(Ouch. This sucks. Photo courtesy Johns Hopkins Medical Center.) It was a quiet day on most fronts. There was an unseasonal burst of warm air and fair skies, and driving in to the office I saw my first shorts and first bare arms of 2013 interspersed with spasms of pain. I don’t know what I […]

(The lights are officially out at Big Pink. Mine may have been the last in whole building, but the guy in the house behind the white pickup truck, lower right, is still proudly illuminated at night. Photo Socotra). Get us to February. Please. I slept until almost seven this morning. I can’t believe it. I […]

(Clark Bros Gun Shop, EZ-on, EZ-off from Virginia Rt 29 in rustic Opal, VA. Photo Clark Bros.) Surprise! It is Monday, snuck right up on me, and I am far behind already. I hate the first day of the working week as it is, since the industry as a whole is very agitated for all […]

(This flag represented a group of about one hundred minutemen from Culpeper, Virginia. The group formed part of Colonel Patrick Henry’s First Virginia Regiment of 1775. Their unusual dress alarmed the people as they marched through the country. The word “LIBERTY OR DEATH” were in large white letters on the breast of their hunting shirts. […]

(Book One of the Fifty Shades trilogy. This is weird. Or maybe it is the new normal. The tie is used…oh, hell, I can’t do it. Photo E.L. James) ‘Alice felt there was no denying that. ‘Of course it would be all the better,’ she said: ‘but it wouldn’t be all the better his being […]

(The Madison. Photo MRIS 2001). The Madison Retirement Condos in the heart of Ballston * Perfect for seniors 55+, seeking elegant lifestyle that includes delicious meals, housekeeping, transportation, diverse program of events and activities, terrific community * Monthly service fee (not optional) of $2640 covers these amenities and much more. Call for appointment to see […]

(The view from the balcony at Big Pink this snowy January morning. Not extreme, but messy. Photo Socotra). It was not an extreme weather event in Arlington last night, which is to say that it did snow, which is unusual for this winter, and it is colder than crap. I wondered if we really were […]

ABSOLUTELY MINT 2004 Jaguar XJ8, perfect champagne paint, like-new factory fresh example inside and out, fully serviced with 4 new tires, none nicer, runs like a dream!! Personally driven by National Treasure RADM Donald “Mac” Showers from his home at The Madison across the street to the Willow Restaurant. Fully optioned with all the luxury […]

Alert reader Heidi saved me this morning, and God bless her for it. Saved YOU, too! hahaha, if I may be permitted internet-speak. In real life, I was reacting to the inaugural festival here in town. It was quite an extraordinary performance. Mr. Obama’s words soared as he outlined all the great stuff we are […]

(The Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial on the National Mall. Hand crafted in China, the memorial symbolizes the legacy of the slain Civil Rights leader. Photo AP.) It is a Day On this morning, not that industry has given us much of a choice about recognizing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King off the […]