Wine tasting in Bloomingdale

I should have posted this earlier on the announcements part of the blog. Anyway this Friday night there will be a wine tasting from 6-8 at the corner of 1st and RI NW. Gotta go there anyway, I’m running low on tequila.

Tonight: First-Ever Fall Wine Tasting at Bloomingdale Liquors from 6 pm to 8 pm

Wine tastings are popular because they override the limitations of sampling wine alone, at home. How many wines can you taste on your own (unless you don’t mind throwing away nine-tenths of every bottle)? How many wines are you willing to buy on your own? And how much can you learn by tasting wine in isolation or with a friend whose expertise is no greater than yours?

At wine tastings, you can learn from your fellow tasters, as well as make new friends who share your interest in wine. Most importantly, you can taste wine in the company of some individuals who are more experienced than you, which is a real boon in training your palate.

NCMS invites you to come out to taste great wines and beers, mingle with neighbors and friends and get to know your neighborhood purveyor of Fine Wines and Spirits, Mr. Singh of Bloomingdale Liquors.

North Capitol Main Streets
First-Ever Fall Wine Tasting
Bloomingdale Liquors
1st and Rhode Island Avenue NW
Friday, October 19, 2007
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Fall garden report

Squirrels are evil.
I had some little green tomatoes but the furry little bastards keep grabbing them and eating them. I didn’t buy any blood meal to thwart them, so really it’s my fault. Next year, tomatoes in the front. They don’t seem to mess with the front yard produce.
The front yard has a good amount of Swiss Chard, arugula, and purselane going on as well as the herbs. These things dealt with last winter’s cold quite well. However I’ll probably try to get rid (ie eat) the front yard chard before it gets really cold.There are some beet seedlings that I’m not sure will be okay when it starts getting cold. And there is one little bean plant that looks like it may give me a little something.
I discovered the joy of beet greens kinda late in the year. They don’t give the same furry teeth feeling as the chard. I have more beets in the back yard, but I think I’ll make more of an effort next year and maybe try turnips.
And minus the weeds, the front yard is edible and doesn’t require a lot of work (once established). I do enjoy grabbing some herb or greens for dinner, but the same could be said of the container garden in the rear. The good thing about the plants being in ground is that I don’t have to water that much, as I tend to forget to water….

Historic districts- more stuff from the Eckington Listserv

The exchange on the yahoo listserv has been quite informative.
First off, let me say that I respect those who support HDs difference of opinion, as I strongly disagree with it. Y’all have your own reasons for support, I have my own for not supporting certain HDs. Second, I believe in the marketplace of ideas, where the different sides present their arguments and evidence and let people judge for themselves. And lastly, let us acknowledge the subjectiveness of several terms that get bandied about in these things like expensive and burdensome. What is fine and not a problem for one person could be hard and disastrous for another.
Scott Roberts provided info about the fight against Brookland HD designation:
“Battle of the Vinyl Windows” by Jeff Horwitz, Washington City Paper, 8/5/05
Brookland: Historical or Hysterical? Possible Designation Riles Brooklanders” by Elizabeth McGowan DC North August 2005
Historic District Off the List“, DC North September 2005
Mentioned in the articles listed above was Carolyn Steptoe on the side against, who also has added to the Eckington list discussion. She mentioned that HD designation occurs in 3 phases and the process was in phase 3 when she learned of it. It appears the sampling of Brookland residents she queried knew nothing of any of the phases. Her statements also make me wonder about community input and awareness, which can go to the problem of communication, which can be difficult when dealing with different populations regardless of the issue.
A comment via the Bloomingdale listserv (which I’m not on) wandered on reading:

“The Historic Preservation Board may have advise on renovations, windows and doors, etc; however, what they suggest is not always what they will approve. They still have final approval of any and all exterior renovations to a historic dwelling. AND, if you have a door that lets out heat during the winter and A/C in the summer, you cannot just go to Home Depot and buy a door to replace the bad one. You must submit an application, get on the calendar (which usually takes one month or more) and sometimes submit drawings, pictures, and other documents, to help the Board with their decision. Even after all that, they still may not approve your door. So the simple task of changing a defective door, is not so easy anymore. Plus during the review process, your neighbors can attend the review meeting and “have their say” as to whether they like, or don’t like what your are doing to your house. If they express a negative opinion, the board can side with your neighbors and you must start again. Thus, the process for you to actually change your door becomes subject to the red-tape of the system. So it could take several months and even years to get your defective door replaced. The same process goes for any change you wish to make I.E. painting the exterior, replacing gutters, anything associated with the exterior. Having this designation is a double-edge sword. It will be good for keeping the architectural fabric of the neighborhood consistent, and will stop the unsightly 3rd floor additions, but will make simple tasks of keeping your home nice looking and efficient harder for everyone.”

And this last thought (as this post is getting long) there is an extra consideration one must take in. There are things you can do without a permit from DCRA such as installing window screens and storm windows; repairing exisiting fencing with like materials; painting (whether they mean interior or exterior it is not clear); brick pointing; replacing non-rated windows & doors; replacing roofing, siding and gutter and so on IF you don’t live in a historic district (see DCRA Permit Factsheet PDF).