LIFE IN RESTON ... WHOOPS, I MEAN LIFE IN PARADISE

Goodness knows I make more that my share of typos.  Even with spell check, mistakes manage to creep into my emails and correspondence. Maybe due to the fact I have a talent for typos,  I'm always reluctant to point out mistakes.  That said, t his one simply made me smile.  It was too good to pass up. As you can see from the dates, I stumbled across this shot in late April. I'm guessing "Steam" was a reference to the school's STEM program.  Or maybe the school really was having a steam night?  "Nigth" ...  well, I guess you can figure that one out for yourself. Since one of my kids attended this particular school, I'll block out the name, though lots of Reston residents will be able to identify the school by the sign itself. In case you were wondering, yes I'm a product of the Fairfax County Public School System ...

Maybe because it is the only Reston "village center" to have survived largely in it's original layout, Lake Anne has always been one of my favorite spots.   Lots of folks hate the '60s vibe, but I have to admit I really like it.  I'd certainly rather hang out here than at the hideous Town Center, or Hunters Woods.  Sure, I wish the place had a dive bar and a place that served casual American food, but I admire all of the current merchants and make a real effort to spend some of my limited disposable income down there. Anyhow, Lake Anne is full of strange little, out of the way spots.  I'd walked by it hundreds of times before I realized it was there, but one of my favorite spots is a public balcony providing a great overview of the plaza. I took this photo early on a July Sunday morning.  Two uplifting posts in a row !!!

Held on Saturday mornings, Lake Anne's Farmers' Market is one of those things I really enjoy about living in Reston.  Nah, I seldom feel the need to rush out to buy bags full of heirloom tomatoes, fresh goat cheese, or any of the other farm fresh items available for sale.  That said, I have bought fresh produce from time to time and certain enjoy walking through the stalls, sampling fruits and other products and just listening to folks socialize.  And the market isn't limited to food.  There are vendors selling all sorts of arts and crafts materials.  

Looked back on the first couple of blog entries, I was surprised at how negative my take on life in paradise has been.  I actually like many aspects of life in paradise.   That said, there's one more irritant I feel the need to address and then I'll try to come up with something more uplifting for my next entry. A long time personal gripe has been the Reston Association's magazine.  This high gloss publication comes out quarterly and, if my cluster is any indication, almost immediately gets dumped in the recycle bin. I understand the RA feels the need to communicate with all residents and showcase what a special place we all live in.  I mean, who wouldn't want to read about Reston Homes through the Decades or Giving Yourself a Perfect Smile At Any Age?   I also know the magazine is available on-line.  So why are they spending RA assessments to mail a copy to every family in the community.  STOP !!!  Publicize the fact it is available on line...

It's hard to know where to start when you live in a target rich environment like Reston ... Living in paradise there are just sooooooooooo many opportunities to comment on the way things are. A little background: as any Reston resident knows, once a year we get to pay our Reston Association fees.  This year the fee was $692.00.  Payment was due 1 January, but they allowed a 30 day grace period for folks who were otherwise engaged with end of year celebrations. So before going any further, let me readily admit I was wrong.  I broke the rules and I should be made to pay.  I'm willing to admit my guilt and pay the price. Instead of writing a check to the Reston Association for $692.00, I wrote out a check for $690.00.  Yes, I shorted the Reston Association $2.00.  I don't think I did it on purpose, but maybe it was one of those deep, dark, Freudian things.  After six months, the Reston Association accounting system seems to have decided to reach out...

The Reston Association has a decent sized budget for what they categorize as maintenance and environmental management. Obviously the folks running the RA would like more resources, while many of us Restonians would like to keep such costs under control.    Anyhow, the l ast time I looked, the maintenance and environmental budget was about $3.9M out of a total budget of $15.4M.  Of that $3.9M, $0.9M was earmarked for pathways.  As I recall, Reston claims to maintain 55 miles of pathways.  I'm guessing that includes sidewalks ...  If so, then that breaks down to a budget of $16K per mile.  Obviously it just takes one or two major repair jobs to consume that kind of money, so I'm in no position to judge whether they budget  too much, or too little in this area. What I can tell you is none of that budget seems to be going to maintain this  part of the path/sidewalk network.  The photo shows a section of the pathway along Wiehle Bouleva...

I had a college roommate who majored in the arcane field of queueing theory. (the mathematical study of waiting in lines).    Why would I mention that fact with respect to life in paradise?  I'll admit that it's somewhat of a stretch, but the logic has to do with the fact I occasionally take the Metro Silver Line from Reston to my job in Arlington.  I took public transportation to work for the first thirty years of my career, but now that Metro has come out to Reston, is actually faster and cheaper for me to drive to work with my wife.  We happen to work within a couple of blocks of each other and have synced our work schedules.  Every now and then our schedule gets disrupted and I find myself taking a local bus from my house to Wiehle Metro; jumping on the the Silver Line to my stop, and then walking a couple of blocks to my job.  Driving to work is a thirty minute trip.  Taking Metro turns it into a 90 minute trip.   Anyhow, if you live...

As a Reston homeowner I am entitled to pay an annual assessment to the Reston Association.  The 2017 Reston Association fee was $692.  (I also get to pay an  annual assessment to the my homeowners cluster, plus a special tax to support the Reston Community Center, etc., etc.) Admittedly I recognize my Reston Association fee goes to cover all kinds of costs including:  " Maintenance of ...55 miles of pathways."   I actually use the paths quite often.  They're pretty, they're safe, and they provide a good way to get a little bit of exercise.  Anyhow, several years back the Reston Association decided it would be a good idea to mark the local trail system.  They put up dozens of wooden markers with little "you are here" indicators and maps of local trails.  Maybe not a necessity, but in paradise nothing is too good for us Restonians.  Here's the problem.  The signs have been no match for mother nature and general abuse at the hands ...

I'm an early riser and in order to avoid waking up the rest of the family, on weekends I tend to go out for a morning walk.   I came across this photo while walking around Lake Anne.  There was just something charming / funny seeing this young lady lost in thought while surrounded by dozens of geese.  She didn't seem to be paying much attention to the geese, nor were they all that interested in her. The geese did take notice of me when I tried to walk through their midst.  Lots of honky at me.   Clearly I was unwanted. Someone later suggested the geese had been sent to collect the woman's overdue Reston Association annual fee payment (I think payment was due back in March).