A Year in DC

At Kennedy Center

2010-08-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

Here is Anne on the Millennium Theatre stage at the Kennedy Center introducing Wisconsin Polka Music! She also got to fly her kite next to the Washington Monument.

Back in DC

2010-05-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

Ack is back in DC at a UCAR and DOE meetings and to receive NASA's Excellence in Public Service medal. Alana is not in New Orleans and Anne and Erin are visiting Ireland.

Ack is back

2009-05-17T13:39:00.001-07:00

Ack was back in DC all last week chairing a NASA Senior Review panel. He and Alana got to spend some time together. They saw "Wolverine" which had some pretty good special effects. It also helped to interpret some later movies. For example, the woman he fell in love with, before losing his memory, sure looked a lot like Jean of the X-men. On Friday I also visited some museums, including the Museum of American History. This picture is of a tree that was 'cut down' by bullets in a civil war battle in a woods. I remember first seeing this with Tom Fusco and felt it was a good way to image how many bullets were fired during a rush through the woods.

Another visit

2009-04-12T07:23:00.001-07:00

Ack and Anne visited DC (and Alana) again in late March 2009. Ack had a couple of meetings - one with NOAA, one with NASA and one with USRA. We stayed the weekend to visit with Alana, enjoy the cherry tree blossoms and look and houses/condos to buy. It was very nice to experience spring again!

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! Ack was at the Smithsonian and watched the fireworks with Alana on the Mall. Ack even watched a parade - without Anne.

We are Back...

2008-07-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

... into DC. Anne came over the weekend to see a bit of the Smithsonian Festival, where Alana is working. She is now on a cruise with the Pryor family. Ack came on July 1 to first work with the American Meteorological Society workshop for teachers. He then is working at the Smithsonian Festival as a panel participant in the NASA exhibit. On stage on July 2, 3 and 4. On Wednesday night Ack went to the Shakespeare Theatre Company to see the Imaginary Invalid by Moliere. Argon was played by Rene Auberjonois - the changling in Deep Space Nine. Wonderful play. It is a bit amazing that a play written in French in the 1600s could be so funny today.

The Drive Back

2008-06-08T19:13:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful visit with Erin and Al on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning but after we left Bloomington, the trip became a challenge. What was normally a 50 minute drive to Indianapolis turned into a 4-hour drive trying to avoid flooding. Many roads were closed or washed out by Saturday rains. Thank goodness we had a detailed atlas on Ack's Palm Pilot. We eventually made it to Illinois by taking county roads in relatively high terrain. Here are some photos of the flooding.

Once we got out of Indiana, we spent a relaxing night with old friend from Fort Collins days, Alison Bailey, in Bloomington IL. On Sunday, we raced to Madison, making it between two big storms - just in time to empty the gutters and see another storm roll into town in from the NW.

Leaving Town

2008-06-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

After cleaning the house and packing the car, we finally left DC around noon. We traveled to Monticello. Unlike Mount Vernon, Monticello is was worth the visit. An interesting house. We then drove into West Virginia and stayed overnight just outside Charleston. On Friday afternoon we made it to Erin and Al's in Bloomington, Indiana. We had a wonderful lunch downtown and some rich chocolate ice cream from Blu Boy chocolate shop. Then visited the very nice Art Museum at the IU campus.

Last Blog from DC...

2008-06-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we are heading out and back to Madison. With stops at Monticello, and Bloomington, IN (Erin and Al's) and Bloomington, IL (Alison's). We should be home by Sunday. We enjoyed DC tremendously and encourage all to visit this great capitol city of ours (and to have as many wonderful family and friends in the area too -- they certainly helped make our stay so great).

We'd add a picture but Anne's camera is packed and Ack's accidentally got washed.

Now, on to a new blog...

Great Talk!

2008-06-04T05:04:00.000-07:00

Anne gave a great talk at the Library of Congress. About 90 people showed up, more than previous lectures - they had to get extra chairs for the room! The audience was engaged in the captivating presentation. We will post the link to the talk when it is available from the LoC.

Visitors

2008-06-03T07:06:00.001-07:00

Mimi and Joe came to visit to hear Anne's talk at the Library of Congress. They arrived via Amtrak from New York. Here they relax with tea and reading!

Glen Echo Park

2008-05-31T19:39:00.001-07:00

We finally got to Glen Echo park! We went to the Washington Folk festival there. Not the big Smithsonian, this is one put on by the Washington Folklife Society. It was nice though rain early afternoon probably kept attendance down. We walked around, did a little dancing and rode a carousal. We had a wonderful dinner at a resturant on the corner of S and 14th. I can't remember the name, but Alana, Erin and Grace ate there back in the summer.

Kennedy Center

2008-05-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

We went to the Kennedy Center Friday night with Paddy. Check the coats out on Paddy and Anne! The National Symphony Orchestra played pieces by Jean Sibelius - noting the 50th year since his death in 1957. The three pieces were Symphony No. 1 in E minor; The Oceanides, and Symphony No. 7 in C major. Wonderful music in the concert hall, where no seat is bad.

Aaron Douglas

2008-05-30T02:57:00.001-07:00

Great exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Originally from Kansas and later at Fisk University in Nashville, Douglas was a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance. This piece is owned by the people of Wisconsin, thanks to a purchase by Governor Patrick Lucey. It usually hangs in the Governor's Residence in Madison.

Graduation

2008-05-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Emanuel for graduating high school. Ryan and Victor had a family gathering to honor the event. Also congratulations to Julie, daughter of Dan and Christine for also graduating. We got to meet entire Dan/Chris clan along with Aunt Romie

Great Falls National Park

2008-05-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day weekend, Anne and Ack headed out to Great Falls National Park. It has a wonderful series of water falls. We got a later-than-planned start (Anne was working on her book), so we arrived around 10 am with just a short line on the two-lane highway to get into the park.When we left at 2 pm, it was so crowded that the line to get into the park was two miles long -- literally. So if you plan on visiting, go early! The trails are easy and parallel the Potomoc. You'll find an ocassional kayaker defying the rapids or climbers scaling the gorge's walls. The site has an interesting history display about how canals were used in the area too.

We also saw a snake eat a frog!!!

Farewell to Erin

2008-05-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

There is no joy in Mudville -- Erin left today. We had such a great visit with her and Al; it's very sad to have them gone.

After dropping Erin and Al at the airport, Anne and Ack went to Mt. Vernon (we're in the better-see-it-now-cause-we're-leaving-soon mode). It was very crowded, cost $13 to get in, and the gardens were nice for vegetable but no flowers. Plus, it was a 45-minute wait to get into the mansion, so we didn't go in, but here it is for you.

Longest Escalator

2008-05-23T17:19:00.001-07:00

Ack went to Wheaton to ride what we've been told is the longest, continuous escalator in the country (the "everlasting escalator"). Pretty cool......

For our last night together, we (Alana, Erin, Al, Anne, Ack) ate at a new restaurant in the area - Corduroy. It is ranked as #17 in the Washingtonian's top 100 restaurants. Wonderful meal, particularly the Peekytoe Crab & Egg Custard Soup.

Art class

2008-05-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ack is finishing up an abstract drawing class he his taking through the Smithsonian. It's taugh by Dalna Dastur. The figure is one drawing, 24 x 38 inches in charcoal and pastel.

Play Ball!

2008-05-20T19:46:00.001-07:00

The five of us (Anne, Ack, Erin, Al and Alana) spent Tuesday night at the new National's stadium. They played Philly and lost 1-0. Philly scored a run in the top of the 9th (right after Alana left to catch a train). It was a beautiful night and though we were in the upper deck, the view of the field was very good.

Time is Relative

2008-05-19T20:03:00.001-07:00

We went to the Naval Observatory Monday night, where we first learned about keeping time and then got to view Saturn through this large 1873 telescope! Plus the floor moved up and down!!

Some history...

For most of human existence, the unit of time that has mattered most was the day. As our capacity for velocity increased (via trains, planes, etc.), the importance of maintaining accurate time also increased. Up to the late 19th century, each community was responsible for its own timekeeping -- which led to train crashes. So Western Union and the U.S. railroads established a single time source. At noon each day, Western Union sent out a time pulse to clocks set up in railroad stations that synchronized them. That pulse originated from the Naval Observatory.

Other cool time tidbits:

Since 1950, the earth's revolution has slowed down by 33 seconds. This has created a difference between 'scientific time' and 'social time,' leading to the "leap second," which a lot of timekeepers hate. Losing a second now means losing billions in revenue. There's a proposal to do away with the leap second and to instead have a 'leap hour' once every forty years or so.
No one clock is accurate. Clocks work on the idea of a 'center moment.' The official time comes from not a single clock but an average of many.
Canadian railroad companies are the ones who came up with time zones.

Happy Birthday Erin

2008-05-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Erin! As part of the day we did the Washington Post Hunt. Sort of like a scavenger hunt. In these pictures Anne shows the fortune cookie clue (we missed the clue about its coconut flavor) and the second is at the end as we try to put all the pieces together. We didn't win, but we had fun!

Party

2008-05-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday we held our good-bye brunch. Its hard to believe that we'll be leaving the area soon.

Party Prep...

2008-05-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

We said goodbye to Eileen on Friday; she took the Amtrak train back to NY. On Friday evening and Saturday morning we did lots of prep for our goodbye to DC party.

Self-Reflections

2008-05-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Yea! Eileen is here visiting from New York! Erin and Al are visiting from Indiana!! The lowlight so far was taking Erin to an urgent care clinic to find relief from a bad allergic reaction to a sulfa drug. The highlight so far - "History Boys" at Studio Theater.

Beautiful Spring

2008-05-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

My mom celebrated her 80th birthday with a surprise party my dad organized for her. It was a fun gathering.

The flowers in DC are so much ahead of what we'd be having in Madison. It's like getting an extra three months of summer.

Light Show

2008-05-10T07:57:00.001-07:00

Friday night we went to the "Lighting to Unite" event at the Washington National Cathedral. Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter projected images on to different sides of the cathedral. Some were photos of people, but the best scenes were the abstract images.

Earlier in the week, Debbie Kmetz was in DC visiting her Mom and came by to visit and work with Anne. Just so you readers know that we are not just touring, they got a lot of work done on the Wisconsin Teachers of Local Culture website redesign.

Ups and Downs

2008-05-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Bad day on Friday--I was in a minor bus accident and then my wallet was lost or stolen while waiting for the replacement bus. I got wonderful support from Nalini of the Arts Education Partnership (a woman I'd never met before) -- money so I could take the bus back home to start calling credit card companies.

Good day on Tuesday--on a beautiful spring evening, Ack and I went to the Czech Republic embassy to a cool outdoor concert with Chodska Vla, a bagpipe band that did rock versions of traditional tunes and songs. Check out the Bohemian style of bagpipe -- a different construction and a sweeter sound. (Click on the photo to make it larger.)

Embassy Visits

2008-05-03T14:58:00.001-07:00

Anne is up in NY celebrating her Mom's 80th birthday. She took the 6:20 am Amtrak. Ack went on an Embassy tour, visiting 6 embassies; starting with the Italian (photo). I expected a Romanesque design but the embassy's architecture was very modern. We were only allowed into the first floor and one of the outside gardens. They had a movie playing about opera. The furniture was very modern, made of nice leather, and very old paintings hung on the wall. They had gelato, but charged $2 for a dish, but I bought it anyway. The coffee gelato was good.

Then on to Slovenia which had a much more welcoming setting . Unlike the Italians, they didn't search bags. They gave a tour of the offices which had lots of windows and open space. The building had modern architecture as well and free sweet bread. The country looks like a nice place to vacation.

Next stop the Netherlands, which of course had the outside grounds lined with tulips. They had a self guided tour booklet for 4 rooms and the paintings inside. When you left you got a very tasty cookie and a little bottle of water - very practical of them.

I skipped United Kingdom as the line was long and you had to clear security - they were wanding everyone and asking for IDs. I heard later that the UK was giving away a lot of stuff, including bag, T-shirt and thumb drive. Still not worth the wait in the sun to clear security.

The Embassy of Finland was again a modern design with tall ceilings, walls made of windows and very square interior walls. They didn't have tight security (which is nice) but you had to sign in. The food was free, lots of it and lots of tasty treats - including a few wonderful salmon dishes and great cheeses. A berry drink was cool and refreshing. The Ambassador was there and would every now and then get on a microphone and welcome everyone. There is a sauna there too but it wasn't open to the tour. One of the hosts said that if you called them, they could arrange a tour for individuals.

Next stop was Belgium where they looked into any bags. It was a very business like embassy beyond the main entrance and marble staircase. They gave you 3 pieces of good chocolate as soon as you entered, along with some butter cookies and a pen. When you left, there was Belgium beer tasting. The cherry beer was very refreshing on a day with 80F temperatures. That was my favorite visit.

The final stop for me was Malta. The smallest country on my mini-tour (400,000 people) and a small embassy - basically a 3-floor row house. There was a wait to get in but not because of security; it was the program which included a warm welcome by the Ambassador's wife and some cake. You then went up stairs where the Ambassador greeted you into a room and gave a history lesson and answered questions. A very nice gentlemen with a good sense of humor, he talked too much as his wife had warned.

Visits...

2008-05-03T14:50:00.001-07:00

Kevin Monroe and Wendy were visiting the area, so Tim and Tom had a little party for them at their place in Baltimore. Ryan, Victor and Emanuale were there along with Ned and Harry. Dan was also there, but we missed Christine. It was a nice luncheon. The next day we meet Ryan and Victor at their church and then went out to breakfast. Anne and I also visited and hiked part of the National Arboretum to see the azaleas in bloom - wonderful!

Favorite Photos

2008-05-02T05:42:00.001-07:00

Here are my two favorite photos from Bionca's visit--

One is Bionca on her first ever airplane ride, as we're flying from Madison to DC.

The other is Bionca in her favorite building in DC, the beautiful atrium that connects the National Portrait Gallery with the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Pope Benedict

2008-04-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Now that I have my card reader again, I'm going to catch up on posting some images from the past couple of weeks. This is my best image of the pope riding up Pennsylvania Avenue in the infamous Popemobile. He's just left the White House and is heading up to the papal embassy. I was way at the back of a deep crowd. The excitement of the crowd was fascinating: people in sophisticated business attire were RUNNING to see him. There were also groups of pilgrims who had traveled from afar who were singing, drumming, chanting and having a great time. Of all the coverage of the pope's visit, the most astounding was this first person account of restauranteur Franco Nuschese of Cafe Milano preparing Benedict's lunch. Six months of devoted preparation led to a level of regrettably stunning opulence.

Too Many Homes, Too Few Photos

2008-04-24T04:44:00.000-07:00

Dennis, Ian and Aidan visiting us in DC. Going with them to Camden Yards for an Orioles game on Jackie Robinson Day.

Me back in Madison finding 14 white pelicans in the Yahara River by our house.

Back to DC with Bionca, my "little sister." Seeing money made at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Here she is standing next to one million dollars in $10 notes. Big smile.

These are the highlights I've been waiting to add until I downloaded my images from my camera. I'm convinced that a blog entry without illustrations doesn't really work. But I can't find the card reader! Very sad, very frustrating.

I'll keep looking and will return with images when successful! -- I found it...

A DC Day sans Anne

2008-04-19T15:12:00.001-07:00

I woke up and called Anne. Had breakfast and coffee, tidied up a bit and did laundry, practiced French, off to the National Geographic exhibits on Frogs and China (both include interesting facts), over to the Renwick Gallery (an odd exhibit on Art Jewelry) then to the Corcoran Gallery of Art for an interesting exhibit on American history as seen in art, through the American Art and Portrait Museums to cash a check and chat with our friendly bankers, home for a late lunch and a short nap to fight off allergy, work on our photo album book on A Year in DC, worked on an audio tape (if you have 8 minutes listen to the mp3), reviewed a draft presentation by a student, a bit of computer chess and of course a blog entry. Tonight I'll do some drawing exercises and work on a paper. With a sunny day with a high temperature in the 80s, it was a great day to walk around DC - though it could have been better.

Hiking the AT

2008-04-13T05:17:00.001-07:00

Andy came down to finally hike the Appalachian Trail. We drove to Shenandoah National Park to catch a section of the AT that goes through there. We started at mile 24 at Elkwallow site, hiked past Rattlsnake Lookout, through the Hogback Overlook and on to Overall Run Falls, 93 feet fall - the tallest in the park. If you go see the falls, one thing the hiking guides don't tell you is that the first falls you come to are not the tallest falls. You have to continue on down the path. We had to do a little bushwhachking to actually get close to the second falls, and it was worth it. All in all we hiked about 10.5 miles. In the evening we went to Buffalo Billiards to meet Alana, drink some beer (Steve and Andy; Anne's still dry) and shoot pool. Then we went to dinner at Henry's Oyster Bar but wouldn't wait the hour for a table, so went next door to Trio's Fox and Hound where we ran into Nancy Groce, a folklore colleague of Anne's. Decent enough food, nice to sit outside until the wind started blowing hard.

Ben's Chili Bowl

2008-04-10T07:10:00.001-07:00

We ate at Ben's Chili Bowl, a short walk from our house. Anne had a great chili half-smoke. Ack's bowl of chili was flavorful with a real taste of chili powder but not too hot. The sides of potato salad and coleslaw were small but homemade and tasty - the coleslaw in particular was fresh. The chocolate milk shake was great, and next time Ack aims to try the pineapple shake. After eating we walked part of the Greater U Street Heritage Trail and visited the African American Civil War Memorial. We were both surprised that there were 190,000 African American soldiers who fought in the Civil War; their names are inscribed on the memorial.

National Arboretum

2008-04-09T06:37:00.001-07:00

Two thumbs up for the National Arboretum. It's stunning. Beautiful design, beautiful trees. We'd passed the uninspiring entrance many times on our way out of town on New York Avenue; have had it on our list of places to see before we leave. I finally got there on Monday and can't wait to go back.

Live Your Light

2008-04-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Michael King's retirement, we had the great joy of reconnecting with Annie and Dave Starr, friends from Ack's grad school days in Fort Collins. A Friday afternoon retirement party at NASA-Goddard for Mike was a nicely informal gathering run by the indomitable Winnie. The next day, Mike and Diana hosted another farewell party at Winnie's house, where I got to see Annie for the first time since the early '80s and they invited us to go to a Santana concert on Sunday night. We are so glad we said yes! It was a great concert at Merriweather Post, an outdoor venue in Columbia, MD. We were happy to be under the roof in the 40 degree misty night.
And best wishes to Mike and Diana as they start a new life in Boulder, CO.

Embassy Row

2008-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Once again in search of cherry blossoms, I went to the Japanese embassy up in the northwest corner of the city. A biking website had identified that as a good place for viewing the beautiful trees. Alas, no blooming trees. Instead, tucked amid the embassies of Turkey, India, Lesotho, Belize and Japan, was the beautifully impressive Islamic Center.

(Inserting the link for Bike Washington, I just noticed that it was last updated in 2003. Maybe there were cherry trees at the embassy back then.)

I left via Rock Creek Parkway, a beautiful ride in itself, and landed back at the Tidal Basin. No comparison, this is the place to see the overwhelming beauty of the blossoms. It's even worth merging with the crowds.

Things I've Learned & Seen

2008-04-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

1. Don't 'drop in' to the NEA office. It's way too hard to get real time clearance to enter.
2. Don't decide to go biking at 4 pm. It's way too close to rush hour.
3. Don't cross the Potomac to try to see trees in bloom. Biking along the Mt. Vernon Trail on the west side of the river left me longing to be back in the District close to the Tidal Basin.

What I did see on my beautiful spring afternoon bike ride...
Two herons flying up river
Many eight-woman crew teams practicing
Three sailboats and one sailboard out on the water
No whitecaps, unlike yesterday
Three hovering helicopters, two of which were reporting on traffic on the bridges
Many planes taking off and landing at National
Three young men fishing
One young man snoring on a park bench
One dog on the loose, trailing its leash
Hundreds of blooming daffodils
Two beaver dams and ponds

Ack's in Madison, enjoying the rare treat of being at home

Fly a kite...

2008-03-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

We spent most of Sunday morning and early afternoon walking around the Tidal Basin enjoying the beauty of the blossoming cherry trees. We also took a paddle-boat tour of the Tidal Basin. The trees are beautiful, and as you walk around they seem to get even more colorful. It does get crowded with people so going early was good thing to do.
While Anne was enjoying the food of New Orleans, Ack visited his folks for a day. He also went to the Mall on Saturday where kite-day was being celebrated. The Mall was crowded with people on the ground and kites in the sky. The families were as varied as the kite types.

The Big Easy

2008-03-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

Somehow when I was leaving for the National Art Education Association conference, I forgot to pack my camera, so this entry will not have any photos from the visually amazing New Orleans. I would have taken photos of the fine details of beautiful houses on St. Charles, Echo and Sonny's amazing patchwork quilt beneath which I napped, the beaded fence of the house across the street, the roiling Mississippi Paddy, Charlie and I viewed from atop a levee, or Nancy's smiling face as she drank in Emeril's restaurant's beautiful interior. It was a GREAT food trip (grilled oysters at the Bon Ton Cafe, baked oysters bienville and amazing roasted lamb at Tommy's, the breakfast special at Mother's, gingered bread pudding at Emeril's).

And the conference was good too. Nancy and I presented on our quilt curriculum and pitched it to Crystal Publications, which is now interested in carrying it. I attended several insightful sessions and gathered ideas that will definitely relate to the Teaching Artist training I'm in the process of developing. I made several new connections with colleagues, and Paddy and I planned a session for next year's conference with folklorists/art ed professors Kristin Congdon and Doug Blandy.

It was hard to return to temps in the 30s after the balmy high-70s of NO, but the beauty of the cherry blossoms Ack and I toured on Sunday helped.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T10:21:00.001-07:00

Alana came over on Saturday to hang out. We had lamb (with red curry and rosemary) for dinner. On Easter morning Ack and Anne went for a walk around the East Potomac Park (by the Jefferson Memorial) to see what was in bloom and to capture a portrait of our shadow. The dogwoods are blooming and the cherry trees are just starting to bloom. Anne went to church at Shiloh Baptist Church (9th and P) - an historic church in the neighborhood that promotes civil rights. Then it was off to the National Zoo to enjoy another walk on a sunny Sunday.

Leaving Rye

2008-03-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Anne spent five days in Rye, NY helping to pack up the beautiful old house my family has lived in since 1965. My parents are moving to a condo in Rye Brook at the end of March. It's a tough time, lots of feelings of loss but hopefully they will be balanced by wonderful times and adventures in the new place.

One very fun highlight of the visit was a reunion dinner with a dozen classmates from Resurrection Academy. Barbara Arndt was the main organizer; she got us all to a restaurant in Rye for a wonderful evening of reconnecting. Who was there (clockwise, starting with those kneeling): Mary Jean Spedeliere, Marie Brady, me, Linda Carchietta, Kathy Iasillo, Mary Fleming, Aileen Ryan, Maggie Gurtler, Barbara Arndt, Laura Sorbera, Joanne Summa, Marie Marciano. (Click on the image to enlarge it if you want to see faces.) There were even more of us who connected via email through this organizing effort; it was great to reunite with this amazing group of women.

Weather...

2008-03-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

As Madison weather is causing yet some more snow shoveling, the weather here in DC has been wonderful. Spring flowers are in bloom, the picture is from the small front yard of our DC house. Anne has been up at her folks helping to pack up the house and make arrangements to ship some furniture to our Madison house. Ack's been going to work with a little break to the NGA for a gallery talk on a new exhibit in the East Wing on photographing and painting in the forest of Fontainebleau. The place is 25 miles SW of Paris and was the first national forest.

Back in DC

2008-03-17T02:19:00.000-07:00

Post-Paris means unpacking, doing laundry, organizing photos, returning guide books to the library, and trying to convince your body to sleep according to this time zone and not one that's six hours away.

We started Sunday with breakfast at the Saints Paradise Cafeteria, the restaurant beneath the United House of Prayer for All Peoples on M & 6th in our neighborhood. Not heart healthy, we nevertheless enjoyed the long thick bacon and the fat juicy sausage, good basic pancakes and the sweet smiling service. Best of all - their "main ingredient is love."

We ended the day with dinner with Wisconsin colleagues, Peter Blewett of the Milwaukee School Board and Chris Pfund of UW-Madison. Circle Bistro was delicious. The restaurant is in the One Washington Circle Hotel near George Washington University and the Kennedy Center. We all got their three-course pre-theater special for $37: green salad or carrot soup, trout or hangar steak, mango crumble or pistachio puffs.

Anne's looking forward to Mimi's fabulous corned beef and cabbage tonight for St. Patrick's Day dinner up in Rye. I'm heading there to help pack for my parent's impending move.

Guess Where We Are

2008-03-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

Yes,we are in Paris for about a week. We've seen two of the major museums, walked a lot and eaten wonderful food. Ack is at a CALIPSO meeting for most of the week while Anne does some touring and working in the evening.

If you want to see a slideshow of selected images of the city, see our Paris slide show on Picasa .

Food to Go

2008-03-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Wanna buy a cart?

Yesterday, Alana and I (Anne) again went to visit her food cart in the storage facility in Shaw, trying to decide whether to ship it or sell it. She decided: it's for sale. Has she got a deal for you!

I remember the first time we went to the place in the fall. I thought the neighborhood looked really unsafe and the storage place smelled really bad. Well, the stink is still there, but we knew better this time to wear long pants; no voracious mosquitos attacking our legs in the dank dark space this time. And now that I live just a 10-minute walk away from the site, I'm thinking, "This neighborhood isn't so bad..."

Sign of the Season

2008-03-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

Biking on R Street on Wednesday, I whizzed past this blooming cherry tree but came to a quick halt to admire it. It's precocious, the first of the season I've seen. Instead of waiting to bloom more in time with its brethren, predicted to be at peak from March 27-April 3, this one is more in time with the crocus, which are really starting to bloom in earnest now. For updates, see National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Andy and Marianne Visit

2008-03-04T08:46:00.001-08:00

Andy and Marianne visited us on their way down to Andrew's graduation ceremony. They arrived on Sunday afternoon. After a quick snack we headed down to the Botanic Gardens, walking through the Building Museum on our way there. There seemed to be many more orchids in the gardens than when we first went there. We meet up with Alana and had a drink at Clydes and then a tasty dinner cooked from the "400 Three & Four Ingredients Recipes" (a Christmas gift to Anne from Ack).

Monday we took a bus to the Postal Museum and then over to the Natural History Museum to see the gems and butterfly exhibits. This was a day of 'something new' - riding a city bus for Andy and Marianne and eating raw oysters for Ack and Anne. We also saw the gems at the Natural History Museum. When shined with UV light, the Hope diamond, will appear red. Scientists have found this is the case with blue diamonds, and may be used to 'finger print' the diamonds.

Crocus!

2008-03-02T04:26:00.001-08:00

On Saturday March 1, I was walking over to Giant to get some food and stock up for Andy and Marianne's visit. It was about 8 am. The daffodils have popped out of the ground about two weeks ago. March 1 marked the first time I saw a flower - two yellow crocus were in a neighbor's yard. I bet one can hardly see the ground in Madison.

A Day of Prayer

2008-02-24T18:39:00.000-08:00

Thank God Sunday was sunny in DC because Saturday's cloudiness made leaving Puerto Rico even more depressing! What better way to thank God than to join in a United House of Prayer for All People's shout band of praise. The world headquarters for the denomination is just three blocks from our house, and one of their many chapels is on 6th & M. The Sunday service started at 11, I arrived late, and by the time I left at 12:30, things were just warming up. People, both attendees and musicians, trickled in slowly; a grand piano, one trombone and several tambourines were the instruments when I arrived. When I left the number of trombones had grown to five, and a drum kit, a sax, a tuba, and washboard played by a 10-year-old boy had joined the crew at the front of the church. Personal testimonies of the goodness of God were the main part of the service while I was there, each punctuated with vocal music. The instrumentals were more dominant during the start of the preaching (which began just as I left) and were used in particular to praise Jesus and the presiding bishop, Sweet Daddy Madison. To find out more about the style of music that characterizes United House of Prayer services, here's a nice article from Folkstreams that summarizes the four types of music most important in African American Washington D.C.

In the afternoon I drove to Maryland for a different type of prayer service, one much more subdued but just as sincere. I've started to research the Marian apparition in Emmitsburg, MD, which is about an hour north of DC. My second time attending, I got to this service in time for the apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg to the visionary, Gianna Talone Sullivan. I'll continue going there for the monthly prayer sessions and to conduct interviews with the gracious people who are willing to tell me their stories.

Back from Puerto Rico

2008-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

We left Puerto Rico early in the morning. Flying in a small plane from Mayaguez to San Juan, then on to Atlanta together. Anne then went to DC and Ack went to Madison. It's hard to separate after being together on travel. We had an enjoyable time in Puerto Rico and will have to consider a vacation there. The meeting was informative, as CREST is doing some interesting work particularly in the area of marine environments. We have some prospective graduate students visiting on Monday and hopefully they will want to come and study here at UW. (The photos contrast the green hills of the Puerto Rican coast with the white expanse of the snow-covered Midwest.)

Green Flash!

2008-02-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

After many many years of sitting on beaches looking for the green flash, we've finally seen one. It was nothing like the photographs you see in books, they occur in the Antarctic. Rather than hang high above the sun, the tip of the sun turned green just before it went below the horizon. It was a wonderful optical event!

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

Ack spent today at the CREST meeting at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. Anne worked on Arts Board tasks and wrote a bit on her book. The evening was spent with a nice dinner with Jeff Key and Paul Menzel. The Rincón Tropical restaurant is a short walk from the hotel. Its brightly colored walls and open patio feel (three walls only) let you know you're in Puerto Rico. The food is typical for the area and well-prepared; mofongo (mashed plantain), camarones (shrimp), asopao (rice soup), flan (egg custard with carmel sauce) and pina coladas (with or without rum) are some of the favorites.

After dinner, Ack and Jeff met to plan a presentation Jeff will make at the upcoming Satellite TestBed meeting. The last part of the evening was spent on the beach watching the lunar eclipse in front of us and listening to the surf pounding the shore behind us. Anne and Ack took the moon picture below with a small digital camera - during the total portion of the eclipse.

Puerto Rico!!

2008-02-18T18:47:00.000-08:00

Anne and I are now in Puerto Rico for a few days. I'm attending an Advisory Board meeting of CREST. We came down a day early to get settled in. We are staying at the Rincon of the Seas. This is a hotel that I, Anne, Andy and Marianne would come and visit when we rented a house out here about 5 years ago. The beach looks familiar, though a little more narrow but that might be due to the tide. We'll see tomorrow when we go swimming! We started the day with a 4:40 am cab ride to the DC airport. Yellow Cab picked us up right on time. We ended the trip with a flight from San Juan to Mayaguez in a small (9 seater) Cessna flying mostly along the coastline. The little coqui frogs are chirping like crazy - very loud yet welcoming.

Sunday Brunch

2008-02-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

This morning, Alana and friends (Phil, Mia, Andy, Jaclyn and Nate) joined Ack, Anne and Mike for brunch on O Str. Paddy Bowman also joined us for a broad buffet. Menu included scrambled eggs, bacon (thanks, Andy!), French toast from bread made by Mike, fried potatoes, special coffee cake from Ann Arbor, home baked chocolate chip cookies and cranberry scones, yogurt and granola, a variety of fruits, delicious cheeses from Paddy's neighborhood shop, Mimosas, Bloody-Marys and lots of coffee. Mike left around noon, unfortunately with a $30 ticket - apparently two-hour parking is enforced on Saturdays as well as weekdays. The 'kids' hung out for a few more hours - lots of conversation and relaxation. Mia, send us a photo to post!

Mike Visits

2008-02-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

Mike Ackerman came to visit this weekend, arriving Friday afternoon, 2/15. After a little lunch we walked downtown and visited the National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum. We looked for the Colbert portrait (our second search) and once again failed, but walking through either place is never disappointing - their collections are wonderful. For an early dinner, we ate at Clyde's of Gallery Place, up on the second floor, which has Victorian decor with wood paneling and columns. Anne and Ack both had the rock fish; Mike had shrimp. The food was tasty and the prices not too high. None of us had oysters, which is one of their specialties. (Ask Ack to tell you the embarrassing story of the first time Anne had oysters; she won't tell it.)

On Saturday Ack cooked his famous egg sandwich for breakfast. The highlight for Anne was discovering that Ack learned how to cook it from his dad. This was a new nugget of information (which is rare after 33 years together). After shopping for our upcoming Sunday brunch with Alana and buddies, Mike and Ack took the Red Circulator bus downtown. The goal - a photoshoot of the monuments. Later, heading up Pennsylvania, they ran into Anne riding her bike, then connected with Alana in a nearby sports bar before she headed to work at her own sports bar. The weather was nice enough that we could sit outside. Then it was back to the Portrait Gallery to meet up with cousins Tom, Tim, Ryan, Emanuel and his girlfriend Karen. We ate lunch at Fado Irish Pub near Chinatown, a place that Anne rightly called 'fake Irish'. The beer was good and the food a notch up from typical pub fare with the addition of many lamb dishes.

That night, Mike, Anne & Ack joined Leslie Prosterman and for a fun night at Chick Hall's Surf Club in Bladensburg, MD. The blues band, Smokin' PoleCats, was really good, especially when vocalists Mary Shaver and Marianna Previti performed. Both with their own distinct singing style, they 'completed' the band. If you want a fun night of dancing to good music on a nice wooden floor, get out there soon. They close in 10 days.

Birthday and Baltimore

2008-02-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Alana! The morning began with a rare view of a double rainbow, rare because large raindrops along with a low sun are much more common in the afternoon than morning. Anne went to Mass at St. Theresa of Avila in Anacostia, the church we'd visited on Fat Tuesday. The liturgical dance was powerful, the congregation very welcoming.

After a late pancake breakfast, we headed to Chinatown to see the New Year's festivities. We wore red clothes to ward off evil spirits/bring auspicious good luck. The weather was cold and very windy. The fireworks, which we missed as we were supping in a warm Irish bar, were supposed to be lit from a crane but had to be lowered because of the wind and blew away. The best part of the parade were the lion dancers which Alana is trying to see a close up of through her camera. Ack and Anne stopped by the Portrait Gallery for a quick tour of the Kathryn Hepburn exhibit on our way home.

On the day before, Saturday, Feb 9, Anne and Ack joined Ryan and Victor for a visit to Tom and Tim's in Baltimore. Our hosts treated us to a tasty lunch and a tour of their wonderfully restored house. On our way to the Walters Art Museum, we walked through the Bolton Hill neighborhood, past lots of outdoor sculptures by MICA art students (Maryland Institute College of Art, which is just down the block from Tom and Tim). One highlight of the Walters' collections is the "Chamber of Wonders," a Dutch cabinet-of-curiosities room filled with an fabulous collection of disparate treasures. Another highlight is an amazing collection of Chinese vases. I'm not usually excited about vases, but these were wonderful. I think it was a combination of the varieties of vases and how they were displayed - not crowded, in nice cabinets, and in a room that reflected one's home.

After the Walters, we stopped at the Baltimore Basilica - America's First Cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A long name with many badges: a National Shrine, Marian Shrine, National Historic Landmark, and Co-Cathedral of Baltimore.

Shrove Tuesday

2008-02-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

Ack's NOAA colleague Ingrid and her husband Ian took us to their church in Anacostia for a Fat Tuesday pancake supper. St. Theresa of Avila is a lively African-American parish; upstairs we met eight women who were rehearsing for their liturgical dance. Downstairs the Junior Ushers were cooking the meal and getting ready to serve it. The food was fantastic: all-you-could-eat turkey sausage patties, pork sausage links, long strips of bacon, slices of ham, and the main attraction - thick fluffy pancakes with ladles of warm melted butter and maple syrup for toppings. There was orange juice and coffee to drink. The children and youths did a great job giving blessings, grace, a scriptural reading and the history of the pancakes on Shrove Tuesday tradition (it's the last chance to use up all the luxurious fats in the cupboard before the privation of Lent). St. Theresa's was one of the most welcoming Catholic churches we've ever visited (and I've visited a lot!). We highly recommend that any of you Catholics in the area check it out.
Very sorry we missed the annual Pancake Day race at the National Cathedral! Only found out about it the following day.

Orchids and Botanic Garden

2008-02-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Ground Hog Day! We had a relaxed morning with coffee from the new coffee maker from Alana, Ack hanging out and Anne working on her book - both of us waiting for the mailman. It was a sunny day with highs in the mid-50s. We walked down to the Botanic Garden to enjoy an orchid exhibit that opened today. Beautiful orchids but neither of us really liked the A-Z display. The Botanic Garden itself displays a variety of ecosystems and deserves a visit. If you go, don't miss the fuzzy lazy rat tail desert plant. After the garden, we went shopping and both came away with long winter coats at hugely discounted prices. In the evening we strolled to the Tabard Inn for dinner. The food was good and moderately priced (about $25 for entrees). The service started great; Anne was too warm so they moved us to a cooler room. But the time between courses was long. Great for conversation except that the noise in the room was very high making it difficult to hold a conversation unless you spoke loudly. I learned that the large fellow two tables away couldn't watch 'scary movies.'

San Antonio

2008-01-31T05:16:00.000-08:00

I, Ack spent most of the week in San Antonio at a EDUCAUS Learning Initiative conference. Along with DoIT folks, we gave a presentation on how the UW games and simulation program was developed. Instead of giving a talk on the topic, we played a simple card game that Enage program folks developed over the last month or two. The game was a huge success as it demonstrated the process well and was fun and thought provoking.

The conference itself was very interesting and thought provoking. Attended by techies who 'twittered' away on wireless having 'backwater discussions' about topics as they were being presented by the speakers in the room. I'm surprised at the free data analysis tools available (Gap Finder, Eye Mind) and how technologies are being creatively used. Between this conference and my presentation at AMS last week (New Tools, Old Dogs) - it is clear to me that we have to change how we teach our classes to fully integrate these new communication and information technologies into student learning activities. I ponder how well we are educating our AOS majors. Are we training them to 'do well on the test' or to critically think beyond weather and climate? Why do so few AOS students conduct a senior research project? Are we instilling a sense of leadership and curiosity in them? Are they developing a strong work ethic and appreciating the rewards of working hard? Do we engage them "with big questions"?

San Antonio is an interesting place. The riverwalk is clearly designed for tourists. A walk from my hotel to the conference hotel was short and the river walk was lined with bars and restaurants along the way. The walk along the streets above the riverwalk was a bit of a different world. The streets were occupied by working class folks, many often standing waiting for buses.

Waiting for the President

2008-01-30T05:59:00.001-08:00

Monday night, driving home from my writing workshop in Arlington, I came back into the District over the Memorial Bridge and headed west on Independence. This is a beautiful avenue along the south side of the National Mall. I was listening to the Gov. of Kansas give the Democratic response to the President's State of the Union address, not so sorry that I had missed the actual speech. She finished, the pundits started chattering, and I came to a stop at a red light near 15th, close to the Washington Monument, south of the White House.

The light turned green. We didn't move. Then I saw the flashing lights of a police car up ahead. They were blocking the intersection; the avenue was closed. And then I put it all together; we were waiting for the President.

It didn't take long - 10 minutes. At 10:44, the procession started. A helicopter flew overhead, its searchlight prowling the streets below. Then two dozen motorcycle cops, followed by 21 (I counted) vehicles. All were black SUVs except the two emergency medical vehicles and a couple of limos.

When our newly released line of traffic headed once again down Independence, I turned north on 7th to head home, crossing the Mall by the National Gallery of Art. But once again forward progress got blocked. At Constitution, a line of police cars with flashing lights got priority at the intersection. They were leading three now-empty motor coach buses away from the Capitol to the east. Who got one-way rides to the speech, I wondered.

The next intersection was Pennsylvania. We almost made it through except for eight helmeted police officers on bicycles riding two-by-two up the avenue. It looked like they had the best transport of all.

I'm usually terribly impatient when stuck in traffic; I hate the trapped feeling I get. I tend to start searching for a side road I can turn onto, even if it means driving on the median or across a lawn. But knowing that my minor delays that night were due to an historic moment, one that I was even listening to, made it bearable, even interesting.

Tuscarora Mill Resturant

2008-01-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

On Friday we dined with Al Powell at Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, VA. A wonderful place to eat. The building is a reconstructed mill, though you wouldn't know it unless you looked up at the huge wooden beams on the ceiling or noticed the grinding stone as you come in the entrance. There is lots of seating space. Many families were there with well behaved children, and our table of three was cozy and quiet. The friendly wait staff served delicious food - probably one of the top 3 restaurants we've visited so far. Anne had the trout and Ack the pork chop (glazed in apricot). The food was pretty, tasty and just enough to leave room for dessert - which was a good thing as the desserts were a sweet treat that didn't leave you overstuffed. If you are there, be sure to try the coffee, it has a distinctive pleasurable taste.

Celebrating the King

2008-01-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

Among all the events held on Monday to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, I chose to attend the one at the National Cathedral. Geared toward youths, it was lively, fun and inspiring. Did you know that Dr. King gave his final Sunday sermon in the National Cathedral? Youth leaders read excerpts from his powerful speech, "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution," from the same pulpit from which Dr. King spoke forty years ago.

The afternoon was filled with wonderful music, speech, poetry and theater. The highlight was the Urban Nation H.I.P. H.O.P. Choir's performance of Bob Marley's "One Love." It was such a perfect embodiment of the spirit of the day that a lot of us -- Episcopal priests, Teen USA queens complete with tiaras, and 50-something folklorists from Wisconsin -- started dancing in the aisles of the Cathedral!

A Week in Island Park

2008-01-22T19:38:00.000-08:00

A great delight in living in DC this year is being so close to family in NY. Anne took the Amtrak up on 1/8 to stay with wonderful nieces Sarah and Caroline while parents Eileen and Danny celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Jamaica. Saw siblings and in-laws while there; the girls and I visited my parents in Rye on Sunday (note painting of Eileen's in the background).

I tried to go the ocean at Long Beach every day; it's a winter haven for surfers, just a short mile from their house.

Family Visit

2008-01-06T09:21:00.001-08:00

Rosemary Downing was our first extended family visitor! She came up on the train from Raleigh with her friend Zach. They arrived on Friday night and we had a fun and delicious salmon dinner at Paddy Bowman's house. They spent Saturday seeing sites, including the Library of Congress, the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Castle and many monuments. Ack, Anne and Alana met up with them for dinner in Georgetown at Leopold's and then we all went to the Kennedy Center (see photo) to see Shear Madness, a long running production about a murder in a hairdressing salon that includes audience participation. They spent Saturday night at Alana's and headed back to North Carolina on Sunday. A short visit but a fun one. Who will be next?

Happy New Year!

2008-01-04T06:44:00.001-08:00

On Dec 23, Anne and Ack left DC for NY with Erin and Alana packed into our hybrid car to spend the last Christmas in the Pryor house. After 42 years at 52 Roosevelt, Anne's parents will be moving out in 2008. It was a poignant and wonderful holiday. Ack and Anne then flew to Madison to spend New Year's Eve there, a rather quiet one in our own home. Beautiful with lots of snow, Anne skied every day while Ack recuperated on the couch from a bad cold. We are back now in DC staying with good friend and delightful hostess Paddy Bowman in Alexandria for about a week until we move into our new place on O St in the District.

Welcome Erin

2007-12-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

Erin arrived on Thursday. We went to Arlington Cemetery; volunteers had placed wreaths out on the graves. It is a visual reminder of sacrifice. We also saw the Second Shepherd's Play at the Folger's Theater that evening. An entertaining and nontraditional Christmas show.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-20T07:37:00.001-08:00

Every city looks festive this time of year, but DC has some unique visuals. Anne took this photo with our cell phone one night around 11 pm. For a town with so much traffic during the day, the downtown traffic is pretty minimal at 11 pm. For this Madisonian, there is too little snowfall and too much green on the ground to give this time of year that magical mystic of sleds and reindeer.

A Visit to Long Island

2007-12-16T19:06:00.001-08:00

I (Ack) went back to Long Island this week, including a ferry ride to Shelter Island (hence the picture). This being the holiday season I reminisced on a couple of odd random memories. I remembered how careful my Dad was about wrapping gifts for my Mom. He'd do that in the garage and if the wrapping paper had a geometric patter it was hard to find the seems. I remember Mike and I going to midnight mass. Walking to St. Luke's with our hair wet, then it would freeze and we'd comb snow out of our hair when we got to church. I remember after my first course in meteorology going home during winter break and shopping with Margaret. Earlier in the day I had seen cirrus clouds with sundogs. She was impressed that I knew what caused them. When we went out shopping, the cirrus was replaced by altostratus, with a 'watery sun', so not very thick. When came out of the Smithaven Mall after about an hour, the altostratus had thickened and it was cold. I suggested we leave to go home in order to beat the snow/sleet. She gave me a look as to say 'Yea, right'. She probably thought I was getting rid of her, but by the time we got home it was sleeting. She was very impressed.

Lots of Great Music

2007-12-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying all the opportunities for great free music in DC. (Well, not ALL of them - there's too many.) The Homegrown concerts at the Library of Congress put on by the American Folklife Center feature excellent local performers from different states. November 15, folklorist Andrea Graham brought Dallas Chief Eagle, of the Rosebud Sioux tribe, and Jasmine Pickner, of the Crow Creek Sioux tribe, from South Dakota to perform hoop dances. AMAZING! Take a look at the video of their performance at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage later that night. A highlight for me -- I joined the volunteers on stage to learn a simple version of a hoop dance. It was challenging and loads of fun!

Yesterday, West Virginia had its turn with Gandydancer, an impressive old time string band. Beautiful harmonies, excellent instrumentation, and an interesting mix of styles of songs and tunes. After their noon concert at AFC, they were whisked away to play at Senator Robert Byrd's surprise 90th birthday party. That night they played at the Kennedy Center. Watch that December 12 performance.

(Photos are from the Kennedy Center website.)

First Snow...

2007-12-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

Madison WI got 6" of snow on Dec 1 along with sleet and freezing rain. Emails abound about how best to clear the sidewalk and one-stage versus 2-stage snow blowers. The storm caused the cancellation of the AOS Solstice party - which made national news. An Alberta clipper went through on Dec 4 and dropped another 4" and everyone seemed to still make it to work, while the threat of 1" in DC results in school delays and closures along with traffic jams.

This photo is off the porch in Steve/Betty's house around noon on Dec 5. With these condition, Anne still headed to Baltimore for a conference while I decided to stay at the house and work to avoid commuting frustrations. It'll be embarrassing if I'm the only one at NOAA who decided to stay at home....

Words for Rice

2007-11-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

What's another word for bagatelle? What does 'atavistic' mean? Want to figure out how to use 'demimonde' in your next conversation? Go to this fun, well-designed website and find out. While you're testing your vocabulary, you'll be donating rice to people who need it. Click on image or go to www.freerice.com.

Dona Nobis Pacem

2007-11-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

Finally joined a protest against the war. On Sunday night, Anne gathered with a small group from an interfaith peace coalition affiliated with Christian Peace Witness for Iraq. We sang, prayed, then placed stones along the fence around the White House. The idea is that "even the stones will cry out for justice."

I Love a Parade!

2007-11-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

Well, Anne loves a parade. Ack marched in too many in high school, playing the French horn with its way-too-small mouth piece. But he went anyway to Baltimore to see the Thanksgiving parade. Lots of high school marching bands with lots of high energy dancing (lucky them, no French horns). And who could not like Fifi, the giant Pink Poodle put together by the Visionary Art Museum. Afterwards we had a warming cup of spicy crab soup in Big Kahuna Cantina, a restaurant overlooking the harbor.

A Weather Guy

2007-11-15T05:20:00.000-08:00

Even when he's in DC, Ack makes headlines in Wisconsin. See this cover story on him and fellow Weather Guy Jon Martin in the Nov 14 issue of Wisconsin Week. (Photo by Jeff Miller - used without permission. Sorry, UW.)

Memorial to those lost at sea...

2007-11-12T12:39:00.001-08:00

On a walk along the Potomic River on Nov 10, we came across this memorial - a memorial to all those who had died at sea. Seemed appropriate as Nov 10 is the day the Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior.

Best Of

2007-11-12T02:49:00.000-08:00

Three recent highlights that deserve a "Best" ranking...

Best Coffee - Minh's in Arlington
This inexpensive (for DC) and good Vietnamese restaurant has great coffee. It's served with the hot water still dripping through the compressed grinds in a small aluminum container that's sitting on top of your coffee cup. Hidden at the bottom of the cup is a thick serving of sweetened condensed milk. Our helpful waiter instructed us to use the lid of the coffee maker as a base when it was time to take the contraption off the cup and set it on the table (protect the tablecloth). Stir it all up to create a smooth sweet flavorful blend, pour it over ice, and have a terrific glass of iced coffee.

Best Political Writing -- Dana Milbank in The Washington Post
I was among the millions of Americans disgusted with President Bush's veto of reauthorizing SCHIP, the program that provides health care for low-income children, and the House's failure to overturn that veto. Dana Milbank, a celebrated columnist for the Washington Post, offered a window into related deliberations In an October 24 column, "Children's Health Yields to the Senators From Pork," It opens this way:

The United States Senate yesterday was confronted with a stark choice: health care for children, or pet projects for lawmakers' home states.

The final tally?

Pet Projects 68. Kids 26.

Milbank's writing is snarky and smart. Proof? In this piece he labels senators not with their state, but with their pet project. Egs, "I assume this comes as no surprise that I oppose the amendment," declared Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Figge Art Museum)," or "A spokesman for Sen. George Voinovich (R-First Ladies Library)..."

Read it and enjoy some great wry writing.

Best Hike & Fall Colors - Sugarloaf Mountain
Much later than what we're used to in Wisconsin, the height of the fall color change is now in DC. Thanks to a tip from DC folklorist Leslie Prosterman, Ack and I went hiking at Sugarloaf Mountain near Comus, Maryland. This is a beautiful set of trails in a privately owned park that is open to, and enjoyed by, a teeming public. Crowded, yes, but that just means more people are out with their families, friends and church groups on a gorgeous Sunday to challenge themselves with a strenuous hike to the 1,282' peak with the reward of beautiful vistas of the surrounding farms and woods. Sugarloaf is a monadnock (a mountain that remains after the erosion of the surrounding land) so it offers great views from all sides. We took the very vertical green trail up to the summit, and the long and more leisurely 5 mile blue trail back. The trails wind through continuously varied landscapes, with their beauty enhanced from the brilliant fall colors. It was a lovely afternoon.

Ack here, we had read complaints of the trails not being well marked, but I did not find that to be the case. With the map and 'tree markings' it was easy to stay on the trail.

We're Back!

2007-11-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

When I told friend Sue E. that Ack and I had started a blog, she wondered how long we would keep it up. It wasn't very long, obviously--only six weeks. In our own defense, the stumbling block was an inability to find an English version of the pane I'm writing in now. We were in Amsterdam and I couldn't maneuver through the Dutch version of blogspot in order to post. But of course, that was about a month ago.

Try, try again.

Ack also attended a meeting in Lille, France at the end of October. The picture is of one of the train station entrances in Lille. The mural filled the area with a surrealistic urban landscape and walkways went in and out of the painting doorways. The floor was black and had a small amount of water to make it look infinite.

Back in Madison in Sept

2007-09-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Back in Madison..

We came back to Madison for a few days on Sept 14th. We needed to clean the house, and check the water level in the dock. You can see the Lake Mendota (mouth of the Yahara River) high water level pictures Anne took back in August.

Ack and Anne also had to catch up on some work related items and meetings. All fun. We enjoyed being back here and noticed that there are fewer people than in DC. What an observation!

But mostly, we came back as Anne was helping to organize our first community fundraiser to establish "Margaret's Fund: A Northside Scholarship." This is named after Margaret Ackerman Sparks, Ack's sister.

Alyssa Kenney (the executive director of a Northside Madison community center) and Anne have been working to establish this fund for the past year. They've had good community support (over $6,000 raised so far towards a goal of $10,000). While it's still developing, the scholarship fund will give a minimum of one $500 scholarship to an applicant chosen by a committee. After it's well established, we will give out more. The scholarship will go to someone who is either a graduating HS senior, someone already in college, or an adult going to college later in life (like Margaret did). The person will have lived on Madison's Northside for 4 years previous and have overcome significant hardship (language, health, financial, etc). A committee of Northside business and community leaders will choose the recipient.

We are now off to Amsterdam for a meeting and a little touring.

The Neighborhood

2007-09-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

We live in a wonderful two-story house at the junction of two Arlington neighborhoods, Cherrydale and Maywood. Both have a real sense of community and identity. Cherrydale is going to have a Neighborhood Parade on September 22, which we'll miss unfortunately. Maywood had its annual block party last Saturday, a feast of fun for dozens of little kids. Along with a potluck and desserts for a Bake-off, the featured food was kabobs from the neighborhood favorite, Tarbouch Mediterranean Grill. The kabobs were lamb or chicken with four different excellent sauces.

Cherrydale is a historic district listed with the National Register of Historic Places, filled with 19th and 20th century revivals. Historic markers dot the streets. It has a wonderful assortment of services to walk to. Closest to us is Safeway, just one block away. We're enjoying its terrific wine selection, decent assortment of organics, and a machine where you can rent a DVD overnight for $1.49. One block west is Cherrydale Hardware, an old-time hardware shop where a useful staff person asks to help you as soon as you enter. Upstairs is the Cherrydale Masonic Lodge; we're not joining. Next door is the Sun and Moon Yoga Studio where Ack now go on Wednesday morning. We roll out of bed and five minutes later we're at the studio for a 7 am class. Ask to see our pigeon pose! Next in line is a Thai restaurant we haven't tried yet, mainly because they've had the same whiteboard sign in their front window at least since we arrived: "Special Today! Soft shell crab!" No, thanks. Next is Hair Vogue Salon where I got the longest haircut I've ever had (long in time duration, not in hair length). As usual, Ack couldn't tell I'd gotten it cut but then neither could Paddy. Around the corner is Portabello's, an excellent little restaurant. I had a delicious Parmesan crusted cod dinner on Tuesday and Ack enjoyed his sauteed shrimp Provencal.

Those are the delights to the immediate west. My favorite destination to the east is three blocks away, the entrance to the Martha Custis Trail. This is a winding off-road trail that parallels major roads and highways for miles before connecting with still more paved off-road trails. Last week Ack and I biked from the house east along the trail down to the Potomac where we connected with the Mt Vernon Trail. Dodging many Saturday morning joggers, we rode south along the river, past National Airport to Washington Sailing Marina. Today I headed west on the trail, winding through parks and along a creek on a circuitous route to the public library. Some of the trails are former rail beds with consistent elevations; not the Custis Trail. The grade on some of its hills is so steep that one biker described it as "a real roller coaster." The same can be said for the streets in the neighborhood; lots of hills, some amazingly steep to walk up and down.

A treasure that I discovered while biking to the north of us one day is the Potomac Overlook Regional Park, a place that is very well funded by the look of the infrastructure and programming they offer. To the south are the nearest Metro stops, shopping areas, post office, and heaviest traffic-not my favorite part of Arlington so far.

Weather

2007-09-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Weather for the first two weeks of September can only be categorized as "Two shower days". If you are working outside on a weekend, then make that three. Highs have been in the upper 80s and low 90s with, what I would call, high humidity. Lows are higher than the Madison high temperatures. The area is in a drought which is bad for vegetation but better for us commuters. Anne watered some of the outside plants over the weekend as they looked wilted. I look forward to fall.

The area finally got some rain on Sept 10/11, so the weather has finally cooled down a bit and humidity is much lower.

Day 7

2007-09-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

We took the Metro to Dupont Circle so Anne could attend Friends Meeting and then meet Ack for the Phillips Collection. At the top of the escalator, while looking for Connecticut Ave, we instead found a fabulous farmer's market. Two blocks long, it was filled with great looking produce, fish, breads, flowers and cheeses. We were delighted to learn that it runs all year round.

Because we weren't prepared to carry produce around for our day of touring, we bought only a loaf of bread. The line for this vendor, Bonaparte Breads, was dozens deep and for good reason. The "bruschetta" loaf was like "country" bread, hand-shaped, a light brown roughly textured crust, creamy off-white interior with a texture that bounced back to the touch. It tasted great at dinner.

The Friends Meeting was in a wonderful space on Florida Ave, with the simple meeting room large and airy. About 80 people were present; both the silence and the shared inspirations were meaningful.

Walking the three blocks from the meeting house to the gallery, we discovered a neighborhood filled with embassies, museums, amazing 19th century mansions, and art, such as a statue honoring Mahatmas Gandhi outside the Indian Embassy. The Phillips Collection is a block-long series of buildings with an impressive collection of modern paintings. Some pieces that I really enjoyed were Paul Klee's "Arab Song" on burlap, Jacob Lawrence's "Migration of the Negro" panels, most things by Maurice Prendergast because of the bold colors, and Childe Hassam's "Mt. Beacon at Newburgh" which was painted on the back of a cigar box and had such luminous light. The premier piece in the collection is Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party."

After several hours of soaking in the visuals and rambling the Phillips' halls, we left and headed to the National Mall for a visit to the Black Family Reunion, an event I'd heard about for years and never thought I'd get to visit. There were lots of informational booths, music and dance by local performers, food and free give aways. We left with fans from the FBI, towels from Freddie Mac, and shuttle pins from NASA. We ran into folklorist Jim Deutsch, who will be curating the NASA program at the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. (The photo is an example of what won't be in the Smithsonian's NASA program.)

We ended the day with watching "Volver," an odd but charming film starring Penelope Cruz, and enjoying a glass of Ferreira 10 year-old tawny porto.

Day 5 - A commute

2007-09-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

Being new to the Washington DC area, I used the DC Metro trip planner to make my way to work. The plan was simple. Leave home at 8:02 to catch the 3B Bus at 8:08. Take the bus approximately 2.5 miles to arrive at the Rosslyn Metro station at 8:18 am. This would give me 8 minutes to catch the Blue Line so I could arrive at L'Enfant Plaza at 8:37. From there, I'd catch the Green line at 8:44 and arrive at Branch Ave at 9:03. One hour door to door. Well, the 3B never showed up, but the 15L did at 8:18. But since the 3B was apparently not running, the 15L was very crowded. Each stop brought on a new batch of passengers with driver requests to those already on-board to "move back", which drew responses of "We're all the way back!" By 8:35, the time I should be finishing my first train ride, the bus was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, occasionally pulling over in attempt to take on more passengers.

At about 8:45 I gave up on the bus, got off at a stop and proceeded to walk the last 1/2 mile to the train station at a pace faster than the bus. I arrived before the bus, cleared the turnstiles and could see from the rider board that the next Blue train would arrive in 5 minutes. I boarded the Blue to get to L'Enfant Plaza to change trains to the Green line towards Branch Ave. The next train was a Yellow due to arrive in 1 minute, followed by a Green in 7 minutes, followed by a Green in 9 minutes, and yet another Green in 9 minutes. While an inexperienced rider, I suspected that three Greens in a row with two at the same time could not be good. A loud speaker voiced, in a sound that echoed in the tunnels making it difficult to hear, but distinct enough to know that there were delays along the Green line. At 9:25, 22 minutes after I thought I'd be leaving a train, I boarded the Green line. By the time I was sitting on the green line, a fellow passenger commented "Running a bit slow today."

I arrived at 10:11.

Days 3 & 4

2007-09-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ack went to his first day of work. Took the bus to the metro, total door to door time was about 70 minutes. The office NOAA originally had for me was changed; the new one is more private and a nice south-east view. Unfortunately, that meant no computer and no phone. At night we went to another restaurant within walking distance. Pasha Cafe on Lee Highway, a Persian cafe that was very good. We both had eggplant, since we had a bad eggplant year in our Wisconsin garden. Ack's eggplant was covered with a ground lamb sauce and Anne's was in a delicious moussaka layered with zucchini.

Wednesday Sept 5: Ack worked at home in the morning - catching up on emails - and then went to Silver Spring to meet with a NOAA group working on the Satellite Capitalization plan. We ate dinner at Cassatt's - A Kiwi Cafe, a recommendation of friend Paddy Bowman's and a very short drive from the house up Lee Highway. Ack had a nice house salad, the dressing was tasty but I could not tell you want it was! The lamb as in general good, although a piece or two of the kabob were a bit dry. The kiwi and mango sauce that went with the lamb was very tasty. The potatoes were good and vegetable delicious. The cafe was decorated with art work from local artists in the Arlington Artists Alliance, which were varied, nice and for sale.

Days 1 & 2

2007-09-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Arlington on 9/2. An affable Tony the Cat greeted us. We settled in quickly and spent the next day, Labor Day, relaxing with daughter Alana who's been living in DC for almost a year.

A highlight on Monday was shopping at the huge Unique Thrift Store in Falls Church where Ack got ties and handkerchiefs, Anne got fabric for her quilt, and Alana found two great coats. Back at the house, Alana pulled out the DVD "Big Trouble in Little Chinatown," a movie that started out serious then joined the rest of us in laughing at itself. Two of several memorable lines: "We really shook the pillars of heaven" and "I was born ready."

After dropping Alana and her new treasures at her home off 16th Street, Ack and Anne enjoyed a great meal at Zed's, an Ethiopian restaurant on 28th Street in Georgetown. (DC is a major locale for Ethiopians in the US.) Ack had the Spinach and Rice with Chicken Infillay and Anne had the vegetarian sampler, which included 1) Cauliflower, string beans and carrots in stewed tomatoes, 2) a DELICIOUS puree of yellow split peas mixed with onions, green peppers and garlic, 3) Red Lentil Miser Watt with a spicy red pepper sauce, 4) chopped sauteed collard greens mixed with onion and garlic, and 5) cabbage with carrots in a nice sauce. We shared a bottle of Hakim stout, a dark sweet Ethiopian beer. If you're familiar with Ethiopian food, you'll know that we ate the entrees with injera, a spongy round flat bread, slightly sour due to the fermenting of the teff flour used in making it. We appreciated the hand-wipes our waitress brought us at the end of the meal! Sitting outside on the clear warm night, we enjoyed watching the busyness of M Street at dusk.