Thursday, February 18, 2010

A few things revisited

a grocery store in ne
On the Eckington listserv there is all this back and forth about the old Safeway and hoped for replacement. Please take the Harris Teeter off the list. According to an old press release HT is scheduled to open Winter 2010/2011. According to a recent DCMUD post (hat tip eckington blog), that date could be November 2010.
Honestly Eckington/Edgewood area, I don't see what that area has to attract the kind of store y'all think you deserve. The two favorites according to Debbie Smith's poll were Trader Joe's (which tends to like small spaces with hidden parking) and Wegmans. What no Balducci's? I left the Logan Circle are a few months after the Whole Foods opened, and from what I remember the civic authorities of that area showed how the population of Logan/Shaw (and Dupont) could support a Whole Foods. The Soviet Safeway, the O Street Giant, and the no-name grocery in the area were no competition for the kind of shopper that would support WF. If y'all can prove that a national or regional grocery chain can thrive there despite a Giant nearby that happens to be very convenient to a metro station with many buses, go for it.

and regarding sidewalks and the problems for those in wheelchairs (from Scott Roberts list)
See this 2/17/2010 message from ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

Bloomingdale does it again: another resident is helped!

Once again, Bloomingdale residents have shown their concern for their neighbors and done it with more than just words. This past weekend I heard from Angela xxxxxxx who uses a motorized wheelchair to get to and from college in Rockville, MD. She makes that daily trip using Metro. That trip is long and difficult on the best of days (Angela has some hairy stories of having to drive her wheelchair down Michigan Avenue from the Brookland Metro Station when the buses have not run), her trip became impossible after the snow storm because she could travel barely 20 feet from her property before the sidewalk became impassable for her wheelchair.

After meeting with Angela and hearing her situation and what she needs to go back to school, I called on a number of residents for a major operation: get Angela from her home in the xxxx block of Flagler Place to the bus stop at North Capitol and W Street, about a third of mile. And once again Bloomingdale responded. Many, many thanks to Sara Kaufman and Mike McNeil of the Unit block of W Street, and Dodd Naiser, Alastair Pakiam, and Brandon Skall of Flagler Place for joining me to widen the path on the sidewalk and for chopping out a lot of ice so that Angela could make her way safely to the bus stop and back. We went with her on a test drive back and forth. She couldn't believe that people would do so much to help her.

Thanks everyone!

Please clear the sidewalks.

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

From- Subject: [MPD-5D] Neighbors Who Are Unable to Get Around

Because me knocking on some strangers door while I'm angry is not a good idea. My neighbors and I have shoveled our street, but the routes to the Giant, the Metro and most bus stops are ice covered danger zones for the elderly who walk with canes and have basically shut in the wheelchair bound.

Haven't you noticed fewer or almost no motorized wheelchairs around lately? So my sympathy is for the people who have been trapped in their homes because others are too lazy or too cheap (there are 10 yr olds w/ shovels looking to make money) to shovel their sidewalks.

Look around at who is getting around and notice who is missing.
This morning mothers are having to lead their small children through small icy trails of yellow lined paths to get to school.
The wrongness of it angers me because pedestrians deserve better and they deserve justice.

The preceeding was in response to this regarding ticketing for lack of snow removal on the MPD 5th District listserv:
Yes, businesses should be ticketed, but have you knocked on the door of your neighbors and asked why they have not shoveled?
>
> Maybe there is a sick and shut in person or someone not physically able to move the amount of snow that is out there. I have lived in my neighborhood for eight years and my husband and son are very vigilant about keeping our space shoveled. However, during this last storm, our shovel broke and although our area was shoveled for the first storm, he could not shovel with his hands and he could not even get out of the parking space to look for one. My neighbor came to the rescue and let us borrow one until we were able to purchase a new one.
>
> I am tired of the snow more than the next person, but be neighborly and see what the circumstance is before begging to give someone a ticket. This is an unusual storm and unless you are young and very able, the ice is very difficult to move even for the strongest man right now.
>
> Calm down people and have a little patience.

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Parking Gets Ugly

Well I just called 911 to tell them not to bother as the fight broke up.
I was just about to shut down for the night when I heard yelling. Yelling beyond the usual drunken guy walking down the street or crazed teen yelling. Looked out the window and saw loudmouth buppie lawyer in his usual loudmouth form yelling at someone. It took me a while to figure out what the heck he was screaming about. A parking space. Another neighbor, let's call her 'skinny Jewish gal' or "SJG' (she has a name but so does Loudmouth Buppie Lawyer) in the car behind his SUV, being yelled at. This goes on a bit too long when another neighbor comes out and tells him to cool it. Then Loudmouth Buppie Lawyer dude turned his verbal abuse to the neighbor dude who I can't think of a good name for, and then they are in the middle of the street yelling at each other. Sometime in this I call the cops. Neighbor dude's wife come out and says something, then more neighbors appear in their doorways. Next thing I see neighbor dude and loudmouth buppie lawyer are yelling and are chest to chest.
All over a friggin parking space.

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Clear Path

Okay I guess the credit would go to DC Rec and KIPP and a 'few' homeowners along the way. But if you are going east to west along P Street the path along the Kennedy Playground on P is nice and big and clear. It continues along the church on P and 6th, and then it get's icy. You have to cross over to the KIPP school where it is also big and clear and at NJ it is a icy walk. NJ is when I turn and it's okay enough, not clear of ice but walkable.

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Shovel

With the temps hovering around a wee above and below freezing.... mainly below, the ugly nasty multicolored snow is going to be with us for a while. Some blocks are awesome and well shoveled. Fourth St, parts of Q, parts of 8th, the sidewalks are passable, it's just bad when you go from well shoveled to a few deep footsteps leading to the slushy road. Hey DC gov, I'll not walk in the street if you actually cite people for not shoveling. When there is some sort of pathway, I'll stick to the sidewalk, so the advisement's to not walk in the street is pointless when your law (is it a law or just an impotent regulation?) has no teeth.
You make people change sides of the street during street cleaning or move their cars for rush hour. And regardless of health, vacation or what have you, people find a way to comply. Why? Because when you enforce it with ticketing, it gets done. Back when DC didn't bother ticketing anything on my street, cars would sit for weeks without moving. There were signs saying move, but they were ignored. Then the city started seriously ticketing, and now neighbors will move your car (if you ask nicely & give gifts) if you can't because of vacation or weird job schedules or the fact that you're in a 1/2 body cast. So until the city actually backs up the admonitions of not walking in the street and pleas to owners to shovel their sidewalks with real money fines and liens, there is only shaming. Here are a few blog posts of shame in Mt Vernon, Georgetown, and on Georgia Avenue.
I'm pretty shoveled out but I see a few bus stops I may want to use in the coming days (as this crap will still be around) that need shoveling, as I have no intention of walking the .25 mile to the station in yellow snow lined icy paths.

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

So far, so good

After chatting with neighbors on the phone and passing by with the old snow shovel (but we're running out of places to shovel it) I found out I'm okay comparatively.
1- I haven't torn anything in my leg and thusly I'm not crippled like one poor soul.
2- My roof, so far is holding. The folks down the block suffered a partial roof collapse.
3- And the furnace still works. Last I spoke with another set of neighbor's whose heat went out. Hopefully they can get it back up and running again.
4- Luckily no one expects me to be at work as the Federal gov'mit is closed. Unfortunately, a good friend of mine who is a contractor, (lowly paid, not the big money type), can't work when we're closed and will have to find a way to eat the week of non-work he's not getting paid for.

I cleaned off the roof of my first floor kitchen and knocked off some of the ice icicles from the safety of a window. There is a big hunk of ice weighing down one section of the gutter that I couldn't reach safely. Sigh. I'll try to deal with that tomorrow. I've been checking some of the old cracks in the kitchen ceiling and so far no change. My next door neighbor is very worried about his roof and shoveled it. I'm just trusting that the equally spread out weight and some fixes after the gut job renovation helped.
Here's to praying for sun and above freezing temps.

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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Food & Friends call for help


On Thursday, February 11th, Food & Friends needs 20 volunteers to deliver meals, especially those with 4-wheel-drive vehicles. Those without cars would be very much appreciated in the kitchen, and it would be great if they could come between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Volunteers may sign up to chendersonATfoodandfriends.org. This information is also available on our website at www.foodandfriends.org/winterstorm2010. Without Food & Friends, our clients likely will not eat, so the help of the community is vital. Meals may be picked up from Food & Friends (219 Riggs Road, NE/Washington, DC) between 10 a.m. and 12 am., we will provide detailed delivery directions, and routes should take no more than 3 hours. For more information, prospective volunteers may call 202.841.5347.

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Monday, February 01, 2010

Snow theory


Snow theory 1
Originally uploaded by In Shaw
I had a theory walking to the metro regarding snow shoveling and brick v concrete sidewalks. But several sidewalks, such as this one on 7th, disproved it. it was that the concrete sidewalks melted snow quickly and thus required little to no effort to keep clear, while brick sidewalks held the cold and did not melt snow. But then I started hitting sidewalks covered in ice and snow closer to the metro station.
Mine and my neighbors' sidewalks are nice and clear. A couple of neighbors had gotten out and shoveled several doors worth of sidewalk while the snow was coming down. One, decided to make a game of it with her daughter and a large push broom. That was fun to watch, from the warm inside. Also I should thank E. for shoveling by my house, while jamming to something on his earphones. It's great that he was doing his part as a good neighbor.

If you bothered, or if someone else bothered, to wipe most of the snow off the walk, it cleared up. If no one bothered, the snow stayed. That's my new theory.

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The sidewalk report

Sunday afternoon the people on the other side of the block decided to shovel their sidewalks. To be fair it was still snowing the day before, but that didn't stop us on my side. We shoveled while it was still coming down, so when it stopped there wasn't much to do, and the salt dried up the walk quickly. On my side of the street most of the sidewalk shoveling was done by 4 individual homeowners. With about 2 owners shoveling more than just the sidewalk in front of their own homes.
Africare the non-profit in the old Morse School on the 400 block of R is a good neighbor. The brick sidewalk had a nice wide and clear path along their vacant lot and building grounds. Unfortunately the end of the block is a block of ice in front of the individual houses that hug 5th and R. The northern corner of the 500 block of R is good until you get near the corner of 6th. That little park between Rhode Island, 6th, and R is nothing but an island of dirty snow mountains and ice. Which sent me out into the street. Along the Asbury Dwellings there is a thin clear path, where as across Rhode Island it appears to be one big glacial sidewalk, as it is after every snowfall. WMATA seemed to put down a minimal amount of snow melt around the station, but I did notice that many bus stops where shoveled enough so a couple people could stand on solid ground.
It's too spotty for people in wheelchairs or motorized chairs to get around. Too many curb cuts have mountains of dirty snow or sheets of ice to escape the block. Brown slush, should a wheeled person decide to take it to the streets, is another hazard. I can imagine the slush, pockets of black ice and the regular motorized traffic (with limited swerving options) *might* keep the wheelchair bound off the streets.

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Friday, November 20, 2009

The roof is leaking and the wind is howling

Well I got me a roof leak last night. Not my first, I still need to paint over the patch in the kitchen. Luckily I had my cousin in that bedroom and she noticed the first few drops seeping through a seam in the drywall. It appears the AC thingamajigger on the roof needs caulking or something, because that's where the water came from. But last night's rain was like a bucket and my sump pump in the cellar kept going off every 4 minutes.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

PSA- Shovel & de-ice your sidewalk

snowscene2It's an ice rink out there. Anyway, the city, is not responsible for clearing, cleaning, or salting the sidewalks. Property owners are. The sidewalk and your front step belongs to the city when it suits it, however, when conditions demand upkeep, it's your problem.
It is very slippery out there. So regardless of if you are an owner or a renter, make your steps and sidewalk less dangerous by clearing a small path. I can be done gently with a shovel and any kind of salt (table salt, kosher salt, ice melty stuff) If not for yourself, for the mailman or maillady.

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Sunday, June 08, 2008

Diversity of Buildings

Yesterday I did stop by Jessica Lanza's fund raiser. I was superfashionably late because I had to sell a man an air conditioner. Thank you craigslist.
First thing I did when I got into the building was write a check. Yes, I live in Ward 5, and not in the Ward or ANC single member district that Ms. Lanza is in. However, I walk through it and work in it, and what happens in 2C impacts my life in 5C. And really there is so much development and lunch option goodness happening in 2C-03 that it should be represented by someone with more strength than a sock-puppet. Seriously, can Ms. Doris Brooks conduct a meeting or two without her puppet master pulling her strings and throwing his voice?
Anyway, after writing a check for political change, I went out on the patio of the condo building on the corner of 7th and H and gazed at the sights. What I really liked was the diversity of building styles jumbled up together representing different periods. There was the synagogue dome on 6th & I, with the brutalist Wah-Luck House, and 555 Mass in the background. There was little homogeneity, and that's what made it so lovely. Looking over at 555 Mass I thought about all the people living there who came to stake their claim on downtown. With the older 19th and turn of the 20th century facades I thought of an earlier DC. And then the larger buildings set back that house the residents, hold the employees, and draw in the shoppers and diners who give life to the streets below.
And then I saw the lightening in the distance, and high tailed it out of there.

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Saturday, June 07, 2008

So Hawt

What is it, like 96 degrees outside?
It's 79 in the house. Oh, the SpacePak A/C system works fine, it is just that I've gotten my Pepco bill. I know energy costs have gone up, and I can kiss the days of $30 electric bills goodbye, but really, $100! I can cut costs somewhere.
Seriously, it is so hot out my worms are running from my composter like it was a house on fire. It is truly a distressing sight to see globs of earthworms streaming out of the vent holes. All the moisture from this morning has left the composter and the worms were trying to leave as well, in droves.
It is so hot, I put an old window a/c unit out on the sidewalk late last night and now it is gone.
How many more months of this?

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

I called animal control

Wasn't the first time.
Around about 5 something in the morning, around about the time I wake up before the radio alarm comes on, I heard the low sorrowful howl of the dog across the alley. The howling didn't wake me up. He'd been howling long since before I went to bed. So I opened up the window and spoke to him, which quieted him for about 2 minutes, and went back to bed. When I opened the window I realized it was raining.
It isn't unusual for the people of the house across the alley to just leave their dog, a beige and chocolate husky of some sort, out side for the whole weekend, or several days on end. He sits on the deck, howling every time a siren wails. Howling at night. Howling in the rain. That rain we had a week or two ago, he was out in that. I don't know how his fur works but he never seems drenched. He could be going under the deck periodically, but most of the time he just paces on the deck staring at the kitchen door.
Regardless, I called the city 311 number, who then transferred me over to the 24 hour animal control number. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. I was told, I was the second person to call this morning about the dog.
Back during the flood watch, I called animal control and they did send someone out to check on the dog. By the time they showed up, it stopped raining and the dog was just sitting on the deck, all calm like. Nothing happened. I don't know what to expect when several neighbors call because his howling is so loud and so sad. He doesn't bark, but rather belts out a low deep 'arrooogh'.
UPDATE:
Animal Control called me back and said there was a call 2 weeks ago about the dog. They checked it out, contacted the owners, and told them they needed a dog house for the dog. Today, there is a dog house under the deck, and so animal control seems to be satisfied with the situation. Unfortunately, the dog doesn't spend any time near or in his house.

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Monday, May 12, 2008

Wet, Wet, Wet

My cellar is very, very wet. Stay home from work wet. Throw down newspapers to soak up water, wet. When I called in saying I couldn't come in, I apparently wasn't the only one.
Ah, the joys of homeownership.
I have a sump pump. It probably should be replaced, as it 'hiccuped' leaving about 2-3 inches of water on the floor. It's failed me before. I worry that one day I'll lose power or the darned thing will just die and the ground will be rain soaked and I'll be totally screwed.
Luckily, most things in the cellar in are plastic bins. But there are other things. Plugged in things. Mechanical things. Wood furniture things that are getting wet.
It will probably get better when the rain stops.

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Monday, February 18, 2008

Go Outside. Now.


Popped top on S?
Originally uploaded by In Shaw
The man on the TV said it was 70F degrees out
I took a little walk about this morning and it was just wonderful. The sky is blue and it is barely sweater weather, more like two shirts weather. I went on a picture taking trip looking for 3rd floor additions in Shaw, and found some. Also spotted families, dog walkers, doggies, hipsters, also getting out and enjoying the sunshine. If you're stuck inside an office, run out and just take15 minutes to bask in this lovely light.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Hypotherma and the homeless

It's still cold. Not as cold as the past couple of days, and hopefully it will be warming up later this week. But anyway, as a reminder to myself and y'all gotta put 1-800-535-7252 in the cell phone for the Hypotherma Hotline to report people sleeping on the streets when the weather is below freezing, 32F.

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Friday, January 18, 2008

Clean off your sidewalk

Most of the slush has melted but....
Residents, Merchants: Please Remember to Shovel Your Sidewalks When
Posted by: "Lyons, Nancee (DPW)" Nancee.Lyons-at-dc.gov
Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:29 am (PST)
Residents, Businesses Urged To Clear Snow/Ice from Sidewalks, Entrances

DPW Encourages Citizens to Help Others Unable to Shovel

The Department of Public Works (DPW) urges District residents and businesses to clear their sidewalks, sidewalk entrances, nearby catch basin openings, and the area surrounding hydrants of snow, sleet and ice to prevent injury to pedestrians. DPW also asks businesses to make sure the handicap ramps located at intersections are clear of snow and ice.
"After a snowfall, we get many complaints from pedestrians who are having difficulty traveling because so many residents and business owners don't clear their sidewalks," said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. "I want to remind residents that DC law requires all property owners to clear snow, sleet or ice from the walkways surrounding their property within the first eight hours of daylight
after a snow storm ends."
While DPW does not have the authority to issue tickets to residents for failure to remove snow from sidewalks, the agency can and will enforce this law with commercial property owners. The main goal however, says Howland, is to educate both residents and business owners about their responsibilities during a snow event and to encourage them to be good neighbors.
"When I was a kid, we made a little extra money shoveling snow and helped our elderly, ailing, and frail neighbors," Howland said. "It's important to establish and maintain a sense of community in our neighborhoods.
"Many communities have developed lists of those willing to shovel snow for neighbors who are unable to shovel on their own," Howland continued. "I encourage all communities to identify those in your neighborhood who are willing to provide this service so that our sidewalks are safe and passable for all."
For more information about how the District handles snow events, visit DPW at www.dpw.dc.gov on the Internet.
Nancee Lyons
Public Affairs Specialist
DC Department of Public Works
2000 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 671-2637
www.dpw.dc.gov

Of course, I don't pay the neighborhood kids or lawn guys for shoveling, I've seen the quality of their work.

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Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Gotta love this weather


100_0825.JPG
Originally uploaded by In Shaw
I know it won't last, but at least the arugula perked up.
Yesterday I played in the yard pulling out weeds and getting my nails dirty. I also pondered my guerrilla gardening options, surveying the landscape and challenges of a particular lot. I think I will transplant a few of the weedy and aggressive things in my yard over to the place that I intend to, um, partially take over. I'm looking for things that can fend for themselves and survive the occasional city demanded mowing. I know of 2 or 3 plants that can do. Maybe as a lark, I might take a bunch of sunflower seeds and see what happens.

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Monday, March 19, 2007

Signs of Spring

The ice cream truck came down our street, playing that same tune, over and over, and over again.
The group of young men hanging on the drug dealing corner are becoming more of a sight. Guess it is time to put the DC Police non-emergency number in the new phone as 311 doesn't seem to work on the cell. 911 yes, 311 no.

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Monday, February 05, 2007

Stayin warm and BACA meeting

First. My personal BACA meeting notes are over at the super secret site. User: thismeeting PSW: neverhappened.
Second. It is 16F outside and I'm ok. Not happy but OK. My electric meter is spinning like a CD. It is spinning so fast I don't even want to think about it. The heated floor for the kitchen and 4 heater fans are keeping the house above freezing. Somewhere, there is a polar bear drowning because of me.
The two heater fans, are keeping the 1st floor at 63F. It did get up to 66F, but I was cooking with the gas oven and had the fans at full blast. I also tried to stop up any leaks I found. In recent days I have bought heavy curtains to block leakage around the windows. IKEA has some very ugly plaid curtains for sale at 19.99. Ugly but thick and warm. Maybe when it warms up and I develop a crush on a Austrian widower, I'll make clothes out of them.* I also made a wind break between the front door and the hallway. It helps a little.
I have currently retired to the second floor where I am keeping one room warm with one little heater fan. It feels like 68F. When I do go to bed I'll keep the heater on and heat up my little bags of rice to keep the bed warm. I took some short grained rice, sewed it up in a old sleeve of a shirt I had torn apart, and made a little rice pillow. I heat up the pillow, about 1 minute per each cup of rice in it, in the microwave. Then I throw them (I made two) under the covers at the foot of the bed. They keep my feet toasty warm all night, and is still moderately warm in the morning when I wake up.
This is not an ideal situation, and I am going to hate to see my electric bill when it comes. I typically don't use a lot of electricity. Usually when I see my meter spinning fast I rush in the house trying to figure out what is hogging up the juice and turn it off. I hope Spring comes soon.

* Please tell me you did get the Sound of Music reference.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Dang it, it's cold

My face froze.
That's what it felt like walking to the metro this morning. According to WAMU the weather with the wind chills feels like the teens or single digits.
In other weather related tales, from the Eckington Listserv:
The District of Columbia wants to help residents whose heat has been shut off, but it's having trouble finding them. That's because consumer protection laws prohibit utilities from turning over their addresses.

Without that key information, the city has been trying to pinpoint zip codes with a history of disconnections. Mayor Adrian Fenty has directed his staff to begin door-to-door visits of homes in those areas to let people know about utility assistance that's available from the government.

Terry Lynch, executive director of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, says utilities told him that between 700 and 800 customers are likely without gas heat. Lynch made his inquiries after the death this month of 65-year-old Bessie Sanders. Her home caught fire because she had been burning candles after her utilities were shut off.

Information from: The (Washington) Examiner: http://www.dcexaminer.com


I don't have heat. Okay that's a lie. However, my furnace is still (after nearly a month) non-operational because of that blocked chimney thing. Don't worry, I discovered my basement maintains a temperature of about 50F no matter what I do. The "new" kitchen has electric radiant heat in the floor. When I'm home I just heat the room that I happen to be in, and not the whole house.

Usually when it gets cold I see the hotline number for the shelters for the homeless. I'm not seeing it but when it gets below freezing call the Hypothermia Hotline at 1-800-535-7252 so those sleeping on the street will be offered a warmer alternative.

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Monday, June 26, 2006

2006 DC Flood

My basement is okay. Okay in the sense that I don't have to lift my ankle length skirts. There is water in there, but the dehumidifer is going and the sump pump is working so all is well. Once the rain stops the basement will be dryish in a day.
I do remember the August 2001 flood that destroyed several of my neighbors' basments. The water runoff joined the sewage in the ancient pipes and overflowed. Their toilets and drains in the basements backed up and cause a lot of damage as many of them had apartments and full fledged living quarters down there.
Of course, in 2001 I don't remember so much other stuff around town flooding. The National Archives downtown is closed, OPM has an unscheduled leave for today because so much has been disturbed downtown. I don't remember Metro having to close stations in 2001. All this is new and worrying.
As long as the electricity holds up I'll be fine.

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2006 DC Flood

My basement is okay. Okay in the sense that I don't have to lift my ankle length skirts. There is water in there, but the dehumidifer is going and the sump pump is working so all is well. Once the rain stops the basement will be dryish in a day.
I do remember the August 2001 flood that destroyed several of my neighbors' basments. The water runoff joined the sewage in the ancient pipes and overflowed. Their toilets and drains in the basements backed up and cause a lot of damage as many of them had apartments and full fledged living quarters down there.
Of course, in 2001 I don't remember so much other stuff around town flooding. The National Archives downtown is closed, OPM has an unscheduled leave for today because so much has been disturbed downtown. I don't remember Metro having to close stations in 2001. All this is new and worrying.
As long as the electricity holds up I'll be fine.

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Sunday, December 26, 2004

Baby it's cold outside

Dang dagnabit it's cold.
You have to forgive me I am a native of the land of sunshine, shorts, and flip flops, Florida. I believe it is my right, my right I say, to walk around in sandals. The cold weather is infringing on that right and forcing me into restrictive sweaters and clunky boots.
Anyway I figure this is a good opportunity to inform you, my neighbors of some cold weather things. First, if you see a homeless person and it is under 32F (below freezing) call 800-535-7252 and someone will come around and try to get him/her into a shelter or at least provide the homeless person a blanket if they are too hardheaded and want to stay out in the cold. Second, at some point in the season we are going to get ice. You are responsible for the little stretch of sidewalk in front of your house, please salt your sidewalk so I won't slip, fall, and sue you. The Ghetto Giant has bags of salt and ice melt in the front of the store near the cashiers, pick up a bag so you'll have some when that first icy rain hits.

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