Tag: weather

Singles

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I slept in this morning, getting up at just about 10 AM! I watched the Red Sox pound the Yankees late yesterday afternoon, and then watched a couple of movies before going to bed. It was pretty late when I finally got to sleep, which explains why I slept in so late this morning.

Tivo had recorded Singles, the one Cameron Crowe movie that I somehow never managed to see, so I watched it this morning. As always, good cast and great music. I watched Real Time with Bill Mahr afterward and he had me rolling in the aisles.

Thinking about getting started cleaning out the garage today. There’s a ton of junk in there that can be gotten rid of and I need to start somewhere. I want to get it done before winter when it’s too cold to be out there for any amount of time. I’ll probably work on it slowly, over the next couple of weeks.

The weather cooled off today. In fact, it was downright chilly last night. It’s not cold today, just cooler, much more like fall than summer.

Big Yankees/Red Sox game tonight at 8 PM on ESPN, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch it. I’m planning on getting up at 4:20 AM for the gym and that means getting to bed pretty early.

Ah, fresh air

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It’s been fairly hot and humid these past several weeks but it cooled off substantially yesterday and last night, I was able to go to bed with my bedroom windows wide open. It felt great to sleep in the cool, dry air. So much so that I really didn’t want to get up for work this morning, but as usual, I dragged myself out of bed before my alarm went off at 5:30 AM.

Lots of stars out at 5:45 AM when I headed out to the car. I don’t know why I don’t always notice that, but this morning, perhaps, the sky was so clear and clean and there was little surrounding ambient light, that the stars just kind of jumped out at you. Pretty cool!

Hump day

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Trouble focusing on tasks today for some reason. I’m getting things done but not as much as I hoped. Maybe part of it is the bright blue sky I can see just out my office windows. The weather cooled off a bit today. It’s in the 70s and absolutely beautiful out.

Had Chinese food for lunch which is incredibly rare for me.

Forgot to mention a strange coincidence yesterday. I sent off a handwritten letter to Trevor and thepopeswife because I owed them one from months ago. Later in the day, I got a call from Trevor saying that they were coming out Virginia in early October, so I’ll get to see them soon, which is nice.

I’m halfway through The Reagan Diaries (my reading has slowed down this last week for a variety of reasons), but it is still an interesting read, even if I still don’t think much of Reagan.

A mini happy-hour after work today at 6 PM. I was staying late anyway for a meeting at 4 PM.

First summer rains

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Last night we had the first major rains of the summer and it was really pleasant. It has cooled down enough to allow me to turn off the AC and sleep with my bedroom windows open, and last night, I was lulled to sleep by the sounds of the rain. The rain got steadily heavier through the night until this morning, just before I got up, it was a torrential downpour, accompanied by lightning (but, strangely, no thunder).

With a full month of summer remaining, I found that I missed the rain, and the cool air that accompanied it. I have another day or so to enjoy it. It’s supposed to get back up into the 90s later in the week.

More tasks checked off!

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I completed a whole bunch of work-related tasks today and feel pretty good about where things stand with me about to head off on vacation. I also got several more travel-related tasks taken care of today.

I picked up my suit from the cleaners.

I contacted the local police and filled out a “vacation patrol” request form. This means that the police know I will be out of town and will be keeping an eye on the house.

I called vickyandnorm and left them a message regarding a question about hotel-to-airport transportation in Rome.

I got rid of just about everything in my refrigerator and emptied out a bunch of other trash (tomorrow is a trash pick-up day).

I’ve still got a number of things to take care of tomorrow, and I know that Saturday will be a busy day, cutting the grass and cleaning up the yard a bit. But Saturday is also supposed to be somewhat cooler than it was today–it hit nearly 100 here with the heat index. It’s a good think our softball game was rescheduled.

I’m also more than 420 pages through American Prometheus. I’m going to squeeze in a little more reading tonight and then lights out.

More travel tasks

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More vacation prep today. I filled out the online form to put a hold on my mail while I am gone. I also paid the rent in order to make sure I didn’t forget that one. I took my black suit in to be cleaned and pressed. I can pick it up tomorrow. I also started collecting all of my travel-related itinerary information in a binder so that I have it all easily accessible in one place.

The humidity jumped up today. The temps were in the mid-80s but with the humidity it was 90 and even now, at 10:40 PM, the air conditioning is blasting just to keep the house cool.

I”m about 380 pages through American Prometheus and I am really enjoying it. I’d like to finish it before I get on the plane on Monday but I think I’ve got a good chance of doing that.

The softball game we had schedule for Wednesday has been postponed because the Senate office we are playing is busy with some issues on the HIll. It will be rescheduled for later in the season. As much as I love playing softball, it was kind of a relief to hear that it was postponed this week. I’ve got so much to do already that organizing a team for a game was something that I could do without this week. And besides, it was supposed to be well into the 90s on Wednesday.

Another happy hour is scheduled for Friday and I’m looking forward to that. And I’ve got the O’s/Angels game on Sunday to look forward to as well.

Rachel hasn’t been feeling well but I hear she’s feeling a little better tonight, which is good. I hope she feels a lot better soon.

Okay, off to bed.

Saturday afternoon

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It’s a beautiful day in the D.C. area today. Sunny, but not hot, warm but with a pleasant breeze. I headed out just around noon with the intention of getting something to eat. Instead, I found myself driving up to Greenbelt lake and sitting by the lake side, reading American Prometheus for a while. After about an hour, I decided to head downtown.

I got off the train at Gallery Place and walked to Austin Grill. I sat outside and ordered their guacamole and chips, which I think are terrific. I lingered for an hour or so, eating my chips and reading my book. Then I headed for the national mall, which is in the midst of preparing for its annual folklife festival. I found a shady bench and sat for another hour or so, doing some more reading before I finally made my way back home.

It was incredibly pleasant, all day long, and even now it’s still quite nice out. I’m heading out for a walk and then will probably do some more reading this evening.

Pre-happy hour

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The big (and now regular) happy hour is tomorrow after work, but because softball practice was canceled today (and a good thing, too, since it rained), Carmen, Leanna and I headed over to Champps for some drinks after work today. Leanna and I got there around 4:45 and Carmen showed up half an hour later. I stayed until 8:30. By then, John and Jesseca had also come by. I didn’t drink very much. (It’s a school night.) But it was a lot of fun, as usual.

I got home at 9 PM and found the September issue of ANALOG waiting for me. There was still some light in the sky (and would have been even more without the lingering rain clouds). When the train crossed the Potomac on the way home, the sun was just beginning to set, and surrounded by storm clouds, it looked impressive.

Seven more work-days until vacation!

Abbreviated Happy Hour

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This was a long, busy week at work so several of us decided to head out for an abbreviated happy hour. Leanna, Carmen, Todd, Paraag and myself headed to Champps and chatted over a few beers before we all split up for the weekend. It was very hot and humid out today and the beers helped to cool things down.

I got home around 7:30 PM and straightened up the house in preparation for Jen and Jason’s arrival later tonight. In fact, I got home just in time to watch the space shuttle Atlantis launch, the first shuttle launch of 2007.

Jen and Jason are due in sometime between 10 and 11 PM. I’m going to drive out to Bethesda to pick them up from the bus stop because at that time of night, it’s faster to drive than for them to take the train.

When I got home this evening, the skies opened up briefly for a passing thunderstorm. It poured for a few minutes, and then just as quickly, the sun came out again. It rained long enough for my car to get a decent washing, however.

I’m on vacation three weeks from tonight!

Hail! to the chief

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I walked home from the metro station last night because I’d taken a taxi to Union Station on Saturday when I went to NYC and I didn’t want to pay for a taxi ride home. It was warm out and throughout the entire mile and a half walk, rain seemed to threaten, but never materialize.

Five minutes after I got in the door, Zeke was curious by some noise he heard in my office. I went to investigate and heard it too. It sounded to loud to be rain. I went outside to check.

It was hailing.

Not big hail–the biggest ones were less than a centimeter, but it was hail nonetheless. I was grateful to whatever chance held off the hail until I was safely indoors.