[Aaron bikes]

@AlanA

“OMG! That’s a flag cornucopia. Where is it? I could use three more flags”

This is at 3rd and N Garfield in the Lyon Park neighborhood of Arlington.

[Aaron bikes]

Point of clarification from judges please.

I know the scavenger hunt can’t include me as the subject (or stuff I brought with me from home), but can it include my activities or my feelings? (I OFTEN have the SENSE that grammar is tricky).

I’m OK either way, but it was a consideration yesterday and again today as I’m wheeling around for the perfect pic. Thanks.

[Aaron bikes]

2/26/24 OFTEN

OFTEN Wrong, Never in Doubt

This phrase captures much of our current political landscape.

 

[Aaron bikes]

Been a rough couple of wordle days for me… my significant other is a PIPER with the last name of SMITH. If tomorrow’s wordle is BOXER, I’ll know the universe is against me.

(To clarify, my dog is a boxer, not my girl 😉)

[Aaron bikes]

2/25/24 SMITH

In my younger days, I enjoyed going to this Piano Bar in Georgetown (was on K, now on Water street under the Whitehurst).

[Aaron bikes]

@DCAken – Early piper 🐦 gets the lawyer 🪱.

You forced me to bike further today. 😉 thanks!

 

 

Not my submission:

[Aaron bikes]

2/24/24 PIPER

Don’t Blink!

A heavenly host of PIPERs at Glenwood Cemetery in NE DC

(There were 5 total pipers piping, but they were too widely spread for a photo. Still not 11 😞)

[Aaron bikes]

2/23/24 APART

Arlington (and Alexandria) used to be A PART of Washington DC.  But the Potomac kept them APART. SO in 1847 Congress their part to give this part back to Virginia.

The new Arlington logo shows this stylistically, with Arlington APART from the rest of the original DC diamond.

[Aaron bikes]

Since people are complaining… what’s the deal with people going to cool/interesting places? I’m sitting here in “not really freezing” DC , trying to cobble together miles and clever photos while having a full time job… it just doesn’t seem fair!  😕

For the scoring… I will admit that if I were king, I’d structure this a bit differently. I’m not sure how (that’s what’s great about not actually being in charge), but sometimes the days when I’m proudest of my effort, I don’t get a point. But that’s because I’m not the judge. That’s weird to me. I like to be the decider. But I’m still proud of my efforts. And that’s almost as important as the pointless points.

Anyway, getting to know what wins (sometimes amazing photos, sometimes oddball/nostalgic things) has helped me curate my efforts. Getting it “on the nose” doesn’t do it. Being insightful doesn’t often do it. Having supporting text/explanation only sometimes helps. Focusing on the photo and the feeling is where you can bank it. My brain wrestles with this.

That’s OK. Because, THIS competition is what gets me on my bike EVERY day now. My FS team is, on average… average. And I’m doing my part. But I’m working hard to fight to be a contender in this silly competition. Win or lose, I can’t wait until it’s over and I can sit on my ass and let my leg muscles atrophy for a few days. 😉

Thanks Kelley and Serdar for your initiative and hard work. My mileage for the year is way up, and my motivation to get up and on the saddle every morning is way up.

And to my fellow competitors,  thanks for the awesome/clever/insightful/funny photos. Even if you are biking in places that make me jealous. And even if you composed an image that really puts to shame my lame submission that day. It just makes me that much more motivated to get out there and do better tomorrow!

I hope those of us who are “regular contributors” in the competition can meet and drink or bike together at the end (winners pay 😀).

[Aaron bikes]

2/22/24 HEAVY

“HEAVY is the head that wears the crown”

Lady Liberty has had a tough job the last 8(?) years. No wonder she looks so tired.

(Reclining Liberty Statue is in Virginia Square)

My quote above is likely a common misquote of Shakespeare 

 

[Aaron bikes]

2/21/24 BUILD

Arlington’s motto is “BUILD, Baby, BUILD!”

As seen on my commute… Last week this was a nice cape cod home with matureshade trees. Now they will build another 6 bedroom beast without trees or grass, perfectly suited to the lawyers or lobbyists who will move in with one kid and two BMWs.

/rant over

[Aaron bikes]

2/20/24 MATCH

Guy at the gas station was happy to give me a MATCH.

But he seemed a bit nervous when I pulled it out at the pump.

[Aaron bikes]

@alanA: To the high price of gas, we cyclists say “who cares” 😉

(And that 9/10 thing has been around since early on when gas was like 10 cents. Adding a penny was a 10% increase. So fractions made sense. More recently its clearly just psychological (3.99 9/10 is obviously less than $4 !)

[Aaron bikes]

02/19/24 PRICE

HERE WE MARK THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Inscription at the WWII memorial in front of the gold stars representing the 400,000 Americans who gave their lives to fight against fascism.

[Aaron bikes]

2/18/24 RIDGE

Arlington RIDGE Road in South Arlington runs along the top of a RIDGE. This panorama shows the Ridge Road and the scenic vista on either side. Featured in the photo is the old Hume School (now the Arlington Historical Society).

Incidentally, it’s a healthy climb to the top of that Ridge! I did it several times to make sure I got 1k of climb on my ride today!

[Author]

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