Once I started blogging full time for my day job, keeping this site running just became too hard to manage. I’m not saying I’ll never blog here again, but the days of regular postings are over. For now, I’ve officially ended my Twitter hiatus so connect with me on Twitter at @sprngonthesprng and happy Sprunging!

There, we discovered roving bands of angry, tired, (and many intoxicated) people with arms outstretched competing for passing taxicabs. And we were only an army of two. Plus, we had to say the dreaded words that make D.C. cab drivers cringe in disgust: “Um, we’re going to Maryland.”

We tried for close to an hour to hail a cab and we were totally unsuccessful, only because it was Independence Day and every single cab passing by was full. So we returned to our friends’ house and told them our story. We tried calling a cab, but no D.C. companies picked up their phones.

Then our generous friends decided that we would try again en masse. So now we were a team of five hailing a cab against roving bands of people hailing cabs. Finally, one of us flagged down an empty vehicle. No sooner had she said “Silver Spring” than the cab took off in a mad dash.

And hence, the beginning of our struggle against the unappealing state line cross.

It’s completely and utterly unfair that a cab driver can refuse to take a passenger and it’s even more unfair that if they do take someone across state lines, they can’t pick someone up and take them back. Therein lies the problem with the metro D.C. region’s interstate cab rules. Why would a cab driver want to drive someone to Maryland or Virginia if they can’t pick up a fare on the way back? That’s a lot of time and money wasted for them. And why don’t D.C. meters go past a certain dollar amount? Ridiculous!!

So what did silversprung spouse and I do? We said goodbye to our friends and decided to walk all the way to Dupont Circle. We stopped to check out the bus schedules, but of course nothing was running. (By the way, we’d also missed the last metro.)

Along the way, we observed countless groups of people flicking off passing cabs, yelling at the drivers to stop for them, people throwing their hands up in disbelief. We kept trekking.

Eventually, we made it to the circle and started hailing cabs again. We hopped into the first one and said the words, “we’re going to Silver Spring.” “Nope!” the driver replied and flipped on the interior lights. “Can’t do it!” he said. It was 3am and we were utterly exhausted. We tried to reason with him, telling him why he needed to help us out.  No dice.

I checked up on it and the D.C. taxi commission does not explicitly forbid cab drivers from refusing interstate fares, but does state that drivers may only refuse fares for the following reasons:

(a) Previously engaged;
(b) Unable or forbidden by the provisions of this title to do so;
(c) The operator has reason to believe the person is engaged in a violation of law;
or
(d) The operator has cause to fear injury to his or her person, property or taxicab.

I asked the DC Taxicab Commissioner about this today. Still waiting to hear back.

[Updated July 7, 2pm. I received the following reponse from the Commissioner's office.

"Thank you for contacting the DC Taxicab Commission.  It is against the law for a driver to refuse to haul.  If this should happen again, please make sure that you get some identifying information ex: Tag number, Face ID or the name and number of the taxicab."

I do have the name and number of the specific cab who forced us out this weekend, but I'm not going to turn him in.]

So, back to the story…

Around 3:30am silversprung spouse finally hit the jackpot, secured a friendly driver, negotiated a fare, and we started home.

With the windows down and the hot breeze jetting through the cab, we were treated to an array of insults as we drove back through U Street. “You suck!” a guy in a red t-shirt yelled as we drove up 20th. “You’re light is on, you jerk!!” another guy yelled on U. “You know your light is on!?” the next girl shouted, but she followed up quietly with, “Oh. There are people in there.”

It was a tough night/morning for anyone in the District trying to catch a cab home on the 4th, but for all those Maryland and Virginia residents, it’s never going to get any easier for us unless making a trip across state lines stops being a money-waster for all of those drivers out there.

Today’s drink was inspired by a recent trip to Jackie’s Sidebar where we were pleasantly surprised by the creative use of fresh herbs and infused liquors in their mixed drink offerings (more on Jackie’s Sidebar coming later this week.)

Ruby Red Rosemary Recipe:

4 oz pink grapefruit juice (fresh or bottled)

1.5 oz vodka

Sprig of rosemary

Instructions: Pour over ice in a highball glass, then mix using a sturdy sprig of rosemary. Let sit for 5 mins, stir again and serve. Leave the sprig in the glass as you sip for a truly aromatic experience. Optional: Infuse your vodka ahead of time with rosemary by heating up the herbs and letting them seep into the plain vodka. Another option: Add salt to the rim of your glass.

I used to commute through Bethesda where the woman who lived in the tunnel was a mainstay. Some of the homeless in Bethesda would walk over to the metro from the shelter on Cordell in the mornings and others were downtown to visit the Bethesda Cares office.

So here are some questions for all you old time Silver Springers:

Have you seen the number of panhandlers increase or decrease in The Spring? Are there shelters or assisted living facilities in downtown Silver Spring? Do you know any of these metro folks’ stories? And any recommendations if readers are interested in volunteering or assisting other Silver Spring organizations?

I’m sure all you longtime residents know the story, but for all those readers new to the area and those who’ve never visited, here goes…

The proposed purple line would connect Prince George’s county in the east with Montgomery County in the west offering commuters a mass transit alternative to the Beltway. 

Last August, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced his choice of a Light Rail Transit system over a rapid bus system as the preferred method of transportation for the line. O’Malley said last year that LRT is favored because it’s more “cost-effective and rider-friendly” and argued that light rail has made many advances and won’t be as disturbing as other, older light rail systems.

LRT opponents prefer a bus system because it would cost less and avoid digging up nature and bike trails. Plus, they argue it would destroy other areas around the line, create traffic and additionally, some folks will have a train in their backyard.  Hence, the “No Train on Wayne” group. These are folks who came together to invest in lawn signs to protest the train.

Potential stations at Wayne and Dale Drive, Manchester Road, Plymouth Street, and at Bonifant and Fenton are causing additional concern for downtown residents. See map: Purple Line

Separate from the sign creators is the Seven Oaks/Evanswood Citizens’ Association, which has long been active in the Purple Line debate. President Mark Gabriele has testified about the impact the line would have on his community. A majority of the SOECA favors an underground tunnel for the line in their area. Among the adverse impacts a surface line would have on their area, according to Gabriele’s past testimony, includes: traffic backups; loss of parking spaces and land; the danger posed to pedestrians going to school and church located there; the noise factor.

But the line also has many supporters including members of the Purple Line NOW! non-profit group and the Silver Spring Advocates. Purple Line NOW! argues that Light Rail is the better alternative to a bus system because of cost, environmental impact, etc. and could potentially revitalize the areas it serves.

So where is the project now? Not going anywhere anytime soon, just like it’s been for the last 20 years. An optimistic estimate is that ground will be broken in 2013, but that would be after securing federal funding.

Cheers! (Jaako/Wikimedia Commons)

We had just moved into our new house and despite the lack of seating or room to maneuver through the maze of boxes, we knew that unexpected guests were bound to show up. So we did the neighborly thing and stocked some snacks and drinks in the house in the event of visitors.

It was our first opportunity to use the extra fridge. That’s right! The previous owners bestowed upon us a full size refrigerator and left it plugged in and neatly tucked away in our basement. So we stuck in a few six-packs, figuring that would be a good thing to have on hand, and sure enough, our first house guest soon arrived.

So there we were. Me, silversprung spouse, and our guest. We chatted, we did the house tour and then we ended up in the basement. “And here’s our extra fridge,” we said and Vanna White-like opened the door to reveal the six-packs. SSspouse reached in and pulled out two cans of beer. The two of them popped the tops.

“Cheers!” they said and clanked the cans together. We should have known from the dull “thudding” sound that something was wrong, but they quickly tipped the beers back and opened their mouths.

Nothing.

They peered into the upside down cans. They gave them a shake.

Turns out it was a freezer and we had ruined three six-packs of beer.

ALL WEEKEND

• SilverDocs:  The eighth annual SilverDocs festival, celebrating documentary films, is being held June 21-27, 2010 at the AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center and other locations in and around Silver Spring. For serious movie buffs, there are a range of packages available that offer you access to multiple events. For less commitment and less money, you can buy day-of tickets for a single show for $10. There are WAY too many film events happening for me to name, so just check out this link instead. $10 per film or purchase package deals
• Pygmalion: See this George Bernard Shaw comedy classic at the Silver Spring Theater. General admission $20.
• Frida Vice Versa: See this one-woman show about Frida Kahlo at the Round House Theatre in Silver Spring. $15. Saturday or Sunday.

FRIDAY

• Dance a Thon: Dance off benefit for the American Music Therapy Association in the heart of downtown Silver Spring at Ellsworth Plaza. Dress in 70s and 80s costumes to participate in the costume contest. Prizes awarded to the dancers who make it to the end. Participation fee is $5 — includes snacks, drinks and breakfast for the hardcore dancers. I’m serious. You could also just stop by to enjoy some music outdoors and watch the dancers! $5. 6:30pm-late!
• Cream Soda and Creme de Menthe: Check out this one-woman play at the Round House Theatre in Silver Spring. $15. 8pm.

SATURDAY

• Fenton Street Market: Celebrate your community and check out cool antiques, crafts, food, art, music and more. Held at the corner of Fenton Street and Silver Spring Avenue. Free. 9am-3pm.
• FreshFarm Farmers’ Market:Ellsworth Plaza. Free. 10am-1pm.
• The Strange Loops: Outdoor concert at Ellsworth Plaza. This alternative rock group is better known as TrustFall. They’re originally from the area. Free. 6:30-8:30pm.

SUNDAY

• Fountain Time!: Bring the kids to the fountain in Ellsworth Plaza to enjoy music, the moon bounce, games and more. Free. 1-4pm.
• “Scheherazade”Classical Concert: The Avanti Orchestra, comprised of 77 musicians from the DC and Baltimore metro areas, performs a concert featuring featuring Rimsky-Korsakov’s”Scheherazade.” Under the artistic direction of Montgomery College Professor Pablo Saelzer. Held at the Cultural Arts Center on Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus.   Free. 5pm.
  
• Swing Dancing: Learn to swing dance or show off your skills at McGinty’s. Free. Beginners at 6pm, Intermediates at 7pm, and dancing 8-10pm.

I’m sure all you longtime homeowners remember the first time your basement flooded, or when the pipes burst, the ceiling caved in, or the fridge stopped working. And I’m sure you fondly remember those unexpected major expenses.

Well, ours started with some condensation. Little drops lined the pipes leading to and from the indoor portion of our central air unit. The problem persisted, so I searched the Internet for an A/C company with good reviews and made an appointment.The repairman showed up and took a look around. He peeled back the black insulation material around the pipes and his eyes widened. “Ice!” he said and tsked tsked. “This isn’t good.” (By the way, repairmen, doctors, etc, when you say “this isn’t good,” it doesn’t soften the blow.) He opened up the indoor unit and gave an “uh oh.” He showed me the damage. It looked like a snowcone machine in there. The unit was completely filled with ice.

The ice was hidden from view, located behind a panel that could only be opened by unscrewing the unit. Because we didn’t know this was going on, we had been running the air conditioner, but it turns out that by using the A/C in this condition, we were potentially creating further damage. Turns out, we should have had the unit inspected by an HVAC person (not just the home inspector) before using it.

After a bunch of visits and tests, etc. the repairman located the leak from which the freon was escaping and he replaced the coil.

In addition to the bill for the labor, parts, etc, we signed up to get on a repair plan. This covers routine maintenance and helps defray some repair costs.

So the lesson learned here is that all new homeowners should find a heating/cooling company when you move in and get yourself on a regular maintenance plan. That way you can get your system inspected, updated, and cleaned once before summer and once before winter to potentially save yourself additional headaches.

Here are a few companies that service the Silver Spring area:

CroppMetcalfe: http://www.croppmetcalfe.com/

Thomas E. Clark: http://www.thomaseclark.com/

Cool Breeze: http://www.servicemagic.com/rated.CoolBreezeHeatingAndAir.16109547.html

Silver Spring Heating & AC: http://silverspringhvac.com/

If readers have experience with these companies or others in the area, share your reviews in the comment section below.

The dinner was delicious and the fish was a hit. But that’s not where this story is going.

After all our guests left, silversprung spouse debated about what to do with the fish carcasses. “The trash doesn’t get picked up for another seven days,” SSspouse noted.

Well it was late at night, so SSspouse wrapped those babies in trash bags and put them in our outdoor garbage.

Two days later, the bugs began to descend.It was a hot week, especially for decaying animal carcasses! After two days in 90-plus degree weather, swarms of flies began to circle our trash bins. We’re talking plague-worthy swarms. I started to worry that animals would attack it at night. The next day, the smell took over. A combination of dead animal, fish skin, and trash smells combined to make the most putrid stink ever. Then, it baked in the hot sun until you could almost see stink lines rising from the lid. Oh wait, those were actual flies. Regardless, it was absolutely putrid.

We were certain our neighbors would step in to complain. A cab driver did a double-take when he rolled down his window in our driveway. He looked at us and paused to ask questions. Then decided against it and quickly rolled his window back up.

Finally, the trash pickup came. Our neighbors never complained and no animals that we know of attacked the can. But now we’re left with an extremely tainted garbage container. It is absolutely unbearable, even closed.

SSspouse tried to fix the situation. First SSspouse donned snorkeling goggles, then added plastic gloves, then grabbed a bottle of bleach. SSspouse dragged the can into the middle of the driveway, sprinkled some bleach in and aimed the hose to rinse the offending bin. The process was repeated several times (I’m sure to the delight, or horror, of our neighbors, who could have easily witnessed the snorkel mask-clad SSspouse’s procedure) but the smell didn’t budge.

So now we’re left with a disgusting can that sits in our driveway. What say you sprungers? Do we find a way to trash our otherwise perfectly fine trash bin? Or can you recommend a good solution?

By the way, a Silver Spring friend mentioned two things we could have done to avoid the situation entirely: 1. Store the offending fish carcass in a bag in the freezer until trash day. 2. Plant the fish in the garden. (We have too many animals around to consider that option, but the freezer will be our go-to next time.)