Manassas National Battlefield

I spent half the day at Manassas National Battlefield park with my parents. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day for the end of December.

Rail fence in the park

The Henry House

Andrew Jackson

Me with the big gun

Mom from the Visitor Center over looking the Henry House

Dad in front of the visitor center

Smithsonian Amarican Art Museum

I spent half the day yesterday exploring "The National Portraite Gallery" in downtown Washingtond DC yesterday.  Here are a few things from the musuem though not the best.  It wasnt until close to the end of the day that I found out Photos could be taken.

Visiting Washington DC

When visiting Wasington DC stay someplace outside the city, and take the metro in.   The best way to do this is to plan on going into downtown DC on the weekend or a federal holiday when parking at the metro station is free and an all day metro pass is only $7.80.  

Otherwise, on work days, you must contened with the commuters going to work. It's almost impossable to find a parking place unless you get there really early.  It's also alot more expensive to ride the metro.

Christmas Eve Family Photo

Christmas Eve after the Candle Light Service at Church

Hair Cut

After going letting my hair grow long (for me) for the holiday photos that will be taken, I walked up to the Great Clips to get my hair cleaned up.   I walked into the shop stood at the desk for awhile(they were really busy), no one came to get my name, so I sat back down to wait.  Someone else came in and they took his name right away. Soo...

I started walking down Manchester to another salon type place in the Schnucks plaza. On the way I started to pass by the "Des Peres Barber Shop".  Ever since I moved to Des Peres I have been telling myself that I needed to try it out so in I went.  I'm glad I did.   First off I was greeted , then growled at by a small dog who I quickly won over by rubbing his butt.  Any place that has a dog on the premises immediately gets points in my book.  My hair was done my Mary, the dogs owner.

It has been years since I have been to a barber.  Since high school I have been going to places like Great Clips with a saloon type feel to them.  For the same price, $15 + tip, Mary washed the back of my neck(kind of a mini massage), trimed my hair lines with a razor rather than electric trimmers, worked on my eyebrows & ears without being asked, and cleaned off my hair with a warm towl.  I dont think I'll ever go back to one of those saloon places again!

They don't seem to have a website but here is the information from the business card I picked up.

Des Peres Barber Shop
Appointments Available
314-822-2636
12023 Manchester Road
Tuesday thru Friday - 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Iraqi lobs loafer at Bush

This Iraqi journalist threw his shoe at President Bush… what a joke, what is funnier is that the American press is reporting that the Iraqi people are revering him as a hero. I hope our journalists are reporting the Iraqi response inaccurately.

If they need a hero they should to look for someone like the Chinese student who stood in front of a Red Army's Tank at Tiananmen Square.

Bad West County Center

One of the many things I like about living in Des Peres, MO is that I have the ability to walk to just about anything I need.

• Schnucks Groceries store
  
• Ace Hardware
  
• Walgreens
• Off the top of my head 10 restaurants
  
• Des Peres Park, (fishing pond, paved walking/rollerblading trails, tennis courts, baseball fields, playground, picnic tables with grills.)
  

We also have a mall, West County Center that is within walking distance. The problem is they seem to have gone to a have gone out of their way to make it hard to access by someone walking to the mall. None of their driveways have a sidewalk so you have to walk down a curvy driveway hoping no one comes around the corner at a ridicules speed.

Really I wouldn't care, but I used to like being able to walk the Barns and Nobel bookstore which has now moved to the mall.

Superfeet

After a couple of years of my feet hurting I finally took the recommendation of a number of people and bought a pair of Superfeet  for $34 about a month ago from Angie at the Alpine Shop in Kirkwood.  I'm glad I did.

Angie explained that (this is the way I understood it)  in this day and age we walk on flat surfaces everywhere we go so the muscles in our feet don't develop like it would if we had to walk on unpaved surfaces.  Our arches need more support and that the inserts in most shoes are just cheep pieces of foam that break down quickly and don't provide the support needed. 

My feet  have felt ten times better ever since.  and I would highly recommend anyone who's feet are bothering then to give them a try.  Angie recommended the Blue ones be cause she described my feet as "meaty" as apposed to the Green ones that my friends recommended. 

I also understand they sometimes help people with back pain.

Downed Trees

Today I had four more small but problematic trees removed this week by Ottiger Tree Services for $800.  That compared to the $1000 that Ray's  and the $1200 that Hansen's quoted me.  All and all everything went well.  The owner, who seems to be a really good guy liked to talk and offered alot of suggestions on things I could do with my back yard and should do for the health of some of the other trees in my yard. None of which would require his service so he wasn't just trying to bump up the bill.

If you ever get the chance to watch some of these people take down tress that are located in a awkward position (ie. between my house and my neighbors power lines, hanging over my roof and right up against my fence)  do it.  its amazing how they use ropes and pulleys to control the tree and the branches as they are cut off.

My only complaint is that they only take checks and cash and expect payment immediately after the job.  For most people this will not be a problem , but for me, I used my last check over 5 years ago.  All my payments are made by online banking and credit card. 

All and all I would recommend and will call for my own tree removal Otteger Tree Services.