The 4th

The day was fine.
My neighbors down the street were hosting a Fourth of July party and I had Nathan, BL and Clemisha come along as my guests. A thing I and a few other party guests commented on was we have a very communal block. Lem and a few other guys were talking about construction projects they are planning on helping each other out with. There were several other neighbors from the block over, hanging out, drinking cool drinks, eating warm burgers.
Nighttime, ‘nother story.
I was using the 4th as a test of how the neighborhood has changed any. Night time, on the 4th, it’s bedlam. I know it is not just my hood. I’ve seen it in Capitol Hill as well with people putting on their DIY fireworks show. Last year there were small crowds shooting off fireworks in the street and on the sidewalks at both ends of my block. Well this year it began on one end. Then those folks moved to the other end. I don’t know if the people who lived on that corner told them to move or what but they moved to the corner with the empty lot. Besides those folks, who I am going to guess don’t even live around here. There were the families on the block shooting off tamer but not less louder fireworks on the sidewalks in front of their houses. Last year, DM and her family were blasting fireworks up and down the street. I had to have the sprinkler on to ‘keep the grass wet’ just to keep them from blowing off rockets in front of my house. This year, DM was not around.
Firecrackers kept going off well into midnight. I was tired enough to sleep through that and the blasting stereo that had been going since 2 in the evening. Yesterday, heard some more go off. Hopefully, everyone will run out of their supply by the end of the week, or at least the end of the month. But if history dictates, we’ll hear them in August.

Thai X-ing reviewed in the City Paper

It is on page 46 of this week’s City Paper is a review of our fav slow food restaurant, Thai X-ing. I had been turned off by the lack of speed but Todd Kliman’s review makes me want to go back and try the salmon in red curry for myself. There is no doubt the food there is good, but the wait is almost maddening. Good thing Vigsittaboot, the guy running the joint, has a collection of books in the waiting area. But a couple of times I bought my own reading. I gather the best method is to call ahead with your order.

Simply Fit coming to 7th St

I was out sick yesterday but had to drag my corpse to the Giant for tissues and juice. On the way there I passed by the 1500 block of 7th and there are signs that Simply Fit is coming to that block. Sometime. The website doesn’t give a lot of info. I guess I could email or call and ask but I’m pleading laziness due to illness.

4th Street Cleaners

A little off the main drag of Florida, on 4th it sits. It isn’t open yet, but when it does lets hope that they post hours and are decently priced. What I am hoping for is that they are not like the Majestic Cleaners in the 400 block of R that closed some time ago. That cleaner did not post hours, was not open when I was coming home from work, and really did not look like it dealt with retail customers. The hours thing is important because one neighbor sent his clothes there really needed them back for a function but couldn’t pick them up because the shop was closed as he was under the impression that the store had normal dry cleaner hours and would be open on weekends.

June Garden Report

The bad stuff
Spider mites and watering
Spider mites have done a lot of damage. Of course it doesn’t help that I’m inconsistent with the watering. So the bean leaves have been turning white and the pansies are all but dead. The insecticidal soap has had mixed results, and I used so much up that I had to mix up my own batch of Ivory soap and dish detergent. Lesson learned, don’t apply when it is still hot out, it burns the leaves. According to the books and several gardening sites it would help if I watered the leaves more. Most of my watering has been going directly to the base of the plant. Apparently, that’s wrong. So I’m going to have to use the hose more often and blast the leaves to hinder the mites because I would really like to keep with the whole organic theme.
I’ve harvested about 2 tomatoes. One had blossom end rot. This I think once again, the watering being a problem. Heat hasn’t help. Also lack of a decent rain.
The good stuff
Squash
Planting various squash plants have produced good results. One has produced nothing but male flowers. But I think this has benefited the zucchini and yellow squash, which have produced several female flowers. I’ve been taking the baby and smallish sized squash off the plant and they keep producing. Some squash I see have suffered from my bad watering practices. Little matter, because I cut off the really bad parts and the rest tastes fine. I’ve only harvested 1-2 patty pan squash, and they haven’t made it to the kitchen. I have a bad habit of eating my garden while gardening.
Tomatoes
As mentioned, only 2 tomatoes so far. I have several green tomatoes, and I can’t wait till they turn yellow or red so I can eat them. Several co-workers in the bowls of the Death Star, where I work, ask about the tomatoes often as I had many to give away last year. Also minimal damage so far from the newspaper delivery man.
One of the neighborhood kids asked if my tomato plant was an apple tree. I guess if you’ve lived in an urban environment and never dealt with gardening I can see how a kid wouldn’t know. Leaves are green and the fruit is red, and “A” is for apple, honest mistake.
Beans
Besides the near death via spider mites, the beans are okay. I’ve collected a bunch of them, but like some squash they don’t make it in the house, again with the eating stuff while I garden.
Cucumbers
They are getting as bad as the peppermint and going all over the place. The vines wandered over to the next pot and started to strangle the plant. So I’m trying something new. I’m going to see if I can get the plant to go up a pole rather than attacking nearby plants. So I’ve taken twine and attached the leggy portions to a bamboo pole. Let’s see what happens.
As far as fruiting goes I have more than 10 baby cukes. They are so cute and green. The flowers aren’t bad either.
Herbs
Herbs such as peppermint and thyme are doing fine despite me. The in the ground peppermint is growing and taking over. I’ve harvested several batches for drying and tea brewing. The creeping thyme continues to creep and is making a sizable blanket under one of the in the ground tomato plants. I haven’t harvested any of it as it is still in flower.
The cilantro has bolted and gone to seed. So I’ve cut them down and will collect the seed and plant again.

Sights on Rhode Island Ave

As I hurried over to the Post Office at the tip of the Truxton Circle triangle, if that makes any sense, I saw a baby stroller sitting on the median between the east and west lanes of traffic. Getting a bit closer to the corner I saw the owner of the stroller, a dreadlocked and bent raggedy fellow with a sign of some sort. I gathered it said something about being homeless, as most of those types of signs do. I would have taken a picture with the Palm, but it won’t let me take pictures and listen to music, and it was a really good song. In the amount of time it took to wait for the light to change, he gathered up a bill from a passing motorist in an SUV.
My first thought was, please don’t let this be a fixture. I guess on the bright side one could say that it is a sign that the neighborhood is getting better because someone figured people around here must have enough money to give away, like Georgetown and Dupont. But really, no.
After finishing up at the Post Office I came back out and the beggar was gone. Looking down Rhode Island, there was no sign of him. I guess he got enough of what he wanted and moved on.
As I crossed I came a more pleasing sight. A fit and shirtless jogger pushing a baby buggy, with baby. Active fatherhood is so hot. Whomever they are jogging home to is one lucky soul.

Illegal renovation

Problem is somedays I just read the Style and Metro section of the Post and sometimes never get to the other parts, lucky for me DCist pointed out the article in the A section of the paper about illegal construction. A good timely reminder for me to call DCRA about a house not far from me where the contractor has been doing some work.
So besides calling the city I’m just gonna bad mouth the property here too. So if you ever buy it take a very good inspector with you, and a level.
First odd thing about the house was they tore the whole rear off. Removed all the bricks and replaced them with concrete cinder block. That was odd. It would have made sense if they built out, but no. Same dimensions. Then covered the block up with stucco. The only difference were the size of the windows and doors in the back.
After that it was on again off again construction with poor clean up work. Trash and extra concrete would make its way down the alley.
Lately the thing is working after 7pm. Legally contractors are allowed to work from 7am to 7pm. This guy would work past that time, or on other days after that time, leaving me to guess that this is secondary work. One evening, as the light has remained up until late 8ish, I noticed this guy working alone with a couple beers. Another night, well near midnight, he was doing some sawing and hammering that could be heard well in the alley. I guess it was for the deck. There isn’t much light in the alley at midnight, so it seems like a bad idea to work on an elevated (one floor) deck.
So would be buyers of 1617 New Jersey Ave NW you’ve been warned. It might be best if you are making a 400K to 1/2 million dollar investment to check the permits and maybe chat with the neighbors to see if the construction was on the up & up.

10,000 people who like Shaw

Just looking at the web reports and In Shaw has had 10,041 visitors. Okay people I’m only allowed so much traffic per month…. so shoo. Really, I’m not that interesting. If I were where’s my book deal? My trophy boyfriend/husband? Well, at least I have great neighbors (with the exception of the crack head a few doors down).

Oh and other news, which I’m sure will totally jinx it…. I haven’t seen my friendly neighborhood drug dealer for days. Has he and his crew moved on? Are they in jail? Or have they taken off for vacation? Was it the uptick in police presence? It’s like wierd. But I’m not complaining.