This image is taken with a Holga at the Dupont Circle North metro station.  I love how the long exposure was able to pull a fire out of the evening sky.
   
   

   
We watched the fireworks from Meridian Hill park this year.  The gentleman that climbed the Joan of Arc sculpture had the best view in the house.  His focused gaze up towards the theatrics is the sky is eerily similar to the look on Joan of Arc’s face as she charges into battle.
   
   

 
   
My final submission was snapped during my morning commute.  It is taken with a Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim, a junk camera with a wide angle plastic lens.  Even in the blustery weather that we have had recently, my morning rides always put me in a good mood.  I think this photo captures the pure enjoyment of a leisurely ride.
   
   

   
The melancholy lyrics of “BMX Bike” by the Bouncing Souls always ring through my ears as the seasons take the swift change from cool, crisp, and pleasant to cold, damp, and dreary.  For DC I think that switch might have officially happened yesterday.  Rainy day bike commutes (woohoo fenders!) and bundling up has become a thing of the present.
   
Rain, however, does have the photographic benefit of providing lots of opportunities for glistening reflections at night.  As I left the grocery store last night I snapped the photo above of the liquor store neon sign shining bright and casting a ethereal purple glow upon the sidewalk.
   
Next step: get an unbusted umbrella!

   
On the way to work today I got the coveted back seat of the rear car on the metro.  This is probably not cared about by most commuting folk but I like it because it allows me to pass the time by taking fun photos as we pull away from metro stations.  This one is the view exiting Judiciary Square headed towards Union Station.  Also, it kind of reminds me of sitting in the back of those old station wagons that had the seat pointed backwards (which allowed you to make faces and incite road rage on the drivers behind you).
   
Anyone get hit with a good April Fools joke?
   

I figure I’m going to be taking about a bazillion photos in the coming days so I thought I’d do a tri-photo post instead of a stingy single photo post…enjoy!

Lori and I met over at Tryst on Friday night for a few post work drinks. This minivan pulled up on 18th St. and started opening up shop. They had Obama signs, posters, hats, shirts, pins, and American flags all for sale at presumably obscene price, the one thing that they didn’t have, and keep in mind yesterday was the coldest day DC has seen in something like a decade, was customers. Hats off to them for their entrepreneurial spirit but sometimes you just need to bow to mother nature and realize that people are not, 5 days before the actual inauguration, going to stop in the freezing cold and buy patriotic paraphernalia (and don’t you need a permit for that sort of thing anyway?).

We watched the less than successful street vending from our comfortable perch at the window bar in Tryst. Special on the menu for this chilly January evening were three pleasantly warm drinks:
   

The Vermonter – Irish Whiskey and Irish Cream with hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, the Hot Vanilla Russian – Vanilla Kahlua and Vodka with hot coffee and steamed half n’ half topped with whipped cream, and the Caramel Apple – fresh steemedhot apple cider and caramel with Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. These are all delectable…very very delectable (we made sure to try each one…a couple times). If you happen to be in Adams Morgan I’d whole heartedly recommend stopping in for a pleasant winter warmer. Tried to figure out if the selection of drinks had any thing to do with President – Elect whose, now famous, Shepard Fairey portrait is prominently featured on the menu but could not come up with any particular connection. Anyone more politically in tune think of any relation of these drinks?

Just up the hill at the corner of 18th and Columbia Adams Morgan Mainstreet/Adams Morgan NOW are hosting a series of Republican Elephant pinata bashings. This photo is from the 1st of the bashings that occurred last night at 5:30p. Since then they have hosted 3 more bashings but don’t fret there are still opportunities available for those in need of getting out some pent up political anger. The schedule for the remaining times is as follows:

- Grand Central, Saturday 7p

- Tom Tom, Sunday 9:30p

- El Tamarindo, Tuesday 12 midnight

So go, get angry, shout into the mega phone about how Bush disappointed you in the last 8 years, smash the elephant pinata, subsequently eat some candy, stop by the kiosk and write down your hopes and message for the incoming administration, and generally enjoy yourself while doing so.

   
I’ve seen this truck a couple of times in the last 2-3 years while driving around the city.  In the past the timing was never right, I’d catch a bad light cycle, or be stuck behind someone going a solid 15 mph as the truck would zip down the road, or the truck would turn right when I really needed to go straight, and I was never  able to actually read the message in it entirety.  The truck had always made me laugh, particularly the signature – so very clever, and intrigued me a bit so you can imagine how pleasant a surprise it was to find the once elusive truck parked over near Metro Center.  I don’t know anything about the driver/owner of the vehicle,  I don’t know if it is associated with any business (there was a street vendor set up to the side of the truck), and I don’t know what the motive was for the paint job in the first place but I like it.