Recess

August is usually recess month for Congress in D.C. It's also the month where a lot of Washington goes on vacation and commuting to work is actually enjoyable. It will stay that way until the end of August, when every one will rush back to get their kids ready for school. Then, after Labor Day, it'll be back to "crunch time", Congress will be back in session, the presidential campaign circus will kick into full and sickening throttle, and commuting will become a four-letter word again.

All that to say, I'm going on a sort-of recess, too. Meaning, I'm noodling whether to revamp this blog or jettison it altogether and start anew, which means I won't be posting as frequently on Rush Hour. When I come back--if I come back--it may be with a new blog name and a pseudonym. I'll continue to post over on D.C. Confidential and if any postcards wander in between now and the end of the month, I'll post them here. (Rumor has it, I have cards headed this way from Las Vegas and Oregon!)

P.S. Knowing how long I lasted the last time I said I was going on hiatus, I wouldn't worry too much about my self-imposed recess. I'm lousy at keeping my thoughts to myself. No doubt I'll be posting something here in no time.

Photo copyright: Cedar Works

Loose Ends

Sometimes, I can be a dope. Like the times when I say, "Hey! Looky here! I'm having a wee contest on my blog. Please play along. Pleaseeeeeee. I'll tell you how it all turns out in a week..." and then I don't.

A few weeks ago, I held a "Vote for Your Favorite D.C. Rush Hour Blog Entry" contest as part of my self-congratulatory celebration on having reached the 400-posts-mark in my blogging... er... career. It even featured on DC Blogs Noted (Thanks, KOB!), which surely meant a few more folks might weigh in. Since I don't have a stat counter on my blog (I'm cheap. I refuse to pay for that and, as far as I can tell, but maybe I'm an idiot, Blogger doesn't have one just built in like some other blogging sites do), I have no clue how many people actually thought about playing along, but then didn't.

Regardless, several of my more faithful readers did weigh in. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I thought I'd have one cut-and-dried winner out of the ten blogs I highlighted, but alas, 'tisn't so. Seems each of you liked a specific one for specific reasons. Still, at least two of you liked one entry in common which, I guess, makes it the winner. So, here's how the votes were cast:

Alliteration 1
Articulate 0
Green River... Wider Than a Mile... 2
In a Perfect World I'm Not Too Late for a Pink Martini, Am I? 1
Jesus Is a Stinker 1
LEGOs: Life's Philosophical Metaphor 1
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Blah, Blah, Blah... 1
One Happy Meal for the Queen, Please! 0
What Price, Freedom? 1
World Famous in Poland Oatmeal 1

And the Oscar goes to... Green River!

Huh. That was sorta anti-climatic. Well, it's never too late to vote. And thanks to those of you who did.

This next loose end is, as they say, earthshattering.

Several weeks ago, I stumbled upon a change at AOL's website that looked surprisingly like Yahoo's interface. It was up in the morning, then gone in the afternoon. Some would call this a non-event. I called it a mystery. After a couple of weeks of the old interface and wondering what I'd stumbled upon, I'm pleased to report that AOL's new interface officially looks like Yahoo. I'm sure you're glad to know that and you'll sleep better tonight.

In the meantime, I need to find my life. I put it down somewhere and can't remember where....

Oh, and P.S., I'm behind on my email. So if you've sent me a message recently and I haven't gotten back to you, it isn't because I'm hatin' on you or anything. It's just been one of those weeks where I'm hatin' on me and my life. See aforementioned comment about the need to find my life again.... Applicable here, too.

Photo copyright: Muppet Wiki

In the BIN: Honorable Mentions

There are so many great posts out there, I thought I'd do another addition of In the BIN. This one will require Kleenex for a different reason entirely. Why? Because you'll start off with some giggling, then find yourself flat out ROTFLYAO. In the end, though, you'll wax nostalgic.

I start with my friend, Holly, who just acquired a new piece of technology and coins two lines that have her readers laughing at her wit and whimsy. Here is Okay, This One is a Toy.

Meanwhile, over at Alice's Adventures Underground, fellow blogger NG continues to chronicle her daughter's 'inappropriate songs.' This is Vol. 16. They're all worth reading, if you want to go back through the archives and read the first 15 volumes. Love these. Love the Dormouse! Go, Dormouse, go!

Continuing on with the humor, my friend, Merujo writes about an intimate encounter with a squirrel that involves her dinner. Trust me when I tell you, stuff like this only happens to Merujo and she doesn't make it up. (You couldn't.) Here is Awake. (And stay tuned because down the road, this piece will no doubt feature in a radio commentary on WAMU. Can't wait!)

And finally, I saved the very, very best for last from my friend, Sister Mary Lisa. At least, I think it is anyway. I'm just going to let it speak for itself. Here is Just for Today.

Happy Friday, friends!

In the BIN: The Tissue Issue

Thought I'd revive In the BIN again. Take a survey of what's out there. See what's percolating and bubbling to the top in all it's excellence.

This post, about a vasectomy, is by far the funniest thing I've read in ages. My favorite line: "It felt like a toothache in my pants." Here is Somewhere in the Masthead. Look for the entry titled In Which I Have Bagged My Limit (and vice versa...) dated July 15, 2007. Priceless. Truly priceless. (And a shout out to my friend, Merujo, who turned me on to this outstanding blog.)

My buddy, the Gunfighter, just started a second blog called Real Dads about and by fathers. It's an excellent blog and I hope he sees more folks stepping up and participating in his venture. I want to highlight this entry he recently wrote as a note to his daughter. If this one doesn't make you cry, you have no heart! I've met the Gunfighter and have had him and his wife and daughter in my home for dinner. There isn't a nicer family out there and Gunny is doing a great job as a dad. So, go get your Kleenex and read Through the Upstairs Window.

Thanks to my friend, JaneAnne, at Fugue Salad, I just stumbled onto a blog by someone I met briefly during my grad school days. Jana Reiss is a scholar, writer, and editor. She recently wrote about her dog, Halilah. Again, grab the Kleenex. (I swear, there isn't a theme here. I promise!)

And, finally, over in the stacks, Liz writes wittily, but seriously, of course, about a stuck bird. All of her writing is excellent, I think. Especially the bits where she shares conversations. Here's a perfect example. Read Oh My GOD.

Enjoy and happy Wednesday! We're half way to the weekend. Yeah!

400

This blog entry--yes! This exact one!--is post number 400 for me.

As such, I thought I'd be a little egocentric and
highlight my ten favorite posts since I undertook this blogging venture
exactly two years ago today.

And, I'm taking a vote.
Which of these ten would you vote the
Very Best of D.C. Rush Hour?

Alliteration
Articulate
Green River... Wider Than a Mile...
In a Perfect World I'm Not Too Late for a Pink Martini, Am I?
Jesus Is a Stinker
LEGOs: Life's Philosophical Metaphor
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, Blah, Blah, Blah...
One Happy Meal for the Queen, Please!
What Price, Freedom?
World Famous in Poland Oatmeal

Let the voting begin! Post your vote in the comments section.

Next week, when I'm feeling humbler (or is that more humble? JaneAnne?), I'll peruse other blogs and pick my ten favorite and have another vote. (Or not.)

Not Thinking

I'm thinking I'm not living up to my Thinking Blogger Award... er, award... lately.

I just did an informal survey of my material from the last couple of months and it's crap, I tell you, crap!

I haven't posted a single thought-provoking thought since... wait... lemme see... Oh, yeah. Here it is. Since May, when I wrote about bullying. (Well, with the exception of Dr. Lala's rant against BAA. That wasn't crap. That's been a public service.)

Hm. That's sad.

I've got to get back on my high horse, dust off my soap box, brush up on my pontificating 'cause otherwise I'm just another puddin' head with a computer postin' crap to the 'net. (Again, see aforementioned BAA PSA by Dr. Lala as an exception to the current state of content around here.)

I'm opening the suggestion box. Name a topic. (Keep it clean. Sid... I mean you!) ;-) If I like it and it makes me think provocative thoughts (again: note rule about cleanliness), I'll noodle it and attempt to write something remotely approaching intelligent.


Image copyright: Tom Otterness. All rights reserved to him.

In the BIN Resurrected

I think the last time I wrote an In the BIN entry was in February. I seem to recall promising that the next Binster would feature blogs from Canada. I still have to work on that one. In the meantime, in a fit of resurrection, here's a smattering of blogs I've noted that are quite good.

First off, Green Canary, who writes about an accidental hike, an errant french fry, and a steak knife that doubles as a back scratcher and how it all adds up to the best kind of friendship. Read Peas, Pod.

Next up, if you don't get over to the Gunfighter's blog or you don't read DC Blogs Noted, here are a couple of entry's from my buddy's blog last week that are sublime. Warning: These entries include Kodak moments and may require the use of Kleenex. Here is Something You Don't Know About Gunfighter and What a Day! (P.S. If you do read DC Blogs Noted, you'll note that Gunfighter's two aforementioned blogs are featured there.)

Have you blown your nose and wiped your eyes? Yes? Good. Our next BIN feature is the tragic tale of a cell phone that bites the dust during a drunken hike through a Civil War battlefield park. Read Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

Today's Washington Post (sadly) reported that Cindy Sheehan is throwing in the towel. Seems our so-called democracy really doesn't welcome protest and dissent like we'd like to think it does. Whether I liked or agreed with Sheehan or not is not my point here. The point is, when citizens of a democracy are left voiceless and powerless, as we have been in the last six years, it seems its a short walk from there to despotism and totalitarianism. Read Laurie Writes' take on Sheehan's resignation. Titled Screaming at the Monitor. (Note: This entry is a bit long, but well worth the read.)

Finally, as if the implosion of democracy isn't enough for you, try dealing with customer service as it pertains to home ownership and home repairs. While renting isn't a good long-term investment, in cases like this one, it looks far more attractive than owning. Here is A Daily Does of Zen Sarcasm and The Customer is Rightly Annoyed.

And there you have it. The latest edition of In the BIN. Can't promise when there will be another one any time soon, but somewhere along the yellow brick road of life, I'm sure I'll conjure up something again.

Donut, Anyone?

Krispy Kreme Donut Shop, Route 1, Alexandria, Virginia

Some of you may have noticed, but others perhaps not, that I've started a new venture here in Bloggerland. Over on the right, under the header "What I Do On the Side" is a link to my latest adventure: D.C. Confidential.

I started this as an excuse to use my new toy--a Canon A630. Plus, given my crappy-ass attitude about this town, I thought I'd try to at least assuage that attitude a little by getting out in the neighborhoods and places so many of us live, work, and play in and see if I could actually learn to love this place a little more. I don't know if it'll help my attitude, but I've certainly enjoyed playing with my new toy and have already found a treasure or two here and there.

The above picture is of the Krispy Kreme store in Alexandria, Virginia, on Route 1. It was the first--and for a long time, the only--Krispy Kreme north of the Carolinas, which is where Krispy Kreme was born. Don't be surprised if you see this picture again on D.C. Confidential.

And This Is Why I Moderate My Comments...

Back in January, I wrote about how I don't care for comments from anonymous commenters who have the gall to tear you down, but don't have the balls to do so using their name or linking to a website. Anonymous comments are why I moderate my comments.

Well, this morning, my e-mail inbox informed me I had an anonymous comment for my blog entry about--what else?--anonymous comments.

This is what it looked like (and this isn't even all of it. It ran off the screen for a few more inches. To view a larger image, click on the image.)

And this, dear readers, is why I moderate my comments. Not because I'm controlling, but because I loathe immaturity just for the sake of stupidity. (Immaturity for the sake of silliness, now that's another thing altogether! Where's my whoopee cushion???)

So, to the anonymous blockhead out there who thought this would be funny, phffffffffft.

Ell-Aa-Em-Ee

Lame.

That's what this blog is lately.

L. A. M. E.

Of course, it's not like there's nothing to write about these days. Unfortunately, what there is to write about is the same-old, same-old that there was to write about last week and that there will be to write about next week. It's like the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Oprah-blessed book I just finished reading, The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. Also lame. (And how does a book that doesn't use contractions garner the Pulitzer? What are the criteria these days? Laziness in grammar? Saving trees by eliminating contractions and quotation marks, thereby saving 3.6 sheets of paper out of a 287 page book?)

I'm not even going to bother fully reviewing this book. Suffice it to say, the same scenario plays out over and over and over again with only minor variation here and there. In the end, the father dies and the son is left alone to fend for himself, but only long enough to cry crocodile tears before other survivors of the nuclear holocaust come along and take him in. This is a book that many of the nation's largest newspapers have anointed "the best book of the year."

How or why, I haven't a clue. If you've read it and can tell me how this book is comparable to a classic like William Golding's Lord of the Flies, I'll give it a second chance. Until then, lame. Out of five stars, minus three.

And continuing on a theme of lame...

This blog.

Also lame.

Nothing happenin' here.

Lame.

I need to dig my head out of whatever hole it's buried in and get back on the horse.

Hm. Mixed metaphors; a sure sign my writing is going to hell in a handbasket.

When Bloggers Meet

Tuesday evening, after work, I zipped over to Woodley Park to meet up with Sideon—a fellow blogger from the Bloggernacle. This was, once again, a meeting of two total strangers who knew nothing more about each other than what we’ve read on one another’s blogs. And yet, I felt like I was meeting an old friend!

First of all, let me say, if you ever have a chance to meet Sideon, run! Don’t walk. Aside from my dad, my brother, the Gunfighter, the Legislative Fellow, and my grad school advisor, I don’t think I’ve ever met a nicer guy. And funny! At one point, I was in peril of choking on my pad thai, I was laughing so hard. (More on the pad thai in a moment.)

Sideon was in town for a conference. When he's not traveling to conferences and giving kick ass presentations—as apparently he did this week at said conference he was in town for—he lives in the Bay Area. Of course, whenever I meet people who smartly stay there, I get a little weepy and nostalgic. Again I ask myself, what was I THINKING!?!?!!! But I digress, as usual.

We talked about restaurants in the Bay Area—the great Thai place he goes to in Concord, the fabulous creperie in San Francisco I recommend to everyone. (Sideon: You really must go there. Must! Must! Must! Order “The Tod” for dessert. It’s the crepe with the apples and caramel. I prefer the “La Delice,” but The Tod is nice, too.) We discussed where we’d grown up (surprising, not all that far from each other in Utah. And we graduated high school the same year. Go Class of ’86!) We waxed enthusiastic about one of our most favoritest bloggers, Sister Mary Lisa, and the brilliant things she writes. We talked about jobs and real estate. And we ate.

Bottom line: It was a lovely evening spent with a lovely person who also pays the nicest compliments. (He said I was a “kind writer.” I’m still pondering that. And thank you again, Sideon, for the compliment.)

Oh, and about the food. We ate at a fabulous little Thai restaurant that opened in my old neighborhood about two years ago. It’s called Rice and is tucked in next to a new bank of condos and a shop called 100% Made in Mexico on 14th Street between R and Q Streets. It is, in a word, divine. We had the chicken satay, pad thai, sautéed beef in green tea, and crispy tofu with mushrooms and ginger sauce. That last dish was new for me and its best feature was the tempura ginger. Amazing!

I love meeting new people and Sideon was no exception. Thanks again for dinner, Sid! Come back anytime and let me know when you get to Ti Couz!

Photo copyright: Fog Bay, "Golden Gate Morning."

Thinking

Apparently, I spoke too soon.

FALSE ALARM, FOLKS! I'm really not on hiatus.

Actually, maybe I should have gone on hiatus sooner.

Or perhaps this is a tactical move by The Gunfighter to flush me out of my hidey-hole and back into the open. Obviously I'm an easy mark, because it worked.

By now, no doubt, you're asking, "Huh? What the hell is she mumbling about?"

It would seem the aforementioned Gunfighter has tagged me for a Thinking Blogger Award. Which just goes to show that the Gunfighter has exquisite taste, I might add, ever so humbly. Thanks, GF!

Okay, I have a speech here somewhere.

First, I'd like to say that, unlike Helen Mirren, I am wearing underwear and my bosoms do not feel like they're being held up by the hands of angels.

Of course, this blog wouldn't be possible without the folks at Blogger, who manage somehow to make this experience excruciating and complex when it needn't be.

Most importantly, though, I'd be remiss if I didn't thank my loyal readers and commentors who often leave their thoughts and opinions on my blog, giving me even more material to ponder. A special thank you to those of you who point out my gaffes and blunders. I'm committed to better fact checking this year (assuming I start blogging again.)

Finally, I'd like to thank the cat living in my house. A lovely Abbysinian named Pogeaux. If all I had was him, and not this blog, I'd be a drunk by now!

And now, here's the meme portion of this award. The rules of the Thinking Blogger Awards are as follows:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme
3. Optional: Proudly display the "Thinking Blogger Award" with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Five Blogs that Make Me Say, "Hmmm, I'd never thought of that..."

Self-Portrait As
Rantings of a Creole Princess
Sister Mary Lisa
Alice's Adventures Underground
Rio Grande Valley Girl

I don't suppose I can tag the Gunfighter back, but his blog certainly makes me think. And Frank Warren's PostSecret always makes me think, but I suppose it would be presumptuous on my part to think I could bestow an award on a guy whose project is known the world over.

And now, a gratuitous picture of the aforementioned cat who will drive me to drink sooner rather than later...

Pogeaux the Red. In a bag. Need I say more?

Thank you! And now back to my hiatus previously in progress.


Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid

Hiatus

Old Lady of the Sea, Trinidad State Beach,
Trinidad, Humboldt County, California

Back in November, I was challenged to participate in the November Blog Posting Month (NoBloPoMo) "event" wherein one posts a blog a day. I've kept that up for the last four months and am proud to say, I've blogged every day for the last 120 days. And some days, more than once. Of course, I also had a lot of time on my hands, which made it easy.

But... You saw that coming, huh? But, I've been working for the last month. I'll grant you, it's not the most stressful job in the world. And yet, at the end of the day, when I step off the train, I'm tired. By the time I get home and have some dinner, I'm pooped. The result is, I can't get the brain cells to fire enough juice to be creative, let alone command the old fingers to type.

I have several pieces drafted that are queued up and need tweaking before I post them, but they're bigger pieces like the one I recently wrote about John McPhee's Rising from the Plains. In terms of day-to-day writing, I'm trying too hard to come up with stuff and it's starting to feel forced. I want to keep writing every single day, because I've enjoyed it and it's been good exercise for me, but I'm feeling a little worn out at the moment and I think my writing might be suffering because of that. (And even if it's not, I know my brain feels like it is.)

And, let's not even talk about how my staying on top of reading everyone else's fabulous blogs has suffered. Unless I clandestinally (is that a word?!) snatch moments here and there at work, (which is technically against policy, but for which I'm forgiven because I'd otherwise be staring into space 75 percent of my time, even after I've asked my supervisor if there's something, anything, I can do) I'm missing a lot of good writing and connection with all of you.

I'm also way behind on a couple of projects I took on before the PharmaCo. job started and that I haven't completed. I have a client who's waiting for a proposal that is now two weeks overdue and an author who is waiting for me to copyedit his book so we can send it to the publisher for production. I should have had a first round read done last week and I haven't even started. Oh, and there's the non-profit in Pennsylvania I haven't heard from in a month or more that I've volunteered to help with a fund development plan. I need to follow up with them, too.

All that said, I'm going on hiatus this weekend and I may extend it into next week. When I return in a few days, it will likely be with only occasional posts. I'd like to think I'll be back up and writing daily once I settle into a routine that leaves me with more than just energy to eat dinner, run a few errands, catch up on personal emails, put on my pajamas, pop in a Netflix, read a few pages from a book, and be in bed by 10:00 (though, it's more often been 11:00 or 12:00, which doesn't help when you have to be up at 6:30.)

Thank you for reading. I've loved writing. And I hope to be back very, very soon!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 2004.

Last in Line

It’s been this way all my life. I’m always the last one to find out the latest goings-on. I’m either in ignorance by my own unintentional doing or ignorantly and intentionally left out of things by others. The former is forgivable, the latter pisses me off. But that’s not really the point I want to make today.

Seems on Monday I was highlighted on DC Blogs for my piece on D.C. Crime Victims and I didn’t even know it. Until today. Duh. Where have I been?

Oh, yeah, right. Working again. Amazing how much time actually working can take away from what had become embedded blogging habits. I use to check DC Blogs every day with religious regularity. Now, I try to check it every day, but I’m slipping in my blog reading. As a result, I missed that I was mentioned on Monday. Oh well. It’s not the end of the world, right?

Still, thanks KOB for noting me!

P.S. Sorry for the lameass blog entry tonight. I'm too tired to rattle my brain cells for anything more interesting.

Photo copyright: Corridor EIS.

Does This Format Make My Butt Look Big?

I thought I'd try a new look. I was tired of the old look. The blue and green. It was getting tiresome. Dull. Flat. Booooooring. So, I thought I'd try something startling and new: white. Original, huh?

What do you think? Should I keep it, this fresh, clean look? Or should I go back to the old look?

One of these days, I'm going to do Trading Spaces a la Blogger. I'm going to swap blogs with a friend and let them do a total redesign on my blog, links and labels included (meaning how things are linked and labeled, not taking away existing links, and coming up with better labels than what I've currently got going.) And, of course, the activity has to be reciprocal. I get to redesign their blog.

Although, I wouldn't want just anyone taking a stab at my blog. No Hildies or Dougs allowed here. I mean, the last thing I want is anything in rust or tangerine or lime. It would be my luck and I'd end up with spray-painted bows and Tiffany blue walls or a bed swinging from chains from the middle of the ceiling with a faux fountain underneath that would keep me awake at night and running to the loo every 30 minutes because my bladder is easily influenced by the sound of running water. Or Laurie would want to take my ceiling fan which, although I hate it, would make my room hot and humid in the summer. Oh, wait. Now I'm getting my blog confused with my house. Never mind.

Oh well. Come on in and sit down for a spell. Put up your feet and tell me what you think.

Photo copyright: Interior Design US Foundation.

In the BIN

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that the next issue of In the BIN would feature highlights from noteworthy blogs I found by clicking “Next Blog” in the Blogger header of my blog. I spent the better part of an evening Blogger surfing and sadly discovered that, just like television and channel surfing, there was almost nothing worth noting (or watching) by clicking on "Next Blog" on Blogger. Barring a Google search for lists in other cities akin to DC Blogs and not wanting to cull through WordPress or TypePad or LiveJournal, I’ve determined that the kinds of blogs I like to read aren’t to be found by clicking “Next Blog.”

That said, I went back to DC Blogs and its blog rolls and decided to work my way through one letter of the alphabetical listings. Feeling contrary, I started with Q. Turns out, there are only three bloggers in DC Blogs whose blog titles feature a Q. So, without further a-que (get it? Huh? Huh? A-que? Ado? Okay, lame, I know), I give you the Q’s.

Normally a blog about software, Q’s Wire takes a detour and writes about the change in color in Wrigley’s gum. Here is The Evolution of Gum.

And then, there’s The Queue. This blog manages to do a great job keeping things really short and to the point. No one particular entry to highlight here. Just check out the whole thing.

Finally, if you hate cell phones like I hate cell phones, you’ll love this one. If you have a cell phone, but you’re too stupid to realize how damn annoying cell phones can be, then you should definitely read this. Here’s Quiet in the Stacks with Can You Hear Me Now? (P.S. When I grow up, I want to write as well as QitS.)

And, this one wasn’t found via DC Blogs, but it’s a gem nonetheless. Whilst looking for a decent picture of Liechtenstein on Google Images, I came across this blog. It’s nice to know someone has found a creative outlet for their exhibitionist tendencies and their photographic skills. I give you Mooner Boy. All I can say is, I thought I'd seen it all, but apparently not...

But wait, there's more....

Apparently, this is an In the BIN I started last week and never finished. So, here it is, for what it's worth...

This week’s In the BIN is brought to you by Wash-Rinse-Repeat.com, which reminds you that even though the words “cleanliness is next to godliness” are not in the Bible, it’s still true. At least to people in red states, anyway.

P.S. It's quite possible that, contrary to what I said in the beginning of this entry about not finding anything noteworthy by blog surfing, in fact, I think I found these blogs by clicking on "Next Blog." Hm. I don't remember... Memory loss... The first, sure sign of old age...

It’s a small world, but I think this blog is written by the now-grown daughter of a former Sunday School teacher from my days growing up in Orem, Utah. Here is Whitney Orton. I think she might be Matt and RaVoe Orton's kid.

Apparently, some folks in Peru want to build a bridge to Macchu Picchu. I wonder if they're the same folks who wanted to build that bridge to nowhere in Alaska. Maybe they could build a bridge from Alaska to Peru... That would be worthwhile, right? Here's Inca Link is a Bridge Too Far.

Is Queensland, Australia, small enough that Talking Budgie would know this marathoner-in-training?

I suppose the assumption is that sport in this country is still predominantly a male thing. That said, it’s always fun when you find a woman who’s interested in sport and makes a living from it. Here’s Sleepwalker.

Guymoi’s Blog. Photography from some French guy. Or at least, from some guy who can speak and write in French.

And that's it for this week's installment of In the BIN. Stay tuned next week when I bring you the best of blogging from Canada. (Now, where do I go to find those kinds of blogs???)

Just Trim a Little Off the Top, Please, and Throw It In the BIN

Every once in a while, when I'm looking for something from the simple life, I visit Farm Girl Fare to see what the latest is with Cary, the Sheep. Looking at entries from the last few days, it's all been about sheering. Which then made me think of this Pixar gem titled Boundin'.

Here, for your viewing enjoyment, is a jackalope and a shorn sheep.

Copyright: Pixar Animation Studios.

New Friends

Today was a banner day in the "make new friends" arena.

It started this morning, when I met up with Suzanne, who was down from the Big Apple to check out Virginia Theological Seminary. We ended up attending a service at The National Cathedral of Saint Peter & Saint Paul. Now I can cross "attend something at the National Cathedral" off my list of things I've wanted to do while I live in D.C. My favorite statue in the cathedral is a little sculpture of Eleanor Roosevelt in the narthax of the church. The organ music was just stunning! And, of course, the stain glass is always beautiful, especially when the sun hits it. (Suzanne, thanks for pointing out the constellation window. It was truly beautiful!)

Suzanne and I then did a whirlwind tour of D.C. and its prominent monuments... "On your right is the World War II Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial in the background... On your left is the Old Executive Office Building--the largest granite building in the world... Straight ahead is the Jefferson Memorial..." Well, you get the picture, I'm sure. It's too bad Suzanne wasn't here after sunset, because the best tour of the monuments, I think, is a night time tour when all the monuments are bathed in light. I love the Lincoln Memorial at night. There's just something so ethereal about it. But I digress...

After our little, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am tour of the city, we then headed out to Shirlington where we met the Gunfighter for a bit of lunch at the Capital City Brewing Company. (Side bar: I forgot that Virginia is STILL behind the times in terms of banning smoking from bars and restaurants. I'd like to say it was barbeque we were smelling when we walked it, but it was cigarettes. Most unpleasant. Note to the Commonwealth of Virginia: Get with the programs, folks! Otherwise, I'm staying in the District for my dining experiences from now on.) And again, I digress...

We met the Gunfighter, who just turned out to be the most adorable guy. (Sorry, Gunfighter, but you really are.) You just want to pinch this guy's cheeks (and I'm talking about the ones on his face, mind you.) Talk about the nicest guy! We had a reasoned, enjoyable discussion about politics and religion and Canada. I really enjoyed meeting both him and Suzanne.

After that little fete, I hussled back to the city, dropped Suzanne at her car, showed her the way to Beltway, and toodled home. It started snowing like nobody's business, but then seemed to stop. I managed to pull together a batch of my raspberry pinot noir sauce (but not without first forgetting to pay closer attention to it and having it boil all over the stove top. Joy), then hopped in the car and was off to the Creole Princess' house for dinner with her and the "Robinator." Oh, and Jarue and Lucy--their two happy go-lucky, fun loving dogs.

On the way to Monica (aka Creole Princess) and Robby's, it snowed like the dickens. It was practically white out conditions on the Beltway. I almost turned around twice, but then it cleared up and by the time I hit the exit for their place, all was well. Monica made a lovely salmon that she placed on top of grilled asparagus and then nested in a bed of mixed greens, topped off with a mustard seed sauce. Divine, really! She served bread with truffle oil, as well as a lovely selection of cheeses and grapes and chocolate truffles, not to mention the dazzling raspberry-ginger frizzies we drank. (Monica: I must get that recipe!) We had a lovely dinner and enjoyed good conversations about so many things. Monica is a hoot and a fabulous hostess. If you ever get invited to her place, it's a treat, believe me! We're definitely getting together again. (And soon, hopefully.)

Meeting folks via the blogosphere has been reminiscent for me of the days when I was active on the LDS Grads* list and when I met folks as a result of my participation in that list. Eight of my dearest friends in the whole world were originally part of that list, lo these many years ago. I certainly hope folks like Suzanne and the Gunfighter and Creole Princess become good friends like that as the years progress. Today was, by far, one of the most enjoyable days, in terms of meeting new people, I've had since I moved back to D.C.

Thank you Suzanne, Bill, Monica, Robby, Jarau, and Lucy!

LDS Grads was an email list I was on years ago for--what else?--Mormons who were in graduate school. I met people from all over the country and the world on that list. Five of my eight friends who comprise the group in the links on the right known as "The Scary Feminists" I met as a result of LDS Grads. There's a story there, but I'm too tired to tell it tonight, so it'll have to wait for another blog and another day.

In the Bin

This week’s In the BIN is brought to you by the National Association of Dollar Stores, which reminds you that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to drain your wallet and you don’t have to have a significant other to enjoy the fruits of that most commercialized of commercialized days.

Case in point, my good friend, Merujo, over at Church of the Big Sky, provides several excellent pointers for how to enjoy the most obnoxious, overpriced, and overrated day of the year. Here’s When the Postman Don’t Call on Valentine’s Day.

And speaking of things to do, my other good friend, Mary Ellen, over at Rio Grande Valley Girl, reviews the movie The Good Shepherd. If you haven’t seen it, but you’re thinking of seeing it, stock up on soap. Sounds like this flick may leave you feeling amoral and in need of some redemptive cleansing. Here’s The (not so) Good Shepherd. And, hearty congratulations to you, ME, on landing a gig as a columnist for The Monitor!

The other day, I had the opportunity to talk on the phone to The Gunfighter. What a lovely, lovely man. Toward the end of our conversation, I asked him about his work and what he does exactly. Turns out, gunfighting is an art and philosophy that I hadn’t appreciated. I guess my query sparked his writing juices, because he posted this entry on his blog. Here’s What I Do.

Those are just some of the folks in my links. Culling material from elsewhere, I give you these gems. The theme is photography. Here are some of the better photography and photojournalism blogs out there. At least, I think so, anyway.

From San Francisco, of course, Fog Bay. I love this entire site, but probably for really obvious reasons. Be sure to check out the photo of the RMS Queen Mary 2 sailing into San Francisco Bay. It’s picture #475.

From New York City, Native Eye. He captures life around the Big Apple. Some of his photos are better than others and you have a dig a bit.

From Chicago, A Thousand Words. Be sure to check out his photos of a recent house fire (December 14, 2006.)

From Philadelphia, Dark Water Chronicles. This blog also includes links to several other Philly photogs.

From Rural Missouri, Farm Girl Fare. This blog features a new photo every day from the farm of “Cultured California Chick to Manure Mucking Missouri Farmgirl.” Also, if you want a heart tugger, read the story about Baby Cary, the orphaned lamb that grows up to be a sheep with a human soul.

That’s probably enough for this issue of In the BIN.

Join us next week when we bring you… blogs I’ve noted as a result of clicking “Next Blog” in the Blogger header. Until then, “good night and good luck.”

P.S. I tried to find a D.C. photographer to note, but all I could find were lots of wedding and event photographers. Boooooooring. If you know a D.C.-area photographer who captures life in and around D.C. in ways that are better than average, please let me know about him/her/them. I’ll have a look and then choose one to post in a future In the BIN. (There's Keith Stanley, but I'm not 100% certain he's D.C.-based. If he is, here's a shout out to him.)

P.P.S. Keith Stanley aside, I'm looking for a D.C. photog who captures more than just monuments and politics. I'm looking for someone who photographers the colors and textures of this city and its neighborhoods outside of the area surrounding the National Mall, Capitol Hill, the White House, etc. I'm sure you "get the picture"??)

Too Late?

The following are three entries I wrote last week and intended to post on Friday, but alas, I went off and left my memory stick somewhere other than the pocket of my coat and I’ve only been able to retrieve these pieces today. When I wrote them, they were quite a bit more timely than they seem today. Still, I didn’t want to discard them entirely.

So, here they are:

Articulate
Happiness Is…
Dancin’ With Them What Took You Up