Almost Spring

I can not wait for spring. All of this warm-teaser weather is getting to me.

Southerners struggle more than most after moving northward.

In the fall, the days quickly shorten, and the period after Christmas is especially dark and depressing. It's not quite that dark in the South. Then there's the snow and ice. Granted, the past few winters in DC have been mild, compared to others, but still. This is the time of year when the oddly warm days become more and more common.

I can almost smell spring in the air. The dampness that I felt when I walked out of the house this morning reminded me of spring showers, daffodils, forsythia and these funny little flowers that bloom a lot on Capitol Hill.

Oh, spring. Where are you? I have missed your warm touch.

Haiku

SmartCars and Snowflakes;

Capitol Hill on Wednesday;

President's Day week.

Inauguration Eve, 2009

I'm standing at East Capitol and 2nd Street right now. It's a clear, cold night. Not bitter cold, like last week, but a bearable chill, with proper bundling. The sightline to the Capitol from this spot is now unimpeded, thanks to the recent completion of the Capitol Visitors' Center.

It's a gorgeous winter night. The Capitol shines, and its elegant, white dome is set against a backdrop of deep, midnight navy. Not a military navy, but deeper, and nuanced in brightness.

This whole area, a 4-block radius from the Capitol, has been made pedestrian-only. It's a good thing, since literally millions of the world's citizens will be here tomorrow to witness, in person, the inauguration of Barack Obama.

I continue to walk home, in formal gown and sneakers. I hope that I will always remember this moment, so full of hope, as apparent as the night's chill upon my face.

Silver Linings

Christmas has become a time of mixed feelings for me, and this particular year has seen some challenges. I'm thinking, though, that with challenges come opportunities to grow.

And, there are silver linings that become apparent only during challenging times. Two are on my mind, in this moment:

1. Friends and family.
There are people in this world who think of me and care greatly for me, and vice versa.  Life's challenges allow for the deepening and strengthening of friendships and the heightened awareness of their value.

2. Spirituality.
There is something to the link between tough times and opportunities to grow spiritually. This season has brought great opportunity for contemplation and reflection. It's a time to consider lessons learned, compare-and-contrast experiences, look for patterns, and deepen the understanding of self and others.

For these things I am grateful.

What I Miss about Ireland

1. The Guinness IS better.
2. Irish cider, such as Bulmer’s.
3. The sound of the surf at Cliffs of Moher.
4. The traditional music and friendly people in Doolin.
5. Savory stew at the pub.
6. The Book of Kells’ feast for the eyes.
7. The smell of burning peat.
8. Osgar’s sweet child-voice.
9. Ring forts in mist.
10. Castles at every turn.
11. Galway’s nightlife.
12. The views from the Rock of Cashel.
13. Fresh salmon. Really fresh.
14. Soft lambswool scarves and sweaters.
15. Romantic seaspray and dramatic coastline.
16. Dublin’s Grafton Street.
17. Bailey’s and steamed milk on a chilly night.
18. The Irish accent.
19. Sheep in the road.
20. The deep sense of history.

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Real Charity Isn't Always What's Easy

I'm walking to the grocery store; it's August and hot in the city. I have four, chilled Reese's Peanut Butter Cup miniatures in my bag.

Well, I DID have Reese cups in my bag. I had just savored the third one, as I approached a homeless man on the sidewalk near Seward Square.

I recognized him. He's usually near 5th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. He's always dressed for winter, even in 90 degree weather. He's black, in his 50s, always friendly. The last time I passed him, he greeted me boldly, and I gave him a Reese cup. I felt good about it.

Today was no different. I saw him getting closer and closer as we walked toward each other. I thought, "How nice. Here's my last Reese cup. I'll give it to him." Plunging my hand in my bag, I reached for the candy.

He stared into my eyes as I reached to hand off the candy as before. Would he remember me? No matter.

He said, "Hello, Ma'am. Would you please spare 90 cents for me to buy some water?"

In an instant, I said, "I don't have it." I let the Reese cup fall into his arthritic palm. He smiled and thanked me earnestly for the treat.

As I walked away, I felt awful. Conscience had pierced me. What if he collapsed in the next 20 mins, for lack of water, having eaten that Reese cup? I hadn't helped him at all. I did what was easy and convenient for me, and told myself that I was being helpful. He asked me for help, and I refused. What occurred to is not about me, my feelings, my convenience. It's about someone else. Charity means truly helping - not just giving blindly and hoping it helps.

How many others, like me, tell themselves that they are helping people, when the real impact of their efforts is very minimal? Or they give something that's not needed. But they give anyway because it's easy and feels good.

I'm here at the grocery store now. I'm going to buy an extra bottle of water.

**90-minute-later update: I did buy that bottle of water. I walked back along my original route and saw him. Sitting on a park bench, he looked at me and smiled. I pulled the bottle of water out of my bag. Condensation dripped from it; it was so cold, relative to the heat and humidity of that Monday afternoon. He reached for it, his gnarled hands eager.

"I was thinking of you," I said, with a smile. "Thank you, thank you!" he said.

I walked off. "Miss Lady!" he said.

I turned around.

He blew me a kiss.

I blew him one back, turned, and kept walking.

July 4th - Deserted Mall Hecklers Incident

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I'm not sharing this information to scare anyone, but I do think that it's important for people to be aware of their surroundings at night - including on the National Mall.

Last night, July 4th, at around 11:40pm, I was walking along Madison Street at 5th, minding my own business, heading home alone. Three Indian men, around 30 years old, were standing near the corner of 4th and Madison, NW. They were talking and laughing loudly, just standing at the corner there. I thought that was odd, given that there were thousands of people on the Mall for the fireworks show; those people had left hours ago. There were very few people left on the Mall: an old man digging through the trash can; a loving couple; and the Three Indians. And me.

As I approached them from a half block away, I could hear their boisterous laughter. Remembering my recent incident with the Grabbing Man, I was taking no chances tonight. Pepper spray in hand, I crossed over to the other side of the street. Now I was about 30 yards away from the Three.

Suddenly, one of the guys broke away from the other two and strode in my direction. I continued crossing to the other side of the street. He continued to beeline for me. I stopped, dead in my tracks, assuming a feet-apart-I-mean-business stance. From 10 yards away, he stopped and looked at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, with a hint of warning in my voice.

"I just was wanting to talk to you," he slurred, taking two steps toward me.

My hand tightened on the canister of pepper spray. "Do not approach me!" I said assertively.

"I just want to talk."

"I DON'T want to talk." I started to walk past as he backed up a few steps, finally turning to walk back to the Other Two.

I kept walking toward the Capitol as they reunited. I could hear him telling them that I'd gotten tough with him. I heard them heckle me, saying they weren't terrorists. They weren't American citizens. Our country sucks. I suck.

I ignored them, looked at the Capitol, and tightened my hold on the spray. They walked one direction, and I walked up Jenkins Hill. Their boisterous voices faded into the cool, damp night air.

I made it home safely.

Barack Obama Promo Video

How am I just seeing this today? I really like it.

Enough

I'm talking about money. What is enough?

How much must one person have, to have enough? Why is it that consuming tends to make us happy? Shopping, eating, drinking - spending - I guess that's living. But this concept of what's really "enough" to satisfy a person - I think it about a lot and never come to any conclusion.

Is what I have enough? If I take a job that doubles my salary, will then that be enough? Or will I spend more, and up to the new, higher boundaries of my means? And then feel like that's not enough? I wish that I knew the answer.

I was listening to a radio show discuss the concepts of materialism, money and happiness. Sure, spending money, energy and/or time on others does make one happy. But when a person has stress about balancing rent, food, transportation and other expenses, maybe that's the edge of not having enough money to create the comfort zone discussed by National Public Radio.

On the other hand, I'll bet that even Deion and Pilar have their limits. Rich and famous people also have the feeling of not having "enough."

How does one know the difference between not really having enough money, and that one is spending beyond one's means? Both kings and beggars have been guilty of the latter.

Harris Teeter - 1391 Pennsylvania Ave, SE.

Harris Teeter opened on Capitol Hill in May, and I visited this evening. I have mixed feelings about it.


**The GOOD.
+The layout of the store is neat, with areas of aisles, instead of simple, long aisles.
+The archictecture is cool as well, and there are nice tables just outside where folks can sit and relax.
+Organic. There is a prominent focus on organic, smaller-batch when possible, sustainably grown products, and conservation. For example, in the produce section, when I reached for a plastic bag to put my sticky mangoes in, there was a big sign that urges one to re-use and recycle. I remembered that I had brought a couple plastic bags with me, so I used them.
+Ice cream selection. They have MAYFIELD ICE CREAM. This is a staple for Southerners. I saw at least 4 flavors. They also have lots of Skinny Cow and Weight Watchers options.
+Deli meats. There is a large selection of them. I requested one that had no preservatives, and the employee suggested a no-salt turkey, and it tasted as if I'd cooked it myself!
+Salsa. I saw probably 20 different kinds of salsa. Can't wait to try them all.
+Baguettes. They have a clever almost-cooked baguette. You keep it in your fridge, and when company's coming, pop it in the oven for 8 minutes. Voila! Fresh-baked baguette. Brilliant.


**The MEH.
~Cheese. Sorry, but Whole Foods kicks their butt all over town. 90% of their cheese is large-batch and lower quality.
~Seafood. I saw some sad tuna medallions that were cheaper, per pound, than catfish. How do you explain that? The fish did not look that fresh. Although I did not smell a fishy smell, which is a good sign.
~Personal care products. Selection was mighty limited for all that square footage.
~Coffee. They have Starbucks, but you'll pay $9 for it. Same price at Roland's, which is so much more convenient, at 4th and Penn, SE. They have a decent selection, but goodness it's all expensive.


**The BAD.
-Produce section. C'mon! With as large a square footage as the Teet has, there's no excuse for the tiny produce area. The Safeway, located 4 blocks away, is much better. Better yet, wait for the weekends and support local farmers at Eastern Market! Really!
-Cherries were $6 for about 1.5 cups. Ridiculous.
-One avocado: $2.69. Ludacris.
-No Dogfish Head beer. If tiny Capital Hill Liquors can carry two kinds, then the Teet can have at least one. Especially since they dedicated an acre to Woodchuck Cider. Sheesh.
-The 'hood. Regentrification takes time, and the ghetto surrounding the Gentri-oasis is rough. I was a little nervous for a few blocks, as I walked home after dark. I even veered off the sidewalk & onto the street, between 8th and 9th, to avoid a suspicious potential-perpetrator.
-Friendly-but-unhelpful staff. I witnessed the fish guy tell a customer that the hummus, located right over in the next section, was on the other side of the store. I corrected the bad directions before the poor woman set out on a quarter-mile walk to the other corner of the store.


These are my humble impressions. I'll go back there, especially if I'm craving Mayfield. I think that Safeway's better, though. My final word: ALL groceries are ridiculously expensive in DC. That's the one area where Alexandria trumps us. There, avocados are $1 apiece.