On Weather

Well. A lot has happened in the past few days. Frankenstorm, also known as Hurricane Sandy, the collective of storms that recently battered the East Coast, has come and gone. We were mainly spared in the D.C.-metro area. There were downed trees and branches, some flooding of businesses and basements, and extensive power outages, but the damage we faced was nothing (nothing) compared to the devastation in New York and New Jersey. As with many natural disasters, there aren't words to describe what's left in the wake of the storm. The Atlantic has some vivid photos of the aftermath here and here and here. (Side note: Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, has earned his Super Mayor title.)

Breezy Point, Queens

Manhattan without power

Queens, NY

Seaside Heights, NJ
(photos via The Atlantic)

As a Mississippi gal who grew up visiting the Gulf Coast, from Houston to New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle, I'm not a stranger to hurricanes. I was at school in Tuscaloosa when that bitch Katrina came barreling through, and we had substantial damage even then, several hundred miles from landfall in New Orleans. My family was vacationing near Destin, FL when Tropical Storm Alberto came through back in 1994. There are countless other storms that caused my hometown plenty of residual flooding and damage; Andrew, Ivan, Rita, Camille back in the day, and of course the innumerable tornados that hit the Southeastern U.S. each spring.

I don't mean to say that I survived these storms, because that's not at all fair to those who actually lived on the Coast and lost homes and loves ones. My point is, this storm was such a rare occurrence that it would have been terribly devastating to those who expect weather events like this; I can't imagine what it must feel like for the NYers and NJers who were blindsided by this storm. (Kind of like in 2009 and 2010 when D.C. experienced record snowfall amounts and the city shut down. President Obama, a Chicagoan, couldn't understand why three-plus-feet of snow sent D.C.-ers into a panic and received some flak for it.)

The District has experienced some pretty odd weather events over the past several years. There was SnOMG in December 2009, which dropped 16 inches of snow in D.C.; Snowmageddon/Snowpocalypse in February 2010, responsible for three-plus feet of snow and an epic snowball fight in Dupont Circle; an earthquake in August 2011; Snowtober on Halloween 2011; a derecho in June 2012; and now the Frankenstorm in October 2012. The Washington Post even wrote about it, and here's another breakdown.

Anyway, my neighborhood tends to lose power at a brisk gust of wind, so I packed up and camped out with my sister and her boyfriend in Arlington. We were lucky enough to maintain power the entire time, and had our own three-person hurricane party, complete with beer, PlayStation, scary movies, and homemade pumpkin waffles the next day. All in all, not a bad way to spend a couple of days.

Please consider donating to the Red Cross's Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. 

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors, right up there with Hemingway and Irving and Fitzgerald and though I hate to admit it, Anita Shreve. I remember the first Agatha Christie book I ever bought, Hallowe'en Party, at a garage sale. I don't remember exactly the story line, although I know that someone dies from cyanide, which I learned is extracted from apple seeds. 

(I was in fifth grade when I read this book, and I can tell you that each and every time I have eaten an apple since, I think about how the seeds [though it would take literally hundreds eaten in one sitting] can be used to create cyanide). 

Anyway, Christie was a prolific writer and I've decided to read her novels in order. From the beginning, which happens to be the very mysterious, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I'm about eight books in, and I'm rediscovering some books I've read and some that I haven't. In between I'm reading others, like The American Heiress, which is pretty good. If you're a Downton Abbey fan, you'll enjoy The American Heiress. 

All Hallows Eve

Halloween is quickly approaching, and I love the spirit of this holiday.  I'm about to head to my company's own Jack-O-Lantern Jamboree to view the contestants in the annual pumpkin carving contest and to snack on some holiday treats.  I recently read this article, courtesy of Washington Magazine online, and enjoyed the look at the most haunted places in the District.  Hope you have some SPOOKtacular plans for the weekend!

Some people love Washington so much, they never leave—even if their bodies do. Here are seven spots with some seriously spooky history.

Omni Shoreham Hotel
For a night of first-hand experience with the other side, book a room at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in DC’s Woodley Park. Staff talk openly about Juliette, the former housekeeper who passed away at 4 AM one morning under “mysterious circumstances.” While room 870, officially known as the Ghost Suite, isn’t available for reservations, guests staying in adjacent rooms have reported hearing strange noise, such as slamming doors and vacuuming coming from the room late at night. Are the tales true? Back in 2007, a writer recounted his experiences there for The Washingtonian. Read his tale here.

Bunny Man Bridge
The legend of the “Bunny Man” has evolved over the years, but local stories center on a bridge in Clifton, Virginia, where an escaped convict in a bunny costume liked to hang his victims. Although some details are disputed, most residents of the Fairfax County town avoid the bridge after sundown for fear of crossing paths with the Bunny Man’s ghost. Braver souls report seeing strange flickering lights as they drive under the bridge.

Glenn Dale Hospital
Formerly a sanatorium for those suffering from tuberculosis, Glenn Dale Hospital in rural Prince George’s County has since been abandoned and condemned. The underground rooms have flooded, rusted metal and broken glass litter the floors, and asbestos permeates the air—it’s seriously, seriously spooky. Trespassers and paranormal investigators who explore the hospital testify to seeing shadowy figures and hearing disembodied screams, and one legend tells of a former patient who committed suicide and now haunts the second floor wearing a straitjacket.

Decatur House
With its grand three-story brick facade and prime location on Lafayette Square in downtown DC, Decatur House looks like many other historic Washington houses. Commodore Stephen Decatur and his wife, Susan, built the house in 1818 to host lavish parties, but just over a year after moving in, fellow commodore James Barron challenged Decatur to a duel. For Decatur, the confrontation ended badly—he died at swordpoint. Overcome with grief, Susan moved out. Many years later, visitors and residents can allegedly still hear her sobs and have reported seeing Decatur’s ghost walking the halls, lamenting his lost duel.

Capitol Building
A lethal 1980 showdown between Kentucky representative William Preston Taulbee and reporter Charles Kincaid is just one of the incidents that haunt the halls of the Capitol. Legend has it that Taulbee’s ghost will trip any reporter who walks over the steps where he died. Former congressman John Quincy Adams also refuses to vacate the building, long after both his term and his life ended in 1848. Security guards have reported hearing him still debating legislation in what was once his office. Other more fanciful tales include a demon cat that roams the basement of the building and statues coming to life.

Christmas Attic
Many in Congress have denied the paranormal happenings in the halls. However, at the Christmas Attic in Alexandria, they’re pretty open about their resident phantom, Jack, who is known for rearranging merchandise and brushing up against customers and salespeople. The shop owners have installed a spirit bell for Jack to ring in case he has any urges for more direct communication.

Old Stone House
While some may visit Georgetown’s “Exorcist steps”—an outdoor staircase featured prominently in the movie The Exorcist—hoping for a scare, the nearby Old Stone House offers much more in the way of an authentic experience. Built in 1765, it’s one of the oldest standing structures in DC, and it’s reportedly home to several friendly Colonial spirits. While you’re there, watch out for George—a more hostile specter. He doesn’t take kindly to strangers and supposedly announces his presence with cold air before shoving them.


Original article here.

A Day at Blandy Farm

Did you know that the Commonwealth of Virginia has a state arboretum?  The Virginia State Arboretum, which occupies a small portion of Blandy Farm, is located in Boyce, Virginia, a little over an hour outside of DC.  I volunteered with some fellow Tenfold Forty members at the Arboretum on Saturday and had a great time.  Although I lost my way on the drive out (I ended up an hour outside of DC and an hour from Blandy Farm!), it was a beautiful day for a drive.  I loved driving through parts of Virginia that I'd never visited before, like Middleburg, the Shenandoah Valley, and an assortment of farms and vineyards.

Our particular project was helping children, and some adults, make scarecrows during the Arboretum's bi-annual ArborFest.  The kids were so excited to make their scarecrows, and one particular rambunctious little boy, Eli, will not be forgotten; his grandfather, known as "Popcorn Poppy Pop," helped him make Scary the Scarecrow, who was about twice the size of Eli.  I took plenty of pictures but I accidentally deleted them and could only recover a few; I'm so mad but at least I was able to save some of them.  It was a sunny and warm autumn day and I'm glad that I had the chance to help these children enjoy the season!

Fun with Pumpkins

I can always rely on Martha Stewart to dazzle me with her arts and crafts projects, and this extends into the realm of holiday decorations.  There are some great ideas for pumpkin projects to liven up your home for Halloween or to use as decorations for a Halloween party.  I'm partial to the first one, as it looks simple enough for even me to handle.