Water Main Break

I got an e-mail from WifeRat about 4pm telling me the water was out at home. Thankfully the problem wasn't in our place or building, but there is a water main break one block over from us. When I called home to check in there were already repair folks on the scene and I could hear heavy machinery and children in the background.

When I got home, I took BabyRat out to see what all the hub-bub was about. I grabbed the new camera I gave WR for her birthday and took a few pictures.



Apparently the water main break on Florida Ave NE is related to what's going on on my block. A one man band reporter/cameraman chomped on a stogie while he explained that there was a problem with a 36-inch line on my block and that caused problem with 6, 8, and 12 water lines heading north towards Florida.

I don't know much else, but it's 1:44am, my water is back on with strong pressure, and they've got a massive hole dug at the corner of 11th & E Sts NE. Strange observation, WASA left tags on all the doors in the neighborhood advising us of a problem but when BR and I went out to take a look WASA was no where to be found, it was all Flippo trucks and DCFD.

UPDATE:

Pictures of the hole at the corner of 11th & E Sts NE

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Real Pizza on the Hill Finally?

Earlier this week I heard one of the patrons at Peregrine asking some dude when the pizza joint (in the spot formerly occupied by Ben & Jerry's on 7th St SE) is opening up. The reply was that they were going to be opening some time next week. I was rolling by the place today and saw this sign up in the window.



7th Hill Pizza also had their sign up



But perhaps more important than all of that, they seem to have all of their administrative ducks in a row too.



I am waiting for this opening with bated breath, in the hopes that my days of trucking out to Valentino's for a decent pie are over.

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Teddy Folkman to Help out at Annual Brainfood Charity Event -- June 11

 

3^rd Annual Brainfood Grill-Off Brings the Heat of Competition to DC

Top chefs team up with amateur cooks to benefit local nonprofit

 

WHAT:             Teams of award-winning chefs, amateur grilling aficionados and Brainfood program graduates compete for top honors at the 3^rd Annual Brainfood Grill-Off. Brainfood is a DC-based nonprofit that uses food and cooking as tools to teach life skills and healthy living to teenagers in a safe and positive environment. In addition to the grilling competition, highlights include hors d'oeuvres, open bar and live auction. Thanks to the generosity of Reznick Group and other sponsors, 100 percent of ticket sales will support Brainfood after-school and summer programs, including hands-on instruction, educational field trips and guest chef demonstrations.

 

WHO:               Top local chefs team up with amateur cooks, including:

·         Glenn Babcock, Nage

·         Anthony Chittum, Vermilion

·         Daniel Giusti, 1789 Restaurant

·         Teddy Folkman, Granville Moore's (and finalist on the new season of The Next Food Network Star)

·         Jonathan Krinn, Inox Restaurant

·         Jon Mathieson, Inox Restaurant

·         Cedric Maupillier, Central Michel Richard

·         Bryan Moscatello, Zola

·         Shannon Overmiller, The Majestic

 

Emcee for the evening is Leon Harris, WJLA-TV ABC7.

 

WHEN:             Thursday, June 11, 2009

                        6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

 

WHERE:           Decatur House on Lafayette Square

                        1610 H Street, NW

Washington, DC 20006

 

COST:              $75 per ticket

                        $3,000 per team entry

                        http://brain-food.org/brainfood-grill-off-june-11th-2009

 

MEDIA VISUALS:         

·         Professional chefs help amateurs turn fresh ingredients into culinary masterpieces

·         Brainfood graduates – all DC high school students – show off their cooking skills

·         Event photos: http://brain-food.org/category/image-galleries/brainfood-grill-off-2008

 

About Brainfood:

Brainfood is a nonprofit youth development organization that uses food and cooking as tools to teach life skills and healthy living to teenagers in a safe, healthy and positive environment. Local high school students participate in our programs either twice a week after school or five days a week for six weeks during the summer. Activities include hands-on cooking classes, lectures, field trips and community service projects. Brainfood graduates are equipped with practical cooking skills, an introduction to the food industry, a framework for nutritious eating, and leadership and life experiences that prepare them to make a difference in their communities. Brainfood is in its 10^th year of operations and has locations in the Columbia Heights and Chinatown neighborhoods of Washington, DC. For more information, visit: www.brain-food.org.

 

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Real World DC Links - Updated

Borderstan is posting about the not so secret location of the Real World DC house. Prince of Petworth has also posted about the future home for DC's hand picked new residents. Some site name Vevmo has pix and stills of the house up and a very active message board for people who seem to care about all of this just a little too much.

UPDATE
There is, of course, the obligatory Real World hate site up that comes complete with Twitter stream.

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H St. Country Club - Quick First Look

Despite my lack of posting over the last couple of months, somehow I was graced with an invite to tonight's preview of the H St. Country Club. I guess it makes sense because I do talk about eating a lot, but it caught me off guard. I try not to take myself, or this occasionally asinine blog, too seriously; so the idea that I might be credentialed to something as a media member is kind of flattering.

Anyway, I bounced down to the Country Club about 8pm to soak up my share of the free food and drink being provided. When I walked in I was given a press packet filled with boilerplate about the Country Club and its chefs, owners, and management and a drink ticket. Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

My first drink was an excellent frozen guava margarita that was suggested to me by Joe the bartender. I can just imagine the brain freeze I'll get this Summer when I suck one of those down after walking the half a dozen sweaty blocks between my crib and the Country Club. Then with drink in hand, I took a stroll around the place.

I had been to the Phish Tea Cafe, the restaurant that previously inhabited 1335 H St. NE, and they had only used a fraction of the space and not nearly as well. Big Joe knows what he's doing, is well capitalized, and it shows in the final product he's put together here. The H St. Country Club (HSCC) has a unique concept that has been executed very, very well.

I'll spare you a lot of blather about sumptuous wood tones and all the decorative flourishes that you'll see throughout the bar. The mini golf course upstairs is what much of the buzz about HSCC has centered on and it lives up to the hype. Even with the shitty camera in my iPhone, I managed to get a couple of half-decent pix of the mini golf course.





I know a lot of foodies are hyped up for Ann Cashion's new joint, but it looked like they were only serving selections from the bar menu tonight. Everything I tasted was good, but there's only so much you can do to nachos and quesadillas to dress them up. I missed out on the empenadas (which looked great) but consoled myself with the hot lima bean dip which is much, much better than it sounds.

The only disappointment of the night was my second drink, the Hot Tamale; a Ketel One Martini with jalapeno stuffed olives. The olives were a little mushy and not nearly salty enough and the jalapenos should have been hotter and lacked the vinegary tang that I was looking for.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - H Street Country Club Opening

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 22, 2009 H STREET COUNTRY CLUB BRINGS ECLECTIC MEXICAN CUISINE TO THE ATLAS DISTRICT   DC's most anticipated concept opens in its hottest corridor Washington, DC - The H Street Country Club, H Street's newest and most anticipated concept in Washington will be opening Wednesday, May 27, 2009. With celebrated, James Beard-Award winning Chef Ann Cashion as the creative mind behind the menu, this 6,800 sq. foot, 300-seat dining destination will serve up fresh, authentic Mexican cuisine with both southern and northern accents. Locally trained Pablo Cardoso (formerly of Jackie's & Cashion's Eat Place) will serve as executive chef. Guests will experience the country club's ground level "locker room" upon entry, designed with dark maple lockers and a 40 ft. bar covered in warm plaid print. An open eat-in kitchen is set past the shuffleboard, pool tables and skeeball machines. The second floor features space for dining and a DC-centric 9-hole mini-golf course, including scaled monuments and memorials, the Awakening of Marion Barry, and towering K Street Lego Lawyers.   The restaurant will provide an entertaining and modern setting in which to meet and connect while enjoying top-notch Mexican cuisine. "This project has been in the works for a long time. We are excited to be able to bring great food and a unique atmosphere to a growing neighborhood." said owner Joe Englert.   The chef will work closely with leading purveyors and vendors to bring guests the highest quality ingredients and the freshest foods available.  The menu, a blend of both traditional and contemporary dishes, will include items that excite guests' taste buds. The main floor El Norte menu boasts Chili con Queso, Nacogdoches Meat Pies, Spicy Tamales, and Lobster Tostadas. The second floor dining room will feature items including Chilaquiles with Roasted Duck, Snapper Veracruz, Lamb Enchiladas, Pork Rib Carnitas and Chicken Escabeche. All ingredients will be of top quality and delivered fresh daily.   Celebrated Chef Teddy Folkman will be a significant presence at the restaurant and will oversee new menu developments. Chef Folkman began his culinary career as a commis at The Reef and Cashion's Eat Place, and currently presides as the co-owner and executive chef at Granville Moore's. Management of the day-to-day operations will fall on co-owners Ricardo Vergara, Blair Zervos and Assistant General Manager Kristin Cook, who will bring an eclectic flavor to the Atlas District community and beyond.  Chef Cardoso will be at the helm of the H Street Country Club's culinary offerings, and will maintain a consistent execution of the restaurant's cuisine.   The H Street Country Club will showcase a wide variety of high-quality wine, beer and cocktails in a fashion that will compliment the menu. Spanish and Latin wines will headline a drink menu that includes an array of Mexican beer, sangria, margaritas, and 20 different tequilas. Cocktail aficionados will love the club's signature drinks, such as the "I Wanna Jana", which combines Patron Silver & Chambord chilled & muddled with fresh lime, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and honey, or the "El Luchador" that combines Sauza Tres Generaciones Tequila & fresh lemon sour with muddled cucumber, cilantro & a slice of jalapeño pepper. The design of the restaurant and golf course was executed by artist Lee T. Wheeler of Arlington, VA. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University in Sculpture, Lee has created an extraordinary and innovative space that will awaken the imagination of the Country Club guests. The series of DC-centric golf holes on the second floor captures the rich and, at times, comical history of our nation's capital. Contemporary lighting and creative construction of tables and lounge chairs provide for an intimate and comfortable space.  The sleek look of the entire venue will exude the modern, urban vibe for which H Street is known.   The H Street Country Club will be open daily from 5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 5:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.  The restaurant is located at 1335 H Street NE, Washington D.C. Walk-ins are welcome and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. To contact the restaurant, please call 202-399-HSCC (4722).  For more information on the H Street Country Club, visit www.hstreetcountryclub.com/media.   ###   Media Contact: James D. Silk H Street Country Club 202.399.HSCC (4722) james@thehstreetcountryclub.com H Street Country Club • 1335 H Street, NE, Washington DC 20002 • 202-399-HSCC (4722) © 2009 All Rights Reserved Visit www.hstreetcountryclub.com for links to our mailing list, Facebook and Twitter.

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From Moms on the Hill (MOTH)

From a MOTH post:

Hello, MOTH gardeners and driveway "owners" --- Neighbors and community members are reporting that they are receiving tickets for parking in their own driveway (which is not legally theirs, according to DC law) and for having treebox plantings over 18 inches (under an 1870 law governing public spaces).

One woman I know got tickets for each violation, the car in the driveway and a Yucca plant that exceed 18 inches. I have heard that new inspectors have been hired, and are being encouraged to ticket and tickets have indeed been issued. The curb cut that leads to the driveway and the driveway itself, if located in the front or side of the house, unless set far back like in some NW neighborhoods, is public space and parking in apparently not permitted there. So people who have been parking in what they believe to be their driveway for years are getting tickets from DDOT. Perhaps the city is trying to raise funds any way it can in these trying times.

As for the treebox, a tree is permitted, of course, but even a tulip that reaches a little 18 inches, or a sunflower, as I have have liked to plant, can result in a hefty fine. Some have complained to ANC and Wells' office, but be forewarned--the fines will keep coming, I understand.

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USDA Cafeteria = Abomination

You would think that the HQ of the motherfucking USDA would be participating in CSA (community supported agriculture) wouldn't you? You'd definitely be wrong, because we have the same disgusting Sodexho crap that they serve at every cafeteria in town. It wouldn't be so bad if it were cheap, but it's hard to get a filling meal (that's not 70% bleached white flour) in that place for less $8-10. Barf.

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Spiritual Renewal, Pt. 2

I meant to write this post on Monday, but I got laid the fuck out with the flu for a couple of days. [update] I've now been trying to finish this post for a week.

I left off talking about my slow slide into emotional oblivion regarding my father's death. I don't know that I've hit rock bottom with this thing yet, I'd like to think that I have, but it seems kind of unlikely based on what others have told me about dealing with the death of a parent.

I had been feeling shitty (not physically, emotionally) all last week, but the lone bright spot was that Ta-Nehisi Coates had a book signing coming up in College Park that I planned to attend. If you haven't read his book "The Beautiful Struggle" run, don't walk, to your nearest book store and pick up a copy. Just like I try not to be too hard on stupid motherfuckers, I also try not to sweat dudes too much that I think are cool, smart, tough, or whatever. I mean, no one wants to be a dick rider, right?

But rules are made to be broken, so here goes the one time you will catch me on someone's tip like this. I won't go so far as to say this is the best book that I've ever read or that it's my favorite book of all time; I'll need to read and re-read the book several more times before I'll be comfortable making that pronouncement, but this book did speak to me in a way that no other book I have ever read has.

In the same way that "Catcher in the Rye" has been a cultural touchstone for generations or "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is practically required reading for teenagers, "The Beautiful Struggle" deserves a place in the pantheon of great American coming of age stories. "The Beautiful Struggle" is an instant classic, written in a unique style that seamlessly melds literature and hip-hop into a brilliant narrative about fathers, sons, and the journey from boy to man.

Needless to say, I was very excited to meet Ta-Nehisi at his book signing. When I arrived I saw Ta-Nehisi browsing through the store so I approached him and introduced myself. I shared all of the thoughts above with him and he seemed to be truly humbled and grateful that his book evoked such a strong reaction from me. As cool as it was to meet Ta-Nehisi, it was a total mind blower to meet his father, Mr. Paul Coates, who was there that evening. Even though I had only read the book a few months before I had forgotten how funny it was and it took on a whole new life when I heard its author reading it in his own voice.

BigDaddyRat was a man who loved to read and he shared that love with me, it was one of the many, many gifts he gave me over the course of our time together. In some ways, I guess my upbringing led me to (incorrectly) believe that I was the only young Black man out there that was into Sci-Fi, that liked to read, and saw no disconnect with those things and being Black. So in that context it was reassuring and comforting to be at that book signing, to know that "The Beautiful Struggle" spoke to others in the same that it spoke to me.

Being at Vertigo with some other Black men of letters was exactly what I needed that evening. It gave me a sense of spiritual renewal to feel, to know, that no matter how isolated I may feel or be at a given moment, that I'm a link in a chain.

I had a rough couple of weeks, but for the time being I'm on the upswing.

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Spiritual Renewal, Pt. 1

Since the Super Bowl, I've been drying out a bit; partly in sympathy with my pregnant wife and partly 'cause I had really been getting after it for the last couple of months. Like DC, Fargo is a hard drinking city. Out there it's rare to go to someone's home and not be offered a beer at pretty much any time of the day or night, I was very much at home out there. The drinking culture of Fargo combined with an intense desire to avoid my feelings about BigDaddyRat's death led me to "self medicate" as they say. It's not like I was walking around hammered all the time, but rare was the day when I didn't have a drink or five.

I knew that the full force of my Father's death wouldn't really hit me until we got back to DC. Even though I'm mostly convinced it was to my benefit, I'm still debating whether or not it's a good or bad thing that I was in Fargo when Dad died. Fargo was my own personal la-la land, a working vacation where I didn't have to deal with real life and could largely avoid my family and situations that would make me think of my Dad.

As I finished squeezing whatever residual buzz was still in my liver over the last couple of weeks I started feeling worse and worse. I haven't been getting shit done at work, I haven't been taking care of other shit I need to get done, and I've generally been kind of zoned out and quiet. I manage to muster up some chit-chat with other parents when I'm out at the park with BabyRat, but whenever I'm not directly engaged with someone I easily get lost in my own thoughts.

I've buried four grandparents and a few other relatives and family friends that I was varying degrees of close with, so I thought that I knew how to handle death pretty well. Even so, I found myself unprepared for the emotional weight of the sudden (and very unexpected) death of my Father. Thankfully the last time we saw each other we had shared a couple of laughs and told each other "I love you", but we still had some serious unfinished business between us that will now never be resolved.

Ever the generous spirit, Dad had started us down the road towards setting things straight with an off-hand remark not too long before we left for Fargo. I had meant to go have lunch with him before we left town, but when we kept having schedule conflicts I didn't make it a priority. I just assumed that we had all the time we needed to finally put all our bullshit to bed. So if anyone reading this has something they need to get right with their parents or anyone else in their life, I'm begging you DO IT NOW!!! Do not wait, do not assume that you will have an opportunity to get to it later because that may not be the case.

So the point of me telling you all of this, was that I've been feeling down the last couple of weeks. Not some melodramatic, "My father died and I'm gonna spend the rest of my life regretting XYZ," nonsense; but more like I'm just really bummed the fuck out that he's gone. I won't ever get to whip his monkey ass out on the golf course again, he won't get to meet my second kid, and we'll never get to work together again and get it right this time. I don't have regrets, but I'm wistful about the future that we had been envisioning for ourselves that's never going to come now.

This post was about the trip down, next post will be about heading back up again.

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BOYCOTT THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS?

Here's something else I received via e-mail from my man who holds it down six nights a week at the 18th Amendment. Yeah I've been posting a lot of stuff that's coming to through e-mail, but I was never down this stadium deal and having a lot of friends in the service industry this hits close to home. I haven't independently verified any of this, so there's my disclaimer. Read more for the scoop.

From an e-mail

If you follow the goings-on at National's Park, then by now you'll know that the Lerners have terminated its contract with Centerplate, the foodservice provider. As of January 31, dozens of good, hardworking people are now out of jobs, and are receiving no severance pay. The new food company, Levy Restaurants, will be the third concessionaire in three years to be brought in for food service.

What you probably don't know, is that Centerplate executives received a letter of termination on December 24,2008, for reasons that the Lerners "Want something different this season". Merry Fucking Christmas, right? The contract was extended until January 31, as events had been booked with Centerplate up to and on the 31. Per the Nationals, all food, equipment and employees had to be off the property by the end of the day. Employees working that day were expected to alternate between servicing the party, packing all supplies,cleaning up the areas used...and be ready to vacate the premises after the day was over; not exactly a realistic expectation is it?

As an added insult, the Nationals are now refusing to pay for all items on the asset inventory taken by Centerplate, of all items that had been purchased at the start of the season to be used for food service. These items are owned by Centerplate and it was agreed upon in the form of a legal document that the inventory would stay behind for use by the next company, and the Nationals would reimburse Centerplate in the form of a check. The amount owed is currently in the area of $2,000,000.

This is quickly becoming known as typical Lerner behavior. They just recently paid backrent for the entire 2008 year on the South Capitol Street stadium, after the District of Columbia threatened to seize the property for non-payment. Their reasons for not paying? The building "was not complete to their satisfaction". Construction crews and contractors worked around the clock to meet the March 29 deadline demanded by the Lerners (how many sides of their mouths do these people want to try and talk out of?), and in the process,did a rush job and cut more than a few corners.

The result is a blatant example of shoddy, haphazard work in the form of a structurally unsound building. Ask anyone who worked this past off season. Pipes bursting one after another, hood vents and heating units malfunctioning, refrigeration units being cut off, resulting in thousands of dollars in spoiled foods, and other problems too numerous to mention. This stadium was paid for by YOUR tax dollars: is it fair that your money was squandered in an attempt to improve the performance of one of the consistently worst teams in the MLBA? NO! Did the team improve after being given a new home? NO!

Have the Lerners paid rent this year so far? NO! Their attitude and behavior is a slap in the face towards not only the hardworking people responsible for the daily operations of National's Park, but also to the everyday taxpayer, and unfortunately to the baseball fans who supported this team from day one and are truly the ones deserving of the new stadium. Hardworking people who are trying to survive are being punished because a bunch of douchebags feel a sense of undeserved entitlement. WAKE UP D.C- THIS CAN'T CONTINUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ludlow_Taylor Revisited

I have to say, I wasn't expecting much from this open house at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School last night. I'm already on record with a strong opinion of both the school and its principal. I got a link to that post from DCist that spiked my hits up to an all time high of 125 in one day! I found that out through the magic of Google Analytics.

I was definitely much less than complimentary in my post and I stand by what I wrote. However as I continue to write about my experiences with finding a public school for my child I find that I'm, thinking of myself and, acting as a citizen-journalist. Which leads me to wonder if claiming that title for myself obligates me in any way? I believe that it does, so here's what I owe you: the truth.

The truth is that I'm not a journalist, I've never taken a journalism class, or wrote for the school newspaper or anything like it. I have no idea what the basic tenets of journalism are supposed to be, I know there's some bullshit myth about objectivity but I can't even pretend I'm giving an unbiased view. Nevertheless, here I am gathering intel and disseminating it to all who care to look.

I'm a Dad who's trying to ensure that his child gets the best education possible, I want everything and then some for my kid. If I don't have to spend $25K every year on tuition for a three year old then our family is free do things like give more to charity, travel, and save for college . . . when I expected to have to pay for school.

But my stake in this is not just financial, it's about what kind of world do I want to leave for my child? Not to get too dramatic, but the decision to forgo public school for the time being was one that I made with great sadness. I always went to public schools (including both colleges, state schools) and I take some pride in the fact that I represent public schools well. MommaRat is a proud graduate of DCPS and I hoped that her namesake (BabyRat and MommaRat share a middle name) would be the same. I know far too many brilliant, educated, accomplished people who went to DCPS, and just as many stunningly average folks who went to "elite" private schools, to believe that there is no value to be found in a DCPS education.

I believe in public schools and want to do what I can to ensure that they remain a viable and venerated part of American life. I'm grateful that I have options, but it doesn't change the fact that I know I'm part of the problem with public education because rather than staying and fighting I'm just throwing money at the problem to make it go away for me and my family. It's not that I'm not willing to work towards better public schools, but for right now (the next 8-9 months) this isn't a fight worth having. I've decided that discretion is the better part of valor and retreated to a Montessori school while we continue to gather information, prepare for the school lotteries for the 2009-2010 school year, and reload for the next battle in the war to educate my child.

So with all that said, my prejudices and motivations laid bare for all to see, I continue my story.

Word 'round the campfire was that Principal Cobbs wasn't really into doing a, "dog and pony show" at this open house. Which makes what happened all the more surprising. I arrived at the evening open house about 15 minutes after it started due to hellacious crosstown traffic on my way home. There were only about a half dozen other parents there, the two men that were there introduced themselves and we started not too long after that. Some of the other people there seemed to know each other (I recognized several members of the group Friends of Ludlow-Tayor) and I sat down at a table by myself when the presentation began.

Principal Cobbs started by going around the room and having each person there introduce themselves. I was surprised that she remembered my daughter's name when my turn to speak came. Ms. Cobbs launched into a detailed introduction of herself, talking about her background in education, her family, and the fact that she recently lost her father.

As someone who also recently lost his own father, my heart immediately went out to her and I began to wonder if I had rushed to a hasty misjudgment. I've been lucky enough to be able to keep my bad days and grief-stricken moments out of public view, but the principal of an elementary school isn't necessarily that lucky. Perhaps when Swiss Family Rat bum rushed LTES the day Christmas vacation ended, she was at the beginning of a bad day.

When she first got up in front of the group Principal Cobbs was hesitant and used a lot of verbal pauses when she spoke. But as she continued to speak, Principal Cobbs got more comfortable and started speaking with more poise and taking command of the room as she spoke about the professional development room that we were sitting in.

The difference between the seemingly indifferent administrative drone I met three weeks ago and the enthusiastic, dynamic educator presenting an optimistic and challenging vision for LTES couldn't have been more stunning to me. Moving smoothly through a PowerPoint presentation Principal Cobbs was charming and friendly while she laid out her educational philosophy.

LTES is only at about 50% of the capacity of the building, so there is a constant drive to improve enrollment numbers. The previous principal of LTES, Dr. Presswood, had a Phd in Special Education so he had increased the number of special education students to keep numbers up. Now it seems that Chancellor Rhee and Principal Cobbs have decided to move their focus away from special education and are concentrating on attracting more families in the neighborhood. During this time Principal Cobbs spoke with a rarely heard candor about the demographic makeup of the school and the issue of diversity.

While all this was going on I started looking through the materials that were laid out around the room. There were teacher bios, feedback forms, daily schedule breakdowns, detailed information on the 3-4 classroom and after school program, and e-mail addresses for the principal and the 3-4 classroom teacher. This was exactly the information that we had been looking for a month ago before we got back to DC!!

Now I'm totally fucking confused. On one hand I'm pleased to see that LTES isn't the black hole of confusion and apathy that it appeared to be during our initial interactions. OTOH I'm annoyed that basically everything I was previously asking for was obviously available in electronic form and could have easily been sent to me via e-mail in, literally, one minute. I don't know who's fault that is, but it's easily fixed; put all these docs in a zip file and as soon as a parent calls up, get their e-mail address, send them the file, and follow up with them via e-mail a week later. If the person doesn't have e-mail access take their address and send them hard copies. Is that so hard?

By now Principal Cobbs has made it through her initial spiel telling us about the tour of the school that's to come and yields the floor to the after school care coordinator and dashes out of the room to go deal with a lost kid. I was pleased to learn that there is a dedicated after school care teacher who hasn't been teaching all day. Ms. Harte (after school care coordinator) was energetic and said all the right things about not wanting after school care to just be babysitting. It was right in the middle of her presentation that I had to leave to go get BabyRat from her after care program.

The strong showing by Principal Cobbs and her staff at the little slice of the open house that I attended has confused the issue of where should BabyRat go to school more than ever. The school lotteries and shit start in like another week, so check back and I'll keep you posted on what I'm doing and where you may be able to find information you may need.

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Ludlow-Taylor Open House, 1/21/2009, 9:00 am

Title: Ludlow-Taylor Open House

Date: Wednesday January 21, 2009

Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Location: Ludlow-Taylor

Notes: Meet Ludlow-Taylor teachers and staff, see school facilities
(like the renovated library), visit classrooms, and learn more about Ludlow-Taylor's programs. Come hear about the good things already underway and the school's plans for the future.

The school will also be open for prospective parents from 4:30 - 6:00 on the 21st.

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Well Dressed Burrito

All last week I was getting the royal treatment with WifeRat and BabyRat chauffeuring me back and forth to work each day. Today WifeRat is back at work, BabyRat started at a new school, and I went back to being one of those people who live and work in the city but drives anyway. It's not really my fault though, I had to drop off the palette of supplies (two changes of clothing, backpack, bedroll, etc.) you have to have for a three year-old starting at a new school and drop off time at this new place is later too.

Even with all of that, the real reason I drive is that I get reimbursed for my parking by Death Star, Inc. It's a very minor perq (really the only one that I get) but it does allow me to easily jet out to handle errands at lunch and indulge my passion for treating myself to great lunches. Lunch time during the work day is one of the few moments where I actually get to seriously consider what it is I want to do. Sometimes I "have to" go eat with my boss or co-workers but more often than not, I get do what I wanna do for lunch.

So today I took the opportunity to go to "The Well Dressed Burrito." A lot has been written about the place, but I had to go see for myself what the hub-bub was about.

Not having any meaningful connection to Mexican or Tex-Mex food past in-laws that live in Houston, I don't have any strong feelings about burritos (or tacos) or what they should or should not include. I have heard foodie types decry the blasphemy of Taco Bell tacos, calling them inauthentic and anglicized. I happen to love Taco Bell tacos, they're what I think of when some one says "taco"; hard shell, ground beef, cheese, and lettuce. So if you're some sort of burrito purist you should probably stop reading now. My requirements for Mexican or Tex-Mex are simple; flavorful ingredients and a bit of spice, a pretty low hurdle to clear.

Today's special burrito was Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Vinaigrette, Red Onions, Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese and Rice. The vinaigrette provided a nice bit of tang to the proceedings that was complimented by the sweetness of the red onions. The chicken tenders were large and properly cooked, you could easily bite through one without turning your burrito into a sloppy mess. Overall I would say that it was a tasty and unusually flavored burrito, pretty good but nothing that's going to inspire the kind of endless love that I have for places like Deli City or Mangialardo's.

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We're Back

Ugh! 1500 miles pulling a trailer is no joke, and the real dagger is that it's sandwiched with loading and unloading said trailer. Still it was a pretty mellow trip back across the country. On the way out to Fargo we took four days to drive out and we did the drive back, along a slightly longer route so we could avoid Chicago and its traffic, in three days with your faithful narrator under the wheel the entire time. The only thing really noteworthy about the trip back was that both nights there was a problem at the hotel.

The first night we stayed at a newly renovated Marriott in Cedar Rapids. When I got to the hotel at 9pm I was pleased; the staff was nice and the pool was open until 11pm. The pool being open late is key because you have to do something to wear out a three year-old that's been sitting in the car and watching "The Bee Movie" all day. I was much less pleased when I turned down the bed to lotion up BabyRat after her bath and there were visible stains on the sheets. Blarrrgh!

Needless to say we changed rooms, but nasty sheets is a violation of the basic agreement between innkeeper and traveler. You expect that shit at an hourly motel off of Rt. 1 somewhere, but not at a Marriott in Iowa. Having seen BigDaddyRat issue verbal beatdowns to hotel desk staffs around the globe, I knew that I would get something if I went down and complained but I wasn't sure what. After consuming a large room service breakfast I went to the front desk and laid out the scenario, they gave many profuse apologies and offered to buy our breakfast. Not being a greedy skinflint, I didn't push my luck and accepted the offer but later regretted letting them off the hook too easily.

The next night we stayed in the thriving metropolis of Dayton, OH at a Holiday Inn that had allegedly won some sort of "qualitly" award according to the guy I talked to on the phone. When I made the reservation I was pretty clear that I wanted to stay at a nice hotel and I was assured that it was. Call me crazy, but when I say a "nice hotel" I think that implies that it's not located next door to a strip club like the one our reservation was at in Dayton. But by the time we get there it's already after 8pm and I don't feel like driving around Dayton looking for a better hotel so we stayed. After BR went to sleep we tried to watch TV but the it wouldn't turn on and they also totally fucked up our breakfast order.

After eating a throughly unsatifying meal, I strolled over to the front desk at check out time and registered my complaints. Fresh off of having punked myself the day before I was determined to cut a better deal for myself this go 'round. So this time I graciously accepted their offer to buy our breakfast, but I continued to press the issue and got 50% off of our room for the night.

Another day on the road and naturally we made it back to Metro DC just in time to get stuck on the fucking Beltway at rush hour trying to get over the Legion Bridge. I spent more time stuck in traffic trying to cross the Legion bridge that day than I did the entire time I was in Fargo, no joke.

Once we made it back to the safe confines of the Rat's Nest on Capitol Hill I soothed myself (and the family) with an application of ribs, chicken, and collards from Kenny's Smoke House. Deliciousness shoots and scores!!

Over the next few days I bamboozled a couple of my teammates into helping me unload our trailer (thanks again Skip and Coach) and mostly concentrated on stuffing myself with as much of DC's local flavor as my stomach could stand. I've been to Sova, Peregrine, and Sidamo for coffee and we've eaten at Sticky Rice, the new Matchbox, and Taylor (twice) since we've been back home.

I am in love with Taylor. There are precious few places to get good sandwiches (Deli City and Mangialardo's) in DC, but they tend to adhere to that weird DC phenomenon of closing at 3pm. Taylor doesn't do breakfast, but they do stay open until 9pm and they deliver. I doubt I will ever have them deliver because they're only about three blocks from the Rat's Nest, hardly seems worth the $2 charge.

Stay tuned for my next post on the EPIC FAIL of Ludlow-Taylor ES.

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Is It Worth It?

WifeRat and I thought we had decided against renting out our place for the inauguration. We will have just gotten back home from North Dakota and we're looking forward to being back in our place. But I was just looking on Craig's List and seeing the ridiculous prices people are asking for (and presumably getting) for places in DC. I'm guessing that with minimal effort we could get someone in our place for four nights at $1500/night for a total of $6K.

The problem then becomes where do we stay? We could stay with MommaRat in Alexandria, but that comes with its own special set of challenges (extra driving mostly) that I may not be up for dealing with if they can be avoided.

We also considered fleeing town for the warmer climes of South Florida. The rental proceeds would more than cover a four day trip to South Beach, where WifeRat's best friend lives, where we could ball out and stay at a beach front hotel. A nice change of pace from Fargo to say the least. Even though the trip would be paid for, traveling with a three year old is always a bit of a trial and we will have only been home for about two weeks when we have to take off.

The idea of nice little trip to Miami is enticing, but we live a 20 minute walk from the Capitol and can easily get to and participate in all of the inauguration festivities going on in DC. This is truly a once in a lifetime event and I have to wonder if ten years down the line I'll feel like a schmuck for having missed it to go hang out in Miami.

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I Actually Dig Fargo

Despite what some people seem to think, I do like Fargo. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than DC and the people around here are just so damn nice it's kind of weird for an East Coast guy. Over the last couple of weeks I've even had a couple of pretty good meals that had some local flair to them. But best of all, since I've been in Fargo I have sat in traffic exactly twice for a grand total of less than 20 minutes.

Last weekend WifeRat and I arranged for BabyRat to stay with Nanna after we got done making lefse and we went out to dinner. We originally wanted to go to the Silver Moon Supper Club but when we called they couldn't seat us until 9:30 and I know what that means; you don't get to your table until 10 and then you basically get a gavage-style meal of end of the night leftovers. So we decided to stop by the Silver Moon and see if something opened up, which it didn't so we decided to go to the HoDo.

WifeRat had the Bison tenderloin and I had the NY Strip, they were both pretty good. I especially liked the "barley risotto" on the Bison tenderloin, it was a nice little regional touch. We had the Walleye cakes and Shrimp/Scallop gratin to start. The gratin was nice but the walleye cakes were a little underseasoned, which is a constant thing out here.

Two nights ago we went to Doolittle's, they're a small regional franchise with four restaurants in Minnesota and North Dakota. The food there was well above average for the F-M area and I've been to a lot worse restaurants in DC. If your kids like mac & cheese, this is the place; best kid's mac & cheese I've had in a restaurant. I had a "smoked tri-tip" that doesn't appear on the online menu and was served with some excellent mushroom raviolis, a nice plate for $16.

Last night I was out with Slayer from the rugby team, I picked him up from the bar he works at, Rascals. Rascals was unbelievably dead, but I still had to pay a $3 cover to see Whisky Sam from Grand Forks. After we left and I lost $30 playing blackjack at Dempsey's, James (another rugby guy) talked us into going to Old Broadway with him. The less said about OB, the better; imagine the Swerve but with a higher ceiling. We fled OB and went to Rooter's but we got there too late to play Pig Wheel which is what we wanted to do instead of go to OB.

So for all my bitching and moaning about Fargo I'm still managing to have a good time, I just miss DC.

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Understandable Mistake or Shameful Shit?

So I've been following this guy Humanity Critic for a couple of weeks now. He's got some interesting stuff to say and a style to his writing that I like, appreciate, and will probably start to bite. HC is constantly Twittering and has put me on to some good links regarding Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State talk that's been going on.

Well last night I got a tweet about Busta Rhymes being a homophobe with a link in it and the link takes you to a video of Pharrell and DJ Premier talking backstage or in a Green room somewhere.

The whole setup is a little crazy because before seeing this I wouldn't have really thought that Premier and Pharrell would hang out. Premier is 42 but looks like he could be in his 50's and Pharrell's little skinny ass probably won't ever look more than about 19, so the visual is striking when you see the two of them together. Then consider that stylistically the two men are on opposite ends of the spectrum; Premier is straight old-school and Pharrell skates and listens to Steely Dan. But when you look at the variety of artists that both Premier and Pharrell have worked with and the success that they've both enjoyed, it's not that surprising that they would be kicking it.

In this video Pharrell is telling a story about Busta Rhymes. Not surprisingly, Pharrell is a pretty talented mimic and the way he relates the story is funnier than Hell. In addition to changing up his voice he also takes on the Busta's abrupt and strident body language, the extra loud tone, and the barking rhythm that makes Busta Busta. The conclusion of the story is that Busta is upset because some dude (one of the Jungle Brothers) that wanted to take a picture with him was wearing mascara.

I could go either way on this story. I'm not down with the homophobia, but tripping because some dude is wearing mascara doesn't really mean much to me. This isn't me defending Busta or going soft on homophobia. Just like accusations of racism, I like to wait until things are fairly clear cut before I level the charge of homophobia against someone. None of this is the point of this post, we're just getting to the incident that inspired this post's title in the next couple of paragraphs.

So like I said, I've been following Humanity Critic and I decided to follow up on this by leaving a comment on his blog at vibe.com. In order to comment you have to register, mildly annoying but really no big deal. They ask for your city and state, I type in Washington and in the drop-down list for states "DC" is nowhere to be found. Fuck me gently with a chain saw, I can't believe this just happened.

Now ten years ago or maybe even five, I could understand how something like this happened. But it's 2008, shit like this should have been straightened out a long time ago. It's incidents like this that have radicalized my thinking about DC statehood. When I first moved to DC getting representation in the House would have been enough to keep me happy, but now I say fuck all that! DC STATEHOOD NOW!!

As far as Vibe goes, I've always thought the magazine was kind of whack and now I have proof. Vibe.com I'm puttin' y'all on blast. This is some trifling, shameful shit. I find this diss of DC especially disturbing from an African-American oriented publication and website.

Who the hell is running your site that they didn't notice that you have ZERO users from D-Chocolate City-C? Maybe you just don't care that you don't have any users from DC, it's not like there are any black people there or anything.

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Jimmy Valentine's Lonely Hearts Club Fundraiser for Webb Elementary After School Program - TONIGHT!!

From Mark Thorp:

this thursday, 10/13, FUNDRAISER for Webb Elementary 6-9pm. Read More for additional details.

this friday, 10/14, Sinister Intelligence Agency, choice tracks from pop to metal, who knows with these delinquents

this saturray, 10/15, DJ Sharkey with DJ Darko. yes that's Darko from Spankrock, we did this once before and it's the only time we ever got so packed we had to hold a line at the door. doors open at 9, plan accordingly kiddies, you done been warned...

this sunday, 10/16, victor peters not only spins his favorite music buT CELEBRATES HIS BIRTHDAY AS WELL! HA! victor's got recordings from the biggest house parties up and down the coast from the last 15 years, this is prize stuff that'll take you back, please help us make a big messy mess

alrighty here's the specific details on the fundraiser:

Catrice Simpson directs the After School Program at Trinidad's Webb Elementary. She's got 221 kids and is only slotted $1000 a year from DC Public Schools. Last year she never got that funding and she hasn't gotten it yet this year either, meaning our $500 donation was her entire budget last year. True story. Catrice is dedicated pretty fierce.

We've formed a non-profit corporation called Trinidad Association (tax ID # 80-0299958). We're raising money for the After School Program, all of which will be held by the non-profit. If we donated the money to DC Public Schools it would never get to this program. Catrice will direct us to purchase her needs (art supplies, basketballs, etc...), which we will then donate directly to her program. That way ALL funds hit home.

The fundraiser is today, Thursday, 11/13, from 6 PM til 9 PM. In exchange for your $20 donation, we're giving away free drinks (3 per person) as well as food, and DJ T Y (Trinidad's own) is spinning. Ward 5 Councilmember Thomas' office has been a huge help and he's supposed to show. If you can't make it to the fundraiser, you can leave a donation with us when we're open. Checks can be made out to Trinidad Association. It's a shame we weren't quick enough to have paypal ready but next time we will.

If you're cynical about how much of your charitable contributions ever get to their intended target, here's a chance to make 100% impact on 221 kids who need something to do so they're not standing on the corner or stuck in front of a TV. If you're disgusted by the braying shiftless who complain about what everyone else should be doing, fork over $20 and directly effect positive change. Thanks if you read this far and sorry if it anything's preachy, but you know how it is...

some talk, others act

troy&dawn&mark

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I'll Be Glad to Get Back to DC

It's not that I don't like it out here in Fargo. When I first hatched this plan to move out here for six months one of the things I thought we would be able to do is live in a house, but we found an apartment that was literally a five minute walk from my in-laws so we took it. Other than the minor issue of not getting to live in a house for six months, pretty much everything has gone right on this trip out here. We found an awesome school for BabyRat, we have been on a couple of vacations and have taken numerous trips to the lake, and we have also been able to see a lot of family and participate in family events (birthdays and other celebrations we usually miss) while we have been here. Really it's been just about perfect when I think about it.

Still, I will be glad to get back home to DC. WifeRat and I like to go out to eat and we've done a good bit of that here, but going to Paradiso doesn't really cut if when you're craving some haute cuisine or sushi. I miss my neighborhood with the three nearby parks and, now, it's plethora of easy to walk to watering holes. I think what I miss the most is being able to walk to the store when we need a last second ingredient. There's nothing quite like the smell and sounds of the trees swaying in the breeze of a late autumn evening in DC.

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