dedication

[OT from cottage renovations]

throughout the region and across the country Memorial Day was observed with a variety of activities and ceremonies.  though smaller in scale than most, the one we attended yesterday was deeply meaningful to a few: the unveiling and dedication of a memorial plaque where a bronze propeller is displayed.  the propeller came from the USS Pompon (SS-267), on which my father served during World War II and is one of her few surviving artifacts. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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Riverfront Park, Alexandria VA

( ceremony )

dedicated

cascade

[OT from cottage renovations]

those who have the calendar might recognise these as being from the same plant featured this month. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

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1^st Avenue

a cascade of flowers
( more )

our standard

[OT from cottage renovations]

yesterday afternoon the sun came out, shining brightly on the Grove's acorn-and-oak-leaf flag floating in the holiday breeze in front of the Town Hall. 

(click through this thumbnail for higher resolution image)

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M^cCathran Hall

not a two way street language meme

[way OT from cottage renovations]

Gacked from dakiwiboid who cites rintheamazing:

1. Find the lyrics to your favorite song [or two -- ed.]
2. Go to babelfish.altavista.com
3. Run the song through the English to Japanese translator
4. Copy it and then run it through the translator again, this time from Japanese to English.
5. Post the song (title and performer included please) along with these directions in your own journal.

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"The Last Spike", Cowboy Junkies:

Morning 8:15 it does not call is ugly so, it is sad, you feel recently.  As for the echo which that is old and is known well finally what the mighty scream died not leaving the chill which one time is, but. And I our lumber looked at the acquisition of the flat car.  I observed at that the coal car steals our stones.  And what we taking the remainder being not to have, the whistle these foolish dreams which stop the fact that you blow you must stop in thing us who stop the fact that the wheel turns, it is said. Last year those closed just the flag which we who under the post office, are taken had in town.  In the very the old brick building loses, buries still in range of vision like cenotaph, standing distant past. And I our lumber looked at the acquisition of the flat car.  I observed at that the coal car steals our stones.  And what we taking the remainder being not to have, the whistle these foolish dreams which stop the fact that you blow you must stop in thing us who stop the fact that the wheel turns, it is said. The train where a certain thing which I saw is longest was the thing train which is.  I walked to the place, we kissed, went.  I look at dream in the night concerning you who have come to the house.  When the band you walk in the platform, simultaneously when your uniform we of the fire include, it does the train of the place, with the yell which a little, your hat falls simultaneously.  Well, I must stop these foolish dreams, it presumes that.  Morning 8:15 it does not call is ugly so, it is sad, you feel recently.  Like this town not leaving the promise which what one time was dream of the oak small town finally and is broken it dies, it has gone, it is visible. And I our lumber looked at the acquisition of the flat car.  I observed at that the coal car steals our stones.  And what we taking the remainder being not to have, these foolish dreams must stop, the window of the main street the embarkation which is needed is said to thing and TV station closes thing us.

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My Poor Old Heart, Alison Krauss:

Remainder from the center where I am old badly, is designated as responsibility not permitting my scar, it is possible, you do not have to expect. I can find, but it seems the way in order to forget the damage where I shouted and perhaps without being possible it is exactly best. As for me I who that am all my crimes must pay the fact that I rely on for the second time, the price you do not know. Perhaps time it changes me and remaining me of doubt sufficiently, my center it is lost because it is never found. Former times 々 I believed my true love which cleaned me from my feet separated. Me who and clean, with my pain, am soaked the remaining て the wind of modification of the rain which is. As for me I who that am all my crimes must pay the fact that I love for the second time, the price you do not know. Perhaps time it changes me and remaining me of doubt sufficiently, my center it is lost because it is never found.

wipe out

[OT from cottage renovations]
[crossposted to carfree]

it was inevitable that at some point my accident free streak of biking in traffic would run out.  I've had any number of near misses but today was my first vehicle strike. 

it happened in one of the more obvious ways: I was WB along Shady Grove Road and somebody in a car decided to make a R turn into a parking lot.  it's the sort of opportunity for which one has to maintain constant situational awareness; normally I see these coming and swerve into the same turn while braking.  though my turning radius is better than most autos I can't match them for speed even when they're decelerating, and curb cut geometry is much tighter than that of road intersections. 

so I went down, onto pavement.  long shirt sleeves helped contain the extent of abrasions on my R arm but in the highly clement weather, fool that I am, I was wearing shorts rather than full length trousers.  so my R knee got scraped and chewed up though it's only surface damage.  but my R shoulder is plenty mad at me, am trying to keep it subdued with ice and Advil.  nothing feels broken or dislocated; it will likely be sore for a couple of days but it should be OK. 

it could have been a heck of a lot worse.  the driver stopped before he might have run over me or the bike with his rear wheels.  I didn't even bother to take his tag number or any other details.  mostly I was annoyed, highly annoyed with myself for not realising and reacting in time.  I generally do a much better job of staying out of these sort of situations.