GWU (wikimedia)

This year’s campusgrotto.com list of the Most Expensive Colleges for 2009-2010 is out, and the leaderboard has changed over previous years. Former Most Expensive College George Washington (2007-08) has “slipped” from the number two to the number three spot with a total cost estimate of $51,730. Close behind at number seven is that other local tuition “powerhouse,” Georgetown.  Other institutions that are at least somewhat close-by on the top 100 list include: Johns Hopkins (6), Richmond (77), Loyola University Maryland (93), and Washington and Lee University (94). The campusgrotto.com list calculates total cost as Tution + Room and Board, but does not include books or fees.

Don’t have a heart attack, applicants; many of these institutions offer pretty generous financial aid packages.  These are still some pretty steep price tags; even the institution at the bottom of the list, Northeastern University, tops $46,000!

Did I miss any other local high-dollar institutions?

Ben’s has been featured in just about every travelogue related to DC that one can think of!   Recent expansions include the new Nationals Ballpark and Ben’s Next Door.

We at DC Metblogs want to express our heartfelt condolences to the Ali family.  Rest in peace, Ben, and thanks for creating such a great place for us Washingtonians to love.

Ben's on U Street (wikimedia). Thanks for everything!

Olie the Goalie

I know y’all are used to seeing sports posts from Frank and Patrick, but I just can’t help putting my two cents in on the news that Olaf Kolzig, beloved former goalie for the Capitals, has announced his retirement.

When I moved to the DC area in 1993, I was in dire need of a team to adopt!  I was raised in New York, where kids have to choose their team loyalties early (mine were, of course, Giants/Mets/Knicks).  Back then DC had no baseball, and pretty much all I could say was that I did know the difference between hockey and figure skates.

And so the Caps became my local favorites.  Over the years I’ve watched many a Caps game.  Olie was there through nearly all those years — from the days of carpooling out to the old Cap Centre in PG County (where said carpool driver once nearly ran over Dale Hunter by accident — thank God that didn’t happen), to the games in the new-fangled Phone Booth.  My friends and I learned the nuances of icing. I went to games wearing my #22 Konowalchuk sweater, as he rose from fourth-line to captain.  We griped when the uniforms changed to “Wizards” blue-and-gold, and cheered when they went back to their old logo.

Then!  In 1998!  It finally happened!  The Caps were able to help me check an item off my Lifetime List of Things to Do: seeing the Stanley Cup Finals.  Sure, the RedWings skated away with the Cup, but it was a blast and the team owed a lot of its success that year (and in other years) to their giant Godzilla-like keeper, “Olie the Goalie.”

The Post is polling its readership on whether the organization should retire #37.  I, personally, believe the correct answer to this question is, “Duh,” and it looks like there are those who agree (as of 4:30 PM the polling was 89% in favor)!  Sure, the Caps don’t have title pennants flying from the rafters, but in my opinion old #37 deserves recognition as the best goalie in franchise history.

What do you think, DC?  Share some of your favorite Caps moments and your opinion on whether the Caps should retire #37!

Regardless, let’s all say thanks for some great play and join in a virtual chant:  Olie! Olie! Olie!

A girl's best friend? (wikimedia)

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, as you probably know, is the home of the infamous Hope Diamond.  This huge, beautiful  blue diamond came into the museum’s possession in 1958, after it was donated by Harry Winston, Inc.  It’s famous for its size (45.52 carats), its color (”fancy dark grayish-blue”), and its “curse”.

But now, the Smithsonian wants to jazz things up a bit.  They are planning to put the diamond in a brand-new setting, one of three possibilities designed by the aforementioned Winston jewellers.  Which one?  Well, that depends on you!  You can vote for your favorite of the three settings,  on the Smithsonian Channel website.

The good news is, that while the winning setting is being made, the diamond will be shown on its own, outside of any setting.  According to the museum, it’s never been publicly shown that way before.  Cool!

The bad news is, we’ve only got three settings to choose from, and to my eye none of them are really a “Dynasty was cancelled in 1989, so vote for this elegant new classic” version.  What do you think, DC?  Am I too conservative?

So, click on over and vote for your favorite, before the deadline on Monday, September 7!  Then plan your visits to the museum to see the Hope Diamond has been up till now, as it is by itself, and as it will be, in its new setting.  (I hear there are cool dinosaurs and some recent ocean-related thingy over there, too.)

We suggest you take the bus

If you’ve got folks coming in to town for a visit, or are planning to leave town for a visit, and were planning to take the Metro to the Airport, you’ll have to settle for shuttle bus service from the Pentagon station. Taking the shuttle could add significantly to your travel time, so plan an extra hour if you need it.

I guess the up side is that riders on the Blue and Yellow lines this Labor Day weekend, will be able to experience what it must be like in other cities, with express trains? Yeah, I was seriously not reading that WMATA release closely enough.  We’ll be wishing we could move to those express-train-possessing cities, instead!

More info on the weekend’s disruption is available from both WaPo and WMATA.

Saturday, we all woke up to news-channel remembrances and the funeral being broadcast from the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston before his internment at Arlington National Cemetery, next to two of his three brothers (the fourth, and eldest, Joe Jr. was killed in WWII and never recovered).  While I was watching, I decided to head down to view the procession as it went down Memorial Drive to the cemetery. I’d seen the Reagan and Ford funeral processions so making the trip down to ANC would just be keeping up my own little tradition. (Story continues after the jump.)

Waiting for the procession

I hopped on the Metro and arrived on Memorial Drive at about 3 PM.  I wasn’t alone, but when I first arrived there were more press than anything else.  However, as the hot day wore on, more and more arrived to wave goodbye to a popular figure in DC, and the last Kennedy Brother.  Some mourners arrived with homemade signs, some had chairs to relax on, some had umbrellas to hide from the sun. The really smart folks brought their own snacks and water – we ended up waiting in the muggy heat for several hours longer than we had expected due to bad weather in Boston.  The woman next to me checked progress on her Blackberry and kept me posted.

Get behind the barricade!

I was next to the visitor’s gate of the cemetery, between the Metro station and the Women in Military Service memorial.  The nearby journalists were constantly trawling for interviews, but only a few of us acquiesced.  Since the cemetery was open (though the Kennedy burial site closed in preparation), we were treated to hours of entertainment by the senior security man at the entrance. He corralled his folks, the tour buses, the traffic, and us spectators enthusiastically all afternoon long!  Only a few protesters were in attendance – the same anti-papists who protested the Pope’s visit last year.  They stuck by the Metro station escalators waving their signs.

Free Speech

As the procession began to approach people began to encroach on the roadway, and mounted Park Police came out for crowd control.  There was one particular group who didn’t seem to want to move, but a strategic placement of  horse-puckey put them back with the rest of us.  (It seemed somehow wrong to be laughing with the procession just a few minutes away, but we really couldn’t help it.)  With just a few minutes to go, the last group of journos polled for opinion on Kennedy, and why folks had come by.  A little boy, perhaps eight years old who was perched on the fence next to me stopped the last reporter just as he was moving away and made a great, heartfelt statement.  He was interviewed by Al-Jazeera English – I wonder if he made it on the air? (I don’t get that channel!)

Soon the procession itself arrived, and suddenly the crowd broke out into spontaneous, yet quiet applause.  Some people in the crowd called out, “Kennedy! Kennedy!” as the cars and buses carrying attendees went by.  And the Kennedys seemed overwhelmed by the affection the crowd showed.  I hadn’t realized that they were driving by with the windows open, waving back at the crowd.  Vicki Kennedy, the senator’s widow, was simply waving and saying, “Thank you,” over and over.  No matter what one might think of them politically, I have to feel that was an amazingly generous thing for them to do.  After forty-five years of public funerals, I don’t think anyone would have blamed them if they’d kept the windows closed.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009

Mrs. Kennedy waves back at the crowd

Anyway…we went to The Occidental, which is one of those places that’s stereotypically Washingtonian (walls covered with politicians’ photos, luxe banquettes hiding the fat cats as they wheel and deal) and which I have always wanted to visit.  It is also, however, located in the Willard and is one of the more expensive places in town, so naturally I haven’t been there.  So, Restaurant Week is the perfect time to check it out.  This year’s price point, $35.09 for three courses, is lower than the price of several entrees on the regular menu, so that is what I call a bargain!

The place is, of course, beautiful; our server was crisp, friendly, and fast, and the food was omnomnom delicious.  Reasonable portion sizes, beautifully presented.  I had risotto, steak, and a chocolate dessert.  All of which was fabulous!  My companions each had different appetizers and one of them had a different entree, and we each tried a bit of the other.  I can tell you that everything which came to the table was wonderful.  The plating was nice, the aromas were terrific, and the flavors were great.  Our cocktails were even mixed well.

Now, Occidental is one of the best places around.  It’s not surprising that the food and drink were thoroughly enjoyable.  What was especially pleasant for me, was that the service was just as wonderful as if we were running up a $500 check.  Folks who complain about RW often complain that the service is bad because the places are so busy.  I’ve been RW-ing for long enough, though, to realize that the best bargains are at the best places.  Occidental, 701, Tosca, etc.  They know how to run their dining room, and they know that the real purpose of RW is to give a person like me a wonderful experience, so that I will go back and pay full price.

Which I will.

Bravo, Occidental!

DC Restaurant Week, August 24 – 30.  Don’t despair, many restaurants (including Occidental) are extending their RW offerings.  Book your table!

Drink lots and lots of water, or other non-alcoholic fluids.  And don’t wait until you’re thirsty!  If you do, it means you’re already dehydrated, which can be downright dangerous on hot days like today.  And it’s OK to be sweaty; your body’s just trying to stay cool.  If, on the other hand, you find that you’re not sweating (or you encounter someone who isn’t) when exposed to this heat, seek help immediately.  It could be a sign of hyperthermia.  Other signs include nausea, cramping, or confusion.

Don’t go crazy with the exercise, either, DC.  Do you usually walk five or ten blocks from the Metro to your  home or office instead of taking a bus?  Swallow your pride and hop on that bus today.

If you must be active outdoors, then try to restrict activity to the early morning or late evening hours, when the sun’s rays won’t be beating down directly over your head.  Be sure  to replenish with extra cool water or sports drinks while you’re doing anything outside.   Rest often, in the shade if you can.  In fact, everyone should try to stay in the shade as much as possible on hot summer days – while the temperature is of course just as high, the air can feel as much as ten degrees cooler.   It’s worth it to cross to the shady side of the street!

Protect your skin with sunscreen, and a wide-brimmed hat if possible. (Well, this is good advice no matter what the weather.  Even on cloudy days or in the winter, those UV rays are still whizzing down from space!  I always say, “there’s no such thing as a healthy tan.”)

Never, ever, leave anyone (human or animal) in a car!  Windows up or down, the temperature inside a vehicle skyrockets in a matter of minutes! And don’t forget that your pet is wearing a fur coat that can’t be taken off.  Be sure they also have extra cool water and a place to relax with some cool air.

If you’re like me, you have an elaborate strategy in place to ensure that you’ll be exposed to the heat as little as possible, and will instead stay indoors, in air-conditioned comfort.  However, not everyone has A/C in the home or workplace.  If you don’t have A/C, then I highly recommend escaping to an air-conditioned public place.  We all know DC has plenty of free attractions like museums and historic places you can visit for free.  (The Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/Portrait Gallery even has free wi-fi!)  Public libraries, other government buildings, or even shopping centers are also good bets.  Then there are my two favorite choices:  the movies, or the ice rink.  And if you can’t leave your  home, try taking a cool shower or bath.

More tips available from the EPA, CDC, and Red Cross.

As a person who hails from the Catskill region, where the film is set (but was not actually filmed), I always get a kick out of this one.  Not to mention that it co-stars the inestimable Jerry Orbach, who was a pleasure to watch in anything he did, from Guys & Dolls to Law & Order.

The film will be shown at Tingey Plaza, near Nationals Park, starting when the sun goes down (about 8:45 PM).

Dude, where's my bus?

So, according to NextBus, the “next bus” (see what I did there?) heading for the Metro from my office will be arriving in a mere six minutes.  Unfortunately, I don’t get to go home for a few more hours.

The utility shows arrival times for the next three buses at the desired location, which you can select by stop number (those little signs on every bus stop signpost) or just use the dropdowns to select your route, direction, and intersection.  You can access the service from your computer, or a mobile device; and if you have a favorite location that you’ll be checking all the time (your home, your office) you can bookmark that custom location as well.  Neato!  Earlier this week the DC DOT introduced a similar system for Circulator buses as well.

Have a look and let us know what you think, DC.  Is it worth it after the years of waiting?