My new place is an answer to prayers. I'm living in Silver Spring, MD, about 2 miles from the District border and only about 30 minutes from work... it's perfect.

Top two reasons why I love the place so far:

1. It's a 4 1/2 minute drive from the DC Temple. I clocked it out the other day... how lucky is that?

2. Grocery shopping. I went into this most fabulous grocery store, which will go unnamed, last night and stumbled upon a few things that took me by surprise but nevertheless sealed the deal that I love my new location. First, this man/woman who was the sales clerk had me rolling as he/she spouted the most hilarious (and tactless) things that can be said in front of any customer from the register about how he/she was going to just shut his/her register down and run some errands at Macy's, so to watch his/her food she was eating at the counter. And then he/she really did it!... Second, the whole time I was shopping, from every isle I could hear the sound of someone shamelessly belting out "Total Eclipse of the Heart." TOTALLY made my night. Third, as I left the store I got to witness some kind of cop or public authority figure (could have been a bus driver for all i know) chew out another cashier and try to get some "information" out of him, didn't sound like grocery store talk abut it was great to watch it all go down. I can tell that there will be many more adventures in grocery shopping as the weeks go by.

And don't worry, Steve (or Steve's mom... or my mom), the neighborhood is safe and my neighbors always wave at me whenever I leave to go anywhere. Feels like home already.