Classical Chinese Garden Coming to DC !

28 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by Richard in Escapes and Pleasures

Tags

"The Fragrant Reader's Garden", "The Humble Blogger's Garden, Classical Chinese Gardens, Lan Su, National Arboretum, The National Chinese Garden, Thomas Virnston, Yangzhou Gardens

Courtesy of the National Chinese Garden

More than 30 years ago, on a trip to China, I found myself captured by the classical gardens of Suzhou. While I’d never been one to think much about gardens, all of that changed following that visit. And for a couple of decades thereafter I thought about building some form classical Chinese garden in the two small spaces on the side and in the back area of our house.

Finally, when I retired, and following a redo of our kitchen, I had time to focus on designing and building my own Chinese gardens. Over a period of two years and in partnership with a wonderful landscape garden builder, Thomas Virnston, we designed and built what we now call The Humbler Blogger’s Garden (after The Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou) and a companion Fragrant Reader’s Garden.

(A few of you may remember that I blogged about this back in Sept., 2013 and linked to an article that a magazine did on the two gardens. Unfortunately, the link to that magazine article is no longer active, though you can see some YouTube videos that Thomas has on his website about our efforts.)

Some of my most pleasant hours of the day and evening are when I am reading and listening to the waterfall in The Fragrant Reader’s Garden or just gazing at The Humble Blogger’s Garden from our kitchen.

Last night I was over the moon, so to speak, to learn that after many years of thought, planning, false starts, disappointments, etc. an ambitious project will now get underway shortly to build a 12-acre National China Garden at our National Aboretum.

According to the Washington Post, the Chinese government has committed to spend $100 million to construct “a garden containing all the elements of a classical Chinese landscape: enticing moongate entrances, swooping and soaring roof lines, grand pavilions with carved wooden screens and groves of golden bamboo. The grounds will boast of two dozen handcrafted pavilions, temples, and other ornate structures around a large central lake.”

Courtesy of the National China Garden

While there are a number of Chinese designed and constructed classical gardens outside of China — there is the wonderful Lan Su Garden, taking up an entire city block in downtown Portland, OR — nothing has been built matching the magnitude of the 30-month project soon to be underway in the National’s Capitol.

All the details of the project are in today’s Washington Post article, From Beijing to D.C.: $100 Million in Seed Money.

Barring any mishaps, three years from now Washington and our country will have a “re-creation of (the) historic gardens in Yangzhou (China), a city along the Yangtze River,” and, I suspect, an unparalleled destination for visitors just two miles from the US Capitol.

I can hardly contain my excitement. While such a project has been envisioned since 2003 (and then delayed on numerous occasions), it is finally coming to fruition. I plan to spend many hours there. And if you are visiting DC and happen to be staying at our house, expect that I will be happy to accompany you to the National China Garden by 2020, just three years away.

My ‘Work’ Is Done

27 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Richard in Family and Friends, Go Sox

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Boston Red Sox, Granddaughter, Grandfather, Grandparenting, Parenting, Red Sox, Sox

Before you read any further, check out the photos above carefully. What you can see is my 14th month old granddaughter now ‘sporting’ — so to speak — diapers that clearly display what I trust will be her life choice of a favorite baseball team.

Believe it or not, her mother, my younger daughter, was the person who found and procured said diapers. (I admit I did support the idea once she mentioned it to me, but in truth, it was all her idea.)

Thus, my ‘work’ is done as far as this grandchild is concerned. Her mother seems to have it all well under control.

However, just in case, here are a few further actions she might take to embed a Sox obsession in her progeny:

Secure appropriate clothing each year of Samantha’s life which touts the Sox, Wally, Fenway, etc. (She might want to wait on any ‘Green Monster’ clothing until Samantha is old enough not to be fearful of monsters. Note: A ‘mistake’ was made with my then three year old grandson who was scared by a Green Monster t-shirt I procured for him. Only now, when he is almost four, has he begun to wear it. Hopefully, no long term damage was done.)
Parents should themselves, at various times, ‘sport’ appropriate Sox gear and should definitely avoid anything even resembling Yankee clothing. KC Royals’ gear (current home team) is problematic as mixed messages are rarely good for children.
Turn the TV on whenever the Sox are on, particularly if it is a playoff or World Series game.
Remind Samantha frequently that supporting the Sox is very important to the child’s maternal grandfather.
Find a player on the Sox team who is young and/or recognizable and have the child focus on that individual. Ages seven to eight have been found to be the earliest appropriate times to begin serious understanding of baseball. (Note: This has worked well with at least two of her cousins, and I plan to continue this ‘tradition’ with the third cousin when he reaches the age of seven.)
Plan her first trip to Fenway when she’s seven or eight. Assuming the early years of propagandizing have produced a desirable result, such a trip can ‘close the deal’ and make said individual a lifelong Sox fan. (Note: Said parents are off to a good start having taken her to a Sox game at the age of two months, tho it’s true the young babe was torn away from her earphones and taken home for bedtime in the second inning.)
As often as you can, take Samantha on or near her birthday to a Sox game, and, if possible, make it a birthday celebration with some of her friends attending also. (Note: This strategy may only work for a few years until she realizes there are more fun ways to celebrate her birthday.)
The teenage years are too late for any real Sox indoctrination as adolescents seem to get a mind of their own. Thus, it is crucial to be sure that by that time, the parental unit has fully passed on this obsession, which has been in our family now for five generations.
Check on whether there are Red Sox diapers in new born sizes (as that will be necessary soon.) We know the new baby will have plenty of onesies and t-shirt to wear, but you never know if the supply of these properly labeled diapers will be available after the initial run on them.

I do want to congratulate her mother on finding the lovely diapers, which gives me a good deal of relief that I do not have to worry about Samantha’s Sox education.

And a final special note to Samantha’s father: There is no problem encouraging her to follow both an NFL and a MLB team. And while I suspect he will favor football over baseball, it is possible, and quite important, for him to participate in this essential parental duty of supporting Samantha’s potential life long love of the Sox.

Photography by Ellen Miller

For Baseball Geeks Only

26 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Richard in Articles & Books of Interest, Go Sox

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Baseball MLB, Closers, Goose Egg, Goose Gossage, Houston, Nate Silver, Nats, Os, Relief Pitching, Rockies, Sox

Well the best months of the year are here, and baseball season is underway. The Nats have the best record in the National League, despite having a disastrous bullpen that seems bent on blowing every lead the team has in the late innings. The Os, somehow, are leading in the AL East, perhaps another example of the importance of hitting, tho I can’t imagine hitting will carry the day for either of these two teams.

And my Sox aren’t doing too badly, despite lots of injuries and no David Price. Houston maybe the surprise this year, tho I doubt they’ll continue at a .700 pace. Colorado too is a surprise, so far winning twice as many games as they’ve lost.

Anyway, it’s a long season, and we’re only about 20 games into the 162 game season.

Meanwhile, two of you (BT, JM) have sent me a link to an article that I want to draw to the attention of those baseball fans who love looking beyond just who’s winning and who’s losing. Actually, this article may be too technical for many. And I admit that I have struggled with understanding it all. Even the title is dense.

But take a look. It offers a different way of looking at relief pitchers, particularly closers.

See: The Save Ruined Relief Pitching. The Goose Egg Can Fix It, by Nate Silver.

DC Film Festival – April 20th – 30th

13 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Richard in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

"Lost in Paris", "This Is Our Land", 31st Annual DC Filmfest, DC FilmFest, DC Internatinal FilmFest, Landmark E Street Theatre, Mazz Gallery

If you live in or near DC, you don’t have to go all the way to Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Telluride or even Philadelphia or Miami to see some excellent films prior to their nationwide openings. Some of these fillm, sadly many of these international ones, may never make it to the larger screens at all.

Starting a week from today (April 20th and lasting for 11 days), there are 80 films from 45 countries. The opening night film is This Is Our Land and the closing one is Lost in Paris.

There are five categories of films, Division and Debate, which explores contentious issues. The Justice Matters, focuses on social issues, The Lighter Side, international comedies, Trust No One, thriller and espionage, and Global Rhythms, a music series.

Most of the films are being shown twice throughout the festival, usually in the evenings. On the two weekends, there are day and evening showings. Almost all of the films are at either the Mazza Gallery or at the Landmark E Street Theatre. There are a number of different ticket packages, and advance sales include discounts and can assure you of getting into a particular film.

To get more details about this year’s festival, go to their website at DC International Film Festival.

To see a listing and description of the 80 films and times and places where they will be shown, go to Catalogue of the Festival or get a copy of the catalogue in tomorrow’s Washington Post, April 14th (special insert in the Weekend section).

Too Good to Be True?

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Richard in Articles & Books of Interest, Go Sox

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

Babe Ruth, baseball, Japanese Baeball Star, Jon Wetheim, Shohei Ohtani, Sports Illustrated"

Shoei Ohtani -a name you are going to hear about and a person who may do something in baseball that hasn’t been done since Babe Ruth a 100 years ago. While it may be a couple of years before you see him in the US, check out this young Japanese baseball player who can both pitch (102+ mph) and hit (mammoth home runs).

I know we often hear about Japanese (and other) young players who are highly touted and then never live up to the hype about them. But then some do. I think you’re going to want to follow this 22-year old.

There’s an article (see link below) in the April 17th issue of Sports Illustrated magazine by Jon Wertheim (h/t Ellen Miller) that will introduce Ohtani if you have not already learned about him. (There was a piece on him on 60 Minutes this past Sunday.)

Read: Shohei Ohtani—Japan’s Babe Ruth—is about to change the face of baseball

What I Love About Blackjack

06 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Richard in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

21, Blackjack, Casino

I notice that some of you were a bit surprised to learn from a recent post of my interest in blackjack. You are only partially forgiven. Your only acceptable excuse is that perhaps you are new to this site or maybe you were not reading it in 2012. Or, maybe your memory is beginning to dull a bit.

I have written about this pleasure of mine before, however, and if you ignored it, missed it, or have forgotten about the post linked to just below, check it out. It will answer some of the questions that some of you raised, either in the Comment section or in direct emails to me (e.g., How did I come by this ‘interest’ ?)

See: Like Father, Like Son, Like Daughter

While that post, a favorite of mine, gives you some insights, it does not respond to one question that some of you asked: What is the attraction of gambling for me?

It is not the desire to make a lot of money.

Nor is it an addiction that must be continuously fed.

I think one of the reasons I enjoy blackjack so much has to do with the immediacy of its result, which is different from most aspects of what I’ve done, so far, with my life.

And blackjack is simple.

1. The player is trying to get as close to 21 (the total addition of your cards) without going over 21.

2. The player is trying to beat the total count of the dealer. If you do, you win.

3. If the player breaks (goes over 21), you lose immediately.

4. If player stays with hand, and it is higher than the dealer’s total, you win.

5. If player has the same total count as the dealer, it’s a tie and no money is won or lost.

6. If the dealer “breaks,” i.e., goes over 21, and you did not already “break,” you win.

While there are other rules, those are the primary ones.

In blackjack, you make a bet, in my case a modest one. Then the dealer deals two cards, face up, to up to seven players around the table and two to him/herself; one of his cards is face up and one face down. Everyone is playing only against the dealer. Then a short period of decision-making takes place. Do I want to ask for another card or two or three, double my bet, or do I want to stay with my two cards? Once I decide, the dealer reveals his hidden card and will ‘stay’ if he has 17 or higher or must draw if his total is below 17.

Then it’s over. Either you’ve won (doubling your money), tied (no money changes hands), or lost (he collects your bet).

That’s what I like. I know immediately the result of my hand and any decisions I’ve made.

And then I get to do it again.

And again.

There’s definitely luck involved, and some skill — the strategy of knowing when to call for more cards, when to double your bet or split cards, and when to stay with what has been dealt. While the odds are slightly in the casino’s favor, it’s probably the best odds you get on any of the various types of games offered in any casino.

If you are able to manage your money well, if you understand the basic strategy of how to play, and if you have limits on how much you are willing to comfortably lose, then you can ‘stay in the action’ and have hours of entertainment, and perhaps even walk away with more than you came.

While I’m sure an insightful psychologist (oxymoron or redundancy?) would say there is much more to it than what I’ve said here, I’ve been playing blackjack in casinos for almost 60 years, and I continue to find it exciting and rewarding.

And, I repeat, if you have not read my post from 2012, go to: Like Father, Like Son, Like Daughter.

Gambling Close to Home

04 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by Richard in Escapes and Pleasures

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Blackjack, crabcakes, Fish by Jose Andres, Marcus, MGM Casino & Resort, MGM Resort, Oxon Hill, Pappas

Last weekend was my birthday (29th), and so as plans developed, I thought I had found a way to include some of my favorite things to do all in one day: go to a Red Sox game, check out the new MGM Casino and Resort nearby, play a bit of blackjack, enjoy a good meal at a new restaurant, and share all with Ellen.

Well, it didn’t all work out, but most of it did.

The Sox were scheduled to play the Nats in DC as one of the final Spring Training games here. The Sox appear in this area maybe once every four or five years, and I had seats four rows behind the Sox dugout. I could see all my heroes and get good pictures too. Then, the game got rained out. Harumph.

So instead we just headed to Oxon, Hill, MD, 20-30 minutes from DC, earlier than we had planned, where MGM has built a major 23 acre resort at National Harbor. For those who know me beyond my MillersTime ‘published interests,’ you know I love to play blackjack. I’ve been known to spend time in Atlantic City and Las Vegas for that specific interest. But I had not yet been to the new casino close to home. When I read an outstanding review of one of the restaurants that had opened there, Fish by Jose Andres, I knew Ellen would be interested. Sadly, she’s not a gambler but has been known to accompany me on some of my trips, as long as there are other activities — good entertainment, good food, and a variety of spa services — available for her.

Early reports about the new MGM were positive, though we heard about large crowds, especially on weekends. But since it was now more than three months since it opened, it seemed a good time to check it out.

Casino:

For me, it’s all about the gambling.

The good news is that the 125,000 square foot casino is a state of the art facility with the emphasis on slots (3,300), poker (39 tables with various types of poker), 10 crap tables, roulette wheels, and numerous blackjack and ‘close to blackjack type games.’ There is a special area for high stakes players. Over the seven hours (three on Friday and four on Saturday) that I sat at the blackjack tables, I found the other players knowledgeable and skilled at playing. There were only two players over that period of time who didn’t seem to know what they were doing and caused rolling eyes, some groans, and a few expletives from the other players. The dealers deal from an automatic shuffling machine that means play is continuous and if you want to count cards, you can’t really do that. The casino is open 24 hours a day.

The bad news is that the minimum bets are high. At blackjack, where I spent all of my gambling time, there were some $15 tables during the afternoon, but they were all increased to a minimum of $25 by early Friday evening. On Saturday, the tables were pushed to $25 by mid-day. That wasn’t the most serious negative. Usually, when you get blackjack (an ace and a picture card), the pay out is 3-2. However, at this MGM, the payout is 6-5, barely a reward for getting blackjack. If you want the 3-2 blackjack payout, you have to go to a $50 table. I don’t know the specifics, but I’m sure that moves the odds quite significantly in the house’s favor.

Hotel:

The 24 story hotel is also quite modern and convenient (upstairs from the casino) for those who want to stay overnight, rather than make a day trip. I think I heard there were only 308 rooms, not a large number for a casino and resort facility. And the prices were extremely high, at least for the weekend we were there. Unlike Vegas, however, the rooms and corridors are done in soft colors, and there is no jazzing things up to keep you out of the rooms and in the casino.

Food & Drink:

Lots of good choices, from Jose Andres’ Fish (reviewed by the Washington Post as the best seafood restaurant in the whole DC area) to Marcus Samuelsons’ more classic American restaurant and the Votaggio Brothers Steakhouse. There’s an Asian restaurant, Ginger, where dim sum is served every day from 11-3). We had a very good dinner at Fish, whose menu is not extensive, but the food is fresh and tasty. Whether it’s the best in the area, I leave that to those who know more than we about seafood in DC, where there are not many restaurants that specialize in seafood.

There’s an area called the National Market which is less fancy and where no reservations are necessary. We had some of the best crab cakes we’ve eaten in a long time at Pappas, but you can also get sushi, grab a Steak and Shake meal, find a slice of pizza, and other food to hold you over between gambling sessions. See Where to eat at MGM National Harbor for a review of all the restaurants.

There are numerous bars, both in the casino and in hotel, each with a specific theme, and there’s a Bellagio Patisserie (Ellen rated her Saturday morning almond croissant there ‘outstanding.’)

Other Activities:

While there is an theater for evening concerts and the like, nothing was scheduled while we were there. Some ‘known’ entertainers were scheduled for the coming months. I didn’t know them, but Ellen did.

Ellen took advantage of the spa and salon and had high praise for those activities. She may have shopped a bit and stopped in at the Sarah Jessica Park boutique, but there were no extra packages to take home. (Tho now that I think about it, we did get two home deliveries of what looked suspiciously like shoes a couple days after we returned.)

Oh, and apparently there is an outdoor area, Potomac Plaza, where there are bocce courts and a beer pong table, and there’s a pool too.

In sum?

This MGM is less of a resort and more of a day trip gambling opportunity with modern, definitely upscale facilities, good food, close to the metro DC area. If you don’t mind the high gambling minimums (and the 6-5 BJ odds), it’s a good place to spend a day, or even an expensive overnight. But it’s not a destination in the sense that Las Vegas is and Atlantic City was.

For those who are curious, I walked away from the blackjack tables with $125 of MGMs’ money. However, they got that and much more back with the room, the food, and the amenities. But there was no airfare or car rental fees.

Just what the doctor ordered for my birthday.