A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.
Prepared for Snowmaggedon: During this unnaturally warm winter, snow is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind. But this member of a Tenleytown email list is getting prepared early. They wrote, “It hasn’t snowed yet, and maybe we’ll have another winter like last one, but whether that’s the case or it’s Snowzilla like the year before, I’ll probably be needing someone to shovel my very short walk and side walk. I live within blocks of Deal and Wilson and will pay $20 for the first shoveling IMMEDIATELY after the snow stops and more for follow-ups. I have a snow shovel and salt.” Broke teenagers, get your shovels ready.
Run Free, Toby!: It wouldn’t be a roundup without a tale of a stray or feisty animal. A post in a New Hill East email thread features both! A couple of members noticed a Yorkshire Terrier running free and subsequently posted this, “Just saw a little yorkie running loose and 12th and I se. Had a harness on. Pup was headed towards Penn. Didn’t see any humans and the dog scampered into the street,” and, “This same dog just ran into Potomac gardens about 30 mins ago. It wouldn’t let us approach to read its tags.” Apparently this isn’t the first time the dog has gotten away. Another member wrote, “This dog is owned by someone who lives in, or frequently visits Potomac Garden and seeing it loose is pretty common. The dog evidently has a guardian angel as it has yet to be run over despite spending quite a bit of time frolicking in the street. I could be wrong but I seem to recall its name being ‘Toby.'”
Hip Sweaters: The first few weekends of December mean one thing: holiday parties! One of the most common and trendy themes is the ugly holiday sweater theme party, because who doesn’t like making fun of your out-of-touch grandparents and aunts? A member of a Chevy Chase email list must be attending one of these parties because they’re hunting for an ugly sweater. She wrote, “I am looking for an ugly/funny Christmas sweater for a holiday party. Does anyone have one to borrow or sell?” Try your local thrift store or an older relative’s closet. Seriously, these aren’t that hard to find.
All About the Bills: Holidays bring up a handful of questions that are usually forgotten during the year. One of those is how much to tip as a holiday bonus and this member of a Cleveland Park thread needs some help. She wrote, “So what *is* the going rate for newspaper carrier tipping? And while we’re at it, what about the mail carrier? Does anyone have a tipping list for this time of year?” Be wary of undercover newspaper and mail carriers who are looking for an especially big tip.