Drought Continues In Spite Of Weekend Rains

It poured at my house over the weekend. Not just once, but twice. Rain like we haven't seen in months. Thunder and lightning that was loud and also knocked out my power for a while. I live in upper Montgomery county and we must have picked up over 2 inches of rainfall. In Charles county and in the Fredericksburg area, flood warnings were issued on Sunday afternoon with more than 2 inches in spots.

The rainfall, however, was scattered. Scott in Sperryville, Virginia, for example, was bemoaning the lack of rain in his area. It's still awfully dry.

And where it did rain, it fell too fast. The ground has been rock hard and much of the rain runs off, when it rains so hard, instead of soaking in. What we need to break the drought is regular rainfall.

July is just about over, so we have another 4 to 6 weeks of real summer weather to deal with. Unless we get some kind of tropical system, the odds of regular rainfall are rather low.

It's still summer and that means hit-and-miss type of thunderstorms, when we get them. And after today, it looks like hotter and drier weather returns for the rest of the week.

Paying to Drive

Let me start off by saying I don't think one should be complaining about something of they don't have a better solution, but I find all of this talk about congestion fees and HOT lanes somehwat distressing. HOT stands for high occupancy toll lanes.

Both plans are intended to reduce traffic and congestion. I'm all for that. But, I think when you start charging for the privelege of avoiding traffic and congestion, then you start to penalize one group while rewarding another.

If you have the money, then you would likely pay to get to your destination faster. But, if you can't afford to buy your way out of the traffic jam, then you're just another poor slob who is going to have to wait. Fees like these are most regressive on the people who can least afford them.

I see this as another way to divide people and breed class resentment. Can't you picture the bitter people who are stuck in traffic watching the "wealthy" pass them by? I just see more of the "Haves vs. the Have Nots".

Another argument in favor of these plans is that they will inspire people to use mass transit. Perhaps some, but Metro is not always the best option, especially if you don't live near or work near a station. And what about the taxis and the delivery trucks that have no choice? They have to pay, ad ultimately all of the people who use their services will have to pay.

I wish that I had a better answer, I don't. But I do expect more imaginition from those that we elect.

Beeping Smoke Detectors

I lost an hour of sleep on Friday night. If you've read my colleague Mike Walter's blog, you know how precious sleep is to those of us who work on morning television. Normally, I can stay up later on Friday nights, but on this particular weekend, I was also working Saturday morning. That meant a 3 AM alarm.

Let's back up a moment. Friday evening was gorgeous. We get a call from our friends, the McDermotts. They ask us if we want to pick some fresh corn for dinner. They live about 3 miles north of us in Clarksburg. Their neighbor is a farmer and he is kind enough to allow them to pick some of the corn when it's ripe.

We go and get some corn, which was great, but do to the growing drought conditions, the pickings were slim. We ended up with a baker's dozen ears of corn.

Since they were kind enough to invite us to pick some corn, I invite them over for an impromptu cookout. We have a great time, the kids are playing, the weather is wonderful. Life is good!

But as we're saying our goodbyes, around 9 PM, I hear the beep of the smoke detector. You know that beep, the short one that means you need to replace the battery. I've done this before and I;m figuring that this is just a 5 minute fix.

I start listening to the individual alarms. We have 6 detectors upstairs. One in each bedroom, one in the hallway, and one more that is wired into the alarm system. For the next 45 minutes, I'm going around to each one. I'm removing them one at a time and taking out the batteries. Still no luck. I'm getting a little panicky here because I know it's getting late and that I need to get up at 3 AM.

I now ask my wife, Helaine, and my son, Philip, for help. Philip apparently is the smart one of the group because he wants to go to sleep and he asks me for ear plugs.

Still, the alarm is chirping every minute or so and we can't figure it out. I'm ready to remove them all for the night, when Philip suggests that it could be the carbon monoxide detector. Chalk it up to the 7 year old to think "outside the box".

I'm grateful that there are these wonderful devices that can detect smoke and deadly gases. Countelss lives have been saved by these relatively inexpensice pieces of technology and I think all home should have them. Still, with that said, I wish that there was a better way to figure out which one was chirping. And they both have the exact same chirp.

We take safety seriously in our home, but I was ready to unplug all of my detectors to get some sleep. Thank goodness that at least somebody in my house figured it out. Maybe I didn't get all the sleep I needed, but at least I was sleeping safely.

Pizza: The Tie That Binds

I grew up on Long Island, I went to school at the University at Albany and I even lived in Rochester, NY for 3 years. 25 of my now 41 years have been spent as a resident of New York State.

As a native New Yorker, there are certain traits that are unavoidable: impatience, directness, and a snobbery about NY foods like pizza and bagels.

I have lived in other parts of the country, Gainesville, Florida, New Orleans, Oklahoma City and I even spent 6 weeks in Bakersfield, California. All of these areas have their own food specialties. From my perspective, New Orleans is the restaurant capital of the world. And I've had some great Barbecue and Mexican food in Oklahoma and California.

But when it comes to finding what I consider "good pizza", it can be a real chore. I recognize that not everyone is a New Yorker and that tastes vary, but when it comes to Pizza, I can be a real snob. I hate it when pies(that's New York for what a Pizza is called) come with more than 8 slices or in a checkerboard pattern. I'm also wary of any restaurant that has "NY Style Pizza" as part of their name or in their sign. Usually, they miss the mark. And a large pie should be at least 16" in diameter and barely fit in the box.

Last week, when I was on Long Island, we celebrated my birthday the way we have since I was a kid. Pizza from my favorite place, Colosseo in Port Jefferson Station, and an ice cream cake from Carvel. The ice cream cakes from the actual store really do taste better than the ones in the supermarket. They're fresher. It's that simple. That birthday meal, along with a glass of wine, now that I'm an adult, always works.

I find that when I meet fellow former New Yorkers, that the conversation almost always goes toward pizza. Have you found a good place around here? It's amazing actually, regardless of race, creed, religion, social status, the quest for good pizza crosses all socioeconomic lines. I call this, the tie that binds. As former New Yorkers, we can all relate to pizza. It was one of those quick and easy meals. You could go to the corner pizza joint and get 2 slices and a coke for like 2 dollars. Today, it's more like 4 or 5, but it's still the same experience. The "mom and pop" pizza shops are much more attractive to me than chains like Sbarro's which claim to have "New York" pizza. I know that they have large slices, but often the pizza is slightly salty with not enough sauce.

I know that there are those of you that like "Chicago Style Pizza". I've eaten in Geno's in Chicago. It was good food. But, if I wanted a loaf of bread with my pizza, I'd get a loaf of bread with my pizza. As a New Yorker, thin crust, that can be folded without breaking is what I'm looking for.

When my son was born, I remember telling my wife that he would eat pizza, like I ate Pizza and like my dad ate pizza; folded in half with a napkin in the corner to collect any oil so that it doesn't drip. He taught me how to eat pizza when I was a 4 year-old. I told my wife that this was how it was going to be and that it was non-negotiable. I am happy to report that Philip is becoming a pizza expert and he does eat his slices this way. This was also one of the only occasions that I was able to pull this with my wife.

It took me a few years of living in the DC area before I found pizza that would satisfy my "New York Pizza" cravings. I am a fan of Luciano's pizza in Tyson's Corner Mall and around Fairfax county and also of Mama Lucia's in Montgomery county and now moving into Frederick, Maryland. I'm sure there are a few others, but these are the ones that I have found. I'd love to know what other pizza joints there are that know how to make real New York pizza. Please leave comments for us all.

Bagels are another one of those foods that "New Yorkers" have an affection for. I'm pretty fortunate that there is a bagel place in Germantown, MD, Royal Bagel Bakery, that's just like being on Long Island. Probably because the people who own the place came from Long Island. They also have bialys on weekend mornings and fun cookies and pastries. (If you don't know what a bialy is, this is from dictionary.com:

American Heritage Dictionary -
bi·a·ly (bē-ä'lē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. bia·lys A flat, round baked roll topped with onion flakes

I've been a Maryland resident since 2000, which means I am learning what "real" crab cakes are. But I also know that the "Crab Cake" comments should be coming from a native and not this relatively new resident. I'm sure that the passion for "Crab Cakes" rivals my passion for pizza.

Good Report Cards

My son, Philip, recently received his final report card of the year. He finished first grade with all "O"s. O is for outstanding. Naturally, his mother and I were thrilled.

We reward Philip when he does well. I feel that positive reinforcement is a good thing and accomplishments need to be recognized. This time, we took him to "Toys R US", and let him get some stuff. "Ben 10" is a popular animated series and he picked up some of that along with some Pokemon items.

I told my son that I was very proud of him. I also let him know that if he got all "O"s next year in second grade, every quarter, that I would buy him a super duper reward prize. Anything, but all "O"s and the super duper prize wouldn't happen, but the quarterly rewards would still be awarded.

He was excited by the prospect and said,"What, XBOX 360 or Playstation 3"? I said, "Maybe", not wanting to give it away.

Truth be told, I'm really pulling for him, because I want the game console as much as he does. I'm pretty sure that Philip knows that also.

Family Maintenance Tour

I've got some time off coming up. A week in July and another week in August, and boy, do I need it. Even though we(the family) are taking a couple of trips, I just can't view them as true vacations.

You see, we are spending a week with my in-laws at their place and then a week with my sister at her place.

The in-laws live on Long Island, where I grew up, so at least there's a beach near by. But, it's 5 people sharing a bath and a half. Still, it's good for all of us to get together.

My sister is in Alabama. No better time to visit than in August. When the heat and humidity are at their peak. I also get to visit my mom, who lives in a home near my sister.

While it is good to see family and some old friends, these trips are emotionally difficult ones. On Long Island, I am constantly reminded of what no longer is in my life. The house I grew up on was sold years ago and no longer looks the same. My dad died in late 2001 and I think of him often. Even when I go to my favorite pizza place, I can still picture me and my dad on the stools having a couple of slices. Even the part of Suffolk county that I grew up in now has more traffic, homes and litter than it ever did.

In Alabama, my mom is still holding on to this life. I can't imagine what she is going through. She can't see, macular degeneration, and she can barely walk. When she does talk, it's usually in fragments. Anyone who has ever watched a loved one slowly deteriorate knows what I'm talking about.

On the positive side, my wife and I will get some alone time and we usually find some new places to explore with my son or go to the Space and Science center in Huntsville, a really cool place.

I hope that you get to go on a vacation or two this summer, but for me, it's time for a couple of "Family Maintenance Tours". As for vacations, when the time comes, then I'll take a real one.

The Frederick Keys

Last Friday night, my wife, Helaine, and my son ,Philip, and I went to see The Frederick Keys play the Kinston Indians. Kinston is in eastern North Carolina. That's Philip with "Keyote", the mascot of The Frederick Keys.

I know we have the major league Washington Nationals, but I've always enjoyed minor league baseball.

Maybe it's the effort that the teams make to entertain the fans. The Maryland Dairymaids were on hand giving out coupons for Cabot Cheese and holding a drawing for a bucket of dairy products. These were a bunch of young ladies, I'm guessing in their teens that have some affiliation to either 4H or dairy farming.

On the field there were contests featuring young children in between innings. I love the one where the kids put their foreheads on the bat while it's on the ground and have to circle it 7 times and then run back. There's nothing like watching dizzy elementary school kids trying to race.

And when the game was over, there was a 10 minute fireworks show. Apparently, they do the fireworks thing quite often.

I also met Craig Thompson. He's a Key's fan who was just having some dinner when I walked past him. I met Craig and his family. Nice people. Craig had an even bigger smile on his face a few moments later as he snagged a foul ball as a souvenir.

Another great thing about minor league stadiums is that they are tiny compared to the Major League fields. That means that almost every seat is a good one.

As for the game, the Keys jump out to a 6-1 lead after 6. The starter did a great job. The middle relief was weak because the 9th inning started with a 7-6 lead. So the "closer" comes in and fails to do his job. We go to the bottom of the 9th tied at 7. All the while, we're waiting for the fireworks.

Fortunately, the Keys score one in the bottom of the 9th and win 8-7. What really stinks about this is that the relief pitcher blows the save opportunity, but walks away with the win and the starter gets a no-decision. I never liked this rule.

Walking back to the car after the fireworks show, The Maryland Dairymaids were handing out packages of cheddar cheese. I realized that our family night out featured baseball, fireworks and free cheese. It just doesn't get any better than that.