Archive for the 'Morning Coffee' Category
Moments of Silence During the Holiday Season
December 16th, 2007 Categories: Military Relocation, Morning Coffee
During the holiday season it is easy to become overwhelmed. With the music, decorations, shopping, crowds and business it can make us cranky and short tempered. You can see it everywhere with pushing, shoving in stores and fighting for parking spaces.
For our family this is the time of year that we relish the moments of silence. Sometimes it is a walk; even on a rainy day and others it is taking time to honor our fallen hero’s, the members of the armed forces who have given so much to protect our country. At this time of year a walk through the memorials in DC and Arlington National Cemetery can put so many things in perspective.
For whatever reason and no matter what country the visitors are from when people begin the walk through the memorials in our area you can feel the change. Where there was a noisy and boisterous group of students there is now a quiet group studying the plaques on the wall. Where they were tourists with their cameras clicking away there is a quiet group with cameras shuttered. Where there are families who have lost loved ones kneeling by a headstone or touching a name on the wall, those walking by bow their heads to join them in a moment of silence.
It is these moments of silence that make the holiday season take on a new meaning. It is taking time from the hustle and bustle of what goes on around us to remember those who gave their lives so that we can celebrate our holidays. Not everyone has the opportunity to join the thousands who come to Washington DC to walk through the memorials or Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays but everyone who does relishes those moments of silence to put their lives in perspective.
No matter where you are this holiday season take some time to create your moment of silence for yourself. No matter what you choose to do, whether it is to take a long bath, sit in front of the fireplace or walk through the memorials in your area, don’t let the stress of the holidays make you lose sight of how lucky we are. And when you have your moment of silence please say thank-you to all of the servicemen and women who sacrifice everyday for our country.
Thanks to Margaret and Larry Woda for their beautiful post:
Santa’s Helpers Lay Christmas Wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.
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Virginia’s Oldest Chartered City
September 14th, 2007 Categories: Focus on Prince William, Morning Coffee, Out and About
Morning coffee -quick tidbits for you to think about as you start your day
Most people think Old Town Alexandria is Virginia’s oldest charted town but they would be wrong. As you drive down Route 1 between Woodbridge and Quantico you pass through an area known as Dumfries. For many local folks it is an unforgettable area that often is referred to as “dumb-fries”.
However chartered one day before Old Town on May 11, 1749, Dumfries was a thriving cultural and commerce center in its time. Founded by Scottish merchants, the town had large tobacco warehouses and was the second largest port in the colonies only surpassed by Boston. Dumfries was also known as a cultural center with theaters, race tracks and artisans.
When historians talk about thriving port cities of the 1700’s they mention Boston, Charleston and Alexandria but not Dumfries. Perhaps part of the reason is because today there is no port. Try as hard as you would like but you won’t find any remnants of the port and in fact as you are driving on Route 1 you are actually driving where the port used to be. For reasons that are still unclear in the early nineteenth century silt began filling the port making it unusable.
There are plenty of new waterfront developments being built close to the Dumfries area in eastern Prince William County so perhaps in a 21st century way the town will regain some of the glory of the past.
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9/11-The Second Day that Changed My Life
September 11th, 2007 Categories: Morning Coffee, Real Estate Ramblings
I’ve had a few events in my life that changed the road I was so blissful walking down. Today is September 11th and this day was the second event tied to the Middle East that changed where I thought I was going with my life. In some ways the two events that changed my life were interconnected in the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” way of life. I’m going to skip the first but anyone who has read any of my blogs on AR Rain supporting our troops around the world understands the connection.
On September 11th I was across the country in Seattle, Washington on a business trip to Microsoft. I woke up early due to the time difference and flipped on the TV something that I don’t normal do. Like everyone else around the world I was glued to the set and immediately worried about friends and family. My son was scheduled to go to an interview in the Pentagon that morning. Of course all of the phone lines were jammed and all I could do is keep hitting the redial button. I wandered over to the meeting at Microsoft but none of us could get any work done. We gave up after a couple of hours so that we could try and reach our families and figure out how we were going to get home.
Fortunately I was able to track down my family and after spending 5 days trying to get back to DC I managed to find a flight that would get me to Baltimore. Close enough. I met some nice people along the way and even though the airport lines were unbelievable you didn’t see or hear a single person complaining about the process. That trip changed my future. Within a month of returning I decided that I didn’t want the road warrior lifestyle anymore. Despite the lure of frequent flyer miles it was time to be able to spend more time with my family and friends. My company tried to get me to change my mind but I knew that my heart was no longer in it.
I feel fortunate that my family was safe and that I had the choice to make a change to another career. So many others didn’t. Of course the career was real estate and it has been a wonderful change.
I’ll have my flag on my balcony today even though our condo rules prohibit it. I don’t care. The day requires me to stop and remember how my life was changed because of what so many others lost.
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Great Exhibits Coming to the Corcoran Gallery of Art
September 2nd, 2007 Categories: Morning Coffee, Out and About
Morning coffee -quick tidbits for you to think about as you start your day
I’m excited to see a couple of new exhibits coming to the Corcoran Gallery of Art this fall. As a member I get to take advantage of special previews of the events which are hosted by the curator of the gallery.
The first exhibit is Ansel Adams whose works have not had a solo exhibit in our area for 10 years. I’m a huge fan of his work and look forward to seeing this collection.
The second exhibit is Annie Leibovitz. I had a chance to see some of her works a few years ago when they were in DC and this collection of over 200 photographs is a much larger collection than was previously shown.
If you enjoy great photography then make sure you get your tickets for both of these shows. You can purchase them on-line through the Corcoran.
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Morning coffee -quick tidbits for you to think about as you start your day
Granite is so 2006. Concrete, glass and stone are gaining ground as popular materials for countertops. Concrete’s biggest advantage is that it can take any shape, and it’s not as pricey as some other natural stone materials. Because it is cast in molds, it can include subtle texturing and decorative objects such as pieces of metal, fossils or glass. If you are using concrete in the kitchen, consider placing raised strips of metal cast into countertops to support pots and pans near the sink and cooking area.
For those who crave ultra-modern design, another option is glass, which comes in nearly limitless colors, shapes, thicknesses and textures. And because it is nonporous, it is stain-proof and hygienic and can handle hot pots without cracking. Since it’s translucent, it can be combined with other design elements, such as glass over aluminum or decorative tile embedded into the slab. Installing lighting under the counter creates added drama and elegance. A nice option with glass backsplashes and countertops is the option to use recycled glass. Check out what is available in your local area. For inspiration you can look at Bedrock Industries and Oceanside Glass Tiles.
Finally, consider engineered stone, which is slightly cheaper than granite. It’s made from quartz crystals and polymer resin, so it’s nearly maintenance-free. Plus, it’s heat- and cold-resistant, mildew-free, stain-resistant and harder than most things you put on it, so it won’t scratch. Finally, it comes in dozens of colors — some mimic the real thing while others are made to match a designer’s palette. The cost ranges from $70 to $120 per square foot with installation.
*exerpt from July 2007 CRS Advantage Newsletter
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Morning coffee -quick tidbits for you to think about as you start your day
When you begin to tackle your getting your ready home for sale, don’t neglect your garage. Home to cars, bikes, tools, and countless other items, garages are often cluttered and disorganized. Fortunately, a tidy garage is well within reach. Here are some tips from Home and Garden Television on how to get started:
Plan: Consider wearing protective gloves and appropriate clothing and shoes – you may find more dirt and grime than you expect. Designate an appropriate space to store garage items while you’re cleaning and organizing. It helps to move items out of the garage temporarily.
Say goodbye: It can be tough to throw things away, but is it really necessary to keep that broken shovel or the sporting equipment your kids outgrew ten years ago? Decide what you don’t need anymore and have a garage sale, donate or recycle the items, or just throw them out.
Take stock: In some regions, garages can heat up to over 100 degrees, in others they can dip well below freezing. They can be susceptible to water leaks and oil spills. So this is not the place to store valuables or family memorabilia. Move those important items to another storage area in your home.
Categorize: Sort the remaining items into categories such as tools, household goods, toys, car care, etc. This way you can store all like items together and find them more easily.
Consider shelves and hooks: All-purpose shelving, available at any large home improvement retailer, comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. And while shelf space is important, don’t cover every wall. You’ll need room for hooks to hang larger items such as rakes, hoses and lawn chairs. Hanging these items on the wall saves space and keeps them safely off the floor.
Organizing a messy and cluttered garage can seem like a lot of work, but if you tackle the project one step at a time, your garage will be as a neat and orderly as your home in no time
*exerpt from CRS Advantage Newsletter
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My daughter who lives in the town of Fareham in the UK has been plagued by slugs this summer. They are feasting on her vegetable garden and even have found a way to get into the house. Being the kind environmentalist that she is she has been looking for “natural” ways to rid herself of these creatures. When I was young it was the salt shaker and cups of beer that did them in but she won’t go that route.
Here in DC when you hear someone talking about slugs they aren’t talking about slimy creatures but our unique way of carpooling. I like to think of it as safe hitchhiking. Slugging is a great way for anyone to grab a free ride into DC from the VA or MD suburbs. When I talk to people who live outside the area they are surprised to hear that people randomly pick up strangers and drive them in or out of town.
Slugging is a very orderly and organized. With specific pickup locations throughout the suburbs there is a standard of etiquette of how people travel. Rarely is there any conversation between the passenger and the driver, definitely no smoking, no coffee and even better NO CELL PHONES! No money exchanges hands as the benefit is for the driver to be able to hop in to the HOV lanes and save the stress of sitting on a clogged interstate.
Slugging has been around for a long time. My father slugged in the 70’s and I picked up slugs in the 90’s when my office was in town. It is one of the few commuter options in our area that has grown better over time. With organized pick up and drop up spots, unspoken but well known rules and no slime trails ?
If you are moving to the DC area and you want to know more about our Slug Lines give me a buzz. I’ll help you learn the ropes.
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