What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0035

1701.  Generally speaking, there are three occasions that cause us to feel a sense of uneasiness: 1.  When we are doing something that we think we are not good at; 2.  When we are doing something that we have had a failed experience with; and 3.  When we are doing something we know we can do, but we are putting unnecessary importance on the outcome. . . . How do we combat this?  First we must quiet our mind and put things where they really belong.  Train your mind to control your body’s emotional responses to outside stimulus.  This doesn’t mean you try to not feel emotions at all.  You just learn to use your mind to quiet them to a level where your logical brain is running the show and not your emotional brain.  These emotional responses, if not quieted, lead our logical brain to accept the idea that things are bigger than they are;

1702.  The penthouse luxury suites (with balconies) at the Dupont Circle Hotel (DoyleCollection.com/Locations/Washington_DC_Hotels/The_Dupont_Circle_Hotel) in D.C. are really nice;

1703.  Excuses are just things you are choosing not to overcome because you don’t want your goal bad enough;

1704.  The Taste of D.C. (TheTasteOfDC.org) is in early October. . . . You can get discounted tickets online beforehand;

1705.  You can eat pretty well at the Taste of D.C. for (under) $20.00;

1706.  We don’t quit doing things because we get old.  We get old because we quit doing things;

1707.  The atrium in the Grand Hyatt Washington (GrandWashington.Hyatt.com) has a Venetian feel to it;

1708.  The matchup between the (St. Louis) Cardinals and the (Washington) Nationals, on (Wednesday,) October 10, 2012, was the first playoff baseball game in D.C. in 79 years. . . . It set a (then) record for attendance at Nationals Park of 45,017;

1709.  After each (Washington) Nationals’ (baseball) game, you can get a free 16 oz. Miller Lite can at Cantina Marina (CantinaMarina.com) in D.C. for each ticket you have;

1710.  Transvestites hang out at Cantina Marina (in D.C.);

1711.  The “Snallygaster” (SnallygasterDC.com), in early October at the Yards Park in D.C., is the old Rustico Oktoberfest, but bigger;

1712.  It’s really hard to find a place to change your watch battery.  King’s Jewelry (KingsJewelry.net) in (Old Town) Alexandria is a good one.  They’re quick, friendly and they even set your watch . . . and it’ll only cost you $10.50 (including taxes);

1713.  Love is an addiction to the peptides you have created and associated to a specific person.  In any relationship (good or bad), your brain will fire off a batch of peptides that will make the experience of the relationship feel in a way that both parties become accustomed to.  After feeling this way for a long time, both of their bodies will become so used to feeling this way that they will feel discomfort and pain at even the idea of not having those chemicals (i.e., breaking up).  When they do break up, every memory is painful because it is a reminder that you are no longer getting those chemicals.  This reminder comes in the form of pain;

1714.  Your brain is hardwired to attach a specific emotional footprint to everything, every person you meet, every experience (good or bad) and every memory you have.  This is why you might hear a song that you haven’t heard since high school and you immediately smile and have a flashback of riding in a car with all of your old high school buddies;

1715.  If the feeling you shared with a girl created a peptide cocktail that felt so good it made you euphoric, then you are ingesting a very powerful drug.  If that drug is ripped from you when you aren’t ready, then you will suffer from the exact symptoms of a drug addict who is suffering from withdrawal pains the first couple of weeks when s/he’s in rehab.  The pain can be so bad that you will do anything to get your fix (i.e., her) back, even if you were telling your friends a week ago that she annoyed you and that you kind of wanted to shop around;

1716.  If you ever lost a woman during a relationship, it’s likely because you started to “need” her instead of “want” her;

1717.  You need water, air and food. . . . You don’t need any individual’s love or approval;

1718.  6’ 11” Brazilian (power) forwards-centers, making $13 million a year, (specifically Nenê Hilário of the Washington Wizards,) are pretty friendly;

1719.  Courtside seats at the Verizon Center are pretty comfortable;

1720.  The Guinness Book of World Records was originally created by the Guinness Breweries as a marketing giveaway;

1721.  The habit of courage can be learned just as any other habit is learned, through repetition.  We need to constantly face and overcome our fears to build up the kind of courage that will enable us to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life unafraid;

1722.  While there are infinite things we could be afraid of, at our core, we are crippled with the fear of rejection, and the fear of failure, far beyond all else.  The fear of rejection is the most damaging because it can literally be crippling.  It is a cancer that can literally hold you in a self-imposed prison keeping you from taking the necessary action required to meet a specific goal;

1723.  Riding a roller coaster at night is a whole new experience;

1724.  Riding a roller coaster (specifically “Batman’s Batwing Coaster” at Six Flags America) right after eating ice cream isn’t a very good idea;

1725.  Paul Revere was an artillery officer in the Massachusetts militia during the Revolutionary War;

1726.  Rakı reminds me of absinthe;

1727.  The Grand Bazaar (i.e., Kapalıçarşı) in Istanbul is history’s first financial center and the world’s largest covered market;

1728.  Robbie is serious about turning off the lights;

1729.  Apparently, it’s illegal to talk badly about Atatürk;

1730.  There’s such a thing as Turkish ravioli;

1731.  The hummus in Istanbul has a slightly nutty flavor;

1732.  Robbie likes a good, strong massage;

1733.  I’m (really) glad Robbie isn’t stuck in a Turkish prison;

1734.  No one wears shorts in Istanbul;

1735.  The weather in Istanbul in late October/early November is great.  It can be a little breezy, but the wind isn’t cold. . . . You’ll be fine wearing just a t-shirt and (a pair of) jeans;

1736.  Turkish men really like to fish.  You’ll see a guy wearing a t-shirt and jeans to a guy wearing a suit fishing;

1737.  The Turks sure do like their (blue) jeans. . . . Almost everybody (male and female) wears them;

1738.  Everybody in Istanbul dresses pretty well . . . including the blue-collar workers;

1739.  How to drink Turkish tea: 1.  Clean and sanitize the tea glass by filling it halfway up with hot water, swirling it around and discarding the water; 2.  Pour hot tea halfway up the glass through the strainer; 4.  Fill the rest of the glass with hot water; and 4.  Add sugar to taste;

1740.  The Turks don’t seem to care about littering;

1741.  It says “giriş” (i.e., Turkish for “entry”) not “girls;”

1742.  The Ottomans sure loved their jewelry;

1743.  There are a lot of stray cats in Istanbul . . . and to a lesser extent dogs;

1744.  I don’t think the Turks like sour candy or pinot noir;

1745.  They squeegee the marble sidewalks outside of the Sirkeci Rail Station in Istanbul;

1746.  Istanbul might give San Francisco a run for its money as the hilliest city;

1747.  I think “Saturn” might be the European equivalent to “Best Buy;”

1748.  Beyoğlu Belediyesi in Istanbul is kind of like a cross between the Latin Quarter in Paris and Kalverstraat in Amsterdam . . . except with a wider main street;

1749.  Burger King seems pretty popular in Turkey;

1750.  No one wears sandals in Istanbul;