What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0018

851.  It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything;

852.  Braden Holtby (of the Washington Capitals) eats at Panera Bread;

853.  Never make the same mistake twice;

854.  Spend less time figuring out why you shouldn’t do something and just do it;

855.  Life’s too short to worry about what might happen.  Ultimately, the people who take the biggest risks get the biggest rewards;

856.  The keys to a good golf swing are keeping your head and back from moving (until the follow-through) and balance;

857.  The Biergarten Haus (BiergartenHaus.com) doles up liter-sized servings of beer;

858.  “Vintage Crystal” is in late September.  For $20.00 (cash only), it’s all-you-can-drink wine and all-you-can-eat food samples.  If you’re just interested in the food, it’s $10.00;

859.  Pacing in an elevator is weird enough by itself, it’s even stranger when you’re not alone;

860.  All we can do is make the best choices we can and put one foot in front of the other;

861.  The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery are in the same building in Chinatown;

862.  You’ll never find the right person if you don’t let go of the wrong one;

863.  A “dram” of whisky is how much (or how little) you want it to be;

864.  “Slàinte mhath” means “good health;”

865.  The Obamas (i.e., Michelle, Malia and Sasha) are fans of “We, the Pizza” (WeThePizza.com);

866.  The Washington Metropolitan Police Department attacks Bumblebee in “Transformers 3;”

867.  Failure is something we all have to live with, but it’s how you overcome it that defines you;

868.  It’s kind of funny seeing (balding) Bruce Boudreau sign his bobblehead’s (bald) head;

869.  The White House used to be yellow.  It was painted white to cover up the burn marks from the “Burning of Washington” during the “War of 1812” by the British;

870.  So much for the European Union, the United Kingdom won’t take Euros;

871.  It’s pretty amusing seeing the Parking Enforcement Unit give the Alexandria Police Department a parking ticket;

872.  If you want to tour the White House at Christmas time, submit your request by the beginning of October;

873.  If you’re trying to get to the Dupont Circle area (from the south), it’s quicker to walk north from the Farragut West Metrorail station than it is to switch lines;

874.  On Wednesdays from early April to late November, there’s a farmer’s market at the Foggy Bottom Metrorail station from 3 o’clock to 7 o’clock;

875.  You can get $50.00 gift certificates to local restaurants for $25.00 at OpenTable Spotlight (Spotlight.OpenTable.com).  The main caveat is that in order to redeem them you have to have a party of two or more;

876.  International flights are awesome. . . . They have free, unlimited booze (at least on British Airways);

877.  Not all airplane bathrooms are created equal (even on the same plane);

878.  Cockfosters isn’t nearly as dirty as it sounds;

879.  Hotel rooms (and bathrooms) in Europe are tiny;

880.  British drivers are crazy;

881.  The major movie premiers in London occur in Leicester Square;

882.  Some consider Piccadilly Circus to be the “Times Square” of London;

883.  In London, you can drink on the sidewalks in front of pubs. . . . The city also provides spittoons on certain street corners, so you won’t urinate on people’s doorsteps;

884.  A lot of Americans, Australians, Canadians, and, surprisingly, Brazilians visit London;

885.  Late at night, the Rainforest Café in London (by Piccadilly Circus) turns into a nightclub . . . weird;

886.  The British eat pork and beans and stewed tomatoes for breakfast;

887.  Some of the beggars in London can be very convincing . . . that or I have “sucker” written on my face;

888.  At Stonehenge, a third of the stones are underground . . . and they’re covered by 90 types of lichen;

889.  Bath is a popular “holiday” destination . . . and former prime ministers like to take up residence there;

890.  The (Cornish) pasty is the English equivalent of the empanada;

891.  “The Bath Bun” (in Bath), claims to make the best cupcakes. . . . Personally, I thought mine was a little dry;

892.  Pimm’s (No. 1 Cup) and lemonade is rather tasty.  It’s like a cross between a mojito and sangria;

893.  The zigzag lines on the streets in the United Kingdom mean “no parking,” (I think);

894.  You can actually get a degree in hospitality/tour management;

895.  You’re supposed to make (and hold) eye contact when giving/making a toast in Europe;

896.  The British idea of celebrating Halloween is to dress up like zombies;

897.  In London, the pubs close early . . . around 10 or 11 o’clock at night in the early part of the week;

898.  No Stairmaster . . . no problem, just climb the steps up to the top of the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral;

899.  Europeans were really small and thin back in the day;

900.  Arthur Wellesley, the First Duke of Wellington, and Horatio Nelson are both entombed in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0017

801.  “Authentic,” traditional food isn’t necessarily “great,” traditional food;
802.  The National Capital Barbecue Battle (BbqDC.com) is in late June on Pennsylvania Avenue between 10^th and 14^th Streets;
803.  Generally, the Dow is undervalued in terms of gold when it costs less than 4 ounces of gold, valued fairly at about 6 or 7 ounces of gold, and overvalued when it costs more than 10 ounces of gold;
804.  If you want to go to the “Jazz in the Garden” concert series at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, plan on getting there early.  It’s extremely popular;
805.  The U.S. Naval Academy actually has foreign students.  Their respective governments pay for their tuition (i.e., $350,000.00) and upon graduation they serve in their country’s navy;
806.  When midshipmen arrive at the U.S. Naval Academy, they don’t have to know how to swim, but by the time they graduate, they do.  They have to pass a swim test in order to graduate . . . swim two-thirds of a mile in under forty minutes . . . in full uniform (minus shoes). . . . Also, all midshipmen have to play a sport.  It’s mandatory;
807.  It’s weird seeing a strip club next to Target;
808.  “Independence Hall” is really the Pennsylvania State House and the “Liberty Bell” is really the Pennsylvania State House bell;
809.  “Duck Tour” boats don’t mix well with barges;
810.  The average person lives 28,251 days;
811.  The National Aquarium in D.C. is affiliated with the National Aquarium in Baltimore;
812.  Former “Bachelorette” contestants hang out in Baltimore;
813.  Admission to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is free, but parking is $15.00. . . . However, if you go after 4 o’clock, it’s free. . . . Just don’t go during rush hour;
814.  The Space Shuttle Enterprise isn’t capable of spaceflight.  It was built without engines and a functioning heat shield;
815.  The one who releases himself from the emotional attachment to a desired outcome is, ironically, the one most likely to realize that outcome;
816.  You’re just another cog in the machine when you take a week off and the day you get back you don’t have any (urgent) phone and/or e-mail messages waiting for you and everything is pretty much how you left it;
817.  A belief is a thought you make real;
818.  Believing is seeing;
819.  The other “GPA:” Goal, Purpose and Action;
820.  Anthony Daniels looks a little like C3PO;
821.  It’s amazing how a sound . . . a taste . . . a smell can take you to another place and another time;
822.  The fear of loss is a more powerful motivator than the anticipation of gain;
823.  You can get pretty good crab cakes at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  They have very little filler, . . . but they’re pricey;
824.  There’s no such thing as an accounting error in your favor.  Sooner or later, your creditor will find the error and try to fix it . . . usually incorrectly . . . causing even more problems;
825.  You can get kicked out of a bar for allegedly running into people and/or stumbling;
826.  The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is one of the top twenty men’s tennis tournaments in the world.  Some notable past champions include Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Stefan Edberg, Michael Chang, Andy Roddick, James Blake and Lleyton Hewitt;
827.  Lleyton Hewitt isn’t a big fan of the fist bump;
828.  Things don’t just happen.  You have to make them happen;
829.  Fail to prepare, prepare to fail;
830.  If you can avoid it, don’t pull in front of police cars, . . . especially at traffic lights;
831.  Don’t call a woman a “bitch” within five minutes of meeting her, . . . even if it’s meant as a joke;
832.  Nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it.  Nothing is as exciting as your fantasy;
833.  If the power usage in your electric bill seems off, make sure the correct meter is assigned to your account;
834.  You can make ice cream out of cream cheese;
835.  Laporta’s Restaurant (Laportas.net) has the best Happy Hour in (Old Town) Alexandria . . . $2.00 pints, rail drinks or house red or white wine . . . and $2.00 off all other drinks and wine by the glass (i.e., Monday through Friday from 3 o’clock to 7 o’clock);
836.  Clean contacts do make a big difference;
837.  It’s never too late to be what you might have been;
838.  It’s pathetic how we can’t live with the things we can’t understand.  How we need everything labeled and explained and deconstructed.  Even if it’s for sure unexplainable;
839.  A bigger house is not the answer.  Neither is a better spouse, more money, tighter skin.  Anything you can acquire is only another thing you’ll lose.  The answer is there is no answer;
840.  We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are.  Sane or insane.  Saints or sex addicts.  Heroes or victims.  Letting history tell us how good or bad we are.  Letting our past decide our future.  Or we can decide for ourselves.  And maybe it’s our job to invent something better;
841.  Is it a sign of maturity that, when you’re in a bad mood, you no longer turn to alcohol to feel better?
842.  There are only eleven Lego-certified professionals in the world.  Adam Reed Tucker is one of them;
843.  The tallest monument in the United States is the Gateway Arch in St. Louis;
844.  The way you get to the huge, impossible yes is, you start collecting a lot of easy, small yeses;
845.  A moment is the most you can ever expect from perfection;
846.  “Arts on Foot” (ArtsOnFoot.org) is in early September;
847.  The “Alexandria Festival of the Arts” is in early September;
848.  Sometimes you do something, and you get screwed.  Sometimes it’s the things you don’t do, and you get screwed;
849.  You can get pretty good food and entertainment deals at LivingSocial (LivingSocial.com);
850.  On Mondays, movies are $1.00 at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (ArlingtonDrafthouse.com).  On Tuesdays, they’re $2.00 and on Wednesdays, they’re $3.00;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0016

751.  There’s a subtle, clever intelligence behind “Larry the Cable Guy’s” (lewd) comedy;

752.  The turkey burger at Z-Burger (ZBurger.com) is pretty juicy and tender.  It’s also made from a piece of turkey breast instead of ground turkey;

753.  Fannie Mae and the (middle and upper campus of the) Sidwell Friends School (where Chelsea Clinton went and Sasha and Malia Obama currently attend school) are located in Tenleytown;

754.  If you walk from Tenleytown down Wisconsin Avenue, you’ll get to Georgetown. . . . And you’ll pass the (Washington) National Cathedral on your way;

755.  Wisconsin Avenue doesn’t run along the Metrorail’s Red Line;

756.  James Cameron claims he’s been an environmentalist for forty years (i.e., since he was fifteen);

757.  Some pretty impressive artists (i.e., John Legend and “Sting”) perform at the Earth Day celebration on the National Mall. . . . If you only want to hear the headlining act(s) (and avoid a lot of the prophesying), get there around 6 o’clock in the evening;

758.  Understanding money simply boils down to knowing that it’s not what you gross but what you net that counts.  You want to be able to enjoy a certain standard of living for yourself and your family during your working years and then be able to maintain that standard of living, or close to it, in your retirement years.  Just existing is what terrifies–that you will have money but can’t take those vacations you’ve always dreamed of with your wife, or give to your children the way you want to, because you’re fearful you many need that money for a rainy day.  It’s fear of not having enough money in retirement that keeps people awake at night or from enjoying their retirement years.  So, the bottom line is this: It’s always the net–what you keep–that counts;

759.  When the Metrorail stations close, the taxis leave;

760.  It’s rather surreal to watch two athletes play and a couple of weeks later have one of them slay the other. . . . It’s eerie to know you were one of the last few people ever to see that person compete;

761.  The greater the risk, the greater the reward.  Well, it works the other way, too: The greater the risk, the greater the penalty– if things go badly, you can wind up losing your head and your savings;

762.  You play the game when there is a game to be played, and you don’t when there isn’t.  That’s rule number one.  Rule number two is you buy what makes sense out there.  In other words, if it makes sense to buy income-producing investments, buy income.  If it doesn’t, then don’t.  Don’t go out and buy income just because you think you need income.  If it makes sense to be in the stock market and buying growth investments or buying international funds or whatever, then that is what you should be buying;

763.  The heart wants what the heart wants;

764.  What worked last year is no guarantee to be a home run again this year or the next. . . . There are statistical studies that have looked at what were the best-performing and the worst-performing asset classes every year for the past twenty years, and very seldom has there been a repeat performance; they go down as a whole;

765.  Don’t be stubborn.  By this they mean don’t get so enamored of owning a particular company’s stock, especially if you work for that company, that you can’t bring yourself to part with it even if the investment plan you have put together with your advisor calls for reducing your position at some point;

766.  Asset allocation is an important discipline in investing, but by itself it can only do so much . . . . The fact of the matter is that buying the best of a particular asset class is always going to get you further along than asset allocation alone;

767.  Keep your eye on what’s working or not working now, and what markets or sectors are showing relative improvement versus which are showing some deterioration.  It’s always much more important to avoid a loss than it is to try to hit a home–because there are not that many home runs out there to be had anymore;

768.  The north façade of the Rotunda at the University of Virginia used to have an annex;

769.  Dropping a metal pizza pan on your foot really hurts;

770.  I think there’s a perception that the things worth doing the most are the things that are the hardest.  I think humans have difficulty appreciating things that are easy because humans have a tendency to take things for granted.  I think people have a greater appreciation for something if there’s struggle and sacrifice involved.  After all, how can something be special if everybody can do it?

771.  One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever;

772.  Three Olives Cherry Vodka and Coke tastes just like Cherry Coke;

773.  It amazes me that some of the most juvenile people I knew growing up seem to be capable, mature adults who are raising kids of their own.  It also amazes me that some of the most academically-gifted people I knew had trouble finishing college (if they finished at all) and are now working various (and sometimes menial) jobs that are not particularly intellectually challenging.  Others are balding.  Others are overweight.  Of course, there are those people who turn out exactly as I’d imagined.  They pretty much look the same (except older), act the same (except may be a little bit more mature) and have a job doing what I’d expect them to be doing.  It goes to show you that life rarely follows the path you envision, but it tends to follow its own way.  I bet if you asked anyone whether s/he envisioned ten years ago that s/he’d be where s/he is right now, living where s/he is and working where s/he is, that that person would have to say, “No;”

774.  Fear and greed motivate people.  In fact, they can motivate normally sane people to do something that they might not ordinarily consider;

775.  The Stadium-Armory Metrorail station has a second entrance about a block further away that hardly anybody uses;

776.  Most people who sell stocks and funds overpay the tax on those sales.  That’s because they use the wrong cost for calculating their gain or loss: They neglect to add the amount of reinvested dividends to the cost of their investment. As a result, they pay tax twice on the same money.  Go back to prior tax returns and add up the amount of dividends you have reinvested in that stock or fund, then add that amount back to your original investment.  Use that cost to determine your true gain or loss;

777.  Sunscreen doesn’t just protect you from ultraviolet radiation.  It shields you from the sun’s heat as well;

778.  Let your beneficiaries know that if they inherit an IRA or other IRD (i.e., income in respect of a decedent) and the estate is also subject to federal estate tax, then they are entitled to a special income tax reduction for the federal estate tax paid on that IRA or other IRD;

779.  Action is the foundational key to all success;

780.  The ancient Greeks said that suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable and from neglecting what is within our power to control;

781.  It’s pretty easy to cook corn on the cob.  You just peel it and place it in boiling water for four minutes;

782.  Denis Leary has a band he sings with during his comedy shows;

783.  The Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse doesn’t accept credit cards at the box office;

784.  The prime rib au jus at Shula’s Steak House is great;

785.  Red velvet cake is really a chocolate cake;

786.  You can bring alcohol into the lawn area of Wolf Trap;

787.  It irritates me when somebody says someone is perfect.  I don’t think anybody is truly perfect.  Everybody has flaws . . . insecurities . . . and quirks.  Everyone has something s/he could work on . . . something s/he could improve.  Everybody should strive to be better. . . . People can accept our faults . . . our weaknesses, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to be better;

788.  For it is only by understanding our past that we can truly know the present;

789.  Impressive is what you have to be when you can’t be interesting;

790.  Success isn’t about getting there, it’s doing the things you need to move closer to becoming that person you’d like to be;

791.  It can be daunting trying to control someone who is physically larger than you are;

792.  Some people walk pigeon-toed;

793.  The first drop on the Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion will give you tunnel vision;

794.  It’s really easy to cook a lobster tail.  You just steam it for ten minutes. . . . If you don’t want to cook it right away, simply place it in a bowl, surround it with ice and store it in your refrigerator;

795.  There are a lot of lobster roll recipes;

796.  Life doesn’t (if ever) go by plan;

797.  Trying to make sense of life is a foolish endeavor doomed to failure;

798.  A good way to reheat fried chicken is to microwave it for a minute on high and then put it in the oven at 315 for fifteen to twenty minutes;

799.  “Icing” has another meaning besides ice hockey and frosting;

800.  I thought the only reason that some bars (and clubs) had bathroom attendants was to hand me paper towels to dry my hands. . . . Apparently, they’re also there to keep things neat and clean and to discourage drug use (and sex);

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0015

701.  Take responsibility for things that go wrong and give credit for your success to others;

702.  The word blame comes from the words be-lame.  When you blame someone else for your problems, you give the power over your problems to the person you blame.  By being lame, you volunteer yourself to be the victim.  You are the lame victim, and they have more power than you;

703.  There are no victims.  There are only volunteers.  When you blame, you volunteer to be someone else’s victim;

704.  Making people wrong does not make you right, and doing so diminishes your personal power;

705.  When you identify the cause of your situation, you can then find the solution;

706.  Take control of what you say about yourself and what you say to yourself;

707.  The way we breathe can negatively or positively impact our health and our emotions;

708.  Often when we are angry, that means a mistake was made and that a wise and valuable lesson is available for our personal growth;

709.  Once you find the gem of wisdom or learn the lesson in a problem, then it becomes easier to be grateful for your mistakes, and even for the person you were blaming.  Blame can and should be converted to healing and gratitude, an appreciation for the person you are blaming being in your life.  In other words, the person you are upset with may be just a reflection of you, a messenger with a very important message for you;

710.  We have two feet, a right foot and a left foot, not a right foot and a wrong foot.  We as humans make progress by taking one step to the right and then one to the left.  If you stay only on the right foot – being right and making others wrong – you go in circles.  And that is what people do when they hang onto negative thoughts and emotions.  They spend their life making others wrong, making themselves right, and traveling in a circle of bitterness as the rest of the world moves on into the future;

711.  Life is not a straight line.  The quality of one’s life is determined by how you handle each moment, day-by-day.  Life is determined by how we handle our past and present, which determines our future.  Every day we are given a new opportunity to choose how we want to handle our lives.  We have the choice to handle life’s challenges as cowards, heroes, losers or winners.  The next time something good or bad happens to you, know that you have the power to decide how to make your life bad, better or the best.  This is done when you make the choice to not run from your problems, becoming better from and even grateful for the challenges life puts in front of you’

712.  If you want to improve your life, find a teacher, mentor or coach who meets the following two criteria: A teacher who demands more of you than you demand of yourself and a teacher that practices what s/he preaches;

713.  Fear is ignorance in action;

714.  If you’re unhappy with yourself or your situation, remember you need to change first if you want things to change for you;

715.  The cupcakes at Georgetown Cupcake (GeorgetownCupcake.com) are tasty, but they’re not worth $2.75 each;

716.  John Ondrasik (of “Five for Fighting”) is an L.A. Kings fan;

717.  Rum doesn’t go well with hot tea;

718.  DCHappyHours.com is another place to look for Happy Hour specials in the D.C. area;

719.  It’s not a good idea to go to Shamrockfest wearing shorts and sandals (in the rain);

720.  I’m interesting and deserve to be happy;

721.  Pay attention when you’re chopping vegetables (especially when you’re cutting cabbage for corned beef), so you don’t accidentally slice your hand open;

722.  There actually are cute (female) nurses in the Emergency Room (at Inova Alexandria Hospital);

723.  Tetanus shots/vaccinations are good for five years;

724.  If you plan on celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day in (Old Town) Alexandria, go out early to avoid the lines (and maybe the cover charges);

725.  There’s a reason why cookware is labeled dishwasher safe. . . . It's not to protect the dishwasher from the cookware; it’s to protect the cookware (i.e., electric rice cooker bowls) from the dishwasher;

726.  We expect more from people who are important to us. . . . The more important that person is, the more we expect from him/her. . . . We hold our friends to a higher standard than we hold for strangers.  We hold our families to a higher standard than we hold for our friends.  We hold our boy/girlfriends to a higher standard than we hold for our families.  And, ultimately, we hold our husbands/wives to a higher standard than we hold for our boy/girlfriends. . . . But, when we’re hurt by someone, we tend to be more spiteful and vindictive to those persons we care the most about. . . . We seem to punish the people who matter the most to us, while absolving those who mean little or nothing to us. . . . Shouldn’t we be the most compassionate and forgiving to those persons who mean the most to us and not vice versa?

727.  Seldom do we get second chances at something that truly matters to us . . . when we do, we should seize that opportunity and make the most of it;

728.  Chocolate mixes well with a lot of different flavors including chipotle chili;

729.  I’ve witnessed both of David Steckel’s goals (in person) he’s scored at the Verizon Center;

730.  Alexander Ovechkin has scored 100 points in 4 out of his 5 NHL seasons;

731.  A telltale sign that winter is over: When restaurants open the outdoor seating;

732.  Why do deejays in bars sound all alike?

733.  Women can dance on the bar at McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon;

734.  “Charly” isn’t necessarily a guy’s name either;

735.  You can play Mozart with crystal stemware and water;

736.  Potomac Mills is closed on Easter Sunday;

737.  Freshly ground black pepper goes well with balsamic vinegar;

738.  Washington.org is a pretty good place to look for what to do in D.C.;

739.  It’s not every day when you see a tour bus collide with a Metrobus;

740.  If you order the guacamole (en molcajete) at Rosa Mexicano (RosaMexicano.com), they prepare it fresh for you tableside;

741.  No matter how good it is, no taco is worth $17.00;

742.  Two-year olds have about a one minute attention span;

743.  Playoff hockey (especially in overtime) has an energy, a sense of tension and an air of urgency that’s just not there during the regular season;

744.  Spinach doesn’t wilt as fast when it’s not exposed to air;

745.  I’m not a very good babysitter;

746.  Flair bartending is pretty impressive in person;

747.  They actually make black toilets (and urinals). . . . Who knew?

748.  The (four-plus-mile) walk from Crystal City to (Old Town) Alexandria doesn’t seem so long when you’re drunk;

749.  History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes;

750.  There’s an ice rink in Southeast D.C.: The Fort Dupont Ice Arena (FDIA.org);

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0014

651.  Women still wear girdles;

652.  Be wary of dancing people holding their drinks in the air.  You never know where their drinks will land . . . perhaps on your head;

653.  Qin Shihuangdi was China’s first emperor.  He ruled from 221-210 B.C.;

654.  P.F. Chang’s (PFChangs.com) has a pretty good Happy Hour.  It runs from 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock every day with discounted food (i.e., appetizers) and drinks;

655.  It’s really annoying when you’re planning a trip and one of your party members makes a suggestion on what to do.  You take that person’s idea into consideration and alter your plans accordingly . . . only to have that person, who made the suggestion, back out at the last minute;

656.  You make reservations for “minibar by José Andrés” a month in advance for the day you call on.  They start taking them at 10:00 AM and are usually full by 10:15 AM;

657.  I think it’s selfish (and wasteful) when someone reserves a free ticket to a sold out concert or sporting event and (if there aren’t any extenuating circumstances) doesn’t go.  That person is only thinking about himself/herself and is depriving somebody else (who really wants to go) the opportunity to attend;

658.  I think most people don’t assign a lot of value to something that’s free, even if that something is expensive.  I think because it’s free, psychologically, it’s less important to that person and if s/he doesn’t use it or throws it away, there’s no real sense of loss.  There isn’t a sense of loss because there hasn’t been an investment (of some kind) by that person;

659.  (Pepperidge Farm) goldfish crackers make a pretty good substitute for croutons;

660.  Wayne Gretzky’s favorite TV show in 1988 was “Alf;”

661.  During the ’85-’86 season, Alan May (formerly of the Washington Capitals) played junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins of the Western Hockey League with Mark Recchi;

662.  David Steckel’s most memorable hockey moment is winning the Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears (during the ’05-’06 season).  It would’ve been his overtime goal in game 6 of the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs (against the Pittsburgh Penguins) had the (Washington) Capitals won that series;

663.  Chances are waiting to be taken;

664.  Tomas Fleischmann (of the Washington Capitals) isn’t 6’ 1;”

665.  Prepare for bad times and you will only know good times;

666.  Some of the (Washington) Nationals hang out at RFD (after hockey games);

667.  If you want to change your life, begin by changing your words, and the best news of all is that words are free;

668.  Dreams are personal gifts from God, our personal stars in the sky, guiding us along our path through life;

669.  Take away a person’s dreams, and you take away their life;

670.  You may never reach the stars, but they will guide you on your path through life;

671.  The world treats you as you treat yourself;

672.  The more security you seek, the less freedom you have;

673.  Sam Cassell is an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards;

674.  It’s easier to clean a grill after it’s been heated;

675.  Snow can sting your eyes and blind you;

676.  The road to success is always under construction;

677.  When you’re trying to make a turn, ten feet high snowdrifts make it hard to check for oncoming traffic;

678.  Joe Theismann actually visits his eponymous restaurant. . . . He isn’t very tall;

679.  You know it’s serious when backhoe-loaders and dump trucks are used to haul away snow;

680.  If (metaphorically) home is where the heart is, can home be somewhere where you’ve never actually been?

681.  We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created the problem;

682.  When you leave school, your banker does not ask you for your report card.  Your banker does not care if you had good grades or bad grades.  All the banker wants to see is your financial statement, because your financial statement is your report card when you leave school;

683.  To be successful in life depends on how you define success. . . . Being successful doesn’t have to be about material wealth and money;

684.  We can change ourselves by changing the way we think and what we study;

685.  Rather than attempt to change people and history, it is better to change ourselves;

686.  Thomas Edison was one of the founders of General Electric;

687.  A dividend yield of five percent of the stock’s price is a great stock at a great price.  A dividend yield of less than three percent of the stock price means the stock is priced too high and will probably fall in value;

688.  Diversification is a protection against ignorance.  It makes very little sense for those who know what they’re doing;

689.  The problem with a diversified portfolio of mutual funds is that you are not really diversified, since all mutual funds are in the stock market—paper assets.  True diversification includes investing in all four asset classes, not just different types of one asset class;

690.  The National Press Club has a bar;

691.  Paul Solman (from the “PBS NewsHour”) is pretty funny;

692.  Real losers blame the people they love for their failures;

693.  The enthusiasm of the most rabid, diehard sports fan pales in comparison to the passion and fervor for your country’s national team.  Even the casual viewer can be caught up and enveloped in the swell of national pride;

694.  What we think of ourselves on the inside is reflected on our outside;

695.  Your most important job is to take negative thoughts about yourself and turn them into the seeds for positive growth;

696.  If you’re a “Muse” fan, you have to see them live. . . . They have a big, loud, pulsating sound that’s perfect for an arena.  And they have dazzling visuals packed with lasers, LED’s and smoke machines that seem to blend seamlessly with their music. . . . Matthew Bellamy (the lead singer and guitarist) is animated, captures your attention and likes to play classic rock riffs between songs;

697.  Female butt crack can be just as unappealing as male butt crack;

698.  I think people sabotage the good relationships in their lives because of a deep-rooted belief (i.e., low self-esteem) that they’re unworthy of love and happiness;

699.  The Russia House Restaurant & Lounge (RussiaHouseLounge.com) makes its own infused vodkas, including horseradish;

700.  Give what you want.  If you feel any kind of lack, for example, a lack of recognition, lack of love, lack of happiness, lack of money, it could be that you are not giving what you want;