randuwa

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Avenue Q--Two

What a great "theater date" with my buddy, Perri. Back to Olney Theater to see their production of "Avenue Q" which curiously enough she and I went to back in (2009?) to see the National Broadway Touring Company's production down at the Warner Theater in DC. And you know what? Olney's production was honestly better. Better sets, better choreography, and every role in stellar hands, I can't think of a character that I didn't like more in this production and especially the roles of Gary Coleman and Christmas Eve. I've been to productions by Arena Stage, Washington Shakespeare Theater, and Studios Players--all nationally recognized as outstanding regional theater companies--and again, I gotta say--Olney is, at least for musicals, every single bit as good or better. (WST doesn't do musicals)

Afterwards we went to Ricciuti's Restaurant. I got the Calamari appetizer--best breaded squid I've ever eaten, and the Chicken Saltimbocca (with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, fettuccine, and sun-dried tomatoes in pan sauces.) A wonderful Afternoon!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Today's Sermon

Gravity

When night calls for sounds
to cease, the barred owl
yet cries "Who cooks for you?"
and somewhere a woman
slippers through the dark
to a kitchen where water drips
a slow beat on the worn basin.
She nooses the tap with string,
a strand that drops to the drain,
and waits for each bead
to catch the thread and
descend into a well of silence
not even night can bring.

~ Karl Plank, 1951 -

Earth Stamps Celebrate Human Rights

A commemorative sheet to celebrate Human Rights as delineated in eight ways: Children's Rights, Workers' Rights, Women's Rights, Civil Rights, Religious Rights, Sexuality Rights, Speech Rights, and Voting Rights.

Just the stamps. I make pretty damn good stamps, eh?

Saturday, June 21, 2014

World Cup Redux #1

As I've said before, I love the World Cup. I love Fútbol as a sport---there isn't another one that compares. So what do I know as the second round of qualifying matches draws to a close?

1) The US team did good against Ghana--no matter what else they take away from this, they broke the back of the Ghana curse.

2) Spain? The King is dead---long live the new king--yet TBD.

Bryan Ruiz of Costa Rica

Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico

3) Some little teams that weren't expected to do much have played with such heart and gusto: Go Mexico, Go Costa Rica! There has never been a minor nation winner in the history of the World Cup.

4) Some teams just aren't up to the competition in a way that is nearly embarrassing: I'm looking at you Greece, Australia, Japan....

5) Brazil, in the end, in spite of the critics, pulled this even off.

Pride Birthdays and Memorials for the Week ~ June 22nd to June 28th

Campaigns Don't Care About Trees...

Or so I conclude after just keeping 6 days worth of Campaign "Vote-for-me" literature (June 16 to 21). And this shit has been filling my mailbox since April. Non-stop since May 12th.

The thing is that two out of my four stellar representatives are moving on. One has decided to seek an at large seat on the county council--state legislature to county council, an odd choice. The other is running for governor. SO it's a feeding frenzy.

* * *

There are 13 people running for these two seats. I've actually gone to their websites and watched their videos, read their platforms--there's not a dime's worth of difference between them.

I actually met Will Jawando at the White Oak Giant today and stopped to chat. I asked him to tell me what he was most passionate about. He started to ask me about myself, and I cut him off.

"It's not about me, it's about what you want to accomplish," I said.

He started with universal pre-K and increasing the daycare voucher system to allow disadvantaged children a better leg up on school readiness and then talked about reforming our juvenile justice system into one of rehabilitation and not just incarceration.

"There you go," I thought, "that wasn't too hard"--I like both of those things. So I pushed and asked him to tell me how he planned to pay for them. And he did. And it didn't raise taxes on the middle class or working poor.

Final thought, I liked him. When I said that I didn't want to take up anymore of his time, he pressed me to answer a few of his questions, what do I do, where do I live; fair enough I thought.

Then he said, "I hope we'll get a chance to talk again sometime."

Taco Seasoned Shepherd's Pie

Dinner was Taco seasoned Shepherd's Pie, tossed salad with little tomatoes, and freshly juiced fruit punch. (I have bought finger fruit for Thursday's meeting and there was a lot left over, white, red and black grapes and strawberries, plus I had a couple of apples and a couple peaches.)

Make your shepherds pie the usually way you do, but season the meat with Taco Seasoning, and I add diced onions and beans to the mix, too. My middle layer was green beans with diced yellow and red bell peppers, and the mashed potatoes where topped with a shredded Taco cheese. I bake it at 320˚ for 50 minutes.

Fern Bank--A.K.A. My Front Yard

8 Views From Today's Walk In Sligo Creek Park

Mimosa's are blooming!

Roméo hears the tree frogs singing in the bamboo.

Salmon Berries under construction--day-glo red goodness to come.

Drizzle illuminated sunlight through Catalpa leaves.

Reunion DC-Style

Lovely afternoon spent with a dear friend, and it's been too long in coming. I realize the last time I saw Jan was at her wedding to David (1997?). And today their beautiful daughters An Mei and Mei Li, became real to me in a way the photographs over the years just never conveyed.

We met at the Phillips Collection art museum where we toured their current exhibition "Made in the USA" as well as what was up of the their permanent collection. Afterwards we walked to my favorite Thai restaurant, Taiphoon on the north end of the Dupont Circle neighborhood for dinner. (I had the Honey Ginger Duck--I always have the Honey Ginger Duck.)

And here's the thing--the barometer of true friendships. It was like no time had passed between us. We just picked up where life had last left us apart.

They are staying in a rental apartment in DC for the week. And we'd all arrived via the Metro, ergo after dinner we walked to and entered the metro together to return to our residences. We were chatting and not paying intense attention to the arrival of the train. As is the custom, riders exiting a train take priority and then as soon as they have vacated, those waiting on the platform enter. Well, An Mei and Mei Li were intent on entering, and I let go of the conversation between their parents and me and followed close by (call it the inner eye of the teacher) without any conscious effort. But no sooner had the three of us entered than the train's doors shut with an uncharacteristic finality. I turned to see my friend Jan's foot in the closed door, and it didn't open back up! (The damn thing ALWAYS opens back up when it encounters an obstacle. I've seen a frantically inserted pinky finger open the doors and keep the train in place.) As she pulled her foot free, I tried to say through the closed door's window, "We'll see you at the Chinatown station." And then woosh!--the train was movin' on down the line.

In the end, that is what happened. The girls and I arrived 12 minutes ahead of Jan and David. Yet, such is the stuff of a good story. An unexpected plot twist, a moment of danger, a hastily sent communique before the lines fall dead, strangers making light banter, anxiety at the moment of rendezvous, a momentary let down, a miraculous reunion. Alls well that ends well.

Here are three of the works from the exhibition that I especially liked. If you're in DC in the near future, do take in the show.

December Moonrise, by Charles Burchfield (1893-1967)

Lunch Counter, by Isabel Bishop (1902-1988)

Still Life with Doily, by Alfred Maurer (1868-1932)

Friday, June 20, 2014

Playin' Possum

Oh NO! Roméo! What have you done?!

It was the culmination of days if not weeks of knowing something, but not catching the lucky break he needed to prove in the light of day what his nose had been telling him so clearly. When I got home, he was anxious to get outside. After about 15 minutes I casually followed to water my hanging baskets. As soon as I opened the door, I could tell something was up. I followed him with my eyes as he tried to stealth away from me and it was obvious he had something in his mouth.

I called out his name and he dropped it. Oh my... a little 'possum. Damn. I did a visual and saw no external wounds, just the matted hair wet with Roméo's saliva. Watching closely, I could see it was breathing.

So carefully I lifted it by it's a tail. Opossums sometimes choose to hang from their tails so this was not inconvenient or painful for the little guy, and it gave me the opportunity to give it a complete visual once over. It gave the 'possum the best chance in its young little life to "play 'possum"!

I laid it down on a smooth rock under the lilac bush and made sure Roméo was inside watching Chile v Spain. At halftime I went out and the little feller was vamoosed. Ah, parenthood!