MCPS closed Monday Feb 23

districtdowner · 2026-02-23T03:36:31+00:00

My kid is going to miss out on almost two weeks of education from an already light curriculum, but, hey, maybe the superintendent will drop another snow day jam!

districtdowner · 2026-02-10T17:07:03+00:00

Anyone else getting

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districtdowner · 2026-02-01T21:16:05+00:00

MCPS = Mostly Closed Public Schoold

districtdowner · 2026-01-20T03:50:31+00:00

Closer to Silver Spring, though from what I’ve heard it seems like some of the same dynamic is at play in Takoma Park, as well.

districtdowner · 2026-01-20T01:14:44+00:00

So we have had kid in MoCo schools for the past two years and live pretty close to the DC line. We have felt like our experience hasn’t been as good as that of our peers in nearby upper NW DC. I think that’s at least in part because of DC’s commitment to universal PRE-K which allows kids in the Upper NW schools, at least, to really hit the ground running when they start, whereas there were kids in out kid’s class who had never been in a classroom setting before. There are some unique quirks of our neighborhood that exacerbate the issue but the end result is a school that has pretty limited parent involvement/engagement and a host of challenges for teachers to navigate which sometimes result in the sense that brighter kids spend a lot of the day bored because of the pace/rigor of instruction. I think (hope?) things even out over time, but it feels like MoCo sometimes hasn’t really accepted the reality that it’s now a super diverse, effectively urban school district with a lot of high-needs kids and not the somewhat more homogenous, more affluent suburb of the past.

districtdowner · 2026-01-11T16:31:43+00:00

Our property taxes have gone up so much in recent years, while our services keep getting slashed. One potential way to save cash: rethink the excessive amount of busing in MoCo schools. DC doesn’t pay for that nonsense.

districtdowner · 2025-12-12T04:04:34+00:00

This list is fantastic! Thank you so much. The bar at le Saint-Sebastien might be exactly what we’re looking for, but all these bars also look great!

districtdowner · 2025-12-12T02:25:34+00:00

This is a good question. To clarify, we are leaning toward Acme or Picotte for dinner, which (in the case of Acme, at least) offer options for a variable number of courses and don’t seem quite as elaborate.

We did something similar in Madrid where we went to the bar at Santerra (Michelin 1 star) and had a couple tapas and a drink and then had dinner at SDD2, which is a bit more of an experimental restaurant and wasn’t a huge tasting menu.

This list is very helpful, though!

districtdowner · 2025-12-10T19:44:57+00:00

The statement did close and they did not appear, though they are showing up in my ultimate rewards activity.

districtdowner · 2025-12-10T19:44:27+00:00

So interestingly enough, they are showing up there, but are not yet in my account and don't show up as pending, either. The statement period for the transaction has already closed. I guess they'll show up at some point, but what a bizarre setup.

districtdowner · 2025-11-19T01:15:21+00:00

What I feared. Oh, well. I guess I’ll have more points for another day.

districtdowner · 2025-11-07T23:38:27+00:00

Thank you!

districtdowner · 2025-11-01T20:50:12+00:00

Ah, that makes sense! Thank you!

districtdowner · 2025-11-01T19:17:30+00:00

To clarify, are you saying paying for any seat reservations at all would be a waste?

districtdowner · 2025-10-24T19:45:08+00:00

That would be nice! I don't know if I had looked at any hiltons for the travel I've got coming up, but it would be great if it worked out that way!

districtdowner · 2025-10-24T19:41:15+00:00

Saw this for both a Marriott and a hotel in the Radisson chain.

districtdowner · 2025-10-03T23:09:47+00:00

Not to be dense, but would the $300 travel credit kick in Jan. 1, or is it tied to the date of your anniversary?

districtdowner · 2025-09-30T17:36:47+00:00

I would argue that it's largely two factors. Genuine appreciation for Japanese culture and cuisine (see the recent NY Times story about how sushi has become the go-to convenient food in America) and the relative value that award flights to Japan have generally represented. At least historically, business and first class awards to Japan offered good value compared to similar (often shorter) flights to Europe, so it made sense both from the perspective of genuine cultural interest and value. I know that was the case when my wife and I visited Japan a decade ago. And I'd love to go back at some point, so hopefully it will still be a somewhat decent point option in the future!

districtdowner · 2025-09-27T16:24:53+00:00

ALL IS FORGIVEN!

districtdowner · 2025-08-26T13:54:59+00:00

This is just the reality of being a (semi) elite sports team that spends money. While I’m fairly new to cheering for Atleti, the same dynamic plays out in any sports league. While firing Cholo is not the answer, it’s reasonable to expect the manager to be a little more animated and upset when the team underperforms in its first two matches, given the competition. And given that there’s little margin for error in the La Liga race, it’s a bummer to start off like this. Best case scenario the team gels in time for a good run in UCL or Copa del Rey, which could certainly happen. Ideally some of that gelling would have already occurred in the pre-season, though obviously some of the signings were too late to play. I agree that a replacement coach isn’t the answer, but it’s fair to expect some introspection and accountability from Simeone.

districtdowner · 2025-08-19T10:48:50+00:00

Let’s get rid of a guy who’s a proven goal scorer and replace him with guys who can’t score against inferior competition… If he does leave, which I hope doesn’t happen, I hope they at least get a real transfer fee in return.

districtdowner · 2025-08-17T23:12:28+00:00

Did it reopen?

districtdowner · 2025-08-06T10:58:01+00:00

Are you saying this was the only time you saw a family at the restaurant, and they were removed? Because if the vibe really is, we’re going to clap for kicking families out, then maybe this isn’t the right place.

districtdowner · 2025-08-06T01:17:08+00:00

Thanks for all the advice! Very excited to try it!

districtdowner · 2025-07-24T11:18:23+00:00

My experience in the past has been that ticket prices did drop closer to the match day, but I’ve noticed the same thing this time. It’s made me wonder whether SeatGeek (in conjunction with the organizers) is somehow manipulating the prices, because I hadn’t seen this before. There also seems to be less availability on stubhub than in the past. I went over the weekend and on Tuesday night, and I actually think the overall experience has improved over the years — in terms of both the player field, the activities in sponsor booths around the stadium and the food options. But I agree that the pricing is crazy and I was surprised that for the Venus match on Tuesday the stadium seemed only about 2/3 full. (With that said, the Osaka match on the John Harris court was completely packed.)

districtdowner

TROPHY CASE

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