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Back to gerritt.net CIRCULATE July 30, 2005. 9:25 PM There's a new piece of the public transit puzzle that was put into place this month in DC. The spanking-new DC Circulator buses went into operation just two weeks ago, with a promise to "take you to Washington's most premier cultural, shopping, dining, and business destinations." I read this as: "a bus for people who are too cheap to call a cab and too lazy to walk beyond where the Metro stops, but scared to ride on city buses." I had to try it. For one dollar, the bus picks up right outside my marina and takes a straight but scenic route across the National Mall and up 7th street to the Convention Center. From there, the other Circulator route meets you at Mass. Ave and runs between Union Station and Georgetown. Melanie and I chose G-town, the scenic and wealthy neighborhood surrounding the historic port and the C&O Canal. After a bite to eat and a lousy Starbucks minty-frappa-happy-icey-rip-off, we headed back on board the dollar bus, enjoying the big windows and the cool interiors as we watched the whole city pass by. The Circulator is much slower than the Metro, but for getting to Georgetown there is no better way. I also liked the added benefit of being able to see the town out the window without the confusion of figuring out the Metrobus schedule or the high prices of a taxi. The only problem, and this is a constant complaint here in DC, is that it stops running at 9 PM, thus eliminating it as a cheap way to get home from a bar. (The Metro only runs late on Friday and Saturday.) This bus is clearly designed for sightseers and daytrippers, and for that it does a great job. -G * Email Gerritt A BS IN DC July 26, 2005. 5:45 PM It seems like only yesterday that I spent two hot weeks, not unlike this week, at the National Boy Scout Jamboree of 1997. I was hit with a dose of nostalgia this week as I watched this year's scouts flocking around DC, many of them loading and unloading from tour buses parked outside my marina. The Jamboree is held every four years at Fort AP Hill, Virginia, just an hour south of Washington, and draws thousands of scouts to the city for a few days of touring before heading to the jambo. Mass gatherings of pasty white kids from Illinois wearing khaki shirts and olive shorts were overrunning the Safeway, the Target parking lot, and blocking the sidewalk on Maine Ave. Needless to say, they stand out a bit in the District. It brings back memories of good times spent camping and having fun with my friends. However, I read this morning that an electrical accident has already occured at the Jambo, resulting in the tragic deaths of four adult scout leaders. A very sad story for the first day of such a great gathering. -G * Email Gerritt ADVENTURE GALLEY July 22, 2005. 5:15 PM It's been a busy week. I rebuilt the galley (nautical term, it means "kitchen") on board my houseboat this week, a nice change to have a working stove and a sink that doesn't leak. Its hot and stinky down on the waterfront this time of year, not a great time to be hanging out on a boat, especially with the daily risk of thunderstorms. I've spent every night this week away from home, and I'm leaving tonight for another weekend in Ocean City, this time with Daryl. Thanks for all of your clever comments on last week's entry, I enjoyed all the funny captions you came up with. Stay cool. -G * Email Gerritt WRITE YOUR OWN CAPTION CONTEST July 16, 2005. 8:45 AM 
-G * Email Gerritt DENNIS ANYONE? July 12, 2005. 6:15 PM Its a hot night on G-dock. Thunder is rumbing in over the river. I suspect the skies to open up just about the time I start heading back with my dry laundry. Its only a five minute walk, but that's long enough to soak my clothes to the point of needing another run in the drier. Thunderstorms are surprisingly peaceful on the water, considering how dangerous they can be. Tied up tight in my slip, I sit and listen to the patter of rain on the deck, interrupted by sirens howling through the city and the drone of the air conditioner overhead. I still love the summer rain, such a welcome and drastic change from the stagnant sticky air that hovers over DC. This storm might miss us, but I'm ready for it anyway. -G * Email Gerritt FIRE IN THE SKY July 6, 2005. 10:55 PM 
An image of the DC fireworks taken from my boat, July 4, 2005. -G * Email Gerritt NEW PICTURES ADDED! July 5, 2005. 10:05 PM Tonight I've created the new Long Cruise 2005 picture page! Go see the pictures from my sailing trip. Enjoy! -G * Email Gerritt CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE July 4, 2005. 5:05 PM I have returned from my sailing vacation, and everyone had a safe and fun time. Especially me. I have about two hundred pictures to sort through from the trip, so look for them to be posted hopefully by tomorrow night. Tonight I'll be watching the DC fireworks from the topdeck of my houseboat with a few friends, and from the sound of things around the marina it will be a long night. Back to work tomorrow! -G * Email Gerritt |