about visiting Johns Hopkins's University, as well as neighborhood whizzing (driving on local streets for 'alternative sightseeing') and free looks at the B+O Locomotives. Then a leisurely drive home via US 1.

Friday, June 20, 2008

To Market

Out to the summer employment assignment office, again. But this time, the place was swarming with $5.85 an hour chatterboxes. Apparently, not everyone gets Fridays off at their site, like I do. And sure I like those 3 day weekends. Of course Little Brother on the computer to this late hour. At least now he's marveling at the DTV.

Yes. BIG SALE at the 14th street (DC) Staples tomorrow. Store opens 9am!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Little Brother!

I'm being haggled behind my back by... Little Brother. Yes, he came home, and yes, he literally hogs the computer all day, to the point where I cannot get my blogging done. He came home on Wednesday. Yes, I'm being a little harsh, and he is moving the mouse towards the delete button.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Day 2

As I was saying, the route #30 has been in use for over 75 years. It is, therefore, an atrocity that the number will be discontinued. If this were a building that were 75, it would be let to survive, but psych nah. 30's basic functions of serving Wisconsin Avenue to downtown is being derelicted to the new 31 shuttle line. The same thing happened to routes 40 (now 42) and 50 (now 52, 53, and 54). Survivors are 70, 80, and 90, a surely dying breed, it seems to be.

Second day of work. That in the morning, and downtown to the convention center to listen to a charismatic speaker speak about how Nobody wants your child.
I'm totally tired out now. I'll type tomorrow's about my great soda adventure.

Monday, June 16, 2008

TBD

Yesterday, I saw it. WMATA finally put up signs for the new 37 express service, which has absolutely no use for me. M'kay.

Today was the first day of my first summer day. I never actually got my file completed; I was filling in for Little Brother, who is still frolicking in Italy. I was getting giddidy about leaving home at 9:00 for the 10:00 start time, so I left a little before. I immediately caught the 32 , and was brisked up to Tenleytown, where the job was located, in the Baptist church up there. I entered at around 9:30. There were about 25 people, so I was not exactly too early. My dad worked with this citywide job program in previous years, and said to expect low expectations. Anyway, most people were there by 10:00. I signed in, on Little BRother's name. I, after all, didn't have the chance to explain. During those lazy sit-around hours (from 10 to 1) of doing absolutely nothing and being paid for it, I was interrogated by one of my co-workers, as he called himself. "Have you ever done it with a lady?" No. "Why not?"; "Have you ever smoked weed?" No. And I was trying to act not-so-uppity. Unfortunately, I had to spill the beans about living near Georgetown. And they guessed that I went to private school, because of how I dressed. Primmed shirt and khakis and loafers. This particular young man even stated that "he should come to see Georgia Avenue and go buy some kicks (shoes)". I explained that I'm not into shoes, but he said "do it". Some people would love to hear this: I got a girl's cellphone number. OK. So I also changed my wallpaper.

As I languished in the pews, I had only my cellphone to entertain me (and the three girls and the aforementioned guy), and eventually, it was lunchtime. Pizza eaten in a hurry, so that I could sign out, in Little Brother's name, and reuse the transfer before it became invalid. I saw the signs. 31, 32, 36 on the red, white, and blue bus stop signs. Routes 30, 34, and 35 were soon going to become history. An old lady also noted this change to the bus driver; it's typical to have a schedule change on June 30. In the sake of preventing bus bunching.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

DTV DTV

I got Digital TV today, and it works nicely. As promised, there are the fractional channels (such as 7.2), of which most are lame, especially with eternal radar, and lousy reruns. I got the converter box... anyway, only a few channels are on DTV as of now.
Analog in a valley doesn't come out good, so I'm hiding back in the internet. It's true; I don't have cable, and the internet is the closest thing that comes to high-quality cable or satellite programming without our poor reception. Tenleytown broadcasts at 400' elevation, we're at 60' here; most of the DC area is around 150', and I suppose that the engineers designed TV to work with them.

Too much babble. If and when DTV gets good shows, that will be the icing to the digital cake. The reception is much clearer; FOX 5 is no longer stripish, NBC 4 is no longer tinted green, and the few channels over 9 that we received in blur are now 'all here'. At least channel 7 (owner of decimals between 7 and 8) had some decency to use the new channels. An example is 7.2, also called Local Point TV (www.localpointtv.com), a really low-cost production show (they said; send in you videolips to be on TV), but it was better than nothing.

Digital isn't ever far from the internet, though; when the reception has a blip, it stops just like the internet films do, and pixelate like a low-resolution picture. Love that technology, and let's get digital!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Dah Dah Dah

Again, the internet has never felt so good. What do you want from a computer whose internet performance is currently about 66%?! This morning, I tried the employment services office. What I found there was not what I had seen the previous two times: The line stretched one block on H street NE, and to the back of the behemoth building. Not going to waste my time there; we'll call tomorrow morning @ 10:00- the line should be a little short then; it's God's time for lots of people.


It was then out to St. Mary's city in Southern Maryland, home of The Public Honors College, for no apparent reason other than to turn cash into exhaust fumes. It was a ridiculously hot 93 degrees, again (my typing is falling into temporary dyslexia), and it was all sweaty. Chinese food, and then a walk around campus, when we finally got to the tippy point of Maryland. The historical things, on the University grounds, included a replica statehouse, and the pile of original bricks from 1676 that were reused...into a church. (See! I'm getting too tired to type!). So then I got home at 4:45pm, nad (and) I read Cicero, the first homework book thast (that) I'm trying to read.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Friday the 13th: What does it all mean?

Yesterday, after the computer threatened, and did reset, I didn't have the time to get back to blogaroo. Yesterday for lunch, I was at the bank for lunch. That afternoon, I was at the DMV with dad to get the car inspected. Then, it was time for a Japanese movie event. The films were the foreign type, and of the genre that you only expect to find in the west side village. Nevertheless, some of them were cool.

Today, I was on the Lincoln Memorial steps again. 25 roundtrip reps, and drencehed in sweat. Home, breakfast, a phone call from Dad. "Power out in Downtown. No, I still have power here at the metro building, Shaw, Dupont, Chinatown stations are on emergency power", he reads from WTOP, I think. Before I could switch the computer on after my shower, a key wiggled in the door, and mom walked in. "Power out at the bank." It turned out, however, that the Bank made a decision at 11 to cancel the day. I was at the National Geographic, a really 19th century elite science-club. There was a special documentary about China's pre-Columbus super-fleet. The lights came on, and there was mom.

A kung-fu demonstration from a legitimate Shaolin monk. They asked for kids to come up to the stage. A few 5-year-olds went up. "Anyone older?" An 8-year old came up. Older. It was up to me. With the monk, I was skirting shame as I kept up with the rushed spins and slaps.

Ater that, I had to fight with the DC employment services about my :O summer job assignment via X2, again. And conveniently,on the way back, we took a little shopping trip in the Chinese remainders of Chinatown. A lucky break from being lectured about Ocean City '68. A scandalous $3.65 bubble tea, and a Circulator ride home.

Now tonight. The transfer was still valid from this afternoon. We (mom and I) were brought to the Italian embassy's gates. The gates were opened 20 minutes later, and we were filed through typicacl euro-secrity. Into the large villa-resort style atrium (it smelt like one!) we all went, and we were seated in the posh, yellow-leathered auditorium, lacking exit signs! Anyway, a lot of the films were pretty good. Some of this is still village material. But, excellent stories about 'crossing borders', the theme of this Asian-European film festival. Afterwards, a reception of international foods. If anything, DC is the place for kleptomaniacs (a medical condition in which a person takes stuff for no apparent reason), and free-thing addicts. No other city can you expect free dinner. A huge glob surrounded the table, the real sushi in particular-and talk to Washington Post people as well.

The Italians made lots of their buttery pastry, and still, an hour and a half later, its buttery taste lingers in my mouth. Of course, the freebies took the sushi, and anything of potential monetary value. That's the way it is.

My parents have the TV onto their favorite show, NBC news. I heard the piano and saw Tim's face. A telltale sign that something was wrong. Before the 10:00 news started, I wikipediaed him, and I found out.

"On the afternoon of June 13, 2008, Russert collapsed at the offices of WRC-TV, which houses the Washington, D.C. bureau of NBC News where he was the Bureau Chief, while recording voiceovers for the Sunday edition of Meet the Press. Despite immediate attempts at resuscitation by EMS and transportation to Sibley Memorial Hospital, Russert never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead a short time later. News of his death was reported live on NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC by Tom Brokaw.[17] He had just returned from a family vacation in Italy, where he went to celebrate his son's graduation from Boston College.[18] While his wife and son remained in Italy (where little brother coincidentally is), Russert returned to prepare for his Sunday television show" Wikipedia, Tim Russert, (6/13/08)

"Filegate, travelgate, whitewater" (Tim Russert, '96) I'm not sure what this all means, even though I'm the '90's fanatic. Anyway Tim Russert is like the fifth member of the family. Whenever I was not watching second-rate 'news' at 10:00, or on the internet, it is usually him, because I tend to not watch TV until 6pm or so. Now who will take his place, whenever I flip the TV on to not-rubbish? We'll see what they decide to do tomorrow. My condolences to the NBC family.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Don't Bank on That

The internet never felt so good. It crashed again, yesterday, and I didn't have time to reconfigure and reset. So you guys missed me, because of a faulty DSL connection.

I went to the bank, and banked on a big payout. But the 1/3 filled bucket only reaped $128.43, not the mighty over $500. But nevertheless, I deposited the money into my thirsty bank account.
Last night I...
Oh now what!? My computer is going into countdown to reset itself automatically for updates! I'll talk again soon.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Uninomial Nomenclature

We should all learn something every day. As I wait for my Amazon.com shipment to arrive by Friday, laden with my summer reading assignments, I learned that the name 'Jamel' is less common the 'Jamal', even though I hear 'Jamel' more often.

In the doohickey filed of anthropological nomenclaturology, checking the Social Security database, I was able to see the rise and fall of the eternal Madison, John falling into disuse, and Atticus made the top 1000 list this decade, holding title 958, above familiar names such as Arnold, Dwight (the '5o's never die), Forrest, as well as Amare (never heard that name before- it's Latin for the infinitive 'to love'), the more basic form of the best-selling hit, Amanda (I forgot the name of this tense, but it means 'that must be loved'). To put a scale on such things, 6.1 in 100000 received the name this decade; or 1034 kids. But you're more likely to meet a Fidel than an Atticus, touche. But only by a minute chance, though.

Anyway, I expected Washington, DC's state naming statistics to be skewed, as with everything else. But not too much. In 1992 in DC, Ashley was the most popular girl name, Jasmine #2. Jasmine was the typical statistical misfit; nationally Ashley and Jessica topped the list. For guys, Michael was #1, Christopher #2, which was statistically accurate. In 2007 in DC, Ashley was #1, Sophia #2, for girls. Boys, William #1 ,and John #2. Nationally, Jacob, Michael, Emily, and Elizabeth were tops. See!? That proves DC may be divergent from reality. Additional research may be needed to prove conclusion.

Historically, John and Mary were prominent from back when to the 1960's. 70's come, Mike, Chris top the list for 3 decades; Jennifer comes, shares the '80's with Jessica, and Jess prevails one more decade until the 2000's really destroy nomenclature unity.

Breakdown of the Status Quo
Madison? Doesn't even break the 1% mark. Only Emily does. Back in the day, Marys made 6%.
A few boy names barely break the 1% mark. Back in the day, Mike+Chris had 6% market share, together. Even further back, mighty John had 7% market share alone; William had a similar number as well.

What has society wrought?
There'd be a lot of pointless linear stats if I went on, but you got the point. here's the site with the treasure chest: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

Monday, June 9, 2008

New York, Again

It was a scorching 90 degrees, Fahrenheit, on Friday evening. That was when we would have left, but there was too much traffic. So we went for a daring plan- leave before sunrise on Saturday morning. 5 am Saturday morning- much cooler. With bags packed (and Pepsi ingeniously hidden under bed), it was off to New York, at 6 am. A record 3 hours, 40 minutes travel time, including a gas stop, averaging to 59 mph. To put it in real terms, for the time we spent moving, it averaged to a barely legal 70 mph. No major traffic hold-ups. Having left at 6, we arrived at Little Brother's middle school graduation ceremony well ahead of time- 9:40am for the 11:30am event.

The ceremonies went on for an unprecedented 2 hours. By the time we got around to having lunch, it was 2:00pm. This meal was at a Peking Palace, or something near that name. 5-star Zagat restaurant in Food and Service. The restaurant seemed to be empty. Well, until you turn a corner into the main dining room. Bill for 4- $56.50 (+$8 tip), hot towels, priceless.

I then was walked from 58th to 75th street in the 93F heat to check into the room, and back downtown (my parents are such cheap-stakes!). Cocktails were served at 6:30pm, and dinner was served at 7pm. Appetizer was a fragrant green salad with a pastry topped with a tomato slice. For an entree, Fillet Mignon was served (a $45 value, says daddy), with veggies and an exotic pasta product. Dessert was chocolate soufflé, served properly with a tiny bowl of ice cream, a mango chewy, and fresh-from-East Boston macaroons. Such a lavish feast.
Sadly, I couldn't fully enjoy the Fillet, because it was too rare. I know it's supposed to be medium rare-to-rare, but mine was near raw. The fumes emanating from the "still alive" piece of meat was nauseous. To eat as much as I could, without throwing the prime steak away, I had butchered the fillet in a grotesque way. I had to make it look better, so I chop-sueyed the remaining meat, about 50% of the original, into three hunks that looked more natural. Luckily, the course finished fast. I hope the older folks at the table, who remembered rationing and the great depression, forgave me for this.

It was a hot and sweaty night, with lightning, but no rain or thunder, as we walked to the room on 75th street. I had a rough night, I later realized, due to the extreme heat, and lack of A/C.
We finally took a taxi (it was $6, $4.90+$1.10 tip) back to midtown, and had breakfast at PAX. A guy, who was obviously drunk, or on some drug, looked at my food, and slumped to sleep on the fire hydrant behind me. Disturbing.

Went to church. The Puerto Rico Day parade was blaring all throughout the mass, and even after the 2 hour liturgy finished, they were still singing about chihuahuas. Little Borther insisted on eating at Subway, and we did. The car was packed, and we took this little brother to Teaneck, NJ, for the night. He flies out to Italy this evening, with the rest of his class, on Al Italia. Getting home was a bit slower. On the NJ turnpike, I promptly fell alsleep at 4pm, which is very unusual for me to do. Notwithstanding the heavy luggage reducing the car's power, we took a 20 minute driver's break in Philadelphia's suburbs. 4 hours, 20 minutes home, and no parking spare for across Pennsylvania Avenue. A little slowdown entering DC- A dysfunctional Greyhound bus narrowed a lane on the heavily-laden parkway.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Want a Street Sense?

It was a hazy early evening, and it was probably bad for my noggin. I was headed to Georgetown to buy a 12-pack of Pepsi Pop. A homeless guy asked me "do y' have some foo'?" Instictively, I said, "I wish I had some to give you," and that was while I was holding food in a bag. Then I remembered. So life went on, I bought the caffeinated smack, and headed home. Now my brain was back, and remembered that, yes, I did have a canister of raisins, as well as a leftover Babe Ruth bar. He was 75% there; he talked about ice cream a little, as I prepared his hor d'oeuvre. But he came to, and asked if I went to the nearby. No, I went to a Catholic school, I told him. "dey's one of 'em giz' who stay's at me ev'ry day." So he then asked me, truthfully. I like people who speak their ego to me. "Do you have a speech impediment?" Not exactly proper social etiquette, but I expected that someone would, at least, think that. It was the retainer. After I shook out some raisins, I had to go. So long. "May God blez' you." Food. He asked for food, not money. Respectable.

The art of Begging (in America)
It has been known that a few entrepreneurial crack-cocaine addicts (and some who are not addicts) come to Georgetown, make big bucks from the uppity sympathetic, and then take the 30, at about midnight, back to East of the Capitol (a direct trip!) and buy their smack.

History of Begging
Begging has generally existed since the first development of cities, and it continues to this day. Prior to the development of periodic welfare giveaways, begging was a critical source of livelihood for its partakers. However, in more recent times, begging has become non-essential to the life of those involved. As a matter of fact, much of the historical begging class, which, sadly, has always existed, no longer actively begs, but rather, does not engage in productive society. (It is not always their fault. Drugs and bad community influence are a big problem.)

Begging today, therefore, should be regarded as a form of respectable entrepreneurship, and beggars should be regarded with some respect, above that which just about every human deserves, anyway. This activity, with deep anthropological roots, has recently become an "extreme" competitive sport, in Russia, commonly played by millionaires and billionaires there. As it is, millionaires are addicted to money, l;ike a drug addict to their drug.

But, as your first-grade teacher said, don't give cash. Give food, or you have a pretty good chance of being an accomplice to the American crime of Drug Addiction, which, today, plagues a significant portion of the homeless, and begging class. Anyways, many of the homeless, begging addicts, including the Georgetown profiteers, can be rehabbed, and experience social mobility in the upward direction. An example is the StreetSense vendors. Visit the website- rehab (not necessarily drug, mind you) works! http://www.streetsense.org/

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Day 4

Today, I was again put out, like a dog, to do jogging. This repetitive routine consists of a few, fairly easy steps. 1. Access Pennsylvania avenue, and jog westbound. 2. Scurry down cloverleaf ramp to sea-level, and jog along waterfront path to Lincoln Memorial steps. 3. Up and down the 40-something steps, 12 times. 4. Return on path to Kennedy Center, and follow gentler path northbound to home. Took and hour. At home, I ate breakfast, languished, took a shower, and went out to buy household stuff- stereotypically called "women's work."

Had lunch, headed out to the Ortho-man for picking up the retainer, as well as adjustments to the lower jaw's teeth's braces. The nurse explained the retainer. Wear it always, except when eating. It costs $235 to replace. What? Three years ago, during my first round of braces, it was $150. Then the nurse fitted the tight-fitting retainer into place. Then the big dog came in, and tightened the wire on the remaining set of braces. Then he lowered the mirror, and I saw. The retainer was one of the invisible types. He gave instruction on how to remove and replace the retainer. Yes. I did. But the thing is- the retainer resembles invisalign. So was it invisalign used as an orphan drug? Maybe. After all, he is one of the most proliferate seller of invisalign. Anyway, these invisible retainers are much cooler than the wire-and-mold type. Now everyone will think I have a lith (onomatopoeia for lisp) . I say, let's start a Facebook support group. Early this evening, I was put out on a LONG walk, up to U+14, and back. More on than midcity adventure later.
g'night, y'all, is 'bout time we's o't t' bed.

Ortho update: It's not really the tightening that gives me pain, but rather more the retainer.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

DEAR

FYI, the orthodontist removed the top row of braces with a nifty little plier-jigger, and cosmetically improved the appearance of my teeth, with filing and polishing, and took a mold for a retainer. Additional work and final adjustment of the retainer will follow, 3pm, tomorrow.
Drop Everything And Read. Heeheehee.

Because I was close to burning my eyes out on the new computer screen (which I probably used for 2 hours, cumulatively today), and the TV was off-colored by the storm, I had no choice at 8pm than to cuddle up with a quality book.

The lightening really was lighting up the sky. Based on CGI's by WUSA9, two or three waves of storms have passed, and, if the other storm pocket follows the same route, another will be arriving shortly after I succumb to slumber. Just as long as I'm not waken up by it, it's fine with me. I was actually free-reading (hm. that was so last millenium.) John Hersey's Hiroshima, another intriguing war-novel that was well-written. Shame on Uglies for turning off my interest in reading.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Day 2

my bad. You can ride trolleys at the DC streetcar museum!
Anyway, time was limited again. I was put out to jog at 8:15, and then go food shopping. Adding breakfast, that took us to 10 am. Then an hour later, I had to prepare for going to lunch with mommy, and then fetch her special-order newspaper from one of the last authentic shops in Chinatown. That was after I traded coins at the Mint Shop. And then home, and soon afterward, daddy came home and took me for a walk. Then, Trader Joe's, and here.
9 am tomorrow- orthodontic appointment. Some major work to be done.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Discovery

I never knew that DC had a trolley museum, until I was fooling around with a map this afternoon. However, I don't think you're able to ride them like you can in the Baltimore Streetcar museum. Trolleys and streetcars are just so cute. I wish DC would just build the platforms, and bring their already-purchased streetcar from Czechoslovakia (The first DC streetcar is planned to run along a railroad right-of-way from Bolling Air Force Base, past Anacostia Station, and terminate above Pennsylvania Avenue, for a junction with the, ohh...30-series!)

But, this morning, I went to the Supreme Court, again, fortunately, by insider's access. Today was like our final exam days to them. In June (simplified), there are brief reading sessions, on Mondays, that well, are when the decisions are read, and then an admittance to the bar. Not exactly sure what it means yet, but it sounds important. I'll come back to you on that.

Way home, nice, 1st class N22 ride, then Circulator has door problem, get home soon though.
Rest of day, blur.

National Capital Streetcar Museum
www.dctrolley.org

Sunday, June 1, 2008

KA-BOOM!

You wonder why I didn't blog last night. Well, the computer crashed. Not an electronic crash, but a physical crash. The table, which held the monitor, fell and broke, taking the input/output functions to the ground. That was late on Friday night. The next morning, I had to go to orchestra. Daddy, while I was out, reset the computer, albeit with a new, lighter, wide-screen monitor, which he bought at Best Buy along with a vacuum-cleaner. By 2pm in PG county, it was pouring and thundering at an unprecedented rate. That was when we had a bowling party a short 2-block drive to Parkland Bowl. Retro, let's say. We, however, completed only one game. I scored an 88, with a great spare+9 tenth frame.