The debate now seems to be settled -- Maryland has the worst drivers out there. According to the Washington Times, last month alone Marylanders were responsible for 64 percent of the traffic violations caught on the District's traffic cameras, while D.C. residents accounted for 20 percent, Virginia 9 percent and all other states 7 percent. Of course, we are just kidding that this number may say something about Maryland's drivers. Some of them seem to say exactly the opposite, in fact, claiming that they are being unfairly targeted. A spokesperson for AAA said this of the news
-- "When 65 percent of those citations are from a particular jurisdiction, it creates in the public mind the notion of a carefully crafted commuter tax. Marylanders are at the mercy of the city." Why yes, we here in the District are crafty enough to come up with a plan this ingenious.
Monday, March 27, 2006
ammunition
Even though it comes from one of my least favorite sources I knew there was a reason Maryland drivers ruined the road experience along the entire mid-Atlantic. I'm not prejudiced against Marylanders just because I'm a Virginia-born, raised, schooled girl ... which I always will be, despite adopting DC residency but here it is, as DCist posts:
Saturday, March 25, 2006
2006: The Year of
Adventure, yeah that's what I've decided! I mean it has to be right? Within the first week of the new year I did my first trad climb (following) on Table Mountain, South Africa's (and possible the entire African continent's) distinguished climbing spot. So that means I'm packing my vacations with adventure in mind. Thus the training has began.
The new Earthtreks in Rockville was where I first started because of the blasted cold conditions. Pretty cool brand-spankin' new gym. Has a more extensive bouldering cave than the older gyms in the area (actually I'm only comparing it to Alexandria SportRock), really tall climbs, most routes longer than what you find in Great Falls and Carderock, and lots of challenging routes. At first I thought they graded their routes to hard but hah, that could've been just me out of shape.
A couple weekends ago when it wasn't so chilly we did our first outdoor climb of the season in Seculsion and Romeo. It was a great day for all of us, we ambitiously started out saying we were going to warm up on the 5.7's and make the most of the availability in the park. In reality, our winter-ed arms and shoulders could only handle three routes: Snowflake (5.6), Great Beginnings (5.7) and Romeo's Ladder (5.8). After that we've been tackling overhangs and roofs ... we should be in prime shape to tackle everyone's nemesis from last summer: Cornice in Great Falls.
Yeah, so you thought this was going to be a great post, but really it was just my climbing log. Not so afraid of the bouldering cave anymore and starting to work out roof/overhang problems on 5.8's at the gym.
Hopefully this will prepare me for July.
The new Earthtreks in Rockville was where I first started because of the blasted cold conditions. Pretty cool brand-spankin' new gym. Has a more extensive bouldering cave than the older gyms in the area (actually I'm only comparing it to Alexandria SportRock), really tall climbs, most routes longer than what you find in Great Falls and Carderock, and lots of challenging routes. At first I thought they graded their routes to hard but hah, that could've been just me out of shape.
A couple weekends ago when it wasn't so chilly we did our first outdoor climb of the season in Seculsion and Romeo. It was a great day for all of us, we ambitiously started out saying we were going to warm up on the 5.7's and make the most of the availability in the park. In reality, our winter-ed arms and shoulders could only handle three routes: Snowflake (5.6), Great Beginnings (5.7) and Romeo's Ladder (5.8). After that we've been tackling overhangs and roofs ... we should be in prime shape to tackle everyone's nemesis from last summer: Cornice in Great Falls.
Yeah, so you thought this was going to be a great post, but really it was just my climbing log. Not so afraid of the bouldering cave anymore and starting to work out roof/overhang problems on 5.8's at the gym.
Hopefully this will prepare me for July.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
next time on your first worst date
Think of me. I went out with a dreamy guy. Human rights and saving refugees from HIV/AIDs kind of ambitions, Master's in something, settled in the career, resume chock full of betterment of humanity-type of activities. Wine connoisseur, jazz-aficionado, city-life lover, jacked good looking blue eyed fella.
Date: sumptuous dinner chasing raw jalapenos sprinkled with crushed pepper down with infused vodkas, along with the two margaritas, and then two Haitian rums, a clear brandy, and Delirium Tremens late (I wasn't even trying to keep up) ... his German blood started failing him.
We were daring each other at the bar to create mischief on our unwary nearby patrons (although I think the bartenders suspected), and then we started to test each other's reflexes. Stepping outside the bar with many Friday night revelers on the well-lit street turned-party before us, I threw a playful kick to test his reflexes. Before I realized, his shadow rushed at me from the corner of my eye, and I was flat on my back on a sidewalk on 8th St.
The boy had tackled me.
"Whoa!!! Whoa! What the???!!!" Were the exclamations I heard vaguely through my alcohol fogged ears. He was laughing, I laughed along, not drunk enough to hide my nervousness or how freaked out I really was. He helped me up. I pretended to brush myself off for the next three blocks.
"So what do you want to do next?" he asked laughing not looking me in the eye.
"I think the metro's about to close. Ciao!"
Date: sumptuous dinner chasing raw jalapenos sprinkled with crushed pepper down with infused vodkas, along with the two margaritas, and then two Haitian rums, a clear brandy, and Delirium Tremens late (I wasn't even trying to keep up) ... his German blood started failing him.
We were daring each other at the bar to create mischief on our unwary nearby patrons (although I think the bartenders suspected), and then we started to test each other's reflexes. Stepping outside the bar with many Friday night revelers on the well-lit street turned-party before us, I threw a playful kick to test his reflexes. Before I realized, his shadow rushed at me from the corner of my eye, and I was flat on my back on a sidewalk on 8th St.
The boy had tackled me.
"Whoa!!! Whoa! What the???!!!" Were the exclamations I heard vaguely through my alcohol fogged ears. He was laughing, I laughed along, not drunk enough to hide my nervousness or how freaked out I really was. He helped me up. I pretended to brush myself off for the next three blocks.
"So what do you want to do next?" he asked laughing not looking me in the eye.
"I think the metro's about to close. Ciao!"
what happens when
"n" drinks 1/2 a bottle of Pinot Noir. My family thinks I'm an old maid at the tender age of '25.' See my aunts were married off fresh out of college, and old from them was 23. I've finally relented to their attempts to find me the perfect husband. I met one alleged 'perfect' husband-ish. But here I have a dirty confession to make. I'm not attracted to my kind ... that is South Asian men. Yes, on occasion I have fallen for one or two, but they were all the clubbing playa types.
Bastards.
I've been spoiled. I'm fortunate enough to know what it feels like to be head over heels in-love/crazy about someone ... I know what it feels like to have my world revolve around them and try to resist it and try to keep some semblance of my personal identity ... I know what it feels like to think of them as the only member of the opposite sex on the planet and refer to them privately in my head as 'husband.' So when I meet an auntie 'setup' and I don't feel like I've been rolled over by a tsunami in the end, it fails to mean anything. Wipe the slate clean. And I'm in no hurry even though all my blood relations seem concerned about my marriage bed.
Bastards.
I've been spoiled. I'm fortunate enough to know what it feels like to be head over heels in-love/crazy about someone ... I know what it feels like to have my world revolve around them and try to resist it and try to keep some semblance of my personal identity ... I know what it feels like to think of them as the only member of the opposite sex on the planet and refer to them privately in my head as 'husband.' So when I meet an auntie 'setup' and I don't feel like I've been rolled over by a tsunami in the end, it fails to mean anything. Wipe the slate clean. And I'm in no hurry even though all my blood relations seem concerned about my marriage bed.
Vendetta
Don't take it politically as many critics would have you feel.
"V" is based off a comic book, and thus should still be treated as one of many movies in the genre like 'Spiderman' or 'Dare Devil.' Do not try to compare it to the current administration. This movie is assuming that for the next 20 years the U.S. ceases to have elections and continues on an imperialist path. This is not that deep a movie.
Did I mention it's pro-terrorism? Enjoy it folks. It's still pretty awesome.
"V" is based off a comic book, and thus should still be treated as one of many movies in the genre like 'Spiderman' or 'Dare Devil.' Do not try to compare it to the current administration. This movie is assuming that for the next 20 years the U.S. ceases to have elections and continues on an imperialist path. This is not that deep a movie.
Did I mention it's pro-terrorism? Enjoy it folks. It's still pretty awesome.
march steaks
I'm fulfilling my one post a month. Or several posts in a 12 hour period for the month.
Steaks are awesome. This evening I had the luxury of blowing over $300 on a dinner for two at Charlie Palmer's. I ordered a steak that was approximately $6 a bite, Waguyi sirloin, good, but I trimmed about $10 worth of fat off it. The Pinot with the dinner was fantastic. The desserts decadent (chocolate is the way to go here). The service just right, attentive without making you feel embarrassed about the conversation you were carrying on interrupted (hah maybe that's just me). Yummy oysters, not too briny. Yeah, if you want to feel the full-fledge D.C. power towering over and around you, this is the place, the sort of place where I felt okay knowing my DC & Federal tax return made into my bank account and I was getting paid tomorrow so I could pull out the debit card instead of embarrassing myself by pulling out my non-Platinum American Express. Yeah, that's the kind of place Charlie Palmer's is. If you've got a snooty Beverly Hills high up on their horse kind of relative, this is the place to take 'em to make 'em feel small (not that I have those relatives).
Steaks are awesome. This evening I had the luxury of blowing over $300 on a dinner for two at Charlie Palmer's. I ordered a steak that was approximately $6 a bite, Waguyi sirloin, good, but I trimmed about $10 worth of fat off it. The Pinot with the dinner was fantastic. The desserts decadent (chocolate is the way to go here). The service just right, attentive without making you feel embarrassed about the conversation you were carrying on interrupted (hah maybe that's just me). Yummy oysters, not too briny. Yeah, if you want to feel the full-fledge D.C. power towering over and around you, this is the place, the sort of place where I felt okay knowing my DC & Federal tax return made into my bank account and I was getting paid tomorrow so I could pull out the debit card instead of embarrassing myself by pulling out my non-Platinum American Express. Yeah, that's the kind of place Charlie Palmer's is. If you've got a snooty Beverly Hills high up on their horse kind of relative, this is the place to take 'em to make 'em feel small (not that I have those relatives).
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