Monday, October 20, 2025

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0242

12051.  Jim Morrison (the lead singer of “The Doors”) graduated from George Washington High School (now George Washington Middle School) in Alexandria, Virginia(, in June 1961);

12052.  Jim Morrison’s father, (Rear) Admiral George (Stephen) Morrison, was in charge of the United States naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin incident(, the leading pretext used to justify the Vietnam War);

12053.  Delacey said she’s been to Washington, D.C. many times, but her first time performing was on September 25th, 2025 at the Lincoln Theatre( opening for X Ambassadors);

12054.  Delacey is a Billie Holiday fan;

12055.  Apparently, Billie Holiday used to perform at the Lincoln Theatre( in Washington, D.C.);

12056.  Sam (Nelson) Harris (the lead singer for “X Ambassadors”) brings a lot of energy to his performances/singing;

12057.  Dan Reynolds (the lead singer of “Imagine Dragons”) helped get “X Ambassadors” signed to a record contract/deal;

12058.  Casey Harris (of “X Ambassadors”) plays the keyboard with his eyes closed;

12059.  Casey Harris (the keyboardist for “X Ambassadors”) is Sam (Nelson) Harris’s (the lead singer for “X Ambassadors”) brother;

12060.  Apparently, you have to have a beard to be in “X Ambassadors;”

12061.  Apparently, Casey Harris (the keyboardist for “X Ambassadors”) is blind;

12062.  Seeing Luray Caverns (LurayCaverns.com) in Luray, Virginia, will ruin/spoil any experience at another cavern;

12063.  If you’re a fan of “Route 11 Potato Chips,” (Rt11.com) you can visit their factory in Mount Jackson, Virginia.  They have free samples of all of their chips and you can watch the frying process;

12064.  Apparently, “Route 11 Potato Chips” processes 50,000 pounds of potatoes per day;

12065.  “Route 11 Potato Chips” fry their chips in sunflower oil;

12066.  Apparently, it takes 4 pounds of potatoes to make 1 pound of finished chips (i.e., potatoes have a lot of water in them);

12067.  The cornbread salad (with romaine lettuce, black beans, fire roasted corn, crumbled cornbread, cheese, green onions & ranch dressing) at “The Apple House”/“The Bushel Pub” (TheAppleHouse.net) in Linden, Virginia, is tasty.  The crumbled cornbread adds a nice sweetness to the salad;

12068.  “The Apple House’s” apple butter (cinnamon) doughnuts are good, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get them;

12069.  Research shows couples with prenuptial agreements often have lower divorce rates and greater stability.  Not because the prenup magically prevents divorce, but because the process forces transparent communication about finances and expectations.  Those are the exact things that build long-term satisfaction and reduce conflict;

12070.  Pies will last (way) longer if you refrigerate them instead of leaving them out on the (kitchen) counter. . . . We’re talking (over) a week v. a few days;

12071.  The Wawa soft pretzel is (pretty) tasty. . . . I never thought I’d say that about a pretzel;

12072.  “Bruin,” which means “brown” in Dutch, is an English folk term for (a) brown bear;

12073.  It feels strange/weird riding in a train without a seatbelt( on);

12074.  Philadelphia(, Pennsylvania,) is 20 minutes from Wilmington(, Delaware,) by train;

12075.  Reading Terminal Market (ReadingTerminalMarket.org) in Philadelphia is worth a visit. . . . There’s so much to try/eat. . . . Unfortunately, it’s only open until 6:00 PM( daily and opening at 8:00 AM);

12076.  The United States Mint, currently, has 4 operating mint facilities.  They are located in Philadelphia(, Pennsylvania), San Francisco(, California), Denver(, Colorado,) and West Point(, New York);

12077.  The first United States Mint (facility) was in Philadelphia;

12078.  There’s another gold bullion depository (besides Fort Knox) at the West Point Mint;

12079.  Peter (Jefferson) was a bald eagle, who lived at the Philadelphia Mint.  He was allowed to fly around the mint during the day and was let out at night to fly over the city always returning by morning;

12080.  After Peter( Jefferson)’s death, he was taxidermized and has been on display at the Philadelphia Mint;

12081.  Peter (Jefferson) served as the model for the Gobrecht silver dollar and the Flying Eagle cent;

12082.  The United States Mint makes most of its income by selling its coins at face value to the Federal Reserve Banks;

12083.  The United States Mint also makes income from producing (and selling) numismatic coins, commemorative coins, national medals and bullion( coins);

12084.  Elfreth’s Alley (in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia) is known as the nation’s oldest, continuously inhabited residential street.  It features 32 houses built between 1703 and 1836;

12085.  Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in a rented room on the second floor of a brick house at 700 Market Street in Philadelphia;

12086.  The (traditional) roast pork (sandwich) at DiNic’s Roast Pork (TommyDiNics.com) in Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia needs a sauce/mustard without (sharp) provolone;

12087.  (The) Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia is (pretty) nice. . . . It’s spacious and well-designed . . . and way nicer than Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.;

12088.  Marcus Mumford (the lead singer of “Mumford & Sons”) plays the drums;

12089.  The song, “Ditmas,” by “Mumford & Sons,” is named after the neighborhood in Brooklyn(, New York), where the band recorded the album Wilder Mind. . . . It’s a breakup song about a relationship ending, reflecting on the changes and accusations that led to the breakup;

12090.  I can say I saw “Mumford & Sons’” first live performance of “Rubber Band Man”( at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday, October 14, 2025);

12091.  “H&M” is an abbreviation for “Hennes & Mauritz;”

12092.  Philadelphia is very cash heavy city;

12093.  The (regular) soft pretzel at “Miller’s Twist” (MillersTwist.com) in Reading Terminal Market is tasty. . . . It’s bready with a slight sweetness to it;

12094.  The pepper steak (sandwich) (with mixed bell peppers) at “Jim’s South Street” (JimsSouthStreet.com) in Philadelphia is tasty;

12095.  You are an opportunity not a sale;

12096.  I can say I’ve been to Africa;

12097.  There are a lot of new, empty office buildings in the suburbs of Casablanca;

12098.  It’s a long drive from Casablanca (Mohammed V International) Airport to the Old Medina/City of Casablanca;

12099.  They have McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut in Casablanca;

12100.  Apparently, Moroccan businesses will accept/take U.S. currency;