Too close for comfort...

Decided to stay home to wait for the security alarm person to come by to switch out the old keypad, and the tech asked why there were fire trucks down the street. Huh? Then I went down the street and saw scenes like the following.

Even worse was when I went out back, and saw the horror:


Soon after (in the middle of the afternoon), the power went out; it only came back on this evening, after eight. After talking with a neighbor, I talked with a lady who lived in the third house (whom I later lent a blanket, as she ran out of her house with just nightclothes on this chilly day), which the firefighters used to fight the fire at the other two homes, suffered the least damage. Nonetheless, it was condemned like the other two, because of damage to the structural integrity of her home. Thankfully, she had somewhere to stay for the time being, but she was clearly, understandably, shaken.

My neighbors and me wondered why the sprinkler system seemed to fail, why the fire got so out of hand. One firefighter said that the effectiveness of the sprinklers depends on where the fire begins--if it begins in the attic (the only place in the house with no sprinkler), then it spreads quickly to the roof. If it begins outside, it quickly spreads upward, again before the sprinkler can really begin to put out flames.

I was told later by a fireman that the fire began in the back, and that it was probably electric in nature. Which only makes me more nervous. What was the source of the electic failure leading to fire? The fire, from what I can tell, didn't take that long to really get roaring, with the wind whipping around. I called a neighbor to let her know not to come home too early, as the streets were blocked from both directions (turns out, for more than two hours), and the electricity was out most of this time.

All this chaos got me to wondering just how prepared am I, if at all, for such an emergency. After all, fires are, unfortunately, not that uncommon, especially during the colder months. I did have enough canned goods on hand to not have to immediately crack open the fridge to get something to eat. (And have a manual can opener to open them, if needed.) The immediate streets were closed off for a couple of hours, which wouldn't have been too much of a hardship to hoof if I had to, as I'm used to taking reasonably long walks in the area. But that could have been a problem for seniors or the disabled. (As no one could get in or out this afternoon except by foot, and this is no cul-de-sac.) Having some cash on hand would not have been a bad thing, either.

Now that the lights are back on, and the fire's been put out, I'll have to check with some neighbors to see how we're going to help the ones who are displaced; there's been talk of taking up a collection. I hope it'll be more than mere talk.

National Harbor--not Disney on the Potomac (quite)

I wasn't sure I'd like the hotel/tourist trap/convention/local shopping-dining destination known as National Harbor before I came here on business, and what I knew of it was primarily the Gaylord Hotel, the development's anchor. Don't get me wrong--it's an impressive space to hold a meeting (but don't know what its hotel service is like, as I didn't stay in a room, and won't, if I have to pay for it, as it's too rich for my blood), but I find the rest of National Harbor interesting. (Although I'd like to perhaps head to the Gaylord's day spa someday.) It's nice to have another, scenic spot in the Washington area that takes advantage of proximity to the Potomac.

One weak spot (for me) is the placement of the famous sculpture, The Awakening, relocated from Haines Point. It's too close to the crowded marina for my liking, and appears cramped:




It should have been placed further down the shore, in a more peaceful area, like this:

Oh, the parking situation. I didn't have to pay for parking the first few times I came (whew!); the next few times I came (for pleasure), I came via the NH1 bus from the Branch Avenue metro, scared as I was of the ridiculously high parking rates, which can reach $20 if you stay long enough! (And when you can find the parking lots, which I somehow think are mostly for the condo residents.) I've heard that it's easy to get a ticket if you park at a meter, so I'm not eager to try that either. For the 'burbs, the rates are a bit much.

As the summer's over, there are no more movies being screened over the Potomac Sunday nights (bummer!). However, there are decent walking paths along the shore (see above), and a walking trail to the nearby Wilson Bridge has been completed, if you're in the mood for more of a hike. In fact, there are lots of walking paths, and places to sit down, which makes this a good area for a leisurely stroll.

Closer to civilization, yet away from the hotel proper (as hotels themselves tend to have the most boring, yet pricey, shopping and dining options), the shops and restaurants are somewhat varied, if upscale. There's an intimate looking outpost of Mayorga Coffee that opens early for hot coffee and accompanying noshes.

However, there's also coffee and tea available early at Aromi D'Italia, as well as breakfast (and later, lunch) panini/sandwiches, a view of the harbor, and frozen dessert (early in the morning).


Better, you don't need to run back to a hotel to take care of certain necessities after eating, because on the same level as Aromi and the Cakelove outpost (which is next door to Aromi, and whose baked goods I have conflicted feelings about), as seen from the following sign from heaven.

(Better still is that the ladies room is kept quite clean.) Somehow, though, Desserts by Gerard (a local patisserie located down the road with the most luscious cakes) would seem a better fit for National Harbor than Cakelove. But then, Gerard's prices would probably have to increase.

I can't recommend Ketchup for a breakfast option, as it wasn't open for breakfast as it stated (on a door); an employee at another Nat Harbor store told me that Ketchup advertises somewhere that it serves breakfast, but doesn't. The manager I spoke with seemed less than friendly, so I won't be returning. (What kind of name is that for a restaurant anyway?)

Lunch and dinner are available at a number of restaurants, which tend to be on the pricier side. A cousin raves about Elevation Burger's grass-fed burgers, and a friend enjoyed dinner at Rosa Mexicano, but mentioned that it will flatten the wallet. Of course, there are various seafood establishments, including a McCormick and Schmick's, as well as upmarket Thai and Chinese restaurants (Thai Pavilion and Grace Mandarin), so there should be something to please everyone. Also, there's a Rita's Ice and a Ben and Jerry's for ice cream after dinner if you don't want gelato for a frozen treat.

As to shopping, there are a few upscale stores, some of which actually carry items I might like to splurge on. There's South Moon Under, but even better, Fossil. For the men, there's the venerable Joseph A. Banks, and for the ladies, not just cutey-patootie stores like Charming Charlie, but two, count 'em, two expensive shoe stores. The newer one, Simply Soles, has a good selection of quality shoes, at a variety of sizes (not just the size 6's of the world). However, as its goods are in the $300 to $400 range, I don't see myself buying pumps there anytime soon. The local chain, Comfort One Shoes, has a nice store here, with a variety of styles for women and men. But again, it would have to be a major sale (again) for me to shop here in the near future.

Now, the National Harbor project is still a work in progress, as the new National Children's Museum is being built there, as well as as a CVS and a gourmet market, presumably for the condo residents who need more than the snacks that can be procured from Onsite News. Perhaps a sign of the times is a ride that was supposed to be completed this past summer, the Calleva Challenge (a type of battering ram, I think).
But then, perhaps this is simply in keeping with the Children's Museum that's being built, and this might be somehow related to that, as a type of demonstration, when it's finally finished. As for the Disney property up the hill from this battering ram, who knows?

My final gripe about National Harbor is not with the development itself, but how it and the county have fallen down in promoting its own proximity to history, in Maryland as well as Virginia. For instance, you will find nowhere on the National Harbor website that the harbor is literally next door to the historic Oxon Hill Manor, a picturesque site often used for weddings (and, apparently used by a number of Gaylord guests in town for weddings held at the manor). Or that Fort Washington is also nearby. Why couldn't that be a water taxi stop in the summer? Oh well, nothing's perfect, so neither is National Harbor. But it's a scenic, varied place to hang out with family and friends once in a while.

Water and nuclear power--the silence is not golden for Calvert Cliffs

Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Lusby, Maryland (photo from Wikipedia)

A few years back, when a drought in the South threatened several nuclear (and coal) power plants (nuclear plants are humonguous users of water, which is they tend to be situated near bodies of them) was the first time the impact of water in nuclear power generation really stood out in my mind.

Closer to home, an additional variation on this theme exists, as one of Washington area's nuclear plants, Calvert Cliffs (pictured above, via Wikipedia) in Lusby, MD, is located in the same town as the nearby Calvert Cliffs State Park (which I fondly remember visiting in middle school), and some residents.

As of late, these homeowners' properties have been subject to severe erosion, and some have recently been offered buyouts because of the gravity of the situation, as seen here:



Most of the previous news stories about their plight take the tack that the impasse in helping the homeowners stems from efforts to protect an endangered species, the tiger beetle. Oddly, none of these stories even mention in passing that a nuclear plant is in Lusby, and question whether it might also be affected by cliff erosion in the area. (Also, no one in the media has questioned the wisdom of purchasing homes near erosion-prone cliffs in the first place.) If folks are so worried about the environmental impact of homes falling into the Chesapeake Bay, imagine how much worse the impact would be if erosion caused part of the land immediately surrounding the nuclear plant to fall into the Bay. Are there any efforts being made to stabilize the power plant's land to keep it from falling into the Chesapeake?

Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant is not perfect, and faces other threats, not merely erosion of the nearby cliffs. It shut down briefly this past February because of problems caused by another form of water--melting snow. In a 2009 incident, a stray bullet from an onsite firing range (!!!) struck a command center near the reactors, which, mercifully, caused no major problems, as far as is known. A Washington Post article about the incident quoted Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) spokesperson Holly Harrington, "Firing ranges are common on the sprawling grounds of the nation's nuclear facilities." Bullets and nuke plants sound like a combination dreamed up by a B-movie producer (Bullets over the Bay).

Finally, if cliffside erosion near Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant potentially threatens the stability of the enterprise (a possibility which apparently even anti-nuclear groups such as the Chesapeake Safe Energy Coalition are not addressing), what about other nuclear plants across the U.S., which tend to be situated near bodies of water. Might the land near them also be facing erosion issues? Or are we, as a society, simultaneously so scared and complacent about the 800 pound gorilla of nuclear power that we dare not even ask such questions?

Change.org|Start Petition

Sesame Street--helping girls to love their hair!

Leave it to the folks at Sesame Street, public television's long-running edu-tainment show, to put out a positive song for our young girls, I Love My Hair. (I wish this had come out when I was young and watching the show.) Oh, better late than never:



It's too bad that something like this wasn't first done by TV One or BET (but then, the latter wouldn't be living up to its new self-appointed role as Black Embarassment Television). (Originally saw this gem on The Root website today.) Enjoy!

Happy World Vegetarian Day--you could be a winner! (Or, if you give plants a chance.)

October 1 is World Vegetarian Day, and there have been interesting developments in the news lately regarding healthy diet, most notably former President Bill Clinton's interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, in which Clinton related that he turned to a (mostly) plant based diet in recent months to find out if it will help his cardiac condition. Typical of the media, it initially (and sensationally) reported on his weight loss ("Clinton's Weight Loss Secret--Plants"), which was merely a side effect (a good one) of his new eating habits.



Now, you know this man has had access to the best physicians over the years (and daughter Chelsea has been a vegetarian for years), but it took the fact that his stent, unfortunately, started to clog up again for him to consider eating a plant based regimen. (Apparently, the reclogging of arteries after a stent has been implanted is not uncommon.) He mentioned a few physicians and scientists by name, notably Caldwell Esselstyn, Dean Ornish, and T. Colin Campbell (epidemiologist and author of the eye-opening book, The China Study) whose studies persuaded him to give (more) plants a try.

* * *

To help others give (more) plants a chance, the North American Vegetarian Society, sponsor of World Vegetarian Day, has a contest: if meat-eating folk pledge to give up eating animals for a period of time--day, week, or month--they can enter a drawing to win cash. The bigger the pledge, the bigger the prize if you are a winner, up to $1,000! No matter what, that's a win-win situation, whether or not you win any money. (And don't let anti-soy scaremongers deter you from taking the challenge.) Bon appetit!

Election foolishness (isn't it always?) and more...

With all the election brouhaha, it's easy to forget that the employees of the company contracted to run the county bus service (known simply as The Bus) went on strike yesterday, according to the Washington Examiner. A brave move, I say, in these recessionary times, but, unlike many workers, they're in a union, so they have a bit more protection than other workers. Somewhat. The bad thing is that the possibility wasn't publicized ahead of time, so people using The Bus to get around the county (to polling places, perhaps?) are in a bind, and unsure which lines are not running.

Of course, polling places and the county courthouse aren't the only places The Bus runs near; there's also a stop near the outskirts of this place, where I got some early junk in the trunk:

That's right--pumpkin in mid-September, from Clagett Farm. (It was a gift from an acquaintance whose truck I was helping unload.)

However, the true junk around here doesn't emanate from the farm; it comes from the politicians. I'm not talking about their posturing on various issues (or the lack thereof), or the annoying robo-calls. No, they've added another level of nuisance to the campaign season this time around.

Once upon a time, almost all election signs looked like this (my favorite campaign sign this season):
Now, we have lots of campaign signs pumped up on steroids, blocking views of the street, traffic, etc.:


Ugh. Go away. This could, and should, become a campaign issue. After all, what happened to the "Gorgeous Prince George's" initiative?

Friday funny--on encouragement...

Sometimes, you need a little nudge, or even a push, to do what you know you can do. Of course, this is an extreme--since when did a labrador retriever need encouragement to get in the water?

Safety first...

A recent community women's meeting had a guest speaker, Lisa Adams-Williams, a detective with the DC Police's Sexual Assault Unit. Ms. Adams-Williams spoke on how to avoid being assaulted, as well as what to do if it happens to you.

She gave much of the usual spiel about being careful in parking garages, with the additional caveat to be careful about parking near the driver's side of a van, as people have been snatched away from that side of such a vehicle.

The most surprising information (perhaps it shouldn't be) was her caution that the restrooms in Union Station are the most likely places for sexual assault attempts in DC, so to be careful to accompany children to the restrooms there, whenever possible, to avoid problems. (And to be careful there yourself.)

You probably already know that if you are assaulted, that you don't shower or change your clothing, etc., until after you report it to the authorities. She also mentioned that you should first report the crime to the police, then go to a hospital or clinic.

Of course, you need to report the crime where it occurred (what happens in DC stays in DC)--if the crime happens in DC, then report it to the DC Police. If you're attacked in Arlington, report it to the Arlington County Police, etc.

All in all, a helpful chat, and hope to speak with her again.

Back in shape, blah, blah, blah...

I've worked out in the gym a couple of times in the week since renewing membership there. I started with ten minutes on the stationary bike both times, then continued to the circuit machines, in reps of five, various times (depending on the machine); I always do the complete circuit, which takes 30 minutes max, and I'm not rushing (and try to gently stretch in between sets, and definitely when moving from one machine to another). I lift the weights somewhat more slowly than most gym rats, in order to truly resist gravity (after all, isn't it referred to as resistance training?), but not so slowly as to become like torture (though truly slow weight lifting may be the most effective routine). This modest regime works for me, as I have no real aches two days later, although I certainly felt my muscles while working the circuit.

* * *
Of course, the continuing drama about the overpaid, arrogant, and possibly mentally unstable "member" of the 'skins, Fat Albert Haynesworth, makes my blood boil. In a time of high unemployment and recession, this person could not be bothered to make the effort to work out once in a while, and repeately failed to turn up to training camp. Haynesworth now says he has a condition, rhabdomyolysis, that makes him unable to participate fully in training. According to the rhabdomyolysis entry in the online Sports Injury Bulletin, athletes most at risk for rhabdomyolysis are: "Out-of-shape athletes who begin training seriously in the summer are thus at particular risk; their lack of fitness places more stress on their muscles, and their lack of acclimatisation to the heat raises the risks of heat stress and dehydration." Effectively, if he worked out in the off-season and attended training camp, he might not be suffering from this. Folks are saying that he should be traded, but what team wants his lazy, uncooperative behind?

***
No, spoiled athletes are not whom I admire--my role model in physical fitness is this shining senior, Ernestine Shepherd:

Friday funny...on the importance of eating your vegetables

Your mother told you to eat your veggies, scientists are telling you to get 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies a day, and now even canines are getting in on the act, as this little fella is letting his people know just how important cabbage is in the diet...

Sense in the summer...

Finally returned to the community center to renew my (lapsed) three-month gym membership, and noticed the following on the side of the center, its small youth garden in full bloom:

Beanstalk reaching for the sky


Grape tomatoes doing a Jackie Gleason impression


Dwarf sunflowers


Sage


Marigolds and green peppers


Thyme (one of the three types there)


Name these flowers!

Anise hyssop in bloom

At least the community center (which is next door to an elementary school) had the good sense to keep a garden, unlike Bancroft Elementary in DC, which demolished its garden (which Michelle Obama helped the school revive). The little garden that could shows how much food can be grown in a small space; even most townhomes have this amount of space (if you count the front and back), and many of the herbs and tomatoes can be grown in containers. If I could only rip out the entire monster juniper the developer put in front!

Speedy summer supper: succotash

Nothing says summer like tomatoes and corn! A quick, tasty way to combine them is to make a succotash, which also traditionally includes lima beans, and is a light, but filling summer meal, especially nice served over rice.


Succotash (serves 4)

2 ears corn
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
half a large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup (thawed) edamame or (cooked) lima beans
salt, pepper to taste (sometimes use Season All instead, or add dried thyme also)
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
2 cups hot cooked rice

Cut the corn kernels off their cobs, and set aside. In a large frypan (preferably cast iron), heat oil over medium heat (swirl oil around in the pan a bit). Add the onion, stir and cook a few seconds, then add the garlic and stir some more, about another minute. Add the cut corn and stir some more to cook another minute. Add the edamame or lima beans, add the seasonings, and stir again to cook a couple more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir, and cover the pan to let cook another five or so minutes, until the skins are slightly falling off the tomatoes and the mixture is thickened.

Serve over hot cooked rice and enjoy.

Friday funny...

The importance of water safety for both people and dogs, demonstrated the fun way by Cooper the corgi...


(This video also emphasizes the importance of exercise, for the participants and the viewer, who can get aerobic exercise from all the laughing.)

Not for kids only, part 3 (back to school and other August sales)

It's that time of the year, when we're inundated with back to school sales ads, commercials, ad nauseum. Might as well take advantage of the situation, even if you don't have children. How so? Well, if you have a home office, like to do crafts, or volunteer with a community organization, or frankly just need to purchase something, this is the time to head to the store (mortar and brick and online), as many stores are now getting in on the act, like Costco and Staples, as well as the usual suspects.

For instance, last summer, the swivel chair I had in the den finally gave up the ghost, so it was time to find its replacement. As it happens, with all the back to school hoopla, I was able to find a cheap, decent chair. Actually, a few--a couple from Staples, and one from Target.

Of course, because college students must go fully equipped to college, just about anything conceivable is on sale at this time of year. So, Costco currently is having a such a sale, particularly for cell phones. As you might have guessed, Amazon couldn't be far behind, and it's participating in such a sale, too. (I was looking in its grocery section, and noticed such a promotion in the coffee area, presumably for college kids needing their caffeine fix. I'm sure it's having a back to school promotion in other parts of its site this month.)

I always have to make the pilgrimage this time of year to Staples, because office products that might be too pricey come down to earth, more or less. For instance, you get 100% back in rewards (rebate/discount) if you buy a ream or two of copy paper. The regular Staples copy paper is about $4.99; however, I buy the 100% recycled, which is normally $6.99. With rewards of 100%, I'll be getting a coupon for that amount (6.99) or more (since I recycle my ink cartridges, which automatically gets you $2 in rewards per cartridge[but it used to be $3--oh, the economy]). And other items are directly on sale, so paper clips, etc., anything that you might need, come and get it!

Now you too can be this excited, even if you don't have youngsters...

Sweet things...

Summer time, the time I try to go on regular fresh fruit runs (and pick up canned tropical fruit, to supplement) to the grocery store or other market. The payoff--lots of delicious fruit, obtained at good prices, which helped me drop a few pounds. The last is accomplished by simply having lots of fruit at home all the time, so anytime I'm feeling hungry and it's not quite mealtime, I simply pop fruit into my mouth, which keeps me from getting into dietary trouble!

So, I stocked up at Giant with fresh fruit on sale--blueberries, strawberries, and, of course, cherries (I stocked up on peaches a couple of days earlier). Of course, sweet cherries were there in force, on sale for $1.88 a pound, so I got a bit over a pound. But wait, I also saw the beauties above, pints of tart cherries from upstate New York's Orbaker Fruit Farms (part of the Red Tomato network). Whoa! Now, these were not on sale (not at $3.99/pint), there weren't many of them, and I had never tasted fresh tart cherries, so resistance was futile. All fruits have health benefits, and tend to be high in antioxidants (blueberries and cherries in particular), and tart cherries have among the highest antioxidant levels. OK, so I figure I'll make a stovetop cherry slump or grunt in a couple of days for breakfast.

I'll still make that dish, but it might be a smaller one than I originally planned, 'cause it's hard to stop popping these little red orbs directly into my piehole. Frankly, these guys should be renamed as "sweet'n'sour" cherries or "sweettart" cherries, because while not as sweet as their sweeter cousins, they do have a reasonable amount of sweetness to go with the acidity, almost making them more interesting to eat. Addictive, almost. These tart cherries, so-called "pie" cherries because they keep their shape better than sweeter ones. Fair enough. But don't relegate them to pie only if you happen to run across the fresh version of the tart ones at a farmer's market or pick-your-own farm.

Now, the ones that I will cook do present another dilemma--how to pit. After all, I don't have a cherry pitter at home, as I don't cook enough of them to justify one. But, for a small amount like a pint, kitchen utensils already at home were handy enough. For the first step after stemming, cutting the cherries in half, the knife best suited is a small steak knife (or any small serrated knife), like this...
Notice how pale the tart cherries are inside, which means that there were no stained fingers even after cutting and pitting!

On to pitting. The easiest, quickest way for me (but not for everyone, obviously) was to take my right thumbnail to scoop out the pits. Using a small knife works OK, as I tried pitting with the serrated knife and a smaller knife, but really, a cherry pitter would work best for folks with short nails, because using a knife takes too long.

For people who want some of the benefits (and plump texture) of tart cherries when they're not in season, you can find canned tart cherries packed in water at the supermarket. So far, Giant rules again, as its brand is the most reasonably priced canned tart cherries I've seen in stores or online.

That's right--it's almost impossible find canned tart cherries for less than $2.50 a can, so this was a revelation, one which made its way straight into the shopping cart!

* * *

Of course, when you think of sweet things, you can't help but also think of this classic from Rufus and Chaka Khan...

I feel the earth move...not!

No, I didn't feel last night's earthquake, although apparently folks in close by towns felt it. Then again, it was of 3.6 magnitude, strong enough for light sleepers to feel it, but not enough for folks that sleep like logs to notice. In other words, your perception and experience may vary, even from the people next door. I'm used to loud noises at night, grew up with them, in fact, living near railroad tracks in DC as a preteen, so I grew accustomed to night noise. That earthquake would have had to be stronger for me to notice, as jets from Andrews fly overhead at times, scaring the daylights out of me as they sound like they might crash into the house. Day or night, especially before the airshow in May.

Sleep researcher Stanley Coren wrote in Sleep Thieves that when he was a grad student at Stanford, he felt he generally didn't get a good night's sleep. One morning, he awoke to the clock radio, which reported that an earthquake took place. In his words, "Although I felt that I had been awake all night, I had actually been so soundly asleep that I had completely missed an earthquake that had brought down a large quantity of plaster from the ceiling of our bedroom onto our bed. In fact, as I got up, two large chunks of plaster, each the size of a tennis ball, rolled off my chest, where they had apparently been resting for the hour or more since the earthquake. So much for my experience of a completely sleepless night!" I don't think I'm that oblivious, as there's nothing out of place at home, thankfully.

Of course, this morning's adventure makes me think of a favorite song by Carole King...

Yuan Fu--fast, fresh, and friendly...

Hadn't been this way down Rockville Pike in a while (as it's a little ways straight from the Rockville station), but was in the area the other day, and hungry, so I stopped in Yuan Fu Restaurant for the first time in a while. The outside is nothing to brag about, but at least the signage is prominent. (Have been here a few times before.)
Now, I was there for lunch, a rather late one, in fact. But no worries--the lunch special is served until 4:30 pm, and I was there at around 3. So far so good. The prices are still reasonable, as the special offers a choice of four appetizers (I chose the tasty curry dumplings, which are turnovers), and an entree, which range in price from $6.95 to $9.95; most of them are $6.95 or $7.50. You have to specifically ask for the lunch specials menu, as you're first offered the regular menu; however, the server is quick to provide it once requested.

There were a couple of other tables also being served, but service was quick, and friendly. Of course, being that the day was a scorcher, I had a glass of watermelon juice to start (and go along with my meal). Then, I saw the another table get hot tea, so I got hot green tea, too (just so I'd have something else to drink, and wouldn't slurp up the juice in five seconds flat, as I'm liable to do).
In a matter of minutes, after I finished the stuffed curry dumplings, my order of crispy eggplants arrived, with a side of brown rice (it offers a choice of white or brown rice).
Yum, crispy batter-fried slices of eggplant with a slightly sweet, slightly hot (OK, I didn't crunch into the chile peppers) sauce. And broccoli, too. I've tried the faux meats in the past, and enjoyed most of them (e.g., Chinese-style sausage, tuna steak), but there were a couple of misses, probably because I didn't like the recipe (the yu-shiang recipes have seaweed, which isn't to my liking unless it's in sushi; the soft shell crab was made of potato). Even for dishes I wasn't fond of, it was the combination of foods that turned me off, not the quality of the food.

In fact, I got confirmation of why so many people rave about the quality of its food, as I witnessed this scene while eating the eggplant; in between serving, the servers sat down at a table in the dining room to
pick through fresh snowpeas (presumably for the dinner service meals). Now, I'd been there a number of times and had not seen this happen before.

Anyway, I was feeling adventurous, and decided to order dessert. As the few desserts are (mostly) authentically Chinese, maybe they're not for Western tastes, as pretty as they may be. I chose the small Eight Treasure steamed taro roots paste pudding, to find out what the deal is with taro. Perhaps it should have remained a mystery.

The pudding paste is hot (a hot mess?) with a gelatinous-seeming glaze. What appear to be nuts near the front are gingko nuts, which I can live without. Also didn't realize that taro paste would appear pinkish, which was offputting. (Maybe this will teach me to stick with eating taro in the form of chips.) The pudding also contains various fruits, like dates and berries, which had odd flavors (wolfberries, maybe). Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Most of the lunch was a win, however, so I wouldn't hold this odd dessert against the place.

Fact is, except for dessert, lunch at Yuan Fu was tasty, nutritious, and reasonable in price, as usual. (Which means it's cheaper than The Vegetable Garden, down the pike, which has its own merits, like better desserts [e.g., vegan key lime pie].) Yuan Fu's obviously doing something right, as it's holding its own during these tough times, which is more than I can say for many of the former businesses along the same stretch of Rockville Pike.

Happy Fourth!

Photo by Kabir Bakie (via wikimedia)

Time to have a happy, sweaty, 4th of July, wherever you celebrate. For me, it's a cookout this year. Can't be bothered with going to see fireworks on the mall, particularly since I can see the Andrews fireworks display from my deck.

OK, I did go to the Mall with friends once to see the fireworks, during the '80s, whichever year Roberta Flack was one of the singers. It was great to hear homegirl's (she got her start in DC) sweet voice floating in the air, as we were walking down the hill toward the grassy area. This after we were unsure that we were going to make it there in one piece, due to some kamikaze driving to Capitol Hill, so it was extra nice to hear her. Well, it's always good to hear Roberta Flack, on the 4th or any day.

Water, water, everywhere?

Just in time for summer vacation comes mandated water restrictions, courtesy of a potential giant water main break in Potomac caught in the nick of time. Sadly, it seems these infrastructure slip-ups are no longer for the winter season only.

These regulations aren't too stringent--basically, no topping off of swimming pools, no watering lawns (I avoid this anyway, as this region is a swamp), or washing cars (another activity I loathe).

Car washing is something I've always seen as a complete waste anyway--of time and water. Maybe it's seeing neighbors spend hours soaping and rinsing their vehicles over the years that totally turned me off from even thinking of washing the electric carriage myself. Honestly, I'm thankful for the local car wash, which is the more environmentally friendly, and efficient, way of taking care of a dirty vehicle. Five minutes to the car wash, ten minutes to get ride clean, five minutes back home, with both vehicle and owner being clean and dry. What's not to like?

If only the folks at Andre's also had these skills:

For best results, keep it brisk!

No excuses today for not getting outside and doing something, like taking a brisk walk, which I did this morning. Nice! Perfect weather for the next day or so, giving me and the a/c a much-needed break.

Speaking of exercise, a study published in the June 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine (part of the long-term Harvard Nurses Study II) concerning exercise and weight control in young women. Namely, it compared bicycle riding to walking in regard to weight management. The finding is that the women who regularly either rode bicycles, walked briskly, or engaged in other physical activities for 30 minutes per day gained significantly less weight than women who walked slowly as a form of physical activity.

While the above is good news in nice weather, when the outdoors turns into the jungle without the helicopters whizzing overhead a la Apocalypse Now, it's time to find other exercise options. Like the gym, but certainly not the "affordable" options mentioned in the Washington Post the other day. (What, that article was supposed to be serious?) No way, I'm renewing my membership in the gym at the local community rec center, which only runs $35 for three months (slightly over $100 for the entire year), and allows unlimited access to its decent gym. If I were desperate to get to a gym, and the rec center's was full, I'd head to the nearby Capitol Sports Complex (the old Run 'N' Shoot), which you can visit for $10 a pop, and offers access to a spacious gym.

Good ways to keep it toned without taking up the dreaded activity of jogging/running for my life.