Two Things Challenge: Urban / Art

Urban graffiti as art : Silver Spring, MD

This week's Two Things Challenge was Urban / Art. I snapped this first picture a few days ago in downtown Silver Spring. I like how someone took what would otherwise be graffiti and put it on canvas as a way to add some color to the passageway that links one of Silver Springs' parking decks with its downtown shopping district.

Neon triptych : Seattle, WA
(Click images to enlarge.)

These other photos are some more of the neon we saw during our photo walk on Saturday night in Seattle. As the Emerald City is rather urban, I thought these signs were appropriate for the challenge.

To see how others interpreted this challenge, go to Two Things Challenge and check it out!

Tomorrow: Seattle in the daylight.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

Holiday Lobby

Festive lobby

I walked past this office building on Georgia Avenue a few evenings ago and was charmed by the simplicity of the lobby's Christmas decorations and how well they matched with the artwork on the back wall. (Click the image to enlarge for more detail.)

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Two Things Challenge: Joint / Venture

Democracy: A joint venture between government and the people

This week's Two Things Challenge was Joint / Venture. This may be a stretch, but I chose two unusual photos to interpret this challenge. In the case of the former, the interaction between government and its citizens. Democracy only works when a nation's citizens actively engage and participate in government and politics. The above picture is a panel of presidents in the National Museum of American History. The panel spans from George Washington all the way to Barack Obama. The gentleman in the photo happened to step in at the right time and allowed me to capture the ideas of governance and citizenry in democracy.

Shopping with your wife/girlfriend/sister: a joint venture in domestic tranquility

In this second photo, I happened to be walking past a shop window the other night and noticed this couple in the midst of choosing a sweater. I know the majority of men don't care for shopping and often have to suck it up. I thought this composition captured the joint venture of shopping that so many couples find themselves in.

There you have it. A stretch, but what the heck! That's the whole point of these challenges, right? And speaking of the 2 Things Challenge, this post represents one full year of weekly entries. My first post for this challenge was on December 5, 2007 and the challenge was Colo{u}rful / Words. To see 52 weeks of interpretations at D.C. Confidential, click here. If you'd like to join in the fun, come on over to 2 Things Challenge!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Silver

AFI Silver : Silver Spring, Maryland

Some more shots from downtown Silver Spring. This time, the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center. If you want to see independent, foreign, or art house cinema, this is the theater for it. The added advantage? No crowds of unruly teenagers and, for those who like a drink with their movie, you can get beer on tap.

Off to the movies

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Neon Beauty

The Lee Building
: Corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue :
Silver Spring, Maryland

A few evenings ago, I was out and about in downtown Silver Spring. The older part of downtown has some wonderful art deco architecture and the Lee Building is a wonderful example of a very retro look.

Not your boring elevator

A more contemporary neon construct can be found surrounding the elevator tower in the outdoor shopping plaza.

Spectacular Sale on Spectacles

This sign was in the window of Hour Eyes, a purveyor of optometry and eyewear.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

100 Strangers: DJ & Deep

D.J. and Deep and their sons out for an evening in Silver Spring

Continuing my 100 Strangers series, tonight I was out in downtown Silver Spring and I was setting up to take a shot of the Discovery Channel building and Cakelove, when this group of gentlemen stepped into the picture. I ended up chatting with them briefly, then taking their picture. D.J., the gentlemen on the left, and his son are visiting from Augusta, Georgia. The gentleman on the right, Deep, is his brother. Deep works for the Smithsonian Institution. They were very friendly guys and it was fun taking their picture!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/08

Non-Partisan Coffee

Mayorga Coffee in Silver Spring, Maryland: The not-Starbucks coffee shop

Despite the proliferation of that West-Coast-coffee-chain-that-shall-not-be-named, there are still some independent shops around the area. One of the more popular ones is Mayorga Coffee Roasters. There are only a few locations in the D.C. area, but they are well-loved by their patrons. The other day, I met a friend--who is a Mayorga aficionado--at the company's coffee factory in Silver Spring to hang out and catch up for a few hours. Of course, I took my camera along and the result is the photo above.

While Melissa sipped her Mayorga special blend coffee and I enjoyed a hot chocolate with whipped cream, we chatted about books we're reading and stuff we're writing. We also swapped pleasantries about our families. I love getting together with friends and Mayorga is a nice place to do that on occasion. If you don't care for the hustle and bustle of Starbucks, Mayorga (and any of its non-'Buck counterparts) is the place to go.

Oh, and you don't have to declare your candidate loyalty for this cuppa joe! (Speaking of 7-11, check out their website for a running tally of votes based on sales of coffee cups.)

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

Pairs

Yesterday evening found me in Silver Spring with some friends to see Batman: The Dark Knight. (Side bar: Heath Ledger is very good in this, though I'm not 100% sure I'd call it an Oscar performance. Ledger aside, save this movie for your Netflix queue. I don't think it was worth the $10.25 price tag.) While I was waiting for my friends, I leaned up against the wall of the theater, rested my camera on my arm, and started snapping pictures of people in twos. They didn't have to be a couple, they just had to be two people together. This picture was my favorite of the eight or nine I took before everyone showed up.

And, one of my readers asked if I wouldn't try posting only one picture a day here. Apparently, I was making it difficult to choose one really good one out of several. Hence, only one picture here at DCC today. If you want to see a couple more of my pairs pictures, visit Standing Room Only!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

Today's Potatoes Are From Rigby, Idaho

Little cheeseburger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, and mayo,
a side of fries, and a Cherry Coke, Five Guys, Silver Spring, MD.

Having lived in California and eaten at In-n-Out Burger, it's a thrill to find a fair equivalent to the aforementioned. Welcome to Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries! These guys make a fabulous burger and rockin' fries. What would make this joint 100% perfect would be if they'd add milk shakes to the menu, but hey, you can't have everything. This burger, which soon found its way to my stomach, was cooked at Five Guys' newest franchise in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Five Guys was started in 1986 by--well, five guys--who wanted to make good, quality burgers and fries. The Washington Post calls Five Guys' "the Willy Wonkas of burgercraft" and they consistently receive high marks in Washingtonian Magazine and Zagat Survey. For a long time, the only Five Guys' restaurants were the original burger stand in Alexandria, Virginia, and one or two other locations in the D.C. area. Several years ago, they decided to franchise and now, you can find Five Guys as far north as New York and all the way down in Florida to the south. They're slowly moving westward, as well, with locations in Tennessee and Ohio. The next time you're in D.C., stop at Five Guys and have a burger. Oh, and the wipe board always says, "Today's Potatoes Are From Rigby, Idaho."

Be sure to check out this anecdote from my trip to Five Guys in Rehoboth Beach and play along!

Zip: 20904

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 05/07)