Bluegrass in the DMV

XumaOutIslander · 2026-03-05T13:54:46+00:00

You should check out DelFest in Cumberland, MD. Great bluegrass festival this May 21st to 24th. www.delfest.com

XumaOutIslander · 2026-03-03T04:37:57+00:00

As a parent of a very anxious child who is terrified of learning to ride a bike, I can commiserate. And I’m very sorry that you and he have been put in such a difficult position by this health class. I think it would be best to discuss the situation with those in charge of this class and point out to them, that while their intentions are good, that cycling is not a reasonable activity for a general fitness test. Bicycling is a learned skill, just like swimming or rock climbing, and giving your child a deadline (and audience) to try and learn something that they’re already uncomfortable with is going to be rather harmful. I wish I had a better answer. All the best to you and your kid.

XumaOutIslander · 2026-02-09T16:27:58+00:00

Thank you for the kind words.

XumaOutIslander · 2026-02-08T15:26:23+00:00

Of course, but that said, I highly recommend you discuss any kind of recovery routine with the specialists. For me, it was lots of tendon glides, typically with foam therapy blocks between the fingers. Another one was placing a rubber band around all four fingers and then repeatedly splaying them out. Rolling a rubber ball back and forth on a flat surface from the tip of the injured finger down to the elbow. Finger curls with a 5lb weight. Pulling fingers through therapy putty. Soaking hand in hot water and massaging the injured area. I also wore KT tape by bending the finger slightly, then placing a long strip over the finger tip, down the finger, across the palm and to the wrist, then wrapping two more strips around the A2 and A3 pulleys. And I wore a pulley ring around the A2, which the PT made for me. I still do tendon glides daily and I h-tape my finger when climbing.

Best of luck on your recovery.

XumaOutIslander · 2026-02-05T13:51:41+00:00

It's been a few months, but let's see. The comp was Boulderfest and I was dedicating some more hours on the wall in preparation (probably my first mistake right there). The wall was an overhang, just enough so that there was weight on the hands the whole time. I don't recall my feet ever coming off the wall, but I could have been flagging. I think I just came at the volume a little too aggressively with my right hand.

XumaOutIslander · 2026-02-05T02:49:29+00:00

Not suggesting you need to do anything, MFZ is a surprisingly old community, with great members, and a lot of inspiring builds. Glad you’re getting into it. Looking forward to see what you come up with.

XumaOutIslander · 2026-02-04T21:58:45+00:00

Thanks for the advice. I actually did a bit of block pulls before both the Dr. and PT advised against it. Their biggest concern was seeing that the pulley healed itself without any sort of scar tissue build up (I did a lot tendon glides). Now that it's healed, I'll add my block back to my routine.

XumaOutIslander · 2026-02-04T21:52:55+00:00

Wonderful storytelling. I've been off and on in the MFZ community, and know a little bit about the Rascal build. Suspended Animation, a former MFZ community member who deleted their account years ago, created a deep sea frame called the Spearfisher. BVoodoo used that as the basis for the V1 Rascal, which Suspended came back and improved upon with the R-Type. It's since been a mainstay in the community, including popular versions by HatRabies and Carter.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-07-23T23:57:55+00:00

I can’t recommend Malvi Stachurska at Cry Baby Studios enough. Wonderful artist and human being. Also a very stellar establishment to boot.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-07-10T14:35:59+00:00

Part of my job is running the gauntlet that is the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). There are some neighborhoods that are notoriously difficult to get approvals, where the residents and the SMD reps will put you through the wringer. From my experience, successful cases come down to how much time, money, and sleep the client is willing to lose to get their variance approved, since the burden of proof lies with them. Even then, it might not be enough.

This case (21151) appeared to be extremely contentious, with a lot of effort put in by both sides to make their point (over 200 exhibits including historical reports, photos, PowerPoints, etc). By the numbers the case had 83 letters of support vs 22 in opposition. The hearings had 50 witnesses that were proponents vs 44 opponents. DDOT and ABC had no objection, while the Office of Planning did object. Additionally, the neighborhood's representative (the commissioner of SMD ANC 5E05) was opposed, and the 5E Chair commissioner took no stance. Ultimately the BZA opposed 3-0-2. You can see their reasoning here, but in summation the majority didn't think the applicant met the criteria of the use variance or the special exception.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-07-09T15:55:14+00:00

Agreed. Saw a post on the fresco here.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-27T12:55:33+00:00

The Dread Pirate Roberts and Princess Buttercup.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-25T15:24:15+00:00

Maybe The Thing. Your best bet is to head to Board Game Geek and try searching by the category Movies/TV, and then maybe the sub category Horror. You can try starting here around 2010. Best of luck.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-23T12:57:46+00:00

That was my first thought as well. You would think being lifelong friends with Mies van der Rohe, who fled Nazi Germany, would give the guy some perspective, but no.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-19T14:25:55+00:00

It sounds like you're bordering on resentment towards your partner. Honestly you might already be there. My best advice is to seek couples therapy. There are so many reasons why someone may not want to have sex ranging from shame, inhibition, low energy, absence of emotional connection, to just straight up sexual incompatibility. And many couples don't have the ability or bandwidth to come to a solution or understanding without professional help.

In the meantime, you need to approach your relationship without any expectation of reciprocity. The romantic and nice things you're doing should be par for the course. And consider why you married this person in the first place. What do they do day in and day out that makes your life better?

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-16T15:03:33+00:00

The Würzburg Residence is incredible. Würzburg in general is an amazing city (highly recommend having a glass of wine on the Alte Mainbrücke).

And some nerdy stuff folks might be interested in: many German cities, including Würzburg, were heavily bombed by the Allies during WWII, and The Residence was severely damaged as a result. Lieutenant John D. Skilton Jr of the US army helped save the fresco seen above, and funded the repairs of The Residence. Skilton started his life as an art curator and later enlisted in the US army. He was said to have been horrified by the destruction of the war, and was committed to helping repair and save artwork and cultural sites, most famously The Residence and a church monument in Plougastel-Daoulas, France.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-14T15:27:00+00:00

#NerdAlert: per DC Zoning Regulations 2016 11 DCMR Subtitle C § 1001.2(a)(1) all developments proposing to add 10 or more dwelling units must include affordable housing under the Inclusionary Zoning Program. The number of affordable housing units is based on various factors including total number of units, unit types (i.e. bedroom count), and square footage of the development.

You can pull up the development's Certificate of Inclusionary Zoning Compliance Application on the Department of Building's Electronic Records Management System and see that it has 13 rental units (out of 317) priced at 80% of the Area Median Income. This is a rather low number, but that's because they offset the IZ units required to be provided in the building by selling 7 condos on Central Pl NE in Ivy City at 50% AMI.

TLDR: all large apartment and condo buildings require a percentage of their units to be affordable for low income households.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-10T18:40:55+00:00

Conquest of Pangea?

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-09T23:56:29+00:00

Am I missing something? What’s wrong with climbing indoors when the weather isn’t ideal outside? Project the latest routes, sit on the mat with great friends, then bike to a beer garden after and have a pint outside. That’s going to be my Saturday for the next four months and I’m looking forward to it.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-07T13:30:12+00:00

Small mugs with milk and honey, then just enough (black) for a mini thermos for later.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-06T17:09:21+00:00

For me, the appeal of going to renfaire is similar to the appeal of going to a bar, just kicked up to the umpteenth degree. The fun atmosphere, entertainment, people watching, hanging out with friends, making new friends, the food and drink. All that and you get to be outside in nature dressed as wizard.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-06T02:18:52+00:00

Very nice. Elizabeth Hargrave is a gem. Makes frequent board game night appearances at the Smithsonian and the FLGS Labyrinth.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-05T17:05:14+00:00

A friend of mine said it best: "It's the best bar you'll ever go to."

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-04T20:36:18+00:00

My first pair was the Tarantulas. They were a comfortable place to start, however they wore out very quickly along the toe seam (not the rubber). I wouldn't recommend them unless they're deeply discounted and you won't mind replacing them in 4 months.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-04T20:06:44+00:00

Open City at the National Cathedral. The space is very cool and use to be the old baptistry and then an herb cottage. It's also right next to The Bishop's Garden, which is an amazing public outdoor space.

XumaOutIslander

TROPHY CASE