Saturday Evening Snow Accumulation

This was taken at dusk and you can see the foot and half of snow higher on the fence (compare to the photo below taken this morning). I did some shoveling, so some of the snow on the left side of the fence is from piling of shoveled snow. It was certainly a snowy day. We are going back to DC to shovel our house out tomorrow.

The Snow Storm Begins

Bing's Dream Comes True -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Although Christmas is 6 days away, Washington DC and the metro area is getting walloped with a HUGE snowstorm today. Accumulation of 2 feet is expected. Shane and I are about 2 hours north of DC, at my mother's house to celebrate an early Christmas. We are flying down to Florida on Christmas Eve to spend the actual holiday with Shane's family. We hope to be able to drive home to DC on Sunday, but we'll have to wait and see if that is possible.

The song is by Bing Crosby and from the holiday classic Holiday Inn. Enjoy!

SNL Finds Lost Ending of It's a Wonderful Life -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Dana Carvey does an amazing Jimmy Stewart in this Lost Ending "found" to It's a Wonderful Life from Saturday Night Live. "He's not even a cripple!"

Should the Government Use Baby Jesus for the 2010 Census?

I don't think so. Do you? How many people who see this are going to think because there was a census in a bible story, that it is something that is very sacred and we should go along with it? I don't have anything against the census, and I plan to participate in being counted, but using the bible as propaganda is not a good idea. It isn't that I think it is disrespectful to religion. That is the least of my concerns. I just think it is tacky. Next thing you know, Health and Human Services will have a foot washing campaign featuring Jesus spraying anti-fungal medicine on the 12 disciples.

DC Mayor Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Scenes from Elf -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Cha Cha Heels -- The 12 Days of Christmas

This is a scene from the John Waters film, Female Trouble, starring Divine as Dawn Davenport who just wanted some cha cha heels for Christmas.

Update on the Florida House

We are still in the process of buying a second house in Florida. There has been yet more complications. As I blogged about earlier, we had to notify the neighbors about a getting a waiver from the city because our survey showed the house was built over land the city requires for utility use. The normal procedure is that the they send out notice, the city makes an exception, and it is no big deal other than the delay of getting it all done.

The variance notice was suppose to expire this Friday and then it just had to be recorded by the city, which could take up to 2 week, but there was hope it could be done sooner so we could close by the end of the year. We had plans to drive down starting on New Year's Eve and spend the first week of the new year at our new house.

We just heard that the orthopedic surgeon that owns the house next to the house we're trying to buy has made an objection. Some neighborhoods have the Welcome Wagon -- this neighbor wants our house to be bulldozed. Because the fine doctor thinks our shabby house is an eyesore compared to his mansion and is detrimental to his house's value, he is asking the city to require that the house be torn down. That seems reasonable, doesn't it?

The result is that the city council now has to vote on granting the variance, and the earliest it can be scheduled is February 17. We were suppose to have this house before Thanksgiving. Of course, we're worried that something else could go wrong and the bank will not want to extend our contract and the whole deal will fall through. We assume the city will eventually grant the variance, but it has frankly become a huge pain in the ass. We just have to keep our eye on the prize and remember that this will all be worth it when we finally get this house... Won't it?

Same-Sex Marriage in DC a Done Deal?

The DC Express newspaper, the free paper version of the Washington Post, seems to think that same-sex marriage in DC is a done deal.  Mayor Adrian Fenty is expected to sign the bill, passed the second time yesterday by the DC Council.  However, the bill must then survive a 30-day review period.  To block the bill, the House, Senate and President would all have to sign off on a disapproval resolution in the 30 days. The paper says advocates of the bill do not think this is likely to happen in a Democrat-controlled Government.  The only other way this could fall through is if there is a Maine-style voter referendum, which so far has been denied as a violation of the DC civil rights law.  Same-sex marriages could begin in the spring.  I wonder if anyone will ask for my hand in marriage!

Delicious Schweddy Balls -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Another classic Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Alec Baldwin promoting his delicious Schweddy Balls on National Public Radio's Delicious Dish. Good Times!

Feliz Navidad by Charo -- The 12 Days of Christmas

If this doesn't make you happy, you are clinically depressed. Who doesn't love Charo? This is also from Pee Wee Herman's Christmas Special (the whole show is available for free at www.peewee.com). Feliz Blah Blah Blah!

The Del Rubio Triplets Sing Winter Wonderland -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Today is the first entry for my 12 Days of Christmas. Each day, until December 25th, a new posting will celebrate the season. Today is the amazing Del Rubio Triplets as they performed Winter Wonderland on the Pee Wee Playhouse Christmas Special for 1988. I have this special on video, but you can watch the whole show for free on Pee Wee Herman's website at www.peewee.com. There may be a few more clips from this special here before the 12 days are up! I love that show!

Guess Where I Was -- 10 Years Ago

I was going through some old photos today and found this one of me in Laos. Technically, I was in Laos, i guess, since they were flying the flag of Laos, but it was really an island in the Mekong River. Shane and I were touring the Golden Triangle area of Thailand in 1999 and we took a boat ride that took us to this island so we could say we were in Laos.

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

House Committee Passes Partner Benefits Bill

The Advocate reports: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday voted 23-12 to pass the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which would extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal government workers.

The bill is now likely to move to a full House floor vote, which many anticipate could take place before the end of the year.

Debate over the bill split along party lines with Democrats emphasizing the concepts of fairness and equality and Republicans objecting to the legislation on the basis that it would begin to redefine marriage or would create special rights for LGBT people.

DC Doing Same-Sex Marriage Right

The DC Board of Elections and Ethics ruled yesterday that a measure to let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriage in DC cannot go on the ballot because it would violate a city human rights law. Bravo! This makes me proud to be a DC resident. Why can't other places get the fact that voting on civil rights doesn't work? Would there even be interracial marriage in many southern states if it required a vote? I don't think so.

The DC Council is expected to approve same-sex marriage in a vote on December 1, but it has to be voted on twice before passing. Apparently, DC can't be trusted with just one vote. We need an "Are you sure?" vote. Then, because DC government apparently rides the short bus to work, the U.S. Congress can override the vote.

The DC Council seems to be standing up to the Catholic Church threat of leaving a third of the city's poor in the lurch if the bill passes. The church has threatened to abandon its charity and adoption work in the city because gay marriage would violate the institutions core values. As we all recall from our bible studies, "the Lord said, feed the poor and clothe the naked, unless the gays can get married. In that case, let them go to hell." With all the gay priests out there abusing children, isn't it a bit self-righteous of the church to take such a hard line? I'm happy, at least, to see the tactic not working. I wouldn't think it is helping make the church look very Christian.

UPDATE: 11/19/09 -- Lawyers for the Alliance Defense Fund and Stand4MarriageDC have filed a lawsuit in DC Superior Court to get the initiative on the ballot.

Flowers at Eastern Market

We had a great weekend. Friday night after work I ran 10K at the gym and came home and made my first quiche. OK, technically I bought frozen stuff in a carton, which I thawed and poured into a pie shell and baked. It turned out delicious.

Saturday we had a lazy day and then went to Archer and the Boyfriend's house for one of their trademarked dinner parties. The boyfriend outdid himself with a wonderful dinner and the wine flowed all night. We had a great time. I was a little hung over this morning, but not too bad.

This morning I had some leftover quiche for breakfast and this afternoon we went for a walk to the park and browsed around at Eastern Market. It was a warm and beautiful day, perhaps the last nice day on a weekend for the year. I took the photo of the flowers while we waited in line at the Market Lunch, where Shane got a burger. I was still full from the quiche. You can get a better view by double clicking the photo,

Delay Getting Florida House

We were suppose to be the proud owners of a beautiful house on a canal in Punta Gorda, FL, by now. Closing was set for yesterday, but good old Friday the 13th lived up to its reputation. The survey on the property discovered a bit of a problem. This is how it was explained to us:

I understand that you have been made aware of the problem where the home sits on the land. Apparently when this home was built the City Board looked the other way and let it be built without a variance. Also everyone who has purchased the home before you either paid cash or didn’t request a survey. Today with all the problems with foreclosures every mortgage company is requiring a survey. This home is one of the reasons.

If we don’t get this cleared and you were to close, then you may never be able to sell it or even give it away. Back in Illinois I saw a property that didn’t get a variance and when the seller tried to sell it, the County told him that he could not sell it or if he did he would have to tear down the home first. Not many options. We have an option today and we must take that option in case it may not be there down the road after you own it.

Now I know that is not what you wanted to happen since you must cancel all of your plans and change dates on your insurance etc and I feel very bad for you. But your lock is good until Dec 13th so I would change my insurance date to Dec 11th and see what happens. The zoning official said that it would take 21 days from the time of application before we could close. It is my understanding that the Seller’s Agent has started working on getting the application completed at this time and I am picking up the revised Survey tomorrow to take down to the zoning official.

Before this week, I didn't know the meaning of the word "variance." Basically, the house has an easement -- the house is built over part of the land the city could claim for utility use, or for whatever. We are waiting for the city to give us an exemption. So, we do not own the house yet. We will not own the house by Thanksgiving, so we won't be going to Florida over Thanksgiving week as we planned. We hope to go to closing sometime during the week of December 7th and are planning to start driving to Florida on December 11th for a week. Cross your fingers!

UPDATE 11/19/09: As of today, the bank that owns the house has still not submitted the variance application. It takes 3 weeks after the application is submitted! The bank can't sell the house until this problem is resolved, so WTF are they waiting on?

Sugarland - Keep You - CMA Awards 2009