mb palaver

RandomPalaver: EEK!

I'm living in an execution chamber.

The night before the inauguration, because it was very, very important I get to sleep early, I had insomnia.  I got up about 1:30 and went in the living room, and from my desk I saw a mouse run out of my hall coat closet.  I chased it back in to keep it from running into my bedroom.  I tried to sleep, but took little comfort from the rolled-up towel I stuck along the bottom of my bedroom door, as I've read that mice can squeeze through a hole the diameter of a #2 pencil.  They are the Eugene Victor Toomses of the rodent world.

I spent the next few days living in abject terror of a creature smaller than a Baby Ruth bar.  On Friday the exterminators came, and things got worse.  I now have 15 traps (that I can see) scattered around my living room and kitchen. You can't go two feet without coming across one.  Some are snap traps and some are those sticky boxes the mice go in and get stuck and God knows what happens next.  Mice are nocturnal; unfortunately, so am I.  But I figure when I'm up stomping around the place with all the lights on watching the Australian Open my friend is not likely to show his whiskers.

But once I start turning off the lights I'm put in a mind of a scene in Bram Stoker's Dracula where the count's carriage is racing toward home while the sun sets.  Once it's dark and I'm in bed, I can't stop listening for the sounds of capture and the resulting horror.  I had no idea how many snapping, shuffling, and squeaking noises my apartment makes.  Several nights I was certain I heard something terrible happening out in my living room, but in the morning found no evidence.  I've tried putting on the radio to block out any sounds, but was afraid the dulcet tones of the British announcers on The World Today would just lure Mr. Mouse into my room.  If I had the know-how, wherewithal, and gumption I'd devise some humane way to capture him and let him out into the wilds of Rock Creek Park.  But I don't.  (And can house mice even live in the wild?)  At any rate, I've asked the exterminators to remove the traps on Friday.  I'd rather live with a live mouse than a dying one.

It could be worse.  If I didn't make this up, my sister-in-law's brother (my brother-in-law once removed?) once heard what sounded like a rat running around the attic, so put a big rat-sized trap up there. He came downstairs, and soon heard "THWAP! . . .  SHWISSSH, CLUNK, SHWISSSH, CLUNK, SHWISSSH, CLUNK."

And with that thought I'm about to turn off the lights.  SHIVERS.

SportsPalaver: Australian Open 2009

Jelena Jankovic questions a line call:  Whaaaaaaaaattt????

Every 30 days or so a colleague comes into my office to drop off our monthly backlog report.  Times goes by so quickly these days that when I see her approaching with the report in hand I'm put in mind of movies showing the passage of time with an image of a calendar's pages fluttering away with increasing speed.  That's how I felt when I realized the Australian Open was starting:  didn't I just do a post on that?  Of course, it's been a year.  And a week -- I am delayed, though with the good excuse of having been distracted by Inaugural mania.  On the plus side, there's still time to jump in for some quarterfinals matches.

As always with the Australian Open, it's challenging to watch here in the U.S.  Matches start in the evening east coast time, so unless you have insomnia, work the swing shift, or have a newborn baby, you'll be watching most of it on tape delay.  You'll have to live in a news bubble, answer the phone with "don't tell me who won," and shun friends who just can't help themselves.  You'll also have to have a pay TV service:  only ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel are carrying it.  The women's final airs here on ESPN2 Saturday at 3:30 am, and the men's Sunday at 3:30 am.  The matches will also be repeated at various times for nonvampires.

You can find draws, live scores, and everything else you could possibly want to know at the tournament website -- just don't go there if you're watching -- or will be watching -- a taped match.  You can find the US television schedule at this link on Tennis magazine's website without risk of unintended disclosure.

HistoryPalaver: Inauguration Among the Happy, Cold, and Huddled Masses

Whether and how you were going to go down to the Mall and watch President Obama take the oath of office in person was all anyone talked about for the last week.  After a lot of waffling (I gotta be me), I ended up heading down with a simple plan and low expectations.  I figured as long as I go down early enough that there will be time to get home to watch it on television if it doesn't work out, I'll just take it as it comes.  I swaddled myself with six layers of clothing, left Woodley Park shortly after 8, wandered down Connecticut Ave., joined the throngs pouring out of the Metro on L, K, and I Streets onto 18th, took a minor detour through the Constitutional Gardens, and wound up finding space a little after 9 am on the eastern slope of the Washington Monument grounds.  I carefully picked out a spot with a view of the Capitol building, where the swearing-in would occur (even though I was so far away it was the size of a souvenir paperweight Capitol, there's just something about being within eyeshot of it), and, more importantly, a view of a jumbotron.  I stood behind a group that had spread out a blanket around 8 am.  Being behind the blanket ensured Sturgill wouldn't get in front of me at the last minute.  Being on the sloped ground around the monument ensured I could see all the way to the Capitol -- and being so close to the monument itself added some bonus majesty to the occasion.  By the end of the day I'd walked nearly 6 miles and was out in the cold for more than 6 hours.  It was well worth it.

It's easier to talk about the logistics than the extraordinary feeling of being among millions of jubilant Americans and people from all over the world as we collectively watched history being made, and felt a weight being lifted from our shoulders.  Taking a cue from Brett (though I wish I had his eye for detail as well!), I've put together a photo album of my experience on Tuesday.

HistoryPalaver: The Day of a Lifetime

My sister who lives in Charlotte told me that her children had a snow day today, so they went sledding in the morning and came in to watch President Obama's swearing in at noon.  They might not know this yet, but a snow day, sledding, and Obama's inauguration = the best day of their lives (so far).  What a great day for our country, and I'm so happy I was able to see it firsthand (if watching on a jumbotron counts).  I'm putting together a photo album, but if I try to finish (or to write more of my thoughts on the day) tonight, I'll be up till all hours.  That would be a terrible way to start the new administration.  More tomorrow.

HistoryPalaver: "We Are One" Debriefing

I'd hesitated to head down for the We Are One concert and inauguration kick-off event yesterday, but I'm so glad I did.  Due to our lackadaisical attitude (and aversion to standing in the cold for hours before the concert), we got there too late to get into the secured area around the reflecting pool, but we staked out space on the Washington Monument grounds just about a minute before Springsteen kicked off the concert.  I felt a bit ridiculous taking photos of performers on the jumbotron, but it was great just to be in the half-mile presence of the Boss . . .

and the Boss . . .

When U2 came onstage -- a primary reason I made the trek -- we had a suddenly obstructed view.

We'd move a few feet into a sudden gap in the crowd on the right, and there he'd be. A few feet to the left, and again . . .  STURGILL!  I was envious of the view these nearby tree climbers had until I uploaded the photo . . .

and saw how tired and uncomfortable they look.  Enormously tall hooded men who appear from nowhere aside, the show was great.  It moved along at a fast clip and I even enjoyed performances by artists I don't care for that much.  The highlight for me -- surprisingly, since I went for Bruce and U2 -- was Mary J. Blige's rendition of "Lean On Me."  It's a wonderful song, and the crowd turned into one big dance party (well, we were really just bopping, since we were bundled up like Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story").  Other highlights were the whole Mall dancing along to "Shout" (sung by Garth Brooks), and Stevie Wonder's keyboards on "Higher Ground."  The crowd was such a mix of ages and races, and it was funny to hear someone say "who's he?" when James Taylor (for instance) took the stage (though I admit I wouldn't have recognized Will.i.am in his non-hologram form).  There was something for everyone, though, as shown by the two dudes pumping their fists to John Cougar (Mellencamp?) singing "Pink Houses" and shouting "You've still got it! You've still got it!"

As we made our way east on the mall and looked back on the dispersing crowd . . .

I resolved to face the cold and the crowds tomorrow and watch the swearing in (albeit on a jumbotron) in a crush of deliriously happy people.  I'll just wear more layers.  In the meantime, if you want to see some actually good photos of yesterday's happenings, check out these great shots on my friend's blog, brettstyle.

HistoryPalaver: We Are One

This morning, as I was planning out the optimal way to go down to the Mall to see the We Are One: Opening Inaugural Ceremonies at the Lincoln Memorial with the least amount of exposure to cold, waiting, and porta-potties, I was reminiscing about President Clinton's inaugural festivities, including going to a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.  I remembered at the end the whole crowd walking toward the Memorial Bridge, where the Clintons were walking to or from Arlington National Cemetery.  I remember my friend Andrea clamping her hand on my shoulder and announcing to our group of friends we had to form a human chain so we wouldn't be separated in the throngs of people. (I think of this every time I'm in a massive, moving crowd -- "form a human chain!")  What I don't remember is the cold, or the wait, or the hassle.  I don't know if that's a trick of memory, or just the result of my having been 16 years younger, and lower maintenance.

As with all rosy memories like this, I was second-guessing whether this really happened or I imagined it, but some photos on a Smithsonian website confirm what I remember.  Above is a photo showing: an "aerial view of the Lincoln Memorial during the 'Call for Reunion' a two-hour outdoor concert kicking off the Clinton/Gore Inaugural. Hundreds of thousands of people crowded onto the Mall for the free concert which featured such entertainers as Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton, Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and rapper L-L Cool J."  Below, "the Clintons and the Gores lead a procession of thousands across the Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington, Virginia on their way to the Bell Ringing Ceremony which was part of the kick off of the Clinton/Gore Inaugural. The procession and bell ringing followed a Call To Reunion concert at the Lincoln Memorial."

 

Finally, the photo below shows an "aerial view of the 'Reunion on the Mall' held as part of the Clinton/Gore Inaugural. With tents stretching from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, it was reported to be the largest festival ever held on the Mall. This photo was taken from a U.S. Park Police helicopter hovering so the top of the Monument is in the foreground of the picture."  I worked as a volunteer at the festival, but instead of being assigned to one of the tents featuring musical acts like Los Lobos, Robert Cray, or Little Feat, I was assigned to the Family Fun tent, where Raffi and the muppets performed, and my most difficult job was trying to placate parents who got their children there too late to see Big Bird.  (Big Bird came out and did another impromptu performance.)  I still have my red baseball cap reading "SECURITY AID The 52nd Presidential Inaugural." I wonder if that'll get me special treatment today?

If you're not going to the Mall today, HBO is showing the concert live (starting at 2:30) and on tape (at 7:00 tonight), and I understand some cable systems and satellite operators will be making it available to those subscribers who don't subscribe to HBO.  You can also watch on HBO's website.

TheaterPalaver: Next to Normal, at Arena via Goldstar

Time is short, but you still have a few days to catch Arena Stage's production of "Next to Normal," a musical about a family trying to cope with the mother's mental illness.  The performances are top-notch and the music is great (and I'm not a big fan of musicals).  According to The Washington Post, the show did well last year off-Broadway, but it never quite made it to Broadway. They tweaked the show, removing some numbers and adding others, and it appears they're trying it out at Arena's Crystal City digs and hoping for another chance at Broadway. You can check out The Washington Post review here.

The show closes January 18, and tickets are still available, not only directly from Arena, but also at a discount from goldstar.com.  Egbert clued me in to Goldstar, a site where you join simply by signing up, and then purchase tickets to available events at sometimes a considerable discount.  I was able to buy $76 tickets for a Saturday night performance for $39 each.  The only catch is that you're not guaranteed a particular seat, only a class of seats.  It's my new favorite toy.

While Arena's home is renovated they are operating out of a stage in Crystal City.  You can find directions, parking info, and a list of nearby restaurants and special offers here.  One good thing about the Crystal City location is it will make the theater's usual Maine Avenue location seem appealing once renovations are complete.

DCPalaver: Obama at Ben's Chili Bowl

If you live in Washington, or watch "Meet the Press," you know by now that President-elect Obama ate at Ben's Chili Bowl on Saturday with DC Mayor Adrian Fenty.  It might seem like a silly thing to get giddy about, but it's been eight years since we've had a president who showed any interest in what Washington has to offer.  And I love Ben's.  A volunteer group I work with, Hands on Housing, has sometimes gone to Ben's for lunch when we've worked on houses nearby.  Though it's generally a counter-service place, they'd seat the 8 or 10 of us paint- or dirt- or plaster-splattered people in the back room and provide table service.  Everyone was amazingly nice.  If I worked at a hot stove cooking half-smokes and chili and serving a continuous line of hungry people, I don't think I'd stay so cheerful.

Here's a video.  Everybody's happy (except Velveeta's PR people).

Ben's Chili Bowl
1213 U Street, NW
Washington, DC  20009
(202) 667-0909

ArtPalaver: Richard Avedon at the Corcoran

If you've been meaning to get to the Avedon exhibit at the Corcoran, you're running out of time.  The "Richard Avedon:  Portraits of Power" exhibit closes January 25.  I went the other night and, though I wouldn't describe it as a can't miss event except for avid photography buffs, it was interesting to see, on the eve of the inauguration, which people the artist considered to be powerful at different points in the last few decades.  The fee for admission to this exhibit is $14.  If you're going with a friend, be sure to print out this two-for-one coupon before heading out:  Download Corcoran two-for-one coupon.  (I can't find the link on the website anymore, so have attached a file. I hope this works.)  If you're going anytime near the inauguration (which I don't recommend!), be sure to check for last minute changes to the hours.  Once the exhibit closes on the 25th, the museum will be closed until March 13 for roof restoration.

Here's the Corcoran's description of the exhibit:

Richard Avedon, America’s pre-eminent portraitist and fashion photographer, portrayed significant figures of the American political landscape throughout his career. This exhibition brings together Avedon’s work on the subjects of politics and power for the first time. Juxtaposing more than 200 images of government, media, business, and labor officials with photographs of artists, activists, and ordinary citizens caught up in national debates, Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power explores a five-decade photographic inquiry by one of our finest artists.

Two images of the Volpi Ball in Venice, including the one above, were my favorites (albeit not typical of the exhibit).  This description from Newsweek, however, certainly casts it in a new light -- I had no idea they were collages.

Pushing photojournalism into controversial new areas, he shot the 1991 Volpi Ball in Venice, a gathering of desiccated aristocrats he captures with a Proustian eye. What the viewer won't see is that these pictures are collages: he's guiltlessly manipulated the party to create his stifling images of alienation.

More typical was this series, as described on the museum's website:

Among [several extended photographic essays with political themes], his groundbreaking 1976 portrait series “The Family” is most significant. Commissioned by Rolling Stone magazine, Avedon made 69 portraits depicting elected officials, government bureaucrats, lawyers and lobbyists, captains of industry, and union leaders—all representatives of the American political, military, media, and corporate elite.

It's interesting to see people like the senior George Bush, described as "Director, CIA," included in this series in 1976, with no knowledge how much of an influence he (and his offspring) would have in the coming decades.

Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC  20006
(202) 824-0786
nearest metro:  Farragut West (blue/orange line)

RestaurantPalaver: Take A Break at the Mandarin

For those of you who work in a godforsaken corner of SW Washington, where the opening of a Potbelly last year was cause for dancing in the streets, check out the Mandarin Oriental hotel's new "Take A Break" option.  This tiny take-out counter offers breakfast items from 7 to 10:30, lunch from 11 to 4 , sweets from 7 to 4, and coffee and other beverages from 7 to 5.  From 4 to 5 they will offer leftovers at "Fire Sale" prices.  (On Fridays they will also offer "surplus items such as overstocked hotel linens."  Whaaaatttt???)  The cafe appears to be an offshoot of the employee dining room, which you can see on the other side of the counter.  (There's no seating for riffraff off the street.)  The menu, which is pretty reasonably priced, is below.  Today I had the Marrakech Chicken Sandwich (a special on Thursdays), which was lemon parsley marinated chicken, Fattoush salad, and olive oil on lavash bread, for $6.95.  It was delicious.  They only had one person working behind the counter, so the service was a bit slow, but I was so happy not to be eating tofu with broccoli from the dreaded salad bar downstairs that I didn't mind.  However, they might not realize the throngs that could descend on them (at least if they've never walked past Potbelly at 12:30).  Take A Break is down an outdoor flight of stairs between the hotel and Portals I.  (Those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about can just go about your business; it's not worth driving across town for.)