Apollo (A068496): Apollo is a sweet soul who would make the perfect companion for any couch potato. He is a Bulldog mix estimated to be six years old. His love of people is only rivaled by his love of tennis balls (and chewing on them). While Apollo is mellow and mushy around people, he’s not so fond of other dogs and will need to be an only dog. He does have some medical needs that his new family will need to be prepared to take on, including inflammatory bowel syndrome, respiratory issues, and a diseased hind limb. Apollo was transferred to our shelter in July and he’s more than ready to find his new home! Bob (A069952): Meet the bodacious Bob! Bob is a very sweet, mellow kitty who is visually impaired. He is a nine year old Domestic Shorthair who’s full of personality! This handsome tuxedo cat coexisted with a Shih Tzu in his previous home, but does not get along well with other cats. Because he is partially blind, he will need a patient family that will allow him to adjust to his new home on his own time. Bob is available through a foster home so please contact us at 703-746-4774 to arrange a visit with him! Sugarsnap (A070599): Do you wish they all could be California girls? Then say hello to Sugarsnap! Sugarsnap is a California shorthair rabbit, a little over one year old. You could travel the world, but nothing comes close to this unforgettable California girl. She’s undeniable-fine, fresh, fierce-she’s got it unlocked. If you’re looking for a fabulous bunny to share your champagne lifestyle with, come visit Sugarsnap today!
National Harbor Calendar 5-17 The Plaza is a Busy Place! FREE FITNESS CLASSES On the Plaza May through October Participate in a free fitness classes on the Plaza brought to you by No Excuse Workout. All classes run from 7-8 pm except Saturday morning yoga that runs from 10-11 am. Mondays – CardioHIT Tuesdays – Kickboxing Wednesdays – Zumba Saturdays – Yoga (Please refer to National Harbor’s Facebook page for any weather related cancellations.) MOVIES ON THE POTOMAC May through September Nothing says summer like an evening under the stars—and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than a date night at National Harbor. Join us on the Plaza every Thursday night – Date Night Style – and Sundays – Family Night Style! Please note that movies will begin at 6 pm on Sundays and 7 pm on Thursdays and will be shown once, so end times may vary with each movie. Double Features start at 4 pm. A schedule of movies to be shown can be viewed below. Date Night Screenings 4th – Star Trek Beyond 11th – Mother’s Day 18th – La La Land 25th – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Family Night Screenings 7th – DOUBLE FEATURE: Finding Nemo & Finding Dory* 14th – Storks 21st– The Secret Life of Pets 28th – The Jungle Book (2016) SUMMER FRIDAYS ARE BACK! May 5th through September 29th 4 pm- 8 pm Start your weekend right with Summer Fridays at National Harbor! Play Corn hole, Connect Four, Giant Jenga, hula hoop, hopscotch, and more with family and friends. Enjoy performances by Bobby McKey’s, giveaways, and listen to the DJ spin your favorite summer jams. And of course, joining us means you get front row seats to the best sunset view in the DMV. Get your…
David and Laurie Norcross have been long time readers and fans of the Old Town Crier and have been very diligent about taking along an OTC on their travels. This month we are lucky to have photos from both sides of the Atlantic!
By Genevieve LeFranc Stop and think for a minute; just how many products do you spray, slather, and swipe on from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep, without a second thought? If you’re anything like me you have dozens of products scattered atop your dresser, lined up in your bathroom, and overtaking the shower shelf. And that’s because cosmetics and personal care products are supposed to be fun to collect and experiment with. Everyone knows the thrill of testing that talked about new shampoo or saving up for the must-have lipstick of the moment, but how thrilled would you be if you knew most of your tried and true favorites are chock full of harmful chemicals, toxins, and carcinogens? And what’s worse—no one is telling you. Lead in your lipstick. Dioxane and formaldehyde (a known carcinogen) in your favorite shampoo. Parabens (linked to cancer) in your deodorant. Diethyl phthalate in your perfume. What gives? Although difficult and depressing to accept, under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, cosmetic products and their ingredients do not require FDA approval before they go on the market to be sold to unsuspecting consumers. The FDA actually has no authority to require safety assessments on cosmetics before they are sold for both salon and customer use, making them some of the least-regulated and least-reviewed products on the market. Some numbers say as much as 89 percent of all ingredients in cosmetic products have not been evaluated whatsoever. And what’s worse, it seems America is behind on the game—the European Union had already banned 1,200 of these harmful chemicals while the United States had only banned 10 as of 2014. In short—no one is making sure your moisturizer, mascara, shampoo, or even baby products are safe. Americans are at…
Elias Peters Cedar Knoll Restaurant 9030 Lucia Lane Alexandria 703-780-3665 Cedarknollva.com Elias serves up a Cedar Knoll specialty called the Bischon Frisee – in a chilled martini glass, add a little vodka, a little St. Germaine and a touch of grapefruit! Elias is behind the bar on Tuesdays through Saturday nights. Happy hour starts at 4! How did you get started in the bartending business? My journey began at Fast Eddies in Springfield. I started as a bar back and moved up to bartending day shifts from time to time. I was hooked from that moment. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? My biggest pet peeve would definitely have to be when people ask for multiple samples or tastes, after the third or fourth one I want to pull my hair out. Just decide already! What is the cleverest line anyone has ever used to get you to give them a free drink? See the answer to my pet peeve – this may be a way a few have gotten basically a “free” drink. Seriously, I haven’t really had anyone give me a clever line or try to a free drink from me. My policy is that if you treat me right, you might have a good chance of getting a little love back. What is the best/worst pickup line you have overheard at the bar? I overheard a guy at the bar say to one of my female customers, “My buddies bet me that I couldn’t start a conversation with the prettiest girl in the bar. How about we buy some drinks with their money?” I rolled my eyes on that one but she accepted the offer and they drank together all night long. Not sure whatever came…
By Peggie Arvidson 9 Lessons from a Life in Hands. I just hit a milestone in my hand analysis career (13 years!) and it got me thinking about what I’ve learned in that time. Here are 9 things I’ve learned about business, hands, life and love in the past 13 years: If you’re not happy, nothing outside of you is going to make you happy. I first had my hands read because I thought it would be a magic button that would miraculously solve all my inner turmoil and hand-wringing. It didn’t. Stretching is awesome, jumping off the cliff in an attempt to start from square one sucks. There’s a whimsical belief that if you leap the net will appear, and while I really like that image it isn’t the way it worked for me. (Here’s the deal, I asked for a divorce, met a totally unstable new boyfriend, took all my cash and bought an overpriced condo instead of paying back a crap-ton of debt and sold the business that was the source of my income – all within the span of 3 months. So don’t be like me, think some things through before you leap, at least so you can figure out WHERE the net is likely to show up. Being spiritual isn’t the point, being present is. I thought a spiritual teacher had to be all kinds of holy (and obviously poor) and always good and compassionate. That’s impossible for me and now that I think about it, an ego-driven belief. All that spiritual do-goodery was exhausting. When I chose to simply slow down and be present, the life I lead became infinitely more enjoyable. Relationships are paramount. You’ve heard the adage that says you become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time…
The Girl Before, The Girl After By Miriam Kramer Every month I hopscotch across diverse genres to find the books I review. I gravitate towards psychological thrillers, preferably set in the United Kingdom or Ireland with a dark, chilly edge. J.P. Delaney’s The Girl Before fit that bill, so I dove into it recently on a rainy night. Buzzfeed culture writer Scaachi Koul’s One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter also attracted me because I crave sarcastic, funny essays of any kind, particularly if they enrich my perspectives on contemporary pop culture. In The Girl Before, two troubled women speak of looking for London lodging after personal trauma. Emma, the one before, has been robbed in the flat she shares with her boyfriend Simon. Years later, Jane is recovering from bearing a stillborn baby. Both are looking for a fresh start somewhere else to lick their wounds. Edward Monkford, a prize-winning architect, is offering his minimalist London masterpiece for the price of a moderate apartment to a handpicked tenant. Applicants for One Folgate Street must pass a test and an interview to live in an exquisitely calibrated home with pale stone walls, a Buddhist-inspired garden, high ceilings, and iconic modern furnishings. In this house technology works with physical design to create atmosphere and mood with temperature, light, and even water temperature tuned to a tenant’s rhythms. When chosen, both Emma and her boyfriend in the past and Jane in the present must decide whether to pay a personal price on top of the low rent. In taking the architect’s psychometric test, they must address statements such as “Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life” or “When I’m working on something, I can’t relax until…
By Doug Fabbioli A Life in the Day For some reason I find myself caught in the middle of this turbulent storm of productivity. I know we are making business, creating jobs, collaborating with others, maintaining quality, giving great customer service, teaching techniques and strategies for success, building the skills of the future farmers and putting a little artistry in all that we do, but I don’t think we can keep this up at this pace. When it is all functioning well, I get inspired to take on a bit more. But when things start to tumble a bit, I feel quite challenged to keep the whole stack from crashing to the ground. I know is sounds a little dramatic, but avoiding being overwhelmed is a battle I fight on a regular basis. And keeping my team in balance goes right along with it. I’ll touch on a few examples just for fun. I have 2 new vineyards going in this season. Each is about 5 acres. Deer fence, row layout, vine delivery, planting schedule, labor needs, weather, post orders, trellis construction and grow tube installation are all in play over the next few weeks. We have our own vineyard in need of attention as well. There are lots of replacement vines still to install, our final pruning is underway hoping our frost fears will not come to fruition as well as challenges from our lower planting which has numerous dead vines waiting for a decision from me. I have a client that relies on us to make wines for them. As their business rapidly grows, I try to help them in the planning stages. Commitments are needed now in order to protect the consistency and artistry of the wines that will be consumed years from now….
By Chester Simpson Chef / Owner Alex Truitt Blue And White Carry Out 1024 Wythe Street Old Town Alexandria (703) 548-3867 Monday – Friday 5:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Closed on weekends Blue & White is a community institution. This is good southern comfort food dished out in huge portions, a real working class breakfast and lunch spot. You may have to stand in line with quite a diverse clientele, and only bring cash, no credit cards are accepted. The staff at the Blue and White are very nice and traded humorous and witty remarks as they prepared the food. It’s a tiny place, carry-out/take-out, with no seating. 1 – When did you first become interested in cooking and what made you choose a culinary career? I just enjoyed cooking, when I first started to help my mom when I was a kid. Mom had to go to work at nights, so I had to take over caring for my sister. I kind of learned how to cook by myself with her help. I had to learn on my own to feed myself. I became somewhat creative and now I can cook a lot of things. I’ve been here for 34 years – my uncle bought this place in 1972. I came to help him out in 1976 when I was 15 because he was getting tired and needed help. He had a heart attack so he had to retire. Then I took over in 1982. Who or what has been your biggest inspiration during your career? My Mom. Which dish on the menu are you most curious to see how it’s received? Our menu consists of fried chicken, pork chops, hamburger steak, breakfast sandwiches, home fries, bean soup and collards. The main attraction is the fried chicken. It’s lightly…
By Lori Welch Brown You’re KIDding me, right?! I am the youngest of four, and the only girl. I’ve been the ‘baby’ of the family my entire life. To cement this fact and for reasons unbeknownst to me, pretty much everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve been referred to as the ‘kid.’ Somehow, this title seemed more like a commentary on my work abilities vs. my youthful complexion. Of course, I joined the workforce in the late 80’s when most of the ‘compliments’ I received would now be handled between the HR department and Goldstein, Dickson & Rosenblatt and would likely land me a rather healthy settlement. That being said, I’ve spent most of my adult life crawling and scratching my way up from the kiddie table. I couldn’t wait to claim my rightful seat at the grown up table which seemed so much more fun and glamorous. I mean who wants to be served Kool Aid in a Dixie cup? I wanted to be across the room with the swirling dark colored liquids in real glassware with stems. I wanted to order off the adult menu—no more chicken tenders for me! I wanted to be recognized as a full-fledged, grown up adult—whatever that meant. Of course, when you’re around ten (and a girl), it meant getting your first bra. After that, it became shaving my legs. Next came driver’s license, then car, and then car payments! I was really an adult—an adult with a payment book—albeit with parents who were still saddled with the payment book to my orthodontist. Hard to be an adult when your parents are still lording the ‘where’s your retainer?’ thing over your head. Kissing and rounding bases is in there somewhere too, but that’s for a different publication. In the blink of an…
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