I'm Bored! Let's Do Something!

Welcome to the August doldrums.  There's no more camp for LBA and SoBA (that will come as good news to SoBA, who did not have the greatest summer camp experience this year - not sure about LBA though).  Mrs. BA and I are working on various plans to keep LBA and SoBA occupied until school starts later this month.

Here's a list from DCist of "14 Places to Go With Kids In and Around DC."

NATIONAL CAPITAL TROLLEY MUSEUM: This could be fun.

ANACOSTIA SKATING RINK: We tend toward indoor skating at the SkateZone, but this would be a different perspective.

THE FREER AND SACKLER GALLERIES:  Museums are usually a good way to go when it's either too hot or raining, something it does a lot in August.

KENILWORTH PARK AND AQUATIC GARDENS:  This is a popular destination from our little corner of the world.  I should really go there.

NEWSEUM: Been there before and would go back - but it's always hard to reconcile paying for a museum in a town where all the museums are free.

ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL: Definitely in my top 5 of the many memorials around the city.

2 AMYS: Although I might opt for the new Pizza Paradiso that just opened closed to home.

NATIONALS PARK: We've only been to a few games so far this season - but SoBA and LBA are going to a clinic there on Saturday morning and then we are all going to the game on Saturday night.

EAST POTOMAC GOLF COURSE: I would play more golf.

BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING: This was one of my favorite stops on my 6th grade trip to DC.

DUMBARTON OAKS: A nice place to take the air, which in August can be questionable.

GRAVELLY POINT: The Clan has done this.  If it's a nice day and the wind is in the right direction, you can see lots of planes and have a nice picnic by the river.

MARIAN KOSHLAND SCIENCE MUSEUM: This might be too much like school for LBA and SoBA - but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it.

It's Casino Night!

Astronaut, Brave Astronaut.  That's me.  Tonight I will be bartending at LBA's school fundraising event, Casino Night.  This year's theme is "Casino Royale," a James Bond themed event.

In addition to beer, wine, and other mixed drinks - I will be serving martinis and three other themed drinks.  Special thanks to Restaurant Gal for the ideas!  RG - you are the best.  Dear readers, if you aren't reading her blog - you should be.

The "Skyfall"

• vodka
• triple sec
• blue curacao
• garnish with a mini marshmallow

The "Thunderball"

• rum
• pineapple juice
• orange juice
• cranberry juice
• splash of grenadine

Bond Gal Punch

• vodka
• sour mix 
• 7-up or club soda
• splash of grenadine

Random Ramblings

This is a holiday weekend for most, as we will celebrate President's Day on Monday. LBA and SoBA are going to my MIL's house for a few days so Mrs. BA and I are going to go out like people who don't have kids. Tonight is dinner with friends and tomorrow is a movie and maybe dinner again! We are evidently also getting phone upgrades this weekend, which makes Mrs. BA very, very excited.

Later today, I will be attending the memorial service for a resident of our town, who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Sherry, we are all thinking about you and we are there for you as you go on without Tim by your side.

There is some talk about snow tomorrow. I have given up on getting excited by this possibility, with the mild winter we have had this year. If I want to relive some weather, I can go here, too.

Mrs. BA and I like to play Scrabble - though are games have moved onto Facebook, but we haven't played there in some time. I did note recently there was a move afoot to retool Scrabble, including a typeface makeover. Don't screw with the classics, please?

If the boys were around this weekend, maybe we would go bowling.

More than likely we will spend some time sleeping, watching TV, and doing regular mundane stuff. That's how we roll. Speaking of TV, found this list some time ago. I believe that I can honestly say, I saw every single one of these.

Top Ten TV Show Finales You Should Have Watched Live

1. M*A*S*H - "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
2. Cheers - "One for the Road" (sorry, we're closed)
3. Seinfeld - "The Finale"
4. Friends - "The Last One"
5. Magnum, P.I. - "Resolutions"
6. The Cosby Show - "And So We Commence"
7. All in the Family - "Too Good Edith"
8. Family Ties - "Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
9. Home Improvement - "The Long and Winding Road"
10. Frasier - "Goodnight Seattle"
    

Double Date Night

The DC area got to temperatures in the 70s again today - for the third day in a row - unprecedented weather. If I had not been sick earlier in the week, I might have "caught" something that would have kept me home today. As it is, Mrs. BA and I are in the midst of an unprecedented two-night event of our own. It's Double Date Night! Two Date Nights and Double Dates with two different couples!

Yesterday evening, our friend (Ed in Pittsburgh) and his lovely wife came for a visit. He had some meetings to attend to today and his wife took the opportunity to come along and visit with an old friend. They came without their children. When the plan developed, I immediately saw an opportunity for a date night. As you may know, it's Pizza / Movie night at the Launchpad and we asked one of our frequent attendees (and good friend) to think about looking after LBA and SoBA for the evening. She readily agreed - so Mr. and Mrs. BA are getting out to dinner tonight with Ed and Mrs. Ed. We have made a plan to go here for dinner. It is always good to see them and we are having a great time with them as we usually do (we went away for an anniversary weekend with them a few years ago, which was also a lot of fun.

Thursday also marked the birthday of Mrs. OSG and it was her desire to go out for a grown-up meal. Her hope was to go somewhere that did not have mac and cheese or hot dogs on the menu - and perhaps a place where people would bring us food - and somewhere where we might even be able to drink a little. Who were we to deny this birthday wish?! My [very kind] MIL gave Mrs. BA and I a gift card for dinner out at Christmas, with the added bonus of her being willing to babysit when we wanted to cash in. So we are doing just that. Our destination for Saturday night is this restaurant, where I have my eyes on the Coffee-cured Filet Mignon. I am pretty sure that Mrs. BA and Mr. OSG will be diving into an appetizer plate of the "Mountain of Blue Cheese Chips."

We have not been to Stoney River before and are certainly looking forward to it. As I have said before, I would go out all the time if my wallet and waistline could take it. And there is no lack of new places to go here in the DC area:

• All Your 2011 Restaurant Openings to Look Forward To (Part 1)
• All Your 2011 Restaurant Openings to Look Forward To (Part 2)
• Who We Missed: More Restaurants Opening in 2011
  

But wait there's more! Here's the bonus. My [extremely kind] MIL is in fact, babysitting, and is taking the boys to her house for Saturday night. So our second date night will allow us to have the house to ourselves. Although LBA does have a birthday party on Sunday so Mrs. BA will head out to get them in time for that. I need to go to the grocery store - and I would love to find a store that has one of these installed. As the post notes, there are plans to bring them to the US within the year.

Christmas in New York

Today would have been the day set aside for the Brave Astronaut family's annual excursion to New York City. However, we the Blizzard of 2010 and the planned family events for today - we may do an abbreviated version tomorrow on our way home.

Normally, our route involves, the Long Island Rail Road into the city and then making our way around the city, taking in the sights. We usually walk over to Fifth Avenue and then up as far as FAO Schwarz, where LBA and SoBA would surely walk out with something. We also like to take in the windows at Lord and Taylor and of course, the Tree at Rockefeller Center. This year LBA commented he wanted to go into the New York Public Library, which is Ghostbusters-related.

Getting to Fifth Avenue from Penn Station in NY usually means walking along 34th Street (passing Macy's, which also has great windows this year). The New York Times had an article some time ago about altering the way 34th Street looks (seen first on kottke). Basically, they want to do something similar to Times Square, that is banning cars in a block near Macy's and the Empire State Building. I just don't want to think what it will do to the traffic.

Speaking of the Empire State Building, kottke (again) profiled the Ric Burns documentary, New York, in which there is a great segment on the building of the building. Let us not forget, the Empire State Building went up in about two years, and under budget.

Finally, recently the Museum of the City of New York has announced that the majority of its historical photo collections of New York City are now available online.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

It's Prom Night and Cheverly Day Tomorrow

Tonight here in our lovely little town is the social event of the Spring, known as ChvProm. We were offered tickets and I persuaded Mrs. BA to have the night out - but I am there going stag as we couldn't get a babysitter and Mrs. BA stayed home for movie night with the boys. We hadn't bought tickets and the event was sold out, but I scored a ticket at local pol, Victor Ramirez's table - so I'm in. Although, I was never really a prom kind of guy anyway, as these stories will illustrate, now that I'm older, I like it.

When I was in 9th grade, I bought tickets to the 9th grade formal, with the anticipation that was going to go to the dance. However, that didn't happen, and I wound up burning the tickets in some weird display with my friends. It gets worse. In high school, I was asked to the senior prom by a girl in my class. I went so far as almost buying tickets, when the girl came to me and told me that her ex-boyfriend had asked her to the prom and she was going with him.

I did have one good prom experience - another senior prom, this time in Huntsville, Alabama. A girl that I had met and seen on a few occasions (she was from there, I lived in NY - it was a girl scout connection - some day I might let you in on how I was in many ways one of the luckiest guys around - I mean, whose mother brings 20-30 girls through your house every summer?) invited me to her senior prom and a good time was had by all. A secondary story here is that I went to this prom in a full leg cast - another good story, which I might need to tell as it is 25 years ago this year).

I also noted with interest this history of the Prom from Time Magazine.

ChvProm is the event that kicks off the festivities for tomorrow, which is Cheverly Day in our little town. I will be involved in a number of activities including the annual East vs. West softball game (two years ago, I went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs). From there, we will most likely adjourn to the St. Ambrose Mens Club Beer Garden, where as a member in good standing, I will likely be filling pitchers for a shift.

Cheverly Day will conclude with a fireworks display that is very impressive. I think it has everything to do with the fact that you get to sit up close, where if the wind is blowing the right way, it is not unusual to have debris flutter down on you. Good times, really.

Comfort Food

Yesterday, Mrs. BA went off to pick up LBA from my MIL, where he had spent the weekend at her house. She took SoBA with her and I spent the day at the movies with a friend. We went to the AFI Silver Theater to see ZULU! as part of a Michael Caine film appreciation. It's one of those boy movies that one should see and always take the opportunity to see on the big screen if you can.

I was going to be on my own for dinner and if I had not had dinner out with the Major, I would have been on my own for dinner and I would have made my Mom's beefaroni for dinner as I don't have it too often. Cheverly Chef Scott posted a recipe on his blog to commemorate his fifth anniversary of blogging at Eat With Me. It might give my Mom's beefaroni a run for its money.

Tater Tot Casserole

1. Brown ground beef and 1 medium, diced, onion.
2. When cooked, drain off excess fat.
3. Season with salt, pepper and other spices you like. Add 3 TB of butter.
4. Add 3 TB of flour. Stir and cook for one minute.
5. Add one cup of broth (beef, chicken or combo of both). Stir and simmer.
6. Add 1-2 cups of frozen green beans or other veg (carrots, corn, etc.)
7. Dump into a baking dish, top with frozen potato tots.
8. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Dump on some shredded cheese, if you like. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
9. Serve piping hot.
   

Enjoy!

Anniversary Date Night

On Tuesday, I celebrated eight years of marriage to the most wonderful woman in the world. She is the most understanding, kind, and lovable woman. She's pretty good looking, too.

She is the mother of my children, she is the woman that I long to spend more time with, and will work to continue to make happy for the rest of my life.

To that end, tonight is date night. I planned a secret rendezvous with her, getting the babysitter in place, asking some friends to join us, and then finally letting her in on the secret. The babysitter initially described it as my "Officer and a Gentleman" moment.

So when you read this (if you read this on Friday evening), my wife, who I love very much, will be enjoying a night out, having some dinner together and then heading to a local bar, which has installed some skeeball games for grownups to release their inner child. Mrs. BA has a bit of a skeeball addiction.

Monday's Election Day Recipe

It's Election Day here in Cheverly. Shortly, we will have a new mayor. The weather has also turned warm here in the DC suburbs. To honor all of that - here is a recipe brought to you by a local Cheverly resident.

Homemade cantaloupe ice!

• 2 c. cantaloupe
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. water
  

(you could also add herbs, like lavender, basil or thyme...)

Combine everything in the blender and whip until very smooth. Chill for about an hour.

Make the ice following directions for your ice cream maker.

Get the updates on the mayoral race by following me on twitter!

The Final Results:

• Michael Callahan - 670 votes
• Thomas Foley - 104 votes
• Micah Watson - 414 votes

The new mayor of Cheverly will be Michael Callahan.

Highs and Lows - Happy Halloween

Marking a high, 40 years ago today, someone threw a switch and the Internet was born (no, it wasn't Al Gore). So feel free to spend a little time down the rabbit hole today. Have some birthday cake.

As to the lows, today marks the 80th Anniversary of the first Stock Market Crash that sent the nation and the world spiraling into the Great Depression. What is that saying about history? "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it?" Yeah, something like that. Got any money in your wallet? Maybe we could all go trick or treating for money, instead of candy on Saturday. Remember Unicef boxes? If you are of a certain age, I'm sure you do.

LBA and SoBA will celebrate Halloween at their daycare tomorrow with a costume parade and then on Saturday there will a parade in town and later trick or treating around the neighborhood. Coming of age in the late 70s and early 80s, I trick or treated during the Tylenol scare, stories about razor blades in apples, and being forced to give up loose candy (which to this day I am convinced that it was just my parents way of getting the candy they liked - hey that's what I would do).

Trick or treating today is very much an organized, structured event. In my neighborhood, one only goes to lights with the porch light on, only from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, and never alone. It's a far cry from when I would hit the pavement moments after getting home from school and trick or treat on my own (usually covering most of my neighborhood - about 100 houses at least), arriving home at dark with a sack full of candy. Then there was the inevitable sorting, trading with siblings, losses to parents, etc. But I usually wound up with enough candy to survive a few weeks on sugar rushes.

I will take LBA trick or treating on Saturday, while Mrs. BA and SoBA will stay home to greet the neighborhood children. LBA is dressing up as a robot this year (handmade costume by yours truly) and SoBA will parade around as a fireman.

And if you are at a loss for something to do on Saturday and Halloween is not your thing, but lighthouses are, you could take a trip to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Cape May Lighthouse (New Jersey). I would go, but I've already climbed that lighthouse. Maybe some of you MARACians returning home from Jersey City will make the climb?

It's Masters Weekend!

Many who know me understand that while I play golf occasionally, I also enjoy watching it on TV. And this weekend that means the Masters. It is the one tournament that I try to never miss. One of these days I will get there in person (maybe when Archival Trash adopts me - he has tickets).

So while I will be glued to the TV for most of the weekend watching anyone but Tiger, our friends "across the pond" have come up with a game known as "Pub Golf" (seen on Buzz Feed) As defined by Urban Dictionary:

The pinnacle game of choice in the modern sporting era. The game involves visiting 18 different pubs, in 18 different locations, drinking an alcoholic drink of previously specified choice. The aim is to complete the course, and the winner is decided as to who can complete the course in the fewest number of consecutive "sips."

The lowest possible score in Pub Golf is 18 shots. This would require "downing" each drink in one go, and without stopping. Any player taking any more shots that the standard course par of 72 is deemed the winner.

Any form of drink "spillage" or players puking up invokes a penalty of 2 shots.

The rules are rather involved [taken from a website that features black text on a black background - so it was a bit hard to see]:

1. Each player must choose and consume ONE drink in each pub. Points are only scored for this ONE drink.

2. The winner shall be the player with the LEAST NUMBER OF POINTS at the end of the ninth hole.

3. Point scoring system: Just like real golf, we have defined what constitutes a 'par' ( i.e 0 points) for each kind of drink you may choose to consume. A bogey is one over par (i.e. +1), a birdie one under par (i.e. -1), an eagle two under (i.e. -2), and an albatross three under (i.e. -3). [The British creators came up with a very intricate scoring system based on alcohol contents of beer and the selection of mixed drinks, but I think it could easily be simplified]

4. Penalties:

• Failure to complete a hole (i.e. failure to finish drink) = 3 shots dropped (& no points awarded for your drink)
• Failure to have a drink at all = 4 shots dropped
• Puking = 3 shots dropped. The other players are encouraged to sneak on their competitors should any player attempt a quick 'tactical' spew.
• Failure to complete the course - instant disqualification and a very bad hangover.

5. Water hazards: Players are not allowed to go to the toilet at any hole deemed a 'water hazard'. Penalty = 2 shots dropped.

6. Bunkers: To get out of a bunker each player must consume one shot of their choice (single measure) in addition to their chosen drink. Failure to negotiate bunker - 2 shots dropped. Shot must be neat, i.e.: not water, ice etc, and downed.

7. Hole in one: Should a player DOWN a pint in one, then they may add -2 points to their score for that hole. Definition of down: finish a drink in one go, i.e.: drink a full pint of chosen beverage without taking the glass away from mouth and without taking longer than 30 seconds about it. On completion, the glass should be upturned on the player's head, thus ensuring the drink was actually finished.

8. Time: Play commences before 6pm. Competitors are allowed a strict half an hour to complete each hole. Should time be running out towards the end of the evening, the referee will have the discretion to further limit the time allowed at each hole.

9. Scorecards: Each player is responsible for maintaining his own scorecard. However, at the start of the match competitors will be allocated partners with whom they will play the round. It is also a players responsibility to ensure his partner's score is correctly kept. In addition, at each hole players must declare their score to the referee who will be responsible for maintaining a leaderboard.

10. Referee: A referee shall be appointed for each game. The referee shall be timekeeper, judge, and the final arbiter in all disputes. The referees' decision is final.

So, I think we should move the MARAC Metal Edge Open indoors and try this in Charleston!

Valentine's Day Plans

It's a last minute date night here in Brave Astronaut land. Mrs. BA and I are heading out to the Georgetown basketball game. But I've been sitting on this tidbit of information for a while. Perhaps we should make a plan for a Valentine's Day outing. Because nothing says "I love you" like a good schnitzel and a peppy polka.

My friend, Anna von Schurman, spotted this on a blog that she reads. Blob's Park, is back in business. The polka palace which closed at the end of 2007 has reopened (a planned real estate deal fell through and the owners decided to give it another go). I enjoyed the one time that I went and according to the website, there is a big plan for Valentine's Day.

I say we make a date! OSGs, Special K and J in PA, what do you think?

National Book Festival

I'm off this morning to the Library of Congress Bookfest with LBA. We are sure to head to the children's tent where the stars of PBS Kids will be hanging out. We will likely also wander about the Pavilion of the States to score some free stuff.

Now if this book were being sold, I'd buy a copy.

Hey, Wait, Isn't That, You Know, What's His Name

As Washington, DC is our nation's capital, we have our fair share of monuments and memorials. Many of them are dedicated to former Presidents (Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson), others are devoted to significant events (World War II, Vietnam). At the end of July, an intrepid Washington Post reporter set out to find ten memorials around the city that deserved to be recognized. Here's the list and a link to the article with pictures. I have also linked the memorials to sites where they are explained in greater detail.

• Women's Titanic Memorial - not a memorial to the women, but to the men who gave their lives so the women could be saved. You might recognize the pose of the statue found in Hains Point, near the water, duh. It was later used in a film that I explained as "ship sinks, boy dies."
  
• Samuel Hahnemann Memorial - It seems that the good doctor has a bad headache. The homeopathic physician has his hand on his head and is seated in this memorial near Scott Circle. The memorial was erected by the American Institute of Homeopathy, which currently has its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
• Jim Henson Statue and Memorial Garden - Jim Henson is a graduate of the University of Maryland and created everybody's favorite frog while there. Here the late puppeteer is memorialized with Kermit in front of the Student Union.
• Spirit of Haida Gwaii - This literal boat load of Canadian creatures sits in front of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC to commemorate the Haida people from the Queen Charlotte islands.
• Navy-Marine Memorial - This sits alongside the George Washington Memorial Parkway and is likely a blur in most commuters eyes as they speed past. The wave and seagulls memorializes sailors that have lost their lives in service. Note that "marine" in this case means Merchant Marine. If you want a memorial to those Marines, you need to go here.
• Mahatma Gandhi Memorial - This memorial sits in a city close to many memorials and statues devoted to war and generals. Erected near the grounds of the Indian Embassy, it is possibly my favorite on this list.
• Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial - The African-American educator was the first to honored with a statue on public parkland in Washington. The memorial was created by the same individual who did statues of John F. Kennedy and Albert Einstein.
• National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II - I will admit to passing this sculpture several times and not realizing what it was for. It was erected as a form of apology for the internment of hundreds of thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Around the sculpture are the words, "Here we admit a wrong."
• Victims of Communism Memorial - This sculpture found its inspiration from two previous sculptures: the first was the "Goddess of Democracy" constructed by students during the Tiananmen protest, the second is a little larger and sits in the middle of New York Harbor.
• George Mason Memorial - I've been here. I had a friend who got married there. But don't go looking for it. It's hard to find. Poor George, is it any wonder he also carries the moniker, the "Forgotten Founder?"
  

No More Red Shirts for LBA

One of the struggles one can have with a three-year old is demanding a particular item of clothing. My son will announce in the morning that he wants to wear something other than what his mother or father have picked out for him. Do you want to guess who wins? At least it was not quite this bad - 11-year old finally takes off Brett Favre Jersey that he has worn for four years. My son does have a red shirt that he likes to wear. But he is not getting into that shirt if he is heading into outer space.

According to statistics compiled by someone with too much free time on their hands, USS Enterprise crew members who wore red uniform shirts died 43% of the time on the TV series, Star Trek. The safest crew members on the Enterprise were those in blue, who died at an 8% rate. The link above even includes a PowerPoint presentation to make their case. As I said, way too much time on their hands.

Tomorrow, the Brave Astronaut will venture off to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to celebrate with fellow residents of Chestertown to observe the Chestertown Tea Party. We went a few years ago and it was a lot of fun. Our friend OSG will be marching again this year and the food was very tasty. We will spend the night at my mother-in-law's apartment before heading off to Wilmington, Delaware to celebrate my sister-in-law's husband getting tenure from his university. So a full weekend and no one will be wearing red shirts (except the British re-enactors, and they are likely to be wet (but not dead) before the day is over on Saturday.

Weekend Wrap and Miscellaneous Musings

I'm back "on the grid" after about 20 hours in the dark. We had some heavy duty wind and rain on Friday night and Saturday that led to this event, which put us in the dark. The aggravating thing was, we have a pole in front of our house, which I was informed was a junction pole, so there was "juice" coming in, but it couldn't come to our house, because of the break up the line. Oh, well. Everything is back now.

We still have not had our car stereo returned to us, but the window in the car was replaced on Friday. You can read about the explosion of crime in my lovely little town here and here. We may be resorting to leaving our cars open.

If you click on the links above, it will take you to ChvBlog, which is run by my neighbor and the man known as Breadman. I had not yet met him face to face until last evening, when I crashed a party he was having. A very public thank you to him for a great party. I was glad to be included. In my defense, I had received an invitation and had not gotten around to RSVPing, when my neighbor exerted the peer pressure on me and took me along. Little Brave Astronaut had a great time (concluding with a viewing of "The Wizard of Oz)."

On Friday night, the Brave Astronaut family played host to fellow blogger, Special K and HAH (J in PA), who are also frequent commentators on Order from Chaos. We had Taco Night here at Chez Cheverly, where the OSG family, C in DC and her husband, and NJM, all partook in a lovely evening. We agreed that we might have to make it a regular happening.

I watched a fair amount of the Washington Capitals game yesterday, which they shouldn't have lost. But I thank them for tiring out the Bruins, which allowed the Rangers to beat them today. I am not sure if they will make the playoffs this year, but I will go on the record (having been the one to push him to make the prediction) as agreeing with ADR on his belief that a Stanley Cup will come to the Verizon Center within the next four years. Oh, then again, they lost again today. For a different point of view, Sports Frog believes that last year's champion (I can't even say the team, it's so silly) is in a very good spot to repeat.

In other sports news, I can feel it. Baseball is coming. When my first son was born, I used to read to him from the newspaper. Shortly after he came home, a baseball player of questionable talent got into a scuffle with a judge in his native Aruba. He wound up in jail. My nickname for this waste of a ball player was (and still is, although I may have to change it) the "Fat Puke." It seems as if the Fat Puke has been working on his form. Again, from Sports Frog, Sidney Ponson has . . .

Finally, next weekend I will travel to New York to look after my father, who is recuperating from open heart surgery. Many thanks to all of you for your good wishes as well. I will be flying the official airline of the Brave Astronaut, Southwest, despite this news. Here is Southwest's response, posted on their website as well as emailed to its many Rapid Rewards customers.

Doing the DC Dozens

This weekend marks the sixth anniversary of my arrival in Washington DC (of course that means my sixth wedding anniversary is coming up - that's candy, iron, or wood, for those of you who need ideas for gifts). Recently the Washington Post weekend section had an article on 12 great things to do around DC. Their take on it was, it's January, here's something to do each month for the remainder of the year. Here's the list.

1. The Exorcist Steps - I've seen them, but gone up (or down!) them? Nope. If you have to ask more, you haven't seen the movie.


2. Drag Queen Brunch at Perry's - this might be worth looking into.


3. The Theatre for a song - several of DC's theaters, including the Washington Shakespeare Company, the Wooly Mammoth, and Theatre J, offer "Pay What You Can" shows. I like the theater and I'm cheap, so I could very easily get behind this.


4. The Wright Stuff - Fallingwater is so far away and we have Frank Lloyd Wright stuff right here in DC, with the Pope-Leighey House. And you could also see Woodlawn while you're there.


5. Go look for eagles. The Post suggests going here, but I will continue to look for my eagles on the golf course.


6. Jazz in June - I have just completed working in a department that deals primarily with congressional records so HR-57 means something completely different to me. But evidently, it is the name of one of the premier jazz clubs in DC. And the jam sessions are something not to be missed.


7. "If it's not Scottish, it's Crap!" John Russell Pope, who was a very busy man in Washington, DC, designed the Temple of the Scottish Rite on 16th Street. Go on the tour (I have already done this one), it is very interesting. And you get to learn more about those wacky Masons.


8. The Post suggests the Drum Circle in Meridian Hill Park for August. Are they nuts? Don't they know what this town is like in August? Make a note there, J in PA, Meridian Hill has a statue of Pennsylvania's only president.


9. Climb to the top of the Washington Monument. Really? I've done it. I prefer this. It's not as high, but I like the view.


10. Saluting the Unknowns. There has been a fair amount of talk here in DC about whether the Tomb of the Unknowns needs to be replaced (it has several cracks). But while they debate that, go see the changing of the guard. It is incredibly moving.


11. Objection! - People who live here can often lose sight of the government working around town. Go see the oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court or my favorite, get passes to the House and Senate Galleries. You'll need to contact your Congressman or Senator, and you better know who that is. But no spitballs, or you'll wind up disappearing without a trace.


12. Come Dancing! (possibly one of my favorite songs, remind me to put it on my iPod). With the demise of Blob's Park, Glen Echo Park is one of the last places in the DC area to shake your groove thing.

So there's the list. Shall we try and get them all done in 2008?

Farewell to Blob's Park

Sad news from Jessup, Md. With the death of matriarch Katherine Peters in April, the family that has run Blob's Park has decided the landmark venue will close in early 2008. I have been once and we need to have one more outing before the last schnitzel is fried and the last beer is tapped.

C'mon local Brave Astronaut readers, let's find a November date for one last polka.

Weekend Wrapup

So my father leaves tomorrow. After a stop in the morning at the College Park Aviation Museum, I will take him to the airport for his trip back to NY. We had a very nice weekend. On Friday, we went to the National Building Museum to take in the exhibitions there. My father has a model, architecture thing. From there we had lunch at Gordon Biersch (which my father remembers we went to before - and I remembered as well, but we were already sitting down), I do love those garlic fries. After that it was off to the National Archives and the Charters of Freedom and the Public Vaults. Everybody should go - and there were lots of you there on Friday. Thanks. Go on Wednesday, it will be a great time.

Saturday we got an early start (well, sort of) and went over to Arlington National Cemetery. It had been years since either my father or I had been there and I learned that Mrs. Brave Astronaut had never been there! Well. There was even something for her there as the Arlington House was celebrating the 176th wedding anniversary of Robert E. Lee and Mary Custis. Mrs. BA has a thing for weddings.

Saturday night was the highlight of my father's visit. A trip to Wolf Trap for a concert by the Kingston Trio and the Smothers Brothers. (I've already asked you to stop laughing at me). I went willingly and really enjoyed it. You have to understand, growing up in my parents house, it was the "Make Believe Ballroom" and the "Sounds of Sinatra" rather than classic rock or god forbid, WLIR. While I expected to be the youngest in the house, I was not. Two rows behind me sat to pre-teens who looked absolutely miserable. Earlier I had spotted two late teenagers and constructed a whole back story for them. (Their parents had died tragically, but in order to receive their inheritance, they had to attend every Kingston Trio concert until they turn 25).

Today, we did a little house hunting, with the hopes of crossing off one of those items on the list at right. Then we had a nice dinner in Bethesda, again at a place my father swears he has been too, but he's old and he forgets. Now there is some lounging going on until we head off to bed. See you all tomorrow!

I'm off to a Wedding

One of my oldest friends is getting married this weekend. This is the same individual for whom I traveled to Atlantic City a few weeks ago for his bachelor party. It has occurred to me that I have known him since the fourth grade. Damn, I'm old.

Tomorrow morning I will fly to Long Island's Islip MacArthur Airport, to pick up my tuxedo and attend the rehearsal dinner. My wife will come up on Saturday to meet me and we will go to the wedding together.

Perhaps, I will have some pictures to post when I return. Have a good weekend everybody!