McLean Automotive Service Center for Emissions and Safety Inspection

You have thirty days to get a drivers license when you move to another state - at least that was the case when we moved to Virginia from DC. It took three tries at the DMV to get the drivers licenses right. We also registered the car, but didn’t have an auto emissions test done. So they only gave us stickers that would last a month. So last week we found a place that would do both the safety inspection and the emissions testing. I remember having to do that in Wisconsin too. So we pulled in to McLean Automotive Service Center and hung around the waiting room for a bit. You can go to about any gas station as well, but this place looked reasonable and was just down the street from where we live. As it was sad to see the DC license plates replaced with Virginia plates, it was sad to see the DC sticker pulled off the windshield and replaced with Virginia stickers. I wasn’t sure how the state would know we were due for the testing, but a day later we received notice in the mail that we needed to renew our stickers. I tried to start an account on the DMV website but it wouldn’t work - something that’s been happening a lot lately. So I made a copy of the report and hard copy mailed it in with the other paperwork. We should get it within the week. I don’t like having to depend on snail mail for anything. And I don’t want to make another visit to the DMV. 

Simple Human Vanity Sensor Mirror

When we lived in Milwaukee, I had a vanity built in to the bathroom with a seat. It was a very convenient set up. Then we moved to a tiny condo on Capitol Hill and the bathroom was so small you were right in front of the mirror and couldn’t sit down if you wanted to. We eventually had the bathroom redone and had a wall mirror hung from the side which worked really well. Now we just moved to a new condo in Virginia and everything is “normal size” again. That means the bathroom wall mirror sits quite a distance from the front of the sink. We didn’t want to drill holes in the wall for another small mirror to be hung so we were on the lookout for a tall table top vanity mirror to help with both shaving, make up, and close ups. I’ve always liked simple human products and found myself investigating the options. We visited a few places to see how they actually looked. I couldn’t make up my mind but finally decided on a sensor mirror with 5x magnification. It arrived the other day and I’m not sure if I like it. It looks okay and it lights up when you move toward it. It can be charged and lasts for awhile so there are no cords showing. It does telescope up, but I’m not used to looking down or having 5x magnification. What I really wanted was a regular mirror with a flip side at 10x but now have a one side only at 5x. I guess I didn’t realize it at the time. Hopefully I’ll get used to it. 

Azalea Season

When we lived on Capitol Hill we always walked through the US Botanical Garden. It was one of my favorite places - both inside and outside. We also used to drive to the Arboretum especially at this time of the year. The azaleas were absolutely gorgeous and were visible as far as the eye could see. Now in our new neighborhood we have a park right near us. It’s turned out to be a great walking path for us. It reminds us of Grant Park on Lake Michigan. We spent a lot of time there when we lived in Wisconsin. But being this time of year, our neighborhood park is overflowing with azaleas and it feels more like the US Arboretum on a smaller scale. We actually found another path that takes us further out and more within our goal of walking at least two miles every morning. It’s a nice alternative to the busier streets closer to town. Our building has a fitness center that neither of us has even looked at yet. On Wednesday someone will be available to show the residents about the equipment and how to properly use it. We had a small stationary bike in our tiny DC condo, but we left it there when we moved. We really prefer walking outside but there are days when it’s a bit unpleasant - especially with ice and snow. We are just glad we have a few options. In the mean time the azaleas make for a very pleasing alternative. 

LEM Walnut Wood Piston Style Bar Stool

About ten years ago we ordered a bar stool from mybarstools.com to put in front of the kitchen window in our DC condo.  It swiveled and was height adjustable and it served the purpose. We just moved from DC to Virginia and now have a kitchen peninsula that needs at least two counter stools. So I searched to see if we could find one like the item we already had. They were discontinued on the original site. But when I searched for the specific item I found one like it at Home Depot of all places. So we ordered one and it was shipped from California. It arrived yesterday. We eagerly unboxed it and put it together. The problem was it didn’t work. We couldn’t get the piston function to go up or down. To make matters worse, the other stool could no longer be raised or lowered. So now we had two pieces of junk. Luckily we had kept the box it came in intact. So we decided to return it to the nearest Home Depot for a refund. This morning my husband couldn’t get it out of the house fast enough. Home Depot is not the place to go on a Saturday, but in spite of that we were in and out in no time and with no hassle. I’m not sure what kind of stools we will end up with now. I do know they won’t look anything like this. 

Cafe Tatti

Yesterday we walked in to town and passed by an interesting little cafe tucked away from the Main Street. So today we thought it might be a good idea to check it out for lunch. It’s called Cafe Tatti - a French European bistro that’s been around since 1981. We arrived around 1130 and I was prepared to get a quiche. My husband loves French onion soup, so I knew that would be his selection, along with a chef salad. As is our habit when we go out for lunch, we usually order something to take home for dinner. So we decided on the stuffed pepper. By the time we left there were several more customers who obviously have been there many times before. All in all we liked the place and it was rather authentic. I took French in high school and a bit in college; my husband knew more French than English when he first came to the US; my husband’s medical school classmate lives in France with his Paris born wife and their son stayed with us many years ago to use conversational English. We have visited our friends in France twice - each visit was very charming with pleasant memories. So, it’s not so much the food but the feeling. And it was a nice reminder. We will probably return - to the restaurant and to the country. 

A Second Walk in the Neighborhood

It’s been almost three weeks since we moved from DC to Virginia. Finally I can see a light at the end of the tunnel related to all the paperwork that needs to be processed, but the list of things to do remains quite long. I am someone who prefers a routine, and it has been nothing like that for the past few months. So today we decided to try and get back in to our daily walking habit. Rather than go north to the park, we headed south in to town. We stopped by the auto shop to see about the safety and emissions testing we still need to get done. Then we just kept walking to find out what else was in the neighborhood. We came across two potential restaurants we might want to try. One was a French place called Cafe Tatti, and the other across from it was Assaggi Pizzeria. We were reminded that it was still spring - the dogwoods and what seemed like cherry blossoms were still so beautiful in spite of the fact the spent flowers were covering the sidewalk. We passed by our favorite Persian food place - Moby Dick House of Kabob. The azaleas were just lovely and the fountain in front of our building was turned on for the season. It’s going to take a while to get used to the change in scenery. So far it’s going very well. 

Alexandria Lighting Chandelier

We never had a chandelier over our dining room table in DC. We had a very small lamp that was tucked to the side that sat on top of the table. The glass top dining table and chairs are from Calligaris. The table also doubles in size when needed. The furniture filled the space well in our tiny DC condo, but seems a little lost in a designated dining room space at our new condo in Virginia. So we have been studying the internet and visiting some lighting showrooms for ideas. Today we went to Alexandria Lighting where we bought an entryway table lamp a few years ago. When we walked in we immediately saw 2-3 items that we both liked. We were looking for something with brushed nickel, glass, and a white glass shade that would go with the eclectic style we have evolved in to. We have a lot of turquoise colored glass and metal pieces - candlesticks, side table, vases... we didn’t want something that was a dust collector, wouldn’t block the visual field, and could be dimmed. So we ended up with a “safe” bet and I am hoping it works out okay. I’m also thinking of moving the really heavy metal mirror to the dining room from the den to give the space a bit more something. My husband hates the mirror, but it may be just what’s needed. It seems rather sparse on that end of the house. I guess I’ll need to think about it.