step in the booth, pull a lever

This afternoon was fraught with choices. None of the decisions were life altering but I was flummoxed by both.

The first choice I had to made was dealing with single-track operations on the Metro's Orange Line out Dunn Loring way. At the top of the stairs (and escalators) was a handwritten sign that read "All TraINs OperTinG ON the VIEnna side of THe plAtform". I'm including my rendition of the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station below. The titles to the outside of each track are what the trains are labeled on the lead-car placards. I'll tell you that 'the Vienna side' makes little sense because it's not like the north or south side - Vienna is merely a destination, which if you care is off the bottom of the map. Don't concern yourself with the direction of travel for each train because it won't matter. So, you're heading down the stairs, you've read the sign, and you're wondering which track to stand near - go ahead and answer for yourself. We'll come back to this conumdrum later.


My barbers (Wilson Blvd. Barbers) are moving to a place in Westover come October. Until then, they are splitting time between the current place and the new place (run by a Greek or Moroccan guy). One barber is at Wilson Blvd. and one is over at Westover. I called Farraj today to see if Habib was working Westover since that location always has fewer people. I was told he was so I show up about 5pm and it's Farraj, not Habib, manning the chair. That has nothing to do with the voting mechnism...I digress. I'm in the shop and there are two barbers working: Gerard, a member of the current staff at the shop; and Farraj, who I want to cut my hair. They are both finishing up the guys-in-seats at about the same time - the problem is that the first chair cleared is the chair the next guy takes and I'm the second waiter. If Farraj finishes first, what to do? I don't want Gerard doing my 'do. I'm very tense. As Farraj starts to finish up the neck shave I sense he's up to some "additional trimming and grooming" in order to stall so he finishes second and I get my cut from him - I am a regular afterall. Sure enough, they finish mere seconds apart - Farraj just in second. Whew! Disaster averted. The hair looks good for those tracking at home.

As an aside, I asked X last night if she's ever come across a fan with first click that is the lowest setting (i.e. 1 of 3, or lo of lo-med-high). She hemmed, she hawed, and I threw out a very confident "there are none in this or any other world" judgment. If you know of any that have an opening click of lo, I'd like to know. If not, why is this? I'll generally eliminate anyone from the discussion that happens to also know the width in inches of standard gauge railroad.

The answer to the Metro question is the right-side track. I think the sign was wrong.

Love to all.

T.