Month: March 2011

save the kids’ farm at the national zoo

March 8, 2011

it looks like Congress hates babies.

the national zoo is losing about half a million dollars in funding this year, and the Smithsonian is planning on shuttering sparklet’s beloved kids’ farm (and it’s sister attraction, the pizza park) to offset the short fall.

according to the washington city paper:

The Kids Farm costs $250,000 per year to operate with three staffmembers, and given that it hosts no endangered species and is not a part of the Zoo’s research activities, it was an easy thing to lose.

“The kids farm is very important to me personally,” said Zoo director Dennis Kelly. “But it is a change that we can affect relatively quickly and relatively safely for the animals.”

of course the cynic in me (who spent four years on Capitol Hill, and five in non-profit fundraising) is hoping that the image of the kids farm on the chopping block is just a lever of sorts…

while i’m sure there’s not a lot of corporate interests lining up to sponsor the anteater pavillion, but something tells me that the Zoo is hoping to parlay the impending public outcry to line up sponsors for both the farm (john deere, osh kosh, gerbers, organic valley) and the pizza park (pizza hut, papa john’s, domino’s).

in a recent interview, the head of the Zoo let slip that it would take “just a $5 million endowment” to save both the farm and the pizza park in perpetuity.

until then, i think we can expect a steady stream of photogenic baby sit-ins, bake sales, and fundraisers.
bale

March 6, 2011

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRZMjHzWXQc
found: mcdonald’s

March 6, 2011
birthdays

March 6, 2011
mint chutney

March 5, 2011

sparklet’s developed a penchant for both “spicy” and “dipping” — and is never happier than when she can do both. tonight she was eating mint chutney at an Indian restaurant. a couple weeks back, she was trying to eat salsa and black bean dip by the spoonful.

you can take the girl out of texas, but …
“home, jeeves!”

March 5, 2011
out: colonial williamsburg

March 5, 2011

See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
out: colonial williamsburg
open house(s)

March 2, 2011

well, that was awkward…

after clearing out of the house to make way for a 5:30 pm showing — and running up a $50 tab at haydees waiting for our place to clear — we suddenly found ourselves with three people standing unannounced in our hall at 7:05 pm.

turns out that they were running about an hour and a half late.

the potential buyers were very nice about the whole thing, but spent (maybe) three and half minutes looking around before skedaddling awkwardly. i’m sure they were very interested in not ‘bothering’ us, but i would have rather had them actually see the place.

the open house this weekend, however, went a little better.

eleven groups came through — nine with realtors — for a total of fourteen for the weekend. two groups “lingered” according to our agent, and one of them actually came back earlier this week for a second viewing.

the only negative feedback has been the condo fee (which is a bit steep because of recent elevator and window replacements) and the shabby common areas (they’re due for refurbishment this spring and it’s past due).

all this puts us in an awkward place.

part of us is rooting for a quick sale, and excited about the momentum that’s been building. part of us is wondering why it hasn’t sold yet because it’s been 8 long days of continual staging.

but, part of us is scared to death that it will sell — because we still need to find a place worth buying.

okay, it’s march, people. let’s get some 3 to 4 bedroom row houses on the market in our neighborhood — preferably at reasonable prices, if you don’t mind.