The Barber Shop(s)

When we first moved to DC from Milwaukee, we knew it was going to be hard to replace Joe the Barber. My husband had been visiting his establishment for many years. He first tried a place down by Union Station. He would come home with one side if his sideburns higher than the other. So he switched to a place on 8th Street. He came home with cuts and an earful of foul language - although the haircut was actually pretty good! Wanting to stay in the neighborhood he tried a little more upscale place on Pennsylvania Avenue. They were too upscale and went out if business. The person who cut his hair relocated too far from home. So he now goes to Old Town Barber in Alexandria. We happened to notice it on one of our many trips there and decided it might be worth a try.  The haircut was okay, but the price couldn't be beat. How long do you think this one will last? 

What Baby?

We just returned from a ten day trip to England. My head is still there and my stomach is somewhere in between here and there.  We are not very good travelers and it will take a month to readjust to the eastern time zone. When we first arrived there we waited in the bar at the bed and breakfast we were staying until our friends came to pick us up. Last year we happened to be in England during the Queen's Jubilee celebration. I thought for sure we would be there for the royal birth. Having been out of the loop the previous twelve hours we asked our bartender if she had heard any news about the event, and she didn't hardly know what we were talking about. At the train station the next day, there was one cover story mixed in with all the others. In the end we missed the event by two days. I think we Americans get more out of these celebrations than the locals do, if you take that one response as typical. 

Hill Rag Contributions

I was the sports and feature page editor of our high school newspaper. Our paper won several awards and we accepted them at Columbia University in New York. Journalism was a possible but impractical major for me at the time. So I studied nursing and made the best of it. So it comes full circle that I attempt to contribute small vignettes of observations, art, and photographs for The Hill Rag - Capitol Hill's community paper that we read every month, and use the front cover as art work in our TV room.  The first story was posted on line yesterday, and I felt like I once did when our paper was published. I'm hoping to contribute as often as possible. There is always something to talk about in this neighborhood. Please take a look and feel free to comment. And thanks Hill Rag for supporting this endeavor. 

Mondays, Sprinklers and Joggers

I have one more day off from our vacation to England before returning to work tomorrow. Getting readjusted to the time takes me awhile. We went to sleep at 9 PM and I got up at 6:30 AM. That is unheard of on a day off. So I decided to follow my husband's retirement routine of walking in the morning and learn the path he typically takes after dropping me off to work along the way. I've NEVER walked the streets of DC at this time of the day. Things look very different. There was a cluster of new Capitol Police recruits that appeared to be going through orientation. I never knew sprinklers existed until I saw them all going off on their designated schedules. It is definitely a time for joggers and walkers, who take advantage of the tiny bit of cooler air and temperatures, slipping under the mist of the sprinklers. There were definitely more women than men. Then the slugs started to emerge - the ones in the suits and ties trudging towards their work places. The groundskeepers were pretending not to watch as the girls passed by, the streets were empty, the dogs ran after the birds and squirrels along the Mall, and the police dog in the car growled at us! A friend of ours knows how much I like Mondays and sent me a T shirt that expresses precisely my point of view. If Monday had a face it would be slapped - whether I'm on vacation or not. 

Return From Vacation Blues and the Sneaky Cucumber

Whenever we return from vacation, short or long, time of day, day of week, my husband must empty the suitcases and check the mail and do the wash before settling down. So was the case when we arrived at Dulles from Heathrow to our house around 10 PM last night. In the end it is a great idea to get everything put away. I'm still trying to figure out what time of the day it is. I do know when we left our vegetable garden was just beginning to thrive. With all the heat and thunderstorms, we were sure it would probably do something while we were away. I also knew that there was more than likely a cucumber hiding out there that would be a monster after nine days. This morning, my husband found the huge thing in the very messy, overgrown garden. We much prefer the tiny cucumbers because they not only look good, they taste better. Once they get to this stage, they look bad, and aren't as tasty. Right now I am about to take a nap, but there are so many things to do! But I suppose that is the trade off for going away. It makes me appreciate what I have, but also makes me think how much I prefer a routine. I have a feeling that cucumber would have stayed hidden out there even if we didn't go anywhere. I'm just too tired to look for any more of them. 

Goodbye England

We had a wonderful time but are ready to come home. 

From Prime to Pig

On our last full day in England we headed to Winston Churchill's birth place - the 18th century palace called Blenheim. My husband loves WC and it was quite the magnificent place and is home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough today. Our friend has also been wanting to see the speckled pigs at the Cotswold Farm Park. You could say it was quite a contrast from the morning adventure to the afternoon. When it was finally time to head back "home," we enjoyed the beautiful countryside once again. It's been a wonderful trip with wonderful friends. It is very different from Washington DC, and Wisconsin. But in many ways it is very much the same. I need to sort out my thoughts on it all when I get back home.