Happy Haunting!!

Happy Halloween everyone!  It was a busy weekend at Crest Avenue.  Lots to do to prepare for Halloween.  Here are a few pictures of the weekends activities.

I started off the weekend by carving pumpkins.  Here is a spooky bat.

And here is a friendly guy giving you a wink.

You know, there's always that one person who won't leave the party!

A good deal of time was spent in the kitchen this weekend also.  And the result of all that time - a scary jar of Halloween Chex Mix.  Super yummy!!  The recipe for this tasty treat will be under the page for "Food and Recipes."  I hope you enjoy making it and eating it as much as I and everyone else has.

Happy Haunting!!

Happy Halloween everyone!  It was a busy weekend at Crest Avenue.  Lots to do to prepare for Halloween.  Here are a few pictures of the weekends activities.

I started off the weekend by carving pumpkins.  Here is a spooky bat.

And here is a friendly guy giving you a wink.

You know, there's always that one person who won't leave the party!

A good deal of time was spent in the kitchen this weekend also.  And the result of all that time - a scary jar of Halloween Chex Mix.  Super yummy!!  The recipe for this tasty treat will be under the page for "Food and Recipes."  I hope you enjoy making it and eating it as much as I and everyone else has.

Lunch at Filomena

I had lunch at Filomena today with my best friends from Foley.

This is a wonderful Italian restaurant located near the bottom of Wisconsin Avenue, NW, very near the Potomac River and the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown.  I had not been there in some time, but I can tell you that the food is superb.  I've never had anything here that I did not like.  My choice today was the 3-Cheese Manicotti, which was divine.  Probably not the best selection for a Type-2 Diabetic, but delicious nonetheless.  Our waiter offered us a blended red wine which was superb also.  We decided to have dessert today and everyone wanted some different.  I opted for the Hazelnut dacquoise.  Heavenly.  Positively heavenly.  Again, probably not the most suitable selection for a diabetic, but I'll just run on the treadmill a little longer tonight.

Filomena delights us each year with their over the top decorations during the holiday season beginning with Halloween.  They did not let us down this year.  Here are some shots I took before leaving the restaurant today.  They are not as clear as I would have liked, but you get the idea.

This was our greeter at the front door.

A giant spider making his way across the ceiling

A ghoul about to pounce over top of the booth and his friend hanging from the ceiling above

And finally, a bat cave that was so dark that it doesn't show up in this photo.  But you do get to see the beautiful layout of the main dining room.  Just a really fun and festive place.  If you are ever in Washington, and Georgetown specifically, I highly recommend you stop in at Filomena if only to have a glass of wine and some bruschetta.

Lunch at Filomena

I had lunch at Filomena today with my best friends from Foley.

This is a wonderful Italian restaurant located near the bottom of Wisconsin Avenue, NW, very near the Potomac River and the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown.  I had not been there in some time, but I can tell you that the food is superb.  I've never had anything here that I did not like.  My choice today was the 3-Cheese Manicotti, which was divine.  Probably not the best selection for a Type-2 Diabetic, but delicious nonetheless.  Our waiter offered us a blended red wine which was superb also.  We decided to have dessert today and everyone wanted some different.  I opted for the Hazelnut dacquoise.  Heavenly.  Positively heavenly.  Again, probably not the most suitable selection for a diabetic, but I'll just run on the treadmill a little longer tonight.

Filomena delights us each year with their over the top decorations during the holiday season beginning with Halloween.  They did not let us down this year.  Here are some shots I took before leaving the restaurant today.  They are not as clear as I would have liked, but you get the idea.

This was our greeter at the front door.

A giant spider making his way across the ceiling

A ghoul about to pounce over top of the booth and his friend hanging from the ceiling above

And finally, a bat cave that was so dark that it doesn't show up in this photo.  But you do get to see the beautiful layout of the main dining room.  Just a really fun and festive place.  If you are ever in Washington, and Georgetown specifically, I highly recommend you stop in at Filomena if only to have a glass of wine and some bruschetta.

Thank you Bob

We made a trip to the Salvation Army last Saturday.  Bob was kind enough to offer the use of his truck.  So we loaded one of the loveseats in the back from his house

and the other one from my house

and off we went.  That is Bob in the picture making sure that both loveseats would make the trip and that we were not going to have a disaster along the way.  We are fortunate to have the closest Salvation Army that accepts donations within 2 miles of the house.  These loveseats were in pristine condition.  I bought them shortly after moving to Crest Avenue and used them in the tv room for quite a few years.  They were extremely comfortable.  They served their purpose for me and now, hopefully, someone else can enjoy them for a few years.

This week I have a few projects to handle that will fall outside of the renovation project on the dining room.  I have four pumpkins to carve and get on the front porch and lighted so everyone can enjoy those for the weekend.  I will be making a monster cake in the shape of Frankenstein's head to share with co-workers.  And last, but certainly not least, I will be making cabbage strudel.  Yum!  Once I get out of the kitchen I need to finish installing the new gutter guards.  Busy, busy week and weekend.  I'll be sharing the progress on all these projects with you over the next several days, so stay tuned.

Thank you Bob

We made a trip to the Salvation Army last Saturday.  Bob was kind enough to offer the use of his truck.  So we loaded one of the loveseats in the back from his house

and the other one from my house

and off we went.  That is Bob in the picture making sure that both loveseats would make the trip and that we were not going to have a disaster along the way.  We are fortunate to have the closest Salvation Army that accepts donations within 2 miles of the house.  These loveseats were in pristine condition.  I bought them shortly after moving to Crest Avenue and used them in the tv room for quite a few years.  They were extremely comfortable.  They served their purpose for me and now, hopefully, someone else can enjoy them for a few years.

This week I have a few projects to handle that will fall outside of the renovation project on the dining room.  I have four pumpkins to carve and get on the front porch and lighted so everyone can enjoy those for the weekend.  I will be making a monster cake in the shape of Frankenstein's head to share with co-workers.  And last, but certainly not least, I will be making cabbage strudel.  Yum!  Once I get out of the kitchen I need to finish installing the new gutter guards.  Busy, busy week and weekend.  I'll be sharing the progress on all these projects with you over the next several days, so stay tuned.

Weekend Preparation

The C&O Canal in Georgetown with the Watergate Building in the background

The weekend is upon us.  This weekend I will be taking items to The Salvation Army.  My basement is full.  The trunk of my car is full.  What a wonderful way to help organize the house and bring some joy to others who may find themselves in a difficult position.  I will also be installing my new gutter guard inserts that I found at Sam's Club last weekend.  This seems like a revolutionary approach to keeping the gutters clean and I am excited to see how it turns out.  I will post a separate entry on that project for your review next week.  And only 3 more weekends until the new dining room is unveiled!!!  Lots going on, . . . as usual.

Weekend Preparation

The C&O Canal in Georgetown with the Watergate Building in the background

The weekend is upon us.  This weekend I will be taking items to The Salvation Army.  My basement is full.  The trunk of my car is full.  What a wonderful way to help organize the house and bring some joy to others who may find themselves in a difficult position.  I will also be installing my new gutter guard inserts that I found at Sam's Club last weekend.  This seems like a revolutionary approach to keeping the gutters clean and I am excited to see how it turns out.  I will post a separate entry on that project for your review next week.  And only 3 more weekends until the new dining room is unveiled!!!  Lots going on, . . . as usual.

Community Forklift

This past Saturday we took a trip over to Community Forklift just off of Kenilworth Avenue in Edmonston, MD.

Community Forklift is a 40,000 square foot home improvement thrift store promoting the reuse of building materials, appliances, paint, fixtures, and much more, preventing these things from ending up in a landfill.  It's a valuable resource for anyone redoing their house, whether you want to buy something here or donate your old materials (and get a tax write off!). They have a huge selection of anything you can think of for a home (front doors, chandeliers, toilets, granite countertops) that has either been donated or salvaged.  They state their prices are 40-80% below retail. This is an interesting place with an eclectic mix of items.  I get inspiration from visiting places like this.  I look at all of the things that have been discarded and ask how or if I can use any of these items in my own renovation project.

It's a big scary world improving your home on your own . . . and they've done their best to make it work for you. Yes, you have to load your own purchases - but they have a big bay door and you can back right into the yard to do it. Don't have the van or truck today? They'll hold for 24 hours, and store things you've bought for 2 weeks. The warehouse is cold in the winter and hot in the summer - but they have hot cocoa and coffee and a heating unit at the desk, or coolers of water and fans.  Pay with cash or credit card.

Hear are some of things they had available on Saturday.

What's behind door number ____.  I love the way they displayed these doors.

Lots of granite.  Maybe not enough of any one color to do a full counter top buy certainly enough to cut into serving tray size or to use as a cutting board.  How much fun would it be to have granite serving trays at your next soiree.

I see tons of possibilities here.  Maybe one of these old porcelain pedestals in the basement bathroom when I start the renovation down there.  Hmmm.

I was intrigued with this "sea" of old aluminum trashcans.  Some were in better shape than others.  But with a little elbow grease, most any of them could have been easily cleaned up and would make great use of themselves in the back yard when entertaining a large garden party.  Put one in the shed for refuse.  You could even remove the flip top and place a suitably sized terracotta pot in the opening with a large Boston Fern or other plant of your choice.  Let your mind wander and create.

Community Forklift

This past Saturday we took a trip over to Community Forklift just off of Kenilworth Avenue in Edmonston, MD.

Community Forklift is a 40,000 square foot home improvement thrift store promoting the reuse of building materials, appliances, paint, fixtures, and much more, preventing these things from ending up in a landfill.  It's a valuable resource for anyone redoing their house, whether you want to buy something here or donate your old materials (and get a tax write off!). They have a huge selection of anything you can think of for a home (front doors, chandeliers, toilets, granite countertops) that has either been donated or salvaged.  They state their prices are 40-80% below retail. This is an interesting place with an eclectic mix of items.  I get inspiration from visiting places like this.  I look at all of the things that have been discarded and ask how or if I can use any of these items in my own renovation project.

It's a big scary world improving your home on your own . . . and they've done their best to make it work for you. Yes, you have to load your own purchases - but they have a big bay door and you can back right into the yard to do it. Don't have the van or truck today? They'll hold for 24 hours, and store things you've bought for 2 weeks. The warehouse is cold in the winter and hot in the summer - but they have hot cocoa and coffee and a heating unit at the desk, or coolers of water and fans.  Pay with cash or credit card.

Hear are some of things they had available on Saturday.

What's behind door number ____.  I love the way they displayed these doors.

Lots of granite.  Maybe not enough of any one color to do a full counter top buy certainly enough to cut into serving tray size or to use as a cutting board.  How much fun would it be to have granite serving trays at your next soiree.

I see tons of possibilities here.  Maybe one of these old porcelain pedestals in the basement bathroom when I start the renovation down there.  Hmmm.

I was intrigued with this "sea" of old aluminum trashcans.  Some were in better shape than others.  But with a little elbow grease, most any of them could have been easily cleaned up and would make great use of themselves in the back yard when entertaining a large garden party.  Put one in the shed for refuse.  You could even remove the flip top and place a suitably sized terracotta pot in the opening with a large Boston Fern or other plant of your choice.  Let your mind wander and create.

Stormy Night

This was taken last night at 6:36 PM.  We were threatened with tornado watches last night.  I was making my way home and got this shot of the Washington Monument behind the trees.  The skies were ominous and shortly after I took this picture it started to pour.  I made my way down Constitution Avenue to Independence Avenue and to 295 North and to Cheverly without incident.  I was headed due east and this storm cut right through the middle of the city and headed north to Montgomery County.  So we had very little to no effects from it.  Lucky us!!!  Unfortuantely for those in Northern Virginia, there were confirmed reports of a tornado.

Stormy Night

This was taken last night at 6:36 PM.  We were threatened with tornado watches last night.  I was making my way home and got this shot of the Washington Monument behind the trees.  The skies were ominous and shortly after I took this picture it started to pour.  I made my way down Constitution Avenue to Independence Avenue and to 295 North and to Cheverly without incident.  I was headed due east and this storm cut right through the middle of the city and headed north to Montgomery County.  So we had very little to no effects from it.  Lucky us!!!  Unfortuantely for those in Northern Virginia, there were confirmed reports of a tornado.

Landscaping One OH! One

As a follow-up to the post about my trip to the Watergate today, I wanted to post these pictures I took along the way.  The landscaping company was working on putting in these plants in an island along the sidewalk on the west side of the building which is exclusively residential earlier this week.  I stopped to admire the upgrade to the landscape and ended up talking to one of the women who was in charge of the project.  She told me she was an artist and from these shots I would agree that indeed she is.  Sometimes it only takes a small upgrade to bring a space back to life.  This area had become badly overgrown and was in need for some “sprucing up.”  So, enjoy the tour.

*          *          *

First, a little background on this historic building.

Construction began on the Watergate complex in August, 1963 and was completed in January, 1971.  The complex is a group of five buildings located next to the Kennedy Center.  The site contains an office building, three apartment/condominium buildings, and a hotel-office building. Construction was delayed for several months while the developer, government officials, and others debated the appropriateness of the complex's architectural style and height. It is considered one of Washington's most desirable living spaces.  The complex has been sold several times since the 1980s.  In the 1990s it was split up and buildings and parts of buildings sold to various owners.

The landscaping project you are viewing took place along the section of the building marked with the green and yellow flower.

And here are the pictures for you to enjoy.

Landscaping One OH! One

As a follow-up to the post about my trip to the Watergate today, I wanted to post these pictures I took along the way.  The landscaping company was working on putting in these plants in an island along the sidewalk on the west side of the building which is exclusively residential earlier this week.  I stopped to admire the upgrade to the landscape and ended up talking to one of the women who was in charge of the project.  She told me she was an artist and from these shots I would agree that indeed she is.  Sometimes it only takes a small upgrade to bring a space back to life.  This area had become badly overgrown and was in need for some “sprucing up.”  So, enjoy the tour.

*          *          *

First, a little background on this historic building.

Construction began on the Watergate complex in August, 1963 and was completed in January, 1971.  The complex is a group of five buildings located next to the Kennedy Center.  The site contains an office building, three apartment/condominium buildings, and a hotel-office building. Construction was delayed for several months while the developer, government officials, and others debated the appropriateness of the complex's architectural style and height. It is considered one of Washington's most desirable living spaces.  The complex has been sold several times since the 1980s.  In the 1990s it was split up and buildings and parts of buildings sold to various owners.

The landscaping project you are viewing took place along the section of the building marked with the green and yellow flower.

And here are the pictures for you to enjoy.