It’s been about 3
months since I moved from Fallbrook, California -1,700 people per square
mile – to Washington, DC – 10,000 people per square mile. Yes, it’s
been an adjustment.
No avocados, citrus trees or
cowboy hats. Lots of suits, briefcases and people walking. No coyotes
or quail; lots of squirrels. The weather? Not so bad. 30s in the
morning, rising to 40s during the day. Not a lot of wind or rain during
the day so it’s pleasant. But it does require gloves, a hat, earmuffs,
good boots and a coat every day! My flip flops are sitting by the back
door just waiting for the weather to warm. I do miss the 60s and 70s of
our San Diego winters!
The job at the National Center for Public Policy Research is challenging and interesting. I’ve written several commentaries and have more in development. You can find them archived here or just follow the links at www.nationalcenter.org to the environment section. Do sign up for the RSS feed and you’ll get them as they come out.
Have done several interviews on topics such as energy policy, the Endangered Species Act, government regulation.
There are events happening
all the time in DC, a candy store for the brain. Authors pushing their
new book, panel discussions, interesting presentations – I really enjoy
them. Am also reading a lot. Have made it thorough about a dozen of the
books on my must-read list. Many more to go.
I am fortunate to know people
out here in DC already – old friends – and they’ve been very kind at
inviting me to events and introducing me around.
While Fallbrook has a
population of 30,000, DC has about 600,000 residents. Another 400,000
come in every day for work. So it’s hectic and space is at a premium.
80,000 units are rent-controlled which means they’ve been off the market
for decades. It’s common to meet people who spend 3 hours a day just
commuting.
So I was lucky, through a
friend, to find a lovely furnished apartment for a reasonable price. It
has a very nice patio which I really love.
It’s across the street from a park and a 20-minute walk to work, a few blocks to the farmers’ market, Eastern Market, and the very cool Barrack’s Row
shopping area on 8th St. SE. The Capitol South Metro is 2 blocks away.
I can be through security and at the gate at Reagan National Airport in
less than an hour which is very nice.
There are lots of gorgeous buildings and museums to visit so I have a long list of things to see.
I made up a slide show of pictures of gorgeous buildings, including the Capitol, that I took over the Holidays. It includes shots of my neighborhood too. I hope you enjoy it.
Do I miss home, friends and family? Yes, every day. Do come and visit soon!
Touch of snow outside the window at Christmas 
My patio on a rainy day. 
Here’s that red and white house in the magazine. This month it’s all decorated for the Holidays. What a great building. 
The Library of Congress’ Jefferson Building, the first of its three buildings. This is the view I see when I walk to work. 
SCOTUS. This is the way I walk to/from work every day. 
Peek of the Capitol from alongside the Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS). 
SCOTUS. To the right is the Senate’s Hart Office Building. Hart has a big atrium in the middle featuring a Calder sculpture. 
Am organizing a lunch on the 16th for lawyers arguing a case before the Supreme Court on the 15th. The Koontz case — a property rights case. 
“Justice – The Guardian of Liberty,” the motto on eastern facade – I walk by every day to/from work. 
St. Joe’s on my walk to/from work. 
St. Joseph’s door. 
Union Station, east side. Around the corner from work. 
Union Station, exterior, ceiling under the arches. 
Union Station. 
Union Station, interior. 
Bike store west of Union Station. 
Judiciary Building across street from Union Station, north of the Capitol. 
DC PD with local bar, The Monocle, in the little yellow building on the right. Senate offices are directly behind. Convenient. 
Senate’s Russell Office Building, just east of Hart. 
Senate’s Russell Office Building and a peek at the Capitol. Corridors and little trains run below ground to get people back and forth. 
Fountain, north of the Capitol. 
The Capitol from the north. 
Jefferson. 
The Capitol Dome. 
January in DC. 
Capitol, north side 
Capitol, north end, close up of columns. 
Jefferson on right, Supreme Court on left. 
Capitol, north end detail. 
Capitol up close. 
Capitol looking south. 
The three Congressional Library buildings are Adams, Madison and Jefferson. Jefferson has the dome. The other two are very modern. 
The Capitol 
The Capitol on New Year’s Day 2013. 
Jefferson Building on right, Supreme Court on the left, as seen from the Capitol across the plaza. 
The Capitol on New Year’s Day. 
Jefferson. 
The Capitol, looking north. 
The Capitol. 
Longworth Office Building, one of the three for Members of Congress. 
Cannon House Office Building, another for Congressional offices. 
December camilias around the corner. 
Around the corner from my house. 
Across the park, my neighborhood. 
Camilias, a surprise in the alley behind the corner market. 
My dining table, with all your lovely cards and best wishes in the background. Thank you! 
This was taken in front of my house on the left. From Washingtonian Magazine, May 2012. It is a pleasant neighborhood.