Life in the Sprung

Life. Life's absurdities. And TV news in the most powerful city in the world. Blogging 8 miles north of the White House

Friday, April 21, 2006

21 April 2006

Remember when all the uppity folks at Tyson's Corner objected to racy window displays at Victoria's Secret?



Well, a window display promoting the new clothing store in SILVER SPRING called "American Apparel" is raising some eyebrows, too. WUSA-TV has the story HERE. I guess even super-liberal Silver Spring folks have a limit. American Apparel IS smart to come to Silver Spring, though. The store bills itself as "sweat-shop free" and "brand-free" and offers many items with "organic cotton" -- the folks here will TOTALLY eat it up.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

19 April 2006

Did you realize there's a state park in Kentucky called "BIG BONE LICK?" Yipes.

19 April 2006

My beloved sent me this link of Sasha Cohen being "sabotaged" on the ice. Quite funny.

19 April 2006


Silver Spring has launched a snazzy new website...info on arts & entertainment, restaurants, "downtown living." Check it out HERE.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

18 April 2006


Caught folk singer Patty Griffin at the Birchmere last night. I was somewhat familiar with her music, but hadn't thought about going to the concert until a buddy of mine asked me to go with her. What a beautiful voice. The music was mellow and I wished there were more "upbeat" tunes in the repetoire, but all and all a very enjoyable experience. And the Birchmere is a fantastic venue. Very homey and intimate. And great southern food. There's a move to bring another Birchmere venue to Silver Spring, which would be fabulous and I'm sure wildly successful. The original Birchmere is in Alexandria, which might as well be NEPTUNE to us in the Sprung. With the AFI and Discovery and an emerging artist community, Silver Spring would be an ideal location. A community group called "Silver Spring Forward" is really trying to make it happen. You can get more info HERE.

18 April 2006



Well, some 100 gay and lesbian families made their way to the White House Easter Egg roll yesterday--and lightning didn't strike, "traditional marriages" all over the country didn't disintegrate into thin air, and Western Civilization as we know it, didn't collapse. Some people say those families "politicized" the event. They say their goal was simple: to demonstrate to the White House--and the world--that their values are those of traditional American families. That they're like everyone else. I know I'm biased, but I think it was "mission accomplished." There was no fuss (except for a measly 6 protestors who gathered, one with a sign that read: "Homo-sex is a threat to national security.") I personally think stuff like that actually HELPS our cause. Even the White House seemed non-plussed. Some staffers even quietly thanked some couples for coming. (Check out the Washington Post story HERE.) I mean, this wasn't the Gay Pride Parade. It was gay moms and dads -- toting their kids around, cajoling them when they got cranky, wiping their noses, comforting them when the giant Easter bunny scared them, beaming with pride when they completed the roll, making sure their seersucker suits and taffeta skirts didn't get too dirty, etc. In short: these families were really BORING. And that's the point.

I really hope when we take OUR kid to the White House Easter Egg Roll, that it won't be a big deal at all.


By the way: The White House said the American Egg Board provided approximately 7,200 eggs to be rolled, 2,800 dyed eggs for an egg hunt and 4,000 boiled eggs for children to dye.

That brought a protest from Friends of Animals, which drew attention to the treatment of chickens raised to produce eggs and advocated the use of artificial eggs.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

16 April 2006

It's a beautiful Easter morning. Bright sunshine, flowers and trees blooming, temps in the low 70s. We're heading to brunch at Colorado Kitchen with my aunt and then visiting with friends for the rest of the afternoon. What a fabulous day!

My dear friend Melissa and her girlfriend came down from Philly yesterday so we met them and other friends at a new-ish restaurant in Woodley Park called "Open City." Kind of a coffee bar, regular bar, cafe/diner kind of thing. Food was only okay, as was the service. Makes me think they should decide on what kind of establishment they really want to be and then focus just on that. But then again, Busboys & Poets does all that -- and does it VERY well. Anyway, it WAS a nice space though with big open windows overlooking Calvert Street.