Day 128/365 - Dante

I ventured over to the Rosslyn Spectrum tonight to see 'Dante' -- Synetic Theater Company's adaptation of Dante's Divine Comedy. Well, it's billed as an adaptation of the entire Divine Comedy but actually it's the Inferno with about five minutes of Purgatorio and Paradiso at the end. That's fine, though. The Inferno is the most interesting of the three parts anyhow.

It took me a bit of wandering around the byways of Rosslyn to find the Spectrum. It's one of the most unprepossessing performance spaces you're ever likely to encounter. It's a drab, concrete, underground auditorium with even less warmth and life than GW's Lisner Auditorium. Once the peformance begins though, none of that matters.

I've been wanting to catch one of Synetic Theater's productions for some time but I always seem to miss out. I wanted to make sure I saw this one, though. Given the source material, I had a feeling they would be able to do some amazing things with this production. I was right.

Synetic relies primarily on dance and motion and silent film style acting to advance the narrative of the works they perform. A few years back they did an entirely silent version of Hamlet that got rave reviews. 'Dante' features a fair amount of exposition, however. I believe this may be one of their most dialogue-heavy shows. That doesn't detract from it being a phenomenal thing to watch.

The set and costume design for 'Dante' are nothing short of brilliant. In fact, it's nearly worth the price of admission just to see the character and set skectches by production designer Anastasia Ryurikov Simes that hang in the Spectrum lobby as pictured above. It's a very visually arresting production. There are images and scenes that will stay with you long after the performance ends, particularly the sight of damned souls being dragged by demons to their torment in slow motion. Visually, the production holds echoes of the movies 'The Cell,' 'Escape From New York,' and 'The Road Warrior'; German expressionist cinema; and various Marilyn Manson videos. That sounds like an odd mix, but it works and works well.

The performances are outstanding, although I'm not entirely sold on the performer portraying Virgil. The score is adequate. It's difficult though to view the various aspects of the production in isolation. It's really a work that needs to be analyzed as a whole and as a whole it's excellent. It's immediately obvious that a great deal of effort and energy went into the production, all to great effect.

Synetic's 'Dante' is an amazing and memorable work of performance art. It's certainly not the sort of thing you'd expect to encounter in an underground auditorium on a sidestreet in Rosslyn. But no matter where this production was being staged, it would be worth going to see.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 127/365 - The Marriage of Figaro

So it turns out that 'The Marriage of Figaro' isn't just an opera by Mozart, it's also a late 18th century comedic play by French playwright Beaumarchais. The play was banned by King Louis XVI because of its proto-Revolutionary sentiment, chiefly the ideas that accidents of birth do not serve as a proxy for true worth and that in many ways a servant might be superior to a master.

Constellation Theatre Company is currently staging a production of Beaumarchais' 'The Marriage of Figaro' at the Source Theatre and tonight my friend Adriana and I went to see it. Before the show, I stopped in at Cafe St. Ex (it's nearly next door to the theater) to have dinner. I'd been wanting to try CSX for some time now, but after having done so I think it's probably a better place to go for drinks and appetizers than for dinner. I had the creamy tomato soup with cheese-coated croutons (really good), grilled rockfish with bacony brussel sprouts and cheese-stuffed figs (just okay, although the figs were yummy), and tangerine creme brulee (so-so). Adriana had to meet up with another friend of hers before the show so she couldn't make it for dinner, but she did swing by CSX in time to join me for dessert (she had the chai ice cream sundae, which was just okay). Then it was off to the theater.

Source is a somewhat unusual theater. The stage takes up more room than the audience seating area. There are only three rows of seats and each row is maybe 15-18 seats long. If you are unfamiliar with the plot of 'Figaro' it concerns a wily servant who is about to wed -- assuming he can stave off the love-starved predations of a thwarted spinster and keep his master the Count from seducing his fiancee, that is. Beaumarchais' play runs a bit long, particularly in the saggy second act. It could certainly stand with some trimming. The play had it's funny moments though, a few of which were unintentional -- as when Bazile's turban came unwound mid-speech and the Count's cape got snagged on a bench as he stormed offstage. In each case the actors responded to the physical miscues with admirable aplomb.

The peformances were largely adequate, with the actress playing Figaro's fiancee Suzanne being the strongest. Given the space and technical constrictions at Source, the set design was excellent. The costuming was also quite good with the possible exception of the drunken gardener, who would have been better appointed with a straw hat instead of an anachronistic stocking cap. Taking into account that we got our tickets for 10 bucks each through Goldstar, I think 'Figaro' was worth the price of admission. I'd likely have felt differently however if we'd had to pay full-price rather than half.

After the show Adriana was feeling a bit peckish from missing dinner so I introduced her to the myriad wonders of Ben's Chili Bowl, where she partook of her first ever half-smoke and we split an order of cheese fries. Now that she's had her baptism by chili, she's an official Washingtonian.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 126/365 - At the Dentist's Office

I was a big, brave boy and went to the dentist's office this morning for the first time in 14 years. And she didn't even yell at me! She did 'tut, tut' a bit, though. I think I picked a good dentist. I always try to go to women doctors and dentists because I think they are less likely to be egotistical jerks than are men. I realize that's more than a bit sexist and stereotypical -- I'm sure women doctors are just as capable of being egotistical and jerky as their male counterparts -- but it generally works out.

I picked my dentist (Dr. Sheila at the South Capitol Smile Center) because (a) she accepts my insurance, (b) she's Metro accessible, (c) she's a woman, and (d) her website said she was from the Midwest (and thus in my biased Midwestern opinion more likely to be nice). Her office is right across from Nationals Park so I got to walk by the ballpark this morning for the first time since the end of last season. It looked a bit sad sitting there all by its lonesome in the off-season.

The results of my exam were pretty good. Apart from the tooth that is falling apart (see Day 117 for details), I have a couple small spots of decay, some filings that need replacing (given that I got them when I was 8, they've held up pretty well), and some wear due to grinding or clenching my teeth (for which I will shortly get stuck with wearing a mouth guard at night). The dentist was amazed. When I told her how long it had been she was expecting a disaster.

Today was just the exam and cleaning. I have to go back early next month for the tune-up. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid a root canal on the falling apart tooth. Thank goodness for insurance. That covered my check-up and will knock two-thirds off the cost of my tune-up. Going to the dentist sure has changed. There's a flat screen monitor attached to the chair and your x-rays instantly show up on it, along with color photos of your teeth they take with this wand-like camera. It was kinda cool, actually.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 125/365 - The Dog in the Manger

"The Dog in the Manger" is a romantic, comedic play by celebrated Spanish playwright Lope de Vega. An English language version of the play is currently being staged by the Shakespeare Theatre Company at its Lansburgh Theatre and tonight I went to check it out. This is shaping up to be an overstuffed week for me in terms of performing arts outings. Tonight it was 'The Dog in the Manger,' tomorrow it's the Lenka concert at DC9, Thursday it's Source Theatre's 'The Marriage of Figaro,' and Friday it's Synetic Theater's all dance/no dialogue adaptation of Dante's Divine Comedy. Yeesh!

Plus there's still Round House's production of 'Eurydice,' the national touring company of 'Avenue Q' at Warner Theatre, 'The Heavens Hung in Black' at Ford's Theatre, and the upcoming Flamenco Festival. It's a great time to be a performing arts fan in the DC area right now, but a bad time if you have errands to run or sleep to catch up on. And thank goodness for half-price tickets from Ticketplace and Goldstar.

To keep with the Spanish theme, before the play tonight I went to Jaleo and had tapas for dinner. I didn't realize at the time though that the play is actually set in Naples rather than in Spain, so my attempt at synchronicity was a bit off. My favorite thing from Jaleo, the fried shark tapas with aioli, wasn't on the menu tonight unfortunately so I had to make do with the chicken croquettes, a leek, goat cheese, and almond salad, and broiled scallops with ham instead. Oh, and sangria of course. It was all yummy as usual.

I got a half-price ticket to the play from Ticketplace so it was pretty cheap. And it was very funny and entertaining. The title comes from one of Aesop's fables about a dog sitting in a manger of hay who couldn't eat the hay himself but nevertheless steadfastly refused to let any cows eat it. In this instance the 'dog' is Countess Diana, the 'hay' is her secretary Teodoro, and the 'cow' is her lady-in-waiting (and relative) Marcela.

As the play begins, Teodoro loves Marcela, Marcela loves Teodoro, Diana's servant Fabio loves Marcela, Dorotea (another lady-in-waiting) loves Fabio, a pair of buffoonish noble suitors love Diana, and Teodoro's servant Tristan loves money. Once Diana learns of the romance between Teodoro and Marcela she decides that she loves Teodoro and wants him for herself (despite the fact that she has promised him to Marcela in marriage and despite the further fact, because he is a commoner and she a noblewoman, it is impossible for them to ever marry and dangerous for them to even love each other).

Throughout the course of the play's two acts, the various characters thread their way through a host of schemes and plots to attain their desires and thwart their rivals and flit between idolizing and despising their alternating partners as though they were playing a game of romantic musical chairs. This all results in a play that is frequently and uproariously funny with marvelously rich dialogue that rivals that of any of Shakespeare's comedies.

While the performances are uniformly excellent and the costumes are terrific, the set design can be a bit anachronistically hit or miss and there is a strange interpretative dance number at the beginning of the second act that seems odd, unnecessary, and generally ill-advised. Additionally, although the play's ending is a bit too quick and neat, 'The Dog in the Manger' is a pleasant night's entertainment nonetheless.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 124/365 - Doppelganger

For this week's self-portrait we have my shadow. My, how I've grown. I have to be at least 7 feet tall in this photo. Guess I'll need to buy some longer pants.

As far as I know, my shadow has never gotten separated from me and needed to be sewn back on as did Peter Pan's. That's a good thing, because I don't know anyone named Wendy and I can't sew. Not so much as a single stitch.

I find that staples work fairly well for mending certain things that rip or tear. They don't work for clothes or buttons, unfortunately, but staples are pretty good for repairing other torn items like pillows. If something that can't be stapled back together tears, I generally either wait until my mom or one of my sisters comes to visit or I package it up and mail it off to them so they can fix it for me.

For the most part, I tend to be pretty self-sufficient. Not with sewing, though. That's one area where I am completely and utterly helpless. That and making small talk. It's hard to say at which I'm worse.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - Scarlet Woman

This week's bonus photo from my archives is a shot I took of a statue of Eve at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. I love that the walls in this room are red.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 123/365 - Coraline in 3D

I'd never heard of Neil Gaiman's book 'Coraline' before, but when Erin got all excited that they were making a movie about it and gave me a quick synopsis of the story, I figured I had to see it as well. I'm glad I did. And I'm even more glad that I saw it in 3D.

I think the first 3D movie I ever saw was the old black & white monster movie 'Creature from the Black Lagoon.' When I was a kid the high school my brother and sisters attended had a screening of it one weekend as a fundraiser. I still remember this arm sticking straight out of the screen and in my face.

The 3D they use in 'Coraline' is quite a bit different than the old school variety, as are the glasses. Instead of white cardboard frames with red and blue lenses, the new 3D (called Real 3D) glasses look sort of like Ray Ban wayfarer sunglasses. There don't seem to be as many gimmicky 'comin' right at ya' moments in the modern 3D movies either, although there was a scene with a sewing needle early in 'Coraline' that had me drawing back in my seat.

Watching a modern 3D movie such as 'Coraline' is a lot like watching one of those old Viewmaster Viewer paper discs that has been turned into a movie. The depth of field and illusion of distance are amazing. In particular, there is a recurring scene in 'Coraline' involving a secret tunnel that just seems to stretch on and on and on far beyond the wall of the movie theater.

'Coraline' strikes me as being more of an adult fable than a kid's story. Parts of it are quite creepy, nightmare-fuel and there is a mildly racy bit involving a buxom old burlesque/cabaret performer prancing about in pasties and a thong that I'm sure had some parents in the audience second-guessing themselves. The litle boys sitting behind me thought it was hilarious, though.

The story is captivating, as are the characters. Coraline and her negligent, 'please leave me alone/I'm busy' parents have just moved into a strange old house with strange old neighbors and it doesn't take long for our spunky young heroine to discover that the house contains a passage to an alternate world peopled with an 'other' mother and 'other' father (not to mention 'other' neighbors) that are attentive and indulgent.

It seems at first as though this alternate world holds everything Coraline could want and nothing she doesn't. If only they didn't have those creepy buttons for eyes. And therein hangs the tale. I really enjoyed the movie and now I want to get my hands on a copy of the book. I'm sure it will be even better than the movie, despite the fact that it's only in 2D.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 122/365 - Museum Peace

Late last year they finally finished up the renovations to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and I hadn't been by to check it out since the makeover, so today I decided to go and pay it a visit. It doesn't look much different than it did before. There's a new atrium entryway, but that's about it.

It's still a museum in search of a point. There are some interesting exhibits there, but it's a haphazard jumble of random items. Imagine a museum for cool and odd things you bought off eBay, and that would be the Museum of American History. It's the museum for 'stuff we didn't know what else to do with.'

My favorite part of the museum is still the transportation section with its old trains and cars. And the original star-spangled banner of national anthem fame is always neat to see, even if they won't let you take photos of it. After finishing with the Museum of American History, I ambled over to the National Gallery of Art to check out a couple photography exhibits and a cool lighting display in the tunnel connecting the two wings of the gallery that just about everyone on Flickr had been shooting.

It turned out to be a lot of fun to shoot and I went through the tunnel three times just so I could get the shots I wanted. It was a nice relaxing day for me and great way to finish up the first third of my 365 project.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 121/365 - My New Digs

Today I finished hanging the last few pictures on the walls of my new office. After being there for ten years, I finally managed to finagle myself a window office. The guy who had the office before me moved to a different floor and although he is a really nice guy, he's a total grubby, packrat slob.

I let the office sit empty and air out for a few weeks once he hauled all his stuff out. Plus I made them swap out his desk for mine. I didn't want his grimy furniture. The final step in the decontamination process came earlier this week when I bought a bottle of pine sol, scrubbing sponges, and rubber gloves and used one of our trash bins as a bucket while I scrubbed the mysterious stains and caked-on gunk off the walls, door, lightswitch, and doorhandle.

Now at last everything is in place and I can enjoy my new space. There's not much of a view given that I'm on the atrium, but I don't really care about that. I'm just thrilled to have some natural light instead of toiling in a flourescent zombie cave. Plus I love the little nook with the table and chairs where I can sit while I eat lunch, read, and listen to music playing from my computer speakers.

It was a lot of work getting the office fit for human habitation again, but it was worth it.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 120/365 - Happy Flickrversary

Today marks my one-year anniversary on Flickr (something which I discovered quite by accident this afternoon). I uploaded my very first photo to Flickr a year ago today. Twelve months and more than 4200 uploads later not only am I still at it, but I'm nearly one-third of the way through a 365 Project. That's something I never would have envisioned embarking on a year ago.

So in honor of my first flickrversary, I treated myself to a red velvet cupcake from Starbucks this afternoon. It was excellent.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 119/365 - The Winter's Tale

My friend Pia and I went to dinner at Two Quail and then saw Shakespeare's 'The Winter Play' at the Folger Theatre tonight. Neither of us had been to Two Quail before and Pia had a $25 off coupon, so we decided to check it out. It's a cozy little place that would probably be the perfect setting for an afternoon tea, but as a dinner spot it was 'meh.'

We started with the coconut shrimp appetizer and it was good, but the entree's didn't measure up. I had the spotted trout and Pia had the quail. My fish was overcooked mush and tasted to strongly of lemon and even Pia's quail was on the mushy side. Don't know how they managed that. Both dishes were accompanied by plain white rice and sauteed veggies, which is the sort of thing you'd expect from a cafeteria rather than a serious restaurant.

Now that I've been to Two Quail, I don't see any reason to go back. I can't recommend it as a dinner option unless you like overcooked, oversauced/seasoned, overpriced (even with a $25 off coupon) fare. Thankfully the play was better, although still flawed.

'The Winter's Tale' is one of Shakespeare's later plays. It's a seldom-performed work that's a tale of two halves. The first half is a dark, potent, dramatic tragedy that stands up as well as any of the playwright's earlier works. The play then does a 180 in the second half and turns into a sprightly, romantic, romp of a comedy and then concludes with an ending that is too pat, neat (and quite frankly, ridiculous) to be very satisfying.

You have to give the old boy credit for being ballsy enough to try something as adventurous and experimental as penning a half-tragedy, half-comedy late in his career, but even his skills weren't quite up to the challenge. The dark first half is by far the best part of the play and it alone is worth the price of admission, particularly if you can snag discounted tickets to the show from Ticketplace or Goldstar.

As per the norm with the Folger, the performances are very good. In particular the actors portraying the mad, paranoid, obsessive King of Sicilia and the righteously sharp-tongued firebrand Paulina wring every drop from their roles. The only let-down in terms of the cast comes from the actress portraying the persecuted queen Hermione. She's excellent in the trial scene, but comes across as stiff and stilted in the casual scenes that open the play. She plays much better at being tormented than contented.

'The Winter's Tale' is a flawed work, but even a flawed work from a genius is worth seeing -- especially if you've never been to the Folger's Elizabethan Theatre. It's a hidden gem that recreates a Renaissance theater of the type that would have staged Shakespeare's works during his lifetime, albeit with a concession to modernity in the form of seats on the main floor rather than standing room for the 'groundlings.' Going there always makes me feel like I'm inside the movie 'Shakespeare In Love.'

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 118/365 - Passion Pit at the Black Cat

I headed over to the Black Cat tonight to see an electropop triple bill consisting of much buzzed-about headliners Passion Pit and opening acts Cale Parks and Paper Route. It was a young and studiously hip crowd. It's entirely possible I was the oldest person there, including the bartenders.

I had thought about skipping the openers and just showing up for the headline act, but I'm glad I didn't. Cale Parks turned out to be a one-man trippy, trancy groove fest and Paper Route cranked out pulsating, pounding, rave rock (think Jimmy Eat World meets Prodigy). Generally I'm not that into electronic music, but both of these acts were well worth the 15 bones it cost to get in the door.

I have to confess to being a bit underwhelmed by the Cambridge, Massachussetts-based Passion Pit, however. From the three tracks they posted on their myspace page I thought they would play chilled out electronic lounge music, but in person they are far rockier and fast-paced. They came across like an electronic, falsetto, less-funky version of Vampire Weekend.

Passion Pit is a perfectly fine band and they seem like an energetic, earnest group of guys (although you would be hard-pressed to find five nerdier-looking dudes on stage anywhere), but I don't think they quite live up to the 'next big thing' tag that has recently been stuck on them. Hopefully some of the buzz that has descended upon Passion Pit will trickle down to their tourmates Cale Parks and Paper Route. They're certainly deserving of a bit more hype. Passion Pit, perhaps a bit less.

They were still good, though and I hope they ride this wave as long as they can because they seem like friendly, down-to-earth guys.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 117/365 - Reason No. 912 Why I'm An Idiot

Apologies for the somewhat gross nature of this week's self-portrait. This is a close-up of the left side of my mouth. This is the point where I confess that I haven't been to a dentist since the exit dental exam I received prior to leaving the Navy. That was in 1994. Yep, I'm an idiot.

I'm a guy, so I don't like going to the doctor or dentist unless something is really wrong with me. I believe this qualifies. As you can see in the photo above, I am missing a sizeable chunk off the side of one of my incisors. I first lost a little piece off this tooth about a year and a half ago, but it didn't hurt and it didn't cause me any inconvenience so I didn't feel any need to get myself to a dentist, pronto. I figured I'd eventually get around to making an appointment.

Then about three weeks ago I lost another little chunk from this tooth. Now I was starting to get a bit concerned. Plus food was getting caught in the gap and that was bothersome. But still I didn't feel the sense of urgency to find myself a dentist. Then last Thursday night I lost another chunk off of this tooth and now the gap between it and the neighboring tooth was seriously big. I was officially concerned at this point.

So Friday morning I got on my dental insurance company's website (yeah, I've had dental insurance for about four years now but I still haven't bothered to go to the dentist -- that's the special kind of stubborn and stupid I am) and found a dentist. When I tried to call and set up an appointment, however, I couldn't reach anyone. Today I finally got ahold of the receptionist at my prospective dentist and made an appointment for next Wednesday morning.

Hopefully I won't lose another chunk off my tooth between now and then.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - Fairy Tale Tree

For this week's bonus shot we have a picture I took of a tree and bird's nest on the DC Social Flickr group photowalk yesterday. I love the way this shot turned out. It looks like it belongs in a scene from a fairy tale movie.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 116/365 - Sleepyhead

I was really tired last night. After I got home from the photo group meet-up I spent a couple hours going through the shots I took and then while they were uploading I stretched out on the couch and fell asleep. It was 8:30. I woke up at midnight, stumbled into the den to make sure the photos had uploaded all right, and then wandered off to bed and slept like the dead until 8:00 this morning.

So I had an absurd 11.5 hours of sleep last night. And it was worth every minute of it. Quite a rock-and-roll life I lead, huh? Asleep by 8:30 on a Saturday night.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 115/365 - Support Group

Today was the January weekend meet-up of the DC Social group on Flickr. As an aperitif, a dozen or so of us braved the cold to go on a photowalk around the Dupont Circle section of Washington, DC led by the inestimable Mr. T in DC, who proved to be an excellent guide. Then we joined the rest of the crew at Buffalo Billiards to eat, drink, and be merry (and get warmed up).

I often wonder just what people think when we get together like this and start photographing every thing in sight. We're like a support group for camera geeks, although it's not an addiction we're looking to kick.

"Hi, my name is Kevin and I'm a photography junkie."

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 114/365 - The Miserable Ones

Unlike yesterday, today I actually remembered to go on the Ticketplace website and get myself a half-price ($53) ticket to see tonight’s production of ‘Les Miserables’ at Signature Theatre in Shirlington. There’s no Metro station in Shirlington, so since I don’t drive I had to catch a bus at the Pentagon. I hate riding the bus, but it’s a non-stop, ten-minute trip there from the Pentagon so it’s not that bad. Arlington County has talked about building a street car line that would run out to Shirlington, but there are no signs of that actually happening yet.

Before heading over to the theater I stopped in at Aroma, an Indian restaurant, and had dinner. I opted for the vegetable sampler (pakoras, samosa, and aloo tikki) and the Murgh Korma Mugulai (mildly spicy chicken curry with almonds and raisins over rice pilaf) and both were quite good. I timed things perfectly for once and got to the theater just in time to check my coat and get to my seat without either having to rush or being stuck waiting around.

This was not a national touring company production of Les Mis. Recently, the corporation that owns the rights to the play chose to license it to any local theaters who wished to stage their own productions. Signature Theatre took them up on their offer. There is no gimmicky turntable stage in this production. The play is performed in three-quarters ‘theater in the round’ on a low rostrum stage. It’s a good choice and lends the play an intimacy and immediacy that you didn’t get with the touring company staging. The orchestra, set design, and costumes are quite good as well, although there are certainly some bad wig choices (think cheesy, androgynous ‘80s rock rather than dirty, downtrodden 19th century rabble).

The cast, however, is one area where Signature’s production clearly suffers in comparison to the national touring companies. I place the blame squarely on the primary scourge of modern theater – amplified sound systems that lead to the casting of singers with thin, weak voices. Microphones and speakers have no place in musical theater. If you cannot project your voice to the back row of the theater then you need to find a new avocation because you’re not qualified to be on stage. Several of the actors in this production fall into this category: Valjean (acting – adequate; singing – very limited range and struggles with the higher and softer notes), Thenardier (a stand-in for this performance)(acting – poor and caricaturish, evidently the Child Catcher from ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ served as the inspiration for his performance; singing – dreadfully weak, he may as well have whispered his lines and songs), and adult Cosette (acting – unremarkable; singing – shrill and nasally).

The unforgiveable sin of this production is the inadequate casting of Eponine. Although the part is small, I believe Eponine is the heart of Les Mis. She connects the various demi-mondes in the play and links all the characters to one another, plus she sings the two best songs – ‘On My Own’ and ‘A Little Fall of Rain.’ Signature’s Eponine is unfortunately not up to either acting or singing the part. She mugs her way through the role with a permanent, plastic, quasi-maniacal grin on her face that is horribly misplaced. Note: Eponine is tortured and tormented, not giddy and gleeful. And it would be nice if she didn’t frequently sing off-key. Thanks.

It’s not all disappointment with this cast, though. There are some strong performances: Javert (acting – tough to know given that the part is hammish by nature, but he seemed quite good and he made me wonder if the actors playing Valjean and Javert should have swapped parts; singing – good strong voice), Fantine (acting – good, singing – quite good), Enjolras (acting and singing both quite good), and particularly Marius (all-around excellent). In addition the child performers do admirably well with young Cosette and Gavroche. The director’s decision to substantially cut Gavroche’s highly entertaining ‘Little People’ song was a bit puzzling, however. If cuts were needed I’d have recommend targeting Javert’s ‘Stars’ instead, which bears the double burden of being not a particularly good song and adding nothing new or meaningful to our understanding of the character.

Taken as a whole then I believe that Signature’s production of Les Mis is worth seeing, although I’d certainly recommend taking advantage of the availability of half-price tickets rather than paying full fare. It’s a noble experiment and a fresh, imaginative staging of what had become a weary workhorse of the theater. And it still features a great story and great songs. It’s just a shame Signature didn’t do a better job with the casting.

(BTW: the secondary scourge of modern theater is the knee-jerk standing ovation. It’s the dramatic equivalent of grade inflation. Audiences should reserve standing o’s for truly outstanding performances and not hand them out like candy at Halloween to every production that comes along. End of rant.)

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 113/365 - Dinner at Johnny Rockets

I had originally planned on getting a half-price ticket to see Signature Theatre Company's production of "Les Miserables" tonight. I got busy at work though and didn't remember to buy the ticket until after Ticketplace had already closed for the day. Phooey.

So I swung by the Pentagon City mall instead to pick up a new coat to take to Venice with me next month. I didn't want to lug my overcoat or peacoat with me, and I wanted something heavier and dressier than just a fleece. I found a dark grey jacket that I think will work pretty well. Should keep me warm and keep me from looking too much like a bumpkin. And it was on sale for half-price -- bonus!

After buying the coat at Macy's I popped into the Johnny Rockets at the mall for dinner (tuna melt on rye, order of half-rings, half-fries and a vanilla Coke). I like Johnny Rockets, but I try not to eat there too often. Pretty much everything they have is fried and I'm not trying to die anytime soon.

Although their chocolate-peanut butter shakes are pretty much to-die-for.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 112/365 - All Bundled Up

For this week's self-portrait we have me all bundled to brave the cold. From the looks of things you'd think I was going to mush a team of huskies across the tundra, but I was just ambling down to the Corner Bakery Cafe to grab some breakfast and read the paper.

Today was an 'unscheduled leave' day for the Federal government. That means you can just up and take the day off if you want on account of the icy weather (and the fact that nearly all the local school districts are closed), but you'll get charged for a day of vacation time. Seemed like a fair trade to me today, so I decided to play hooky.

Between now and the end of the year I have to use up approximately 115 hours of vacation time or I'll lose it. Even with the Venice trip next month I'll still have over 70 hours of annual leave to spend. My niece's wedding in Texas in May will take some of that, as will the Alaskan cruise my bro wants to go on in June, and the rest I'll probably squander in dribs and drabs like today.

Now I think it's time to pop my fireplace DVD in the player, settle down in my big comfy armchair with a mug of hot chocolate, listen to my Time-Life Big Band CDs, and read some old "Terry and the Pirates" comic strips from 1939.

It's good to be the king.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 111/365 - Snow Day

Today we got our first real snow of the winter. It was only a couple inches, but that's more snow than we've seen around here for the past few years.

I'm still trying to shake my cold so I took a sick day today, but then when it started snowing I had to go out and take some photos. This might be my only chance to take pictures of snow this winter so I figured I'd better make the most of it, cold or no cold.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 110/365 - The Winter of Our Discontent

Only one more month to go until the Washington Nationals play their first Spring Training game. Even though it won't count for anything, hopefully they'll win it. Anything they can do to help get the bad taste of last year's 102-loss season out of my mouth would be welcome.

This is my collection of Opening Day baseballs dating to 2005, the Nats first season in DC. Last year's model was pretty drab and ugly, not unlike the season. Despite that fact, it was the hardest to get given that Opening Day 2008 was also the inaugural game at Nationals Park. Hopefully this year they'll go back to the cooler style of commemorative baseball for Opening Day. My other hope is that before this display case is full the Nats will win the NL East.

One of these hopes is more likely to come to fruition than the other.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - Iron Horse

This week's extra shot from my archives is a picture of an old steam locomotive I took when I visited Dodge City, Kansas last fall. I love old trains.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 109/365 - Busy Making Big Plans

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, exactly five weeks from today I will be on a flight to Venice, Italy. For several years now I've been aching to visit Italy in general and Venice in particular. Originally the plan was to take three weeks off and wander the length, breadth, width, depth and height of the country. Last year, however, I decided that I'd like to carve Venice out and make it a separate and exclusive trip. No other cities, just Venice.

I was fortunate enough to see New Orleans and Mardi Gras pre-Katrina and now I'd like to experience Venice before it's oft-predicted demise comes to pass. So after several years of dithering, last week I finally made flight and hotel reservations for a six-day stay in Venice. I depart from DC on the evening of Sunday February 22nd, arrive in Venice the following afternoon, and don't come back until Sunday March 1st. I've heard both good and bad accounts of Venice -- it's beautiful/it's filthy, it's romantic/it's smelly, it's a delight/it's a hassle, etc. Time to find out for myself which it will be to me.

It's all very exciting and intoxicating. I've been going through guidebooks, looking at maps, checking websites, and digging out the Italian language CDs I purchased several years ago when I first considered traveling to Italy. I think I picked out a great hotel, but you never know for sure until you get there. I'll be staying at the Hotel Abbazia in the Cannaregio sestieri, a neighborhood in the northwestern section of Venice. It was built as a monastery in 1379 but has since been converted in a small, 50-room hotel. Although it's only 100 meters from the train station, it's supposed to be in a very quiet and peaceful neighborhood.

This will be a bit of a different style of trip for me. Normally when I travel I spend no more than two to three days in any one city and try to squeeze in as many things to see and do as I possibly can. I've never spent six straight days in one city before. My tentative plan is to cover one or two sestieri per day and try to traverse every canal, street, and alley in Venice by the end of my stay -- all the while taking absurd amounts of photographs. I'm also considering setting one day aside for a train trip to Verona or Padua, both of which lie relatively nearby.

This morning I ordered a Venice tourism card that will cover my admission to a host of museums and churches, as well as allowing me to make use of public transportation and pay toilets. I also ordered myself a pair of galoshes so that I'll be prepared for the Acqua Alta -- the high tides that can partially submerge areas of the city for a few hours a day during the winter months. That takes care of the basics. With regard to the luxuries, yesterday I purchased a ticket to see the opera Romeo et Juliette at Teatro La Fenice on the night of my birthday. Should make for a memorable evening.

My trip to Venice coincides with the last two days of Carnival, but I haven't decided yet whether or not to attend one of masked balls going on in the city during that time. Between the cost of admission to a ball and costume rental it would be more than a little pricey, especially after splurging on the opera. On the other hand, it's Carnival in Venice -- when will I get another chance to experience it?

Decisions, decisions... it's something I may not make my mind up about until I get to Venice. The other big decision -- whether or not to buy a Nikon D300 before I go. I already know the lighting conditions in Venice will be challenging, especially if I want to take photos of the costumed revelers afoot in the city at night during Carnival. The D300 would certainly work better under those conditions than my D80. Hmm, this is not shaping up to be a trip for the budgetary faint of heart.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 108/365 - I've Got Mail

I like getting mail. It's always good to have the world acknowledge the fact of your existence. Granted, at times it seems as though it's mostly marketers, junk mailers, and creditors that are aware I exist, but even that level of acknowledgment can be somewhat satisfying. Even on the bad days, to be alive is to be alive.

Days that I open my mailbox to find it empty are a bit of a downer. It's then that you know how Charlie Brown felt when he checked his mailbox at Christmas or Valentine's Day only to discover that no one had bothered to send him a card. Some days not even the bill collectors love you.

Those days are pretty rare, however. Given the absurd amount of stuff I order through the mail, the catalog companies are like my own private harem -- they constantly send me all manner of glossy, full-color love notes in the form of catalogs for clothes, travel gear, and a mind-boggling array of knick-knackery.

It's good to be loved.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 107/365 - What Ails Me

Dang you Barack Obama! Being out in the cold for your concert and swearing in have left me with cooties. What started out Tuesday night as a scratchy throat has now added sniffly and sneezy to its repertoire.

Like most guys, I'm pretty much useless when I'm sick (and only slightly more useful when I'm well). I emailed in sick this morning (sure beats calling in sick) and now I plan to spend the day swaddled in my bathrobe and curled up on the couch watching movies and napping.

This better get better soon. There's another roller derby match at the DC Armory tomorrow night and I want to go. Come on, DayQuil!

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 106/365 - Disposable Society

Evidently they don't choose to recycle, however. This was the scene that greeted me as I rode down the escalator into the Federal Center Southwest Metro station. Today was the day for the anti-abortion protesters' annual migration to DC.

Given my choice, I think I'd rather have Capistrano's swallows or Pacific Grove's monarch butterflies. I guess this is one area in which change has not come to Washington.

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 105/365 - Hosanna in the Highest

Glory hallelujah, my internet access has been restored! The internet in my apartment has been out for a week. For seven straight days the little green light on the far right in the picure of my modem above had been blinking and mocking me with the fact that I had no DSL signal. I didn't get around to reporting it until Friday afternoon, and with the extended holiday weekend the earliest they could send a technician around to look into it was this morning.

Not having internet access sucks. It's like there's a big party going on somewhere and you're not invited. There's an internet cafe in the lobby of my apartment building so I was able to check my email periodically and I lugged my laptop over to the Sports Pub and Starbucks a couple times just to get my fix. It's just not the same though as being able to hop on the net whenever you want.

The Verizon guy came by around 11 this morning. He was really cool and honest. He couldn't figure out what exactly was wrong because everything was doing what it was supposed to be doing, so he went ahead and changed out some wires leading up to my apartment just so he could feel like he was doing something, even though he didn't think that was really the problem. Whatever he did, it was enough to propitiate and placate the spirits of the internet and now I have my connection back. Hurray, I can upload photos and update my blog at will.

It's good to be back in the 21st century again.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 104/365 - The Great Purple Ticket Fiasco

Well, I was supposed to be in the North Standing section on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol today witnessing firsthand Barack Obama’s swearing in as the 44th President of the United States. So much for ‘supposed to be.’ I had one of the purple tickets, which could have more been accurately called the chaos and torment tickets. The purple gate was scheduled to open at 9 a.m. and at 7:30 I was there one block away from it amid a seething mass of frustrated humanity that could in no way be termed a line.

After waiting there for an hour, the cops told us we had to move down to the 2nd street tunnel instead and wait there. So I diligently headed off and proceeded to walk for 20 minutes without ever seeing the end of the line. It stretched all the way through the tunnel and down the highway farther than my eyes could see. By the time I emerged from the far end of the tunnel it was 9:00 and I knew that even if I did eventually find the end of the line, there was no way I was going to make it through the security gate in time for the swearing in. At that point the line stretched for more than a mile from the security checkpoint. And that’s when I decided to cut bait and head home to watch it on tv.

First I tried to enter the Capitol South Metro station, but after fighting my way against the tide of people coming up the escalator I reached a Metro cop who told me it was an ‘exit only’ station and that I’d have to go back up the escalator and hoof it over to the Eastern Market station instead. That had to be the low point of my morning. I finally got home at 10:30 and watched the swearing in from the peace and comfort of my own living room.

If I’d had any sense, once I gave up on the purple line I would have just trudged over to the National Mall to watch the ceremonies on one of the jumbotrons there, but I thought there would be security gates to get through on the Mall as well so I’d just be trading one impossible line for another. Turns out there weren’t any gates or checkpoints on the Mall and some of my friends who got into town just as I was leaving were able to watch it all from the Washington Monument. They had a great time and a moment of history to remember and I had sore feet and a bitter heart.

Serves me right, though. Originally I had planned to volunteer to help out at the inauguration. My assignment would have been crowd control along the parade route and I’d have been able to see the swearing-in on the jumbotrons and have a front row view of the parade. But instead I chose to be selfish and passed up on my opportunity to volunteer when a ticket to the swearing in became available. That’ll teach me.

Oh well, there’s always the next Obama inauguration in 2013 (God willing).

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 103/365 - The Emperor's New Clothes

The title of today’s entry is utterly tongue-in-cheek, btw. I can barely keep myself in line, heaven forbid I was ever actually put in charge of anything. Pia invited me to tag along with her tonight to the presidential inauguration cocktail reception being hosted by the South Dakota State Society and since the dress code was semi-formal and I didn’t own a suit, I went out on Saturday and bought myself one. Being a lawyer who doesn’t own a suit is a bit like being a cowboy who doesn’t own a horse, but I’m a government lawyer. That means I don’t go to court and I spend most of my workdays sitting in my office reviewing documents and drafting legal memoranda. As such, a suit is wholly unnecessary.

I figured it would probably be a good idea to own one just on general principles, though, and going to this cocktail reception provided me with a perfect excuse to do a little shopping. So I drafted my friend Des to help out and away we went to the mall at Pentagon City. We tried Marshalls (not much selection), Macy’s (nothing in my size), Joseph A. Bank (nothing in my size, cheap materials, and grossly overpriced), and even a tuxedo shop before finding the guy equivalent of my glass slipper at Nordstrom’s.

Turns out I’m a 46 short in suit sizes and apparently that is a tough size to find, which basically means I’m a weird shaped dude. We hit the jackpot at Nordstrom’s though and they had three in my size – black, blue, and grey. I went for the black pinstripe. The sales lady was super helpful and friendly and really on the ball. When I told her I needed to be able to wear it tonight, she grabbed the tailor, had him mark it up, and told him to have it ready for me to pick up this morning. She was awesome. If you’re ever in the market for menswear, go to the Nordstrom’s at Pentagon City and ask for Lysa. She’ll know exactly what you need, even if you’re as completely clueless about clothes as I am.

So this week’s self-portrait is me in my new big boy suit. It’s made by some guy named Joseph Abboud, whom I’d never heard of but whom Des said does good work. I felt all growed up and sophistimacated and everything when I put it on this evening. The cocktail reception was nice. It was held at historic James Monroe House and there were hors d’oeuvres and bars and a violinist and pianist and swanky heated tents in the garden and everything.

I drank champagne, stuffed my face, and wandered around checking out the architecture of the house and the artwork therein. Monroe House is home to the Art Club of Washington, DC and it has some very nice paintings hanging on the walls. The First Family-elect didn’t put in an appearance at the reception (drat the luck), but both of South Dakota’s senators were in attendance. They seemed like nice enough guys, even though they are politicians.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - Academical Village

This week's bonus photo from my archives is a view from the rear portico of the Rotunda on the grounds of the University of Virginia. This portion of the university was designed by UVA's founder Thomas Jefferson, who pictured the school as an "academical village" with students living on one side of the lawn and professors and classrooms on the other. I took this shot when I went down to Charlottesville last February.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 102/365 - We Are One

In honor of the impending presidential inauguration, they held a free “We Are One” concert on the National Mall today featuring a diverse, star-studded line-up of performers and celebrity presenters. I was there along with about 400,000 other people, including my friends Chris and Adriana. We arrived about 90 minutes before the show started, but by that time the area down by the Lincoln Memorial where the stage had been erected was already full of people, so we settled for staking out a spot at the base of the Washington Monument hill just across the street from the WWII Memorial.

The concert organizers did a good job of making sure there were plenty of jumbotrons and speakers spread throughout the Mall so more people could take part in the experience. The best parts of the concert were Herbie Hancock, will.i.am., and Sheryl Crow doing Bob Marley’s “One Love,” Garth Brooks singing the Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” and Stevie Wonder, Usher, and the “she’s so hot my eyes have blisters on them” Shakira performing “Higher Ground.” Not bad for a free gig.

The worst part of the concert was Tom Hanks’ interminable and buzz-killing “Abe Lincoln said” speech that sucked all the energy out of the crowd and droned on and on like a never-ending funeral dirge. He was a lot more entertaining when he was wearing a dress on “Bosom Buddies.” He did provide us with hours of fun afterward though spoofing his speech and generally ragging on him relentlessly.

Although the temperature was only in the 30s, it didn’t feel that cold out. We were all smart enough to layer up and I think that combined with the lack of wind and the body heat generated by the mass of humanity that was the crowd help stave off the chill. That gives me hope for the inauguration on Tuesday. Even the lines for the port-a-potties weren’t too bad. It was definitely a madhouse trying to leave the Mall, though.

Rather than trying to fight the crowd pouring into the Metro, we decided to hang out at Starbucks for a while to warm up and let the huddled masses thin out a bit. After the swearing-in on Tuesday I think I’ll just suck it up and walk home. Who knows, I’m liable to be feeling so high after my man the Big O takes the oath of office that I might not even need to use the bridge to cross over the Potomac River. I may be walking on air instead.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 101/365 - The Raveonettes at the Black Cat

Tonight Pia and I caught The Raveonettes concert at the Black Cat. The Raveonettes are a ? four-piece band (three women and one man) who play moody, slightly dangerous-sounding rock and roll with an early 1960s vibe to it. I love the distinctly unpolished, decidedly unglamorous nature of the Black Cat. It looks exactly like what it is – a no frills rock and roll club. Pia had never been there before and she said when we went inside that it didn’t even seem like we were in DC anymore. She said it felt more like Philly in there.

The crowd was mostly 30 and 40 year-olds and took a while to trickle in. Pia and I got there when the doors opened, so we were able to snag a seat at one of the very few tables at the back of the room. It was a good thing too because it took forever for The Raveonettes to come onstage. The opening act was a band called Nickel Eye, which took me a while to figure out was probably done to sound like “Nikolai.” They were so-so. They had some good numbers and some mediocre numbers and had a bit of an 80s feel to their sound.

When The Raveonettes finally came onstage Pia and I moved down to the floor to get closer to the action. They played a great set, very lively and earnest with the kind of thumping rock you can feel in your chest. It was a rather short gig, though, and Pia was bummed they didn’t play her favorite song of theirs. Oh well, maybe they’ll play it the next time they come to town.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 100/365 - Brrrrrr!

No more grumbling from me about it not feeling like winter ‘round these parts. It was flat out cold this morning as I was walking to the Metro station, especially with the wind blowing the way it was. It’s the kind of winter weather that will turn your ears into ice cubes in a few minutes if you aren’t wearing earmuffs.

Now if it would just snow.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 99/365 - Curious Case, Great Movie

Tonight I met up with my friend Adriana and we went to the movie theater in Chinatown to see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." It was excellent. Although it's a fairly long movie (2:47), it never seemed long and didn't drag at all. The story kept moving and kept you interested in learning what was going to happen next.

In case you are unfamiliar with the plot, the movie concerns a guy who is born backwards in time -- he starts out as an old man with arthritis and cataracts and then grows younger as he 'ages.' It's based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and although it's a bit of a "high concept" premise, the movie never feels contrived. It's engrossing, adventurous, dramatic, romantic, melancholy, and -- in quite a few spots -- flat out funny.

The performances were good. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett did a nice job with their parts, but the movie was absolutely stolen by the actress who played Pitt's adoptive mother. The actor who portrays the tugboat captain did quite a good job as well. They also did an amazing job with the make-up and computer animation, so that it never looked fakey as the characters either aged or got younger.

The movie definitely has echoes of "Forest Gump" in that it deals with a boy growing up with the stigma of being 'different' who is very close to his protective mother, who comes of age traveling the world and serving in wartime, who has a star-crossed romance with a woman he's known since childhood, and who fears that any child of his will suffer from his condition. Despite that, though, it doesn't feel like a retread or a knock-off of any other film.

Two things to look out for if you decide to go see this movie -- the guy who pops up occasionally to discuss being struck by lightning and the moment every woman in the theater sighs simultaneously. Here's a hint, it features Pitt riding a motorcycle and seemed to have a pretty universal effect on the distaff portion of the audience (including Adriana). The guys were less impressed. It was a cool motorcycle, though.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 98/365 - Make-Believe Champion

This is the view I have from my desk at work. There are no windows in my office, so I make do with an enlargement of a photo of mine that I like and the sad vestiges of geeky loser glory -- in this case, fantasy sports championship banners and pennants.

Each year my brother, a few of my nephews, and I compete against each other in fantasy baseball, football, and basketball leagues on ESPN.com. It costs about 25 bucks and if you win your league, they send you a championship banner. Or at least they used to, anyhow. Now you just get a cheap, crappy pennant. The banners were much cooler.

So far I've won fantasy baseball twice (2001 & 2008), basketball once (2008), and football once (2005). We were playing in a free fantasy football league the year I won so I didn't get a banner for that one. Bummer. Since I don't have a banner for it, my brother argues that one doesn't count. Of course, he'd take just the opposite position if he had won that year.

He's won baseball three years in a row (and then boasted about his 'dynasty' to no end) and football once. Neither of us did that well in football this year, although he did make the playoffs at least. So far we're both struggling in this year's fantasy basketball season as well, but there's still time to turn it around. Hopefully.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 97/365 - Rockin' Out

This next sentence will sound like it's written by a fourteen year-old rather than a forty year-old. My friend Chris got Rock Band 2 for Christmas for his Wii, so last night I went over to his house and we played it for a couple of hours. It's more fun than the first Rock Band game for Wii was. In this version you can make your own band member and customize their appearance, plus it has more of a story to it. You start out a struggling band with no fans and no money playing seedy little clubs, but as you play more gigs you gain in money, fame, and fans and move up to traveling in jets, wearing elaborate costumes, playing flashy instruments, and performing in huge arenas.

It's pretty awesome. I can't remember exactly what the name of our band was. It's something-something Tree Frog, I think. Chris is on guitar and I'm on drums, which is a bit of challenge given my general lack of rhthym and coordination. Chris' wife Des was our vocalist for the first Rock Band game, but she was out running errands and tending to business last night so we made do with a computer-generated singer. We tried to rope our friend Adriana into taking over the microphone, but she wasn't up for making a fool of herself like we were.

Chicken.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 96/365 - Tools of the Trade

These are my current flames – a Nikon D80 and a Nikon Coolpix S200. I didn’t set out to become a Nikonist, it just sort of happened that way. My first camera was a cheap little snapshot camera that used 110 film. I don’t even remember the manufacturer. The first camera I clearly remember owning was the Polaroid One Shot instant camera I got for Christmas when I was in the sixth grade. At first I had the old school flashbulb strip for it, but later I got the battery operated flash module.

The Polaroid was kind of inconvenient, despite the fact that you got instant prints. It was a bit big and clunky and you wound up having to walk around with a pocketful of photos. After I got tired of the Polaroid I don’t remember owning a camera for a while. I think I just borrowed whatever my parents happened to have at the time. Then in my senior year of high school I took a photography class and had to get my first SLR.

I decided on a Pentax K-1000 because it was cheap and I could get it at the Sears down the road from my house. It was a primitive chunk of metal but I grew to love that camera and took some pretty good pictures with it. In some ways, I think I took better photos with it than I have with any of my subsequent cameras. It had the most basic light meter imaginable – a scale at the side of the viewfinder with a plus at the top, a minus at the bottom, a notch in the middle and a needle that drifted up and down. I had that camera for years until it was stolen from my Jeep while I was in the Navy. After that, I used a crappy little Kodak 35mm point and shoot until I bought a used K-1000 off eBay when I moved up to DC after law school.

It was during a trip to Montreal that I decided maybe it was time to try an automatic SLR. I was sitting beside a trail in Mount Royal Park with some peanuts cupped in my palm as a quartet of squirrels would take turns creeping up and eating out of my hand. That was when I made the brilliant realization that trying to focus a manual SLR one-handed wasn’t easy. I kept leaning forward and backward to try and get the squirrels in focus, with mixed results. I went through a roll and a half of film and got six or seven decent shots. So later after I got home I bought a Nikon N65. I never did get the hang of that camera and I didn’t take very good photos with it. It was a tough camera to warm up to. I only got a Nikon because that was the brand of camera photographers on tv and in the movies were always using.

My first digital camera was a Canon SuperShot 400. It was only 4 megapixels, but it was easy to use and took good pictures. It was too fat to fit easily in my pocket though, so that was annoying. After getting exposed to digital photography I decided to take the plunge and get a digital SLR. I opted for the Nikon D80 because I could still use the flash and zoom lens from my N65 with it. I wonder sometimes if I’d been better off if I’d started down the Canon path instead. They seem more intuitive and user-friendly, but once you pick one and start buying accessories it’s hard to switch to the other and see your investment fall by the wayside. I’m certainly more comfortable with the D80 than I was with the N65 (which I promptly boxed up and mailed off to my youngest niece so she could use it for her photography class) and I think I’ve gotten some pretty good shots with it.

When the memory card door on my SuperShot 400 broke off, I decided to get myself a new point and shoot. I opted for the Nikon Coolpix S200 not through any diehard devotion to Nikon, but because it was really thin and would fit in my pocket more easily than the other cameras at Best Buy. Plus it came in red and I really wanted a red camera. It’s a rather silly reason on which to base a camera buying decision, but still. I took dreadful pictures with it at first and was really frustrated with it. I came close to chucking it and getting different point and shoot, but I kept working with it and I’m finally at the point now that I’m fairly comfortable with using it. It’s a good thing I have it because otherwise I wouldn’t be doing a 365 Project. There’s no way I’d lug my D80 around with me everywhere I go, but with the S200 I can just slip it in my pocket or bag and I’m always ready to shoot.

As for future flames, I’ve been really mulling over the idea of getting a D300. They work well in low light situations and also are good at handling shooting environments that are a mix of shadows and bright light. The D80 definitely has troubles in those situations. Just take a look at Sunday’s 365 entry for evidence of that. My jeans are fine, but the view out the window is overexposed and burned up. There’s no guarantee that shot would have come out better with a D300, but the thought that it might is what keeps lurking in my mind.

I hate missing a shot.

(Taken with both my Nikon D80 and Coolpix S200)

Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - The Sea Inside

This week's bonus photo from my archives is a shot I took at the aquarium in Chicago when I went there to see the Nats play the Cubs in May 2006 (they lost, go figure). Chicago is a terrific city and a place I wouldn't mind living (although, granted, I've never been there during wintertime).

In this shot, I liked the way the aquarium pool verged on Lake Michigan with (seemingly) only the glass wall to separate them.

(Taken with my old Canon SuperShot 400)

Day 95/365 - Another Naptastic Sunday

For this week's self-portrait we have my legs and feet (and laziness). There are few simple pleasures in life that are better than stretching out on the couch on a Sunday afternoon to take a nap with a football or baseball game playing in the background.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 94/365 - Volunteerism

This was the scene at the Washington DC convention center where training of volunteers for the Presidential Inauguration was being conducted. At this point in time, I can neither confirm nor deny that I took part in said training or that I may be volunteering to help out in some teeny tiny way at the Inauguration.

There may possibly be more details to follow in about ten days. Or not.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 93/365 - Lunch at a Washington Landmark

Despite the fact that they've lived in the Washington, DC area for years, a couple of my coworkers had never eaten at Ben's Chili Bowl. This was a travesty that could not go uncorrected, so today a group of us enlightened these poor, misguided souls by ushering them over to U Street with us for lunch. I'd never been to Ben's for lunch before. Normally when I'm eating there it's because I'm grabbing dinner on my way to a show at the 9:30 Club. Boy does it get packed there at lunchtime.

We all ordered chili half-smokes and then split a few orders of cheese fries. Half-smokes are the only thing I've ever eaten at Ben's. One of these days I'll have to try some of their other fare. In case you're unfamiliar with DC gastronomy, a half-smoke is a small smoked sausage that you eat on a bun like a hot dog. It's a local delicacy and Ben's has the best.

When we got to Ben's we plunked our butts down at a table that we didn't realize had been reserved. The waitress let us keep it though and said they'd just shift the reserving party to another table and besides, they weren't due to arrive there for a half-hour yet and the odds were we'd be done and gone by then. In case you hadn't deduced it, the service is very fast at Ben's. Within minutes of placing your order you're trying not to dribble chili all over yourself as you slip into bliss.

We were just finishing up our lunch when we noticed a group of guys standing over along the wall waiting to be seated. Turns out they were the party who's table we'd bogarted and then someone pointed out that Steve Largent -- NFL Hall-of-Famer, former Seattle Seahawks receiver, former member of the House of Representatives, and current high-priced telecomm lobbyist -- was among them.

Take that, Steve Largent! We just intercepted a table intended for you!

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 92/365 - Put Me In Coach!

Tonight I went over to my friends Chris and Desiree's place to watch the OU-UF matchup in the BCS Championship Game. I wasn't that bothered about the game, really. Mostly I just went over to hang out and support my friends. They both went to UF and are huuuuuge Gators fans.

They did their part to bring good luck to their team by putting on their Gators gear and decking out Chewie, their miniature Australian shepherd, in a UF shirt and bandana. It must have worked because the Gators wound up beating the Sooners 24-14.

I think Chewie really wanted to be subbed into the game at running back.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 91/365 - Delayed Gratification

Today the Christmas presents my sister ordered for me from my Amazon wish list arrived! This year's bundle of boodle consists of a 221B Baker Street mystery board game, a Tarzan movie boxed set (Tarzan the Ape Man/Tarzan and His Mate/Tarzan Escapes/Tarzan Finds a Son/Tarzan's Secret Treasure/Tarzan's New York Adventure), a Gene Kelly-Frank Sinatra movie boxed set (On the Town/Anchors Aweigh/Take Me Out to the Ballgame), a pair of John Wayne movies (The Horse Soldiers and Hellfighters), the last Speed Racer DVD I needed for the full set, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Score!

I've been wanting that 221B Baker Street game ever since I was in high school and now I've got it. Man, I love getting packages. I'm forever ordering things from catalogs or websites. I think it would be great to be a UPS delivery guy. In my head it would be just like being Santa Claus everyday of the year. Not everyone enjoys seeing the mailman given that his daily delivery often consists largely of bills and junk mail, but who doesn't love getting a package? It seems like everyone would be happy to see you if you were a UPS guy. Plus you get to wear shorts to work. How awesome is that?

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 90/365 - You Say You Want A Resolution

I don't normally make resolutions. It's something I've never seen the point of, really. Most resolutions just involve things you should probably be doing already anyhow. I guess maybe packaging them up as New Year's resolutions though does provide an added bit of motivation to help you get over the hump and bust loose from the hold of inertia.

This year I decided to break with my lack of tradition and set a New Year's resolution for myself. I decided to recycle more. For the last several years, the only thing I've recycled are my newspapers. Everything else just went in the trash. Last weekend, however, I took one of my many Bed Bath & Beyond coupons (which don't expire btw, despite what they may have printed on them) off to the store with me and bought myself a double-sided recycling bin to put in my kitchen. Paper on the blue side, bottles/jugs/cans on the green side.

Now I have to rinse out the bottles and cans though before I stick them in the bin in order to avoid a sticky, smelly, moldy mess. That means I'm using more water than I was before. So I've lessened my ecological impact in one regard but increased it somewhat in another. I guess there's no real way to "do no harm."

As ever, life is a series of trade-offs.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 89/365 - Enter Sandman

Borders sent me a coupon good for 40% off one book today, so tonight after work I detoured by the store to pick up the first 'Sandman' graphic novel. I had a couple people recommend it to me yesterday and with the coupon it only came to $12.50, so that gave me two good reasons to get it.

I was pretty heavily into comics and graphic novels when I was in high school and college. When I left for the Navy though I gave my collection of several thousand comics to a couple of my cousins. Since then, apart from reprints of old newspaper strips like 'Dick Tracy,' 'Jungle Jim,' and 'Terry and the Pirates,' the only comics I've read are a few issues of 'Indiana Jones' and 'The Shadow.'

I'm looking forward now to dipping my toe back in the waters of the illustrated world.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - Candle Cage

For this week's bonus photo from my archives we have a shot I took of a candle burning in my apartment. I was experimenting with extended, low light exposures and I liked the way this one came out.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 88/365 - Alter Ego

If I could be any fictional character ever, I'd be Indiana Jones. He's been my favorite ever since Raiders of the Lost Ark came out when I was in junior high school. Indy is a perfect storm of varied interests for me -- travel, adventure, romance, mystery, treasure, history, other cultures, and the 1930s. I love the Indy books, comics, movies, games, and tv show. I'm one of the (apparently) few who even enjoyed the most recent movie. To be fair, though, I probably enjoyed it more for the fact that it gave me a chance to see my favorite character on the big screen again and to buy some new merchandise than for any inherent value it had as a movie.

So what fictional character would you be if you could?

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 87/365 - At the DC Neujahrskonzert

The Neujahrskonzert, or New Year's Concert, is a traditional Viennese performance of the music of the Strauss family and other Austrian composers held annually on January first. DC's version of this tradition is part of a series of coordinated concerts across North America called Salute to Vienna and it's held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts a few days after New Year's. This year it was held tonight and I went.

I'd never been to this before, but I'd been wanting to for a while. It's not just a classical music concert, it's a sort of performing arts sampler platter. In addition to the philharmonic part (btw, if your last name is Harmonic then I think you should be required to name your child either Phillip or Phyllis), there are arias from Austrian operettas and excerpts from ballets. The Kennedy Center used to stage a similar 'survey class' each year as part of the Kirov Festival, but they haven't done that the last few years. Bummer.

Tonight's performance was held in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and featured the Strauss Symphony of America, ebullient guest conductor Sascha Gotzel, the Budapest Ballet, and a pair of ballroom dancers. As you can see from the photo, my seat was in one of the stage boxes. I'd never sat up here before but it's very cool and I'm definitely going to keep this in mind the next time I attend something at the Concert Hall. It's kind of like a home plate seat at a baseball game, minus the annoying netting. You're right on top of the orchestra and you can't see much of the rest of the crowd, so it's like they're performing just for you. Plus from that vantage point you can really see musicians' technique and the conductor's facial expressions (*cough* not to mention having a great view of the soprano's cleavage and the dancers' legs *cough*).

I really enjoyed this concert. It was light and joyous and lively and it had a great mix of performance pieces. The part where the conductor conducts the audience's applause during the 'Blue Danube' encore might seem a bit cheesy or contrived, but it's actually quite fun. The New Year's Concert/Salute to Vienna is certainly worth keeping in mind when next January rolls around, especially if you can luck into getting a seat in Box 60 like I did. Then it's just pure awesomeness.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 86/365 - Break Out

I think my 365 Project has been good for me in a couple of ways. First, it's gotten me to play around with my cameras and try some experimental shots that I might not have considered otherwise. Second, it's motivated me to 'get up, get out and do something' on days when I might otherwise have just been content to stay at home. Like today, for instance.

After getting sucked into the 'Bones' marathon yesterday, I nearly got trapped by the 'I Love Lucy' marathon today. I swear, sometimes I think couches were invented by television manufacturers, broadcasters, and snack food companies in order to snare us into consuming more of their products. Or maybe that's just me. I didn't want to shoot another photo of something laying around my apartment today, though, so I decided to go hit a museum and grab some grub. I did stick around on the couch long enough to laugh myself silly at the 'Vitameatavegamin' episode of Lucy, though. That one is one of my all-time faves.

I was debating between checking out either the Newseum or the National Museum of Crime and Punishment, and I finally decided to go with the cops and robbers. I love old gangster and g-man movies. That was one of the reasons I rented a tommy gun when my brother and I went to a shooting range in Las Vegas last winter. Man, those things are heavy.

It costs $19 to go to the C&P Museum. I think $13-14 would be a more appropriate entry fee, but the place was pretty full so I'm guessing they aren't feeling any pressure to cut their rates. The museum was pretty interesting. It covers the history and tools of crime and punishment from medieval torture implements up to modern computer crime. A lot of the museum's display objects are replicas, but they do also have some nice original artifacts, such as guns used by various members of the James Gang, the State of Tennessee's former electric chair Old Smokey (creepy, btw), and one of John Dillinger's getaway cars.

That's it above, a 1933 Essex Terraplane. It's weird how you used to be able to open up the windshield in order to get a breeze while you drove. I remember once watching a documentary on Depression-era bandits that explained why they were almost always able to outrun pursuing lawmen -- they spent their ill-gotten gains on high-power, high-performance automobiles like this one and most local police departments made do with rattletrap old beaters. Ford Motor Co. even took advantage of Dillinger's use of their vehicles as a sales pitch by stating that the police would only catch him once he stopped driving their V-8s. Maybe they were right, because this Terraplane is one of the last cars he drove.

It's a bit odd that I broke out of the soft prison of my apartment just to go and browse a museum dealing with the penal system, but it wasn't a bad day out. Plus it gave me a chance to swing by Matchbox for a late lunch/early dinner. Yum! That's definitely not prison food.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 85/365 - Brand New Year, Same Old Me

The new year got off to a very lazy start in my kingdom of one. I spent the entire day on the couch watching tv and taking naps, plural. Ahh, it's good to be the king.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)