The cherry trees around the tidal basin and elsewhere started blooming in earnest last weekend. Here are a few examples of what I found:
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Abiword blues
Abiword is a nice, fast word processor. OpenOffice.org is better for importing and editing complex documents, but it can be painfully slow so I only use it if I have to. Abiword is also usually very stable, so I was surprised when it started crashing on startup. I tried upgrading, I tried downgrading, but it kept crashing. I finally found this bug report at Redhat’s Bugzilla. Comment 8 mentions starting Abiword like this:
$ abiword --geometry 800x600
Not sure why or how, but it worked!
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Mmmm, Jerk Rub
Rubs are tasty, and jerk rub is my absolute favorite.
2-3 tablespoons allspice (pre-ground if you don’t like crunchy bits)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
7 assorted peppers, stemmed and seeded
1 small onion
several cloves garlic
black pepper and salt to taste
Throw it all in a food processor and process until mostly smooth. This makes enough for at least a “family size” package of wings. Watch out for the peppers, it’s best to wear some rubber gloves when handling them. I like the flavor of a variety of peppers, but if you want maximum heat just use scotch bonnets. Herbs like thyme or oregano add some nice flavor too.
Jerk rub goes well with most any sort of meat but I especially enjoy it with chicken wings and flank steak. Marinate for several hours or over night for maximum flavor.
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Chilly Alaska photos
I’ve been way too lazy about getting these online…
Here are a few of Mandi dressed for the cold:
Some snowy trees and a silly sign:
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Old Capitol pillars at the Arboretum
Took these back when the weather was a little nicer. The columns were removed from the Capitol in 1958 as part of a remodel, but weren’t placed at the National Arboretum until the 1980s. The National Arboretum web site has more information.
