....Actually it was a ladies book club meeting and I will not name names to protect the guilty; and because I don't know her name.
Lady 1: "What is this, tea with sweetener?
Lady 2: "Sugar"
Lady 1: "What?"
Lady 2: "Sugar. It's sweet tea."
Lady 1: "It's great! We don't get this in Northern Virginia."
Lady 2: "My husband is from Alabama. It's all we ever have."
Lady 1: "How do you make it. Do you just make tea and put a bunch of sugar in it?"
Sigh..... It's where the Army sent us.....
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Begging/Scamming in the Metro System
Since I travel on the famous (infamous?) DC Metro system every day, this topic is near and dear to my heart. If you're a Facebook friend, you've seen my posts about the "Gawd is Good" woman in the Rosslyn station who walks along the platform hollering "Gawd is good, I need a cup of coffee (or whatever) can anybody spare 35 cents" (or some small amount, and even when someone gives her change, she doesn't stop.) Well, last week, I got close enough to realize that she is a he, and he isn't some indigent beggar localized at Rosslyn, he's apparently a Metro road show, because he was outside the Vienna Station! That's seven stops from Rosslyn, at the end of the orange line, and way off the beaten path if he was just a local character. I'm guessing he picks a random station every day for his begging event.
The "Gawd is Good" guy looks like he could actually use some help, and he's a bit of a character, so I don't begrudge him too much. At least there's some entertainment value there (OK, I'm heartless) but this next one gets me hot.
The last three days, I've been lucky enough to get off work relatively early, around 5:30. Friday, I went down to the station and started to my usual waiting spot and there was a guy standing near the exit fare machine. The exit fare machine is where you go to put money on your metro pass if you didn't initially put enough money on it to pay for the trip - the gates won't let you out until you pay up. He approached me and said something like "I didn't realize it was still peak rates, can you spare a dollar or two so I can get out, I really need three, but anything will help". I gave him $3 and walked on. When I looked back, he was gone. I thought that he was awfully quick at the exit fare machine but didn't think too much of it.
Monday, I was down there about the same time. A guy came up the escalator from the downstairs platform and approached another male passenger standing near the exit fare machine. I could tell he was begging and thought he looked familiar, but I didn't have a clear remembrance. The other passenger handed him some money and I watched him walk away and not stop at the exit fare machine. When he walked away with a limping gait, I was pretty sure that was my guy.
Today, about the same time, I'm standing in my normal spot and, lo and behold, the same guy comes up the escalator. He turns to another guy to his immediate left and clearly asks for something and was refused. He moved toward me and made eye contact, but must not have remembered me. He started to speak and I gave him a disapproving scowl and shook my head. He turned around and approached a middle aged woman near (again) the exit fare machine. I could see he was giving his pitch and she was reaching for her purse, so I thought, I can't let this con take this advantage of this lady, so I walked right up to them and said, "you know it's funny he had the same problem yesterday, and Friday." and walked away. I thought that would either embarrass him into walking away, or empower her to say no. I didn't want to cause a violent confrontation (although I'm pretty confident that with a score of Pentagon Force Protection Agency officers, with enforcement powers in the Pentagon station, just at the top of the escalator, I would have come out OK). I know they both heard me because I made eye contact and she said "really" and he did his best to ignore me. Yet I looked back and she was handing him something that looked like a quarter.
I went back to her a couple of minutes later and told her that I think he's a regular that he got me on Friday and she said, "well its a small price to pay". That makes me think this lady gave the cretin some change just to make him go away. That is unconscionable in my opinion.
I've got my eye out for this guy now. In the event I'm in the Pentagon station at 5:30ish, I will haunt him. The next time, I will stand next to the next nice lady he targets until he goes away empty handed.
I have no issue with beggars who sit with a cup and a sign, or even yell "Gawd is Good, it's cold outside". That's freedom of speech and if someone gives them money, that's a voluntary act. Getting up close and personal and making the other person feel uncomfortable until they pay you to go away is not acceptable.
The "Gawd is Good" guy looks like he could actually use some help, and he's a bit of a character, so I don't begrudge him too much. At least there's some entertainment value there (OK, I'm heartless) but this next one gets me hot.
The last three days, I've been lucky enough to get off work relatively early, around 5:30. Friday, I went down to the station and started to my usual waiting spot and there was a guy standing near the exit fare machine. The exit fare machine is where you go to put money on your metro pass if you didn't initially put enough money on it to pay for the trip - the gates won't let you out until you pay up. He approached me and said something like "I didn't realize it was still peak rates, can you spare a dollar or two so I can get out, I really need three, but anything will help". I gave him $3 and walked on. When I looked back, he was gone. I thought that he was awfully quick at the exit fare machine but didn't think too much of it.
Monday, I was down there about the same time. A guy came up the escalator from the downstairs platform and approached another male passenger standing near the exit fare machine. I could tell he was begging and thought he looked familiar, but I didn't have a clear remembrance. The other passenger handed him some money and I watched him walk away and not stop at the exit fare machine. When he walked away with a limping gait, I was pretty sure that was my guy.
Today, about the same time, I'm standing in my normal spot and, lo and behold, the same guy comes up the escalator. He turns to another guy to his immediate left and clearly asks for something and was refused. He moved toward me and made eye contact, but must not have remembered me. He started to speak and I gave him a disapproving scowl and shook my head. He turned around and approached a middle aged woman near (again) the exit fare machine. I could see he was giving his pitch and she was reaching for her purse, so I thought, I can't let this con take this advantage of this lady, so I walked right up to them and said, "you know it's funny he had the same problem yesterday, and Friday." and walked away. I thought that would either embarrass him into walking away, or empower her to say no. I didn't want to cause a violent confrontation (although I'm pretty confident that with a score of Pentagon Force Protection Agency officers, with enforcement powers in the Pentagon station, just at the top of the escalator, I would have come out OK). I know they both heard me because I made eye contact and she said "really" and he did his best to ignore me. Yet I looked back and she was handing him something that looked like a quarter.
I went back to her a couple of minutes later and told her that I think he's a regular that he got me on Friday and she said, "well its a small price to pay". That makes me think this lady gave the cretin some change just to make him go away. That is unconscionable in my opinion.
I've got my eye out for this guy now. In the event I'm in the Pentagon station at 5:30ish, I will haunt him. The next time, I will stand next to the next nice lady he targets until he goes away empty handed.
I have no issue with beggars who sit with a cup and a sign, or even yell "Gawd is Good, it's cold outside". That's freedom of speech and if someone gives them money, that's a voluntary act. Getting up close and personal and making the other person feel uncomfortable until they pay you to go away is not acceptable.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Garbage Trucks and Computers
I think if Joseph had any comprehension of "what I want to be when I
grow up" right now, I'm guessing he would probably say garbage truck
driver. A few weeks ago, I was sitting at Jeni's laptop when Janelle
did something that got him terribly upset. He was inconsolable, so I
put him in my lap and went to youtube and watched some monster truck
videos and that made it all better. Since then we've watched
bulldozers, race cars, firetrucks, etc., but lately its been all garbage
trucks, all the time. Joseph will come over to me and say, "Daddy.
Watch garbage truck. On computer." He loves to watch video's like
this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06xpoVe6ZoQ He'll just sit and watch, and point, calling out colors, etc.
This afternoon, I was upstairs, doing whatever I was doing with my new Kindle Fire (love it, by the way). Joseph came in the bedroom, came over to the bed and gave me the old, "Daddy, watch garbage trucks on computer" bit. I had a brainstorm and let him up on the bed and we watched about 30 minutes of youtube videos of garbage trucks on the Fire. Just the boys hanging out while the girls were downstairs doing whatever it is girls do when the men are away. Jeni sneaked in to see what we were up to and took this pic. Good times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06xpoVe6ZoQ He'll just sit and watch, and point, calling out colors, etc.
This afternoon, I was upstairs, doing whatever I was doing with my new Kindle Fire (love it, by the way). Joseph came in the bedroom, came over to the bed and gave me the old, "Daddy, watch garbage trucks on computer" bit. I had a brainstorm and let him up on the bed and we watched about 30 minutes of youtube videos of garbage trucks on the Fire. Just the boys hanging out while the girls were downstairs doing whatever it is girls do when the men are away. Jeni sneaked in to see what we were up to and took this pic. Good times.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Janelle's "Chore Chart"
Jennifer bought Janelle a little Chore Chart, where she has tasks to perform every day. If she completes the task, she gets a star for that task for the day. It's all age appropriate stuff, like go to bed and stay in bed, get dressed, pick up your mess, things like that. If she accumulates a certain number of stars each week - a number we set to keep it realistically achievable - she gets a reward. The first week, it was lunch out with Daddy. Last week, it was a sleepover with Aunt Kellie in her hotel room.
She has one of these clocks that tells her when its OK to get up. That's how she's judged on the go to bed and stay in bed metric. She has to be quiet and let Mommy sleep until the clock turns green to get that star.
This morning, she was up before I left (~6:15). I saw her bedside light on and went in to check on her. She was partly awake, so I gave her a hug and kiss and told her to go back asleep. After I went downstairs to get ready to leave, I heard footsteps upstairs. I looked up and saw the bathroom light on. I went up and she was already done in the bathroom and back in her room. I peeked in and she was sitting on the bed looking at her Cinderella book. I gave her another hug and kiss and headed to work, thinking Jeni was getting an early wake-up.
Tonight, I asked Jeni what time Janelle got up. She said Janelle came in our room at 7:30, and said, "Mommy, my clocks green and I'm dressed!" I guess she responds well to positive reinforcement. She'd waited patiently for over an hour and managed her time and activities to get dressed while she was waiting. I'm really proud that she's "getting it".
She has one of these clocks that tells her when its OK to get up. That's how she's judged on the go to bed and stay in bed metric. She has to be quiet and let Mommy sleep until the clock turns green to get that star.
This morning, she was up before I left (~6:15). I saw her bedside light on and went in to check on her. She was partly awake, so I gave her a hug and kiss and told her to go back asleep. After I went downstairs to get ready to leave, I heard footsteps upstairs. I looked up and saw the bathroom light on. I went up and she was already done in the bathroom and back in her room. I peeked in and she was sitting on the bed looking at her Cinderella book. I gave her another hug and kiss and headed to work, thinking Jeni was getting an early wake-up.
Tonight, I asked Jeni what time Janelle got up. She said Janelle came in our room at 7:30, and said, "Mommy, my clocks green and I'm dressed!" I guess she responds well to positive reinforcement. She'd waited patiently for over an hour and managed her time and activities to get dressed while she was waiting. I'm really proud that she's "getting it".
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