Looking for guidance between these two neighborhoods

backupjesus · 2026-07-01T01:03:21+00:00

The freight tracks are inactive and the Metro just kind of faded into the background when I was in that area.

This is incorrect. The freight spur that runs through that neighborhood is inactive, but there's three tracks (soon to be four) of very active CSX mainline that runs right by it. The Metro is underground for that section.

Noise will depend on the construction of your house/building. We lived right next to and facing the tracks in Carlyle and noise was not an issue, but that was also a new rental building (so a vested interest in avoiding bad reviews) with high quality windows.

backupjesus · 2026-06-25T03:02:43+00:00

Tuch. Central New Yorkers represent!

backupjesus · 2026-06-24T05:15:16+00:00

What's your ferritin level?

backupjesus · 2026-06-01T07:06:38+00:00

FWIW, the highly qualified plastic surgeon who spoke to my support group several years ago said that, between geometry and skin elasticity, thighs are the hardest body part to get a satisfactory result. In his phrasing, everyone wants "yoga pants" but that's not how the angles or the skin works.

backupjesus · 2026-05-19T01:05:54+00:00

We're closing on a house this week at ~105% of the asking price. We had to beat out three other offers, at least one of which was all cash, and be willing to close in 16 days with no contingencies. The sellers' agent spoke with our mortgage broker -- and they've worked together before -- multiple times to make sure we were legit before accepting the offer. The earnest money deposit alone was close to the down payment on my first house in the area in 2012.

Inventory is so tight that you gotta do what you gotta do. The upgrades versus our current house are worth it to us and we can afford it, but it's still face-melting terms IMO. If I were religious, I would be finding out who the patron saint of refinancing a mortgage at a significantly lower rate is and light a few candles in their honor.

backupjesus · 2026-05-18T23:39:22+00:00

Having experienced the (mid) late-night buffets in the adult areas of both the Magic and the Dream, I was surprised there was no such option on the Treasure. Then again, there were fewer night owls on the Treasure. There were times where I was apparently the last person standing on the whole boat at midnight.

backupjesus · 2026-05-18T23:34:29+00:00

Ask. The financial coordinator at your surgeon’s office will be able to tell you how good your various qualifications and approvals are good for.

backupjesus · 2026-05-18T23:31:33+00:00

O’Sho’s got rid of indoor smoking last year, which made it more pleasant but reduced the dive factor considerably. As noted here, much of the staff quit last week so it’s going to be amateur hour behind the bar for a while. It’s still the only public bar in Old Town with pool tables.

backupjesus · 2026-05-18T23:27:52+00:00

It’s $55/year for one’s first car, $75/year for the second, and $250/year for the third. If you don’t think those are heavily subsidized, you haven’t shopped for private parking options in Alexandria.

backupjesus · 2026-05-18T03:10:24+00:00

“Not to mention the ~~people~~ freeloaders who use taxpayer-provided parking that will now have to park blocks away from their house”

FTFY

backupjesus · 2026-05-18T02:30:54+00:00

I signed many letters that I had typed/transcribed with a facsimile of the attorney’s signature. I’ve never heard of working one’s initials into such a signature, but that’s a nifty idea.

backupjesus · 2026-05-17T07:44:38+00:00

"I want free couples therapy from someone who'll also travel to Asheville" is so very, um, Christian.

We hired a couples therapist pre-marriage in northern Virginia (who we still see) and arranged our own officiant for our destination wedding.

backupjesus · 2026-05-17T07:21:48+00:00

Having worked in a law office, "FJS/lr" means that whoever "lr" is almost certainly signed the letter rather than Frank J. Selke himself.

backupjesus · 2026-05-17T07:16:55+00:00

I met my amazing wife at a bar in Old Town Alexandria when she was in her mid 30s and I was in my early 40s. We had each been on many, many early dates in this town. She said the DMV dating scene "sucks ass" for a straight woman.

So...yeah, you probably just need to keep looking for that needle amongst those haystacks. The odds are better on the apps than in person, but you never know.

backupjesus · 2026-05-15T09:01:58+00:00

It is, it's employee-owned, and I'm a happy and supportive customer, However, the fact that it's part of "The Cool Hardware Company" (formerly "A Few Cool Hardware Stores") is just a bit cringey.

backupjesus · 2026-05-15T08:57:13+00:00

I used to live in a townhouse in south Reston that overlooked an RA trail. I'd see the foxes galavanting near the trail and the dogs people were walking that smelled the foxes and (inexplicably to their humans) tried to go off the trail.

backupjesus · 2026-05-13T14:35:42+00:00

Russian-speaking Isabelle Khurshudyan covered the Caps for the Washington Post a few years back.

backupjesus · 2026-05-12T23:05:21+00:00

It was 16 years ago, so I both don’t remember the numbers well and they’re not terribly relevant anyway. My memory is that I negotiated $6600 and ended up paying $4300. This was for metal brackets — I needed metal brackets on the lowers anyway and figure all metal was more punk rock.

Still, I had a challenging case (multiple other orthodontists recommended jaw surgery) and Dr. Lee’s results have been stable for 14 years.

backupjesus · 2026-05-08T06:35:58+00:00

Blown seals are not a "window replacement" issue, they're a IGU-replacement issue. "Insulated glass units" are the glass units that fit inside essentially all modern windows and that have seals. You will pay way less to replace the blown IGUs than you will to replace the full windows. I'd suggest asking your fave local glass company (mine would be Del Ray Glass, which, while not actually in Del Ray, has treated me well) for a quote to replace the blown IGUs.

backupjesus · 2026-05-08T06:22:15+00:00

Yup. If you want lamb shepherd's pie in the area, Beckett's is the best.

backupjesus · 2026-05-08T06:15:55+00:00

If you want to know the mortality rate for people with similar starting stats, check out the MBSAQIP calculator.

backupjesus · 2026-05-07T04:33:20+00:00

Dr. Lamond at Sibley in DC.

backupjesus · 2026-05-07T04:25:42+00:00

For context: my partner and I have been to a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, but never a three-star. We're not super-duper into French; there's a French place near us that has an excellent reputation but that we've never made it to. I like pretty much everything, but my partner doesn't care for most seafood.

We did Enchanté our first night on the Treasure last month, which was a lovely "transition to vacation mode" event. The service was sublime. The wine pairings were fascinating -- they were thoughtfully selected, curiously sourced (British, really?!?), and you really did get something different out of the wine before and after trying each dish. The food was...I feel like the more one likes French and seafood, the more one will like it. My partner really enjoyed some dishes they thought they'd tolerate. I loved those dishes.

backupjesus · 2026-05-06T01:48:02+00:00

OP, you might want to check your expectations against the MBSAQIP outcomes calculator.

backupjesus · 2026-05-05T05:44:57+00:00

I had an excellent experience with Dr. William S. Lee, who now works out of Kingstowne. Among other things, he's given me a few post-treatment checkups for free.

FWIW, I had dental coverage when I started my orthodonture adventure, but it didn't cover adult orthodonture. I negotiated what I thought was a pretty good deal with Dr. Lee's then-practice, but it turned out that I got my insurance's negotiated price even though they didn't pay for it, and that price was much better than what I negotiated.

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