What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0228

11351.  Getting older is automatic, getting better is not.  Growth is intentional;

11352.  Fail your way to success;

11353.  Self-doubt is the biggest killer of dreams;

11354.  Act as if your success is for certain;

11355.  If you must doubt something, doubt your limits;

11356.  Your doubts are not the product of accurate thinking, but habitual thinking;

11357.  You get to choose how you behave.  Your thinking is what it is and it’s riddled with doubt, it’s ravaged with doubt, you still get to choose how you behave;

11358.  You are the most powerful person in your life.  You have the power of choice;

11359.  You have an amazing capacity for change;

11360.  You are the solution to your future;

11361.  Sweet potatoes are (a lot) harder to cut than Russet potatoes;

11362.  Don’t make French toast in a microwave.  The egg doesn’t brown and crisp and the bread dries out and gets hard;

11363.  The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do;

11364.  Some things are worth spending money on . . . like a warm, winter jacket (i.e., Marmot, The North Face or Patagonia);

11365.  The D(ow)J(ones)I(ndustrial)A(verage) is made up of (only) 30 stocks;

11366.  I can say I saw John Carlson’s 500^th (career, regular season) assist;

11367.  Vir Das (the Indian comedian) lived in Chicago;

11368.  Vir Das (the Indian comedian) likes the song, Yellow, by Coldplay;

11369.  Lillet Blanc tastes like a syrupy Chardonnay;

11370.  Panama used to be a part of Colombia;

11371.  Don’t dip your tater tot into your bourbon/whiskey . . . just don’t do it.  It’s not good;

11372.  Don’t bother drinking your Starbucks latte after taking a bite of your stroopwafel.  The sweetness of the stroopwafel drowns out the flavor/taste of the latte;

11373.  Although it was officially founded in 1896, Newport News, Virginia, had been a city long before then.  It first showed up in print as “Newportes Newes” – with eight alternate spellings – in the Virginia Company’s 1619 records.  Newport News is named after Captain Christopher Newport, who led settlers to Jamestown in 1607.  When the colonists left Jamestown in 1610 after a period of intense starvation, they reunited with Captain Newport on the James River.  He told them supplies and reinforcements had arrived so they returned to Jamestown to await them.  From then on, the point at which they met Captain Newport, at the junction of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay, was referred to as Newport’s News.  It was eventually shortened to just Newport News;

11374.  Kecoughtan, Virginia, was settled in 1610 by the same English colonists who founded Jamestown.  It was originally home to the Kikotan Algonquin tribe and was the place where English settlers first made contact with Virginia’s Indigenous population.  While initial meetings were relatively peaceful, the English settlers soon drove away or tragically killed the Indigenous population.  By 1690, Kecoughtan was absorbed by the larger city of Hampton, Virginia, and remains a part of its municipality today;

11375.  Hampton, Virginia, found in 1610 is the oldest continuously inhabited English-speaking settlement in the United States.  It is significant because of its military history.  After the United States became an independent country, Hampton became a major military outpost due to its strategic location and abundant natural resources.  Hampton had easy access to both the Chesapeake Bay and the James River, making it a great port for shipping weapons and other supplies.  This also made it an ideal defensive location.  During the Civil War, Virginia itself was the capital of the Confederate States; however, Hampton maintained its status as a part of the Union during the entire war;

11376.  Dogs can eat potatoes as long as they are plainly cooked and offered in moderation.  While potatoes won’t kill them, they are not healthy for dogs.  Potatoes have too many carbohydrates and will lead to obesity and diabetes in dogs;

11377.  Ice cream isn’t toxic or seriously harmful to dogs; however, they’ve lost the enzyme (needed) to digest the lactose in milk.  It could lead to diarrhea or vomiting;

11378.  You may generally view the other person as someone to joke around with, as opposed to making a professional first impression on.  You don’t need to give people straight, exact answers.  People are usually far more attracted to interesting and noteworthy answers.  Unless you are giving an oral report, it’s not a stretch to say that they would always prefer something to catch their attention versus being dry and accurate;

11379.  Word of caution: be sure to actually answer someone’s question.  You can be both humorous and informative.  Make sure to occasionally check in with the other person to make sure that you aren’t going overboard with the lack of substantive content if they’re seeking it;

11380.  Remind yourself that being witty is not necessarily about entertaining other people.  If you think, “Quick, they’ve asked you a question.  Think of something funny to say about the weather or something,” then you’re anxious and that’s the furthest thing from a playful mindset.  You don’t have to impress or amuse anyone.  Instead, think about being that 5 year-old again and just amuse yourself first;

11381.  If it’s a bad situation, a witty comeback can diffuse the tension and bring emotional levels back to normal.  If it’s a good situation then a witty comeback can make it even better;

11382.  If you don’t want money to create resentment in your relationships, ask yourself, “How will I feel about this person if s/he doesn’t pay me back?”  Let that answer guide you;

11383.  Cheapest day to buy groceries: Wednesday – According to Instacart, Wednesday is the most common day for grocery stores to start their weekly specials.  New items will be on sale and in stock.  If you wait a few days, you risk missing out on sale items.  Retailers also tend to mark down perishables on Wednesday evenings – you might get a great bakery or deli deal on this day.  The store will also be less crowded as only 19% of consumers shop for groceries on Wednesdays.  Avoid grocery shopping on Saturdays when stores are busiest and more items are out of stock;

11384.  Cheapest day to buy gas: Monday – According to GasBuddy, an app that tracks gas prices, the best day to buy gas is Monday.  This comes with exceptions, but, historically, Monday gas price averages are the lowest in 17 states and Tuesday is the second-cheapest day.  Consumer demand tends to be lower at the beginning of the week so to stay competitive, gas stations lower their prices to draw people in.  However, avoid getting gas on Thursday as it is the most expensive day to purchase gas across the U.S.;

11385.  Cheapest day to go to a restaurant: Monday – According to Nasdaq, Mondays are generally the slowest days at restaurants.  They often offer significant discounts such as complimentary appetizers, drink specials and discounted entrées to draw customers in.  Restaurants likely have unsold inventory from the weekend, especially appetizers and desserts, so asking about these might score you some discounted grub.  Tuesdays and Wednesdays are also good options for dining out, while Fridays and Saturdays are the most expensive;

11386.  Cheapest day to book a flight: Sunday – Tuesday used to be when airlines released their new weekly deals making it the cheapest day to book a flight.  However, there is no set schedule when airlines release deals and they don’t usually match their competitors’ prices either.  According to experts, Sunday is generally the cheapest day to book a flight saving you around 6% on domestic and 13% on international flights;

11387.  Cheapest day to buy a car: Monday or Tuesday – Heading to the car dealership when the crowds are low gives you more inventory and less competition resulting in lower prices.  Mondays and Tuesdays are the best time to purchase a new car.  Go during the morning for even better luck.  As Investopedia points out, you’ll likely be one of the only customers in the dealership because almost everyone else will be at work.  This gives you more time to test drive, ask questions and negotiate the price.  It shouldn’t be a surprise that Saturday is the worst day to go car shopping.  Many people have the day off so car dealerships are at their busiest, which could drive higher prices;

11388.  Cheapest day to see a movie: Tuesday – The average movie theater ticket price in the U.S. is around $10.50, but on Tuesdays, Cinemark and AMC, the largest movie theater chains in the country, offer ticket discounts at around 50% along with other deals such as popcorn and drink combos.  Downloading a free rewards program app can earn you even more discounts on Tuesdays and points toward tickets and snacks;

11389.  Cheapest day to go shopping: Thursday – Head to the mall on Thursday evenings for early access to weekend specials and take advantage of recently marked down inventory that will soon leave the store.  According to Investopedia, most retailers prepare for the weekend on Thursdays so the stock will be replenished giving you the most options without fighting the weekend crowds;

11390.  Cheapest day to book a hotel: Friday – Like airfare, hotel prices fluctuate dramatically based on consumer demand and each brand follows its own discount schedule.  However, according to data collected by Skyscanner, booking a domestic hotel is about 2% cheaper on Fridays, which might sound like pennies, but it adds up for long trips.  As for international hotels, try to book on a Thursday when prices are about 6% cheaper;

11391.  Casa Tequila Bar & Grill (CasaTequilaRestaurant.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria has (a) $11.99 fajitas (special) on Thursdays;

11392.  Apparently, Rod Langway, the Washington Capitals’ “Secretary of Defense,” hangs out/has a beer at Clyde’s (of Gallery Place) before (Washington) Capitals games;

11393.  The Cubano (i.e., roasted mojo pork, Virginia ham, Swiss cheese, fried pickles & dijonnaise on toasted Vienna bread) at Clyde’s (of Gallery Place) is (pretty) tasty;

11394.  The space you create for others can often be the very thing that draws them closer;

11395.  Love; it’s our essence, the very core of what it means to be human.  It’s not a “you have it or you don’t.”  The capacity to love is already there inside of you.  It’s not something you do; it’s simply who you are;

11396.  Love is already there, waiting to be a balm to a weary world . . . waiting to heal, bless, renew and restore;

11397.  Family love, romantic love, the love of an old friendship – it’s not only in our nature to love, it’s our evolutionary advantage.  It’s also our highest calling as human beings to love another person fully and completely;

11398.  Relationships are our biggest opportunity for spiritual growth.  We all come to relationships with different wiring, conditioning, cultures, belief systems, biochemistry and a blueprints for what love looks like.  People think relationships are about selecting the right person, when they are actually about the part of yourself you select to bring to the relationship every single day;

11399.  The state of any relationship is the state you bring to it.  We all have a choice in the state we bring to our relationships.  While playing with your kids, picking up the phone for a friend in need, collaborating with colleagues at work or lying next to your partner in bed at night, there is a choice in what part of yourself you bring to the table;

11400.  There are many different parts of ourselves to offer.  Are you selecting the critical one?  The complainer?  The playful one?  The sensual one?  The problem solver?