I never really paid attention to the writing on this sign before, located on St. Elmo Street in Bethesda. I imagine it’s in front of a hair designer, but I didn’t see one, not that I was looking. Mostly what I noticed, other than the drawing of a woman about to get naked, was that she encourages us to examine what is behind her.

What’s behind her? Surprise! More sidewalk and, as you can see, a car partly blocking the sidewalk. I wonder if this sign really does anything to promote Valentino’s or if people just assume it’s an ad for a strip club, as I did for about a year before stopping to read it.

Photo: Do they sell boobs? Originally uploaded by carlweaver

I was walking to the supermarket near my office when I encountered this obstacle. Of course, instead of safely crossing the street, everyone, including me, was walking single-file on the curb on Old Georgetown Road. yeah, it’s not exactly smart, but at least it adds a little drama to my otherwise dull day in a windowless office.

What’s curious is that the sidewalk was closed for no apparent reason. Construction is done in this building, so there were no obvious dangers.

Thanks, all you mysterious people who get paid to block sidewalks. Often you do a good job but this time I fail to see why it’s closed. The bricks have already been walked on, so please fear that no more.

Photo: Closed for what? Originally uploaded by carlweaver

Please help me understand this difference. Better yet, if you have a favorite gelato spot, please let me know. I am will to try it again, but the stuff I got at the cafe under the National Gallery of Art fell short of the mark for being what I would call good or tasty. In fact, I threw out half of it. If you have seen me near ice cream, you know that never happens.

So is gelato really worth pursuing or is my intuition right that it is simply genetically inferior to ice cream?

Safeway employees and managers - every time I am ready to give your store another chance, I see something like this. It doesn’t take much to keep the place looking decent. Is this how you save money? Do you try to reduce shrinkage by waiting until the ants carry everything off to their intricate system of nests somewhere in the building?

Do any of our readers work for Safeway and want to comment? All I can think is that if there is one ant-infested part of the building, there are likely to be others.

I saw this motorcycle parked behind the National Gallery of Art on Sunday. Does anyone know whose it is? Without evidence to the contrary, I would have to guess that George Clinton picked up a job there.

Who would do such a thing to a motorcycle? Even though I think it was ass ugly, I have to admit that it had a certain flair and filled me with admiration for the person who apparently thinks it looks good. It was certainly good handiwork if nothing else.

Due to ongoing power outages and extreme temperatures, Fairfax County will open two cooling centers on Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cub Run RECenter, 4630 Stonecroft Boulevard, Chantilly, and the Providence RECenter, 7525 Marc Drive, Falls Church.

Residents can lie down, cool down and get cold water at both these centers. However, people visiting the cooling centers will not be able to use the fitness facilities or pools for free. Those who need transportation or more information should call these centers directly. Call the Cub Run RECenter at 703-817-9407, TTY 711; the Providence RECenter at 703-698-1351, TTY 711.

This weekend residents also can get a temporary respite from the heat at one of the county’s library branches, other RECenters and pools, or private facilities, such as a mall. However, residents should call the facility first to verify hours of operation.

Resting for just two hours in air conditioning and drinking water can significantly reduce heat-related illnesses.

Residents who need immediate, life-saving help should call 9-1-1. For other safety help, call the public safety non-emergency phone number at 703-691-2131, TTY 711.

More information on how to stay safe and cool is available online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/.

What are you doing today to keep cool?

Unlike what mom said about no internet until 30 minutes after you eat, foodies and techies do mix. See tonight’s episode of Jonny’s Partay and chat with some socially minded foodie techie folks. Dig the description by DC’s very own favorite man about town Jonny Goldstein:

We are pleased to host Sean Shadmand and Isaac Mosquera, the founders of familyoven.com on Jonny’s Par-tay on May 28, 2008. Also on the show Andrew “Batterista” Wright, who will challenge us to pick the best butter out of a dairy-licious selection.

FamilyOven.com is a cooking oriented social network with over 500,000 registered users. Jonny has tried recipes off the site and loved the results. We’ll talk with Sean and Isaac about how they got the idea for Family Oven, and how it is working as a business.

We are also going to have a special bonus feature with Andrew “Batterista” Wright, who besides being a tech entrepreneur, is obsessed with butter. We’ll do a Jonny’s Par-tay Batterista Butter Blind Benchmark.

What: Jonny’s Par-tay, the interactive online TV talk show, with guests Sean Shadmand, Isaac Mosquera, Andrew Wright, and host Jonny Goldstein, with a little Scott Stead magic poured on top.
When: May 28, 9-10PM Eastern
Where: jonnyspartay.com
Interactivity: As always, you are invited to text chat us live. It’s a Par-tay!

Remember - wherever Jonny is, it’s always a par-tay.

I highly recommend this restaurant. Fabulous food, great service and reasonable prices for an upscale place.

The Arlington County Police Department will close several streets in the Clarendon, Courthouse, and Rosslyn neighborhoods on Saturday, May 10, 2008, for the Battle of the Boulevard 10K Race and the annual Neighborhood Day Parade.

The Battle of the Boulevard Race and after-race activities will begin in Clarendon, at 9 am and finish at approximately noon.

The Neighborhood Day Parade will begin at Court House and proceed up Wilson Boulevard at 1 pm. It will end at Irving Street, at approximately 3:00 pm.

The streets that will be affected are listed below.

From 6 am to 3 pm:

*Clarendon Blvd. from Washington Blvd. to Highland Street
(Clarendon Blvd. will have a sound stage set up on it, from 7 am to 3 pm. The road will open when the stage is removed)

*Wilson Blvd. from Washington Blvd. to N. Highland Street

*N. Highland St. from Clarendon Blvd. to Wilson Blvd.

From 8 am to 11 am:

*Wilson Blvd. from Highland Street to Rt. 110 North @ I-395

Wilson Blvd will reopen from 11 am to 12:30 pm to regular traffic. At 12:30 pm, Wilson Blvd. will be closed from Highland Street to Veitch Street for the Neighborhood parade. These closures should last until 3 pm.

If you have any questions related to road closures, contact Lt. Donald Grinder of the Arlington County Police Department at 703-228-4259

Race participants and Neighborhood Day attendees are encouraged to use Metro. The Clarendon, Courthouse, and Rosslyn stations on the Orange Line are located near both events.

In addition, street parking in the area will be restricted. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-228-4252. dlp/oem