Get your car ready for winter

Be sure your car’s tires are marked M+S on the sidewall – this means they are rated for mud and snow. Increase tire pressure to upper limit. Topo off the windshield washer reservoir and replace your wiper blades with special winter blades. Clean the inside of your windows. Check levels of coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid and clean battery terminals. Apply silicon spray to door rubber gaskets and aerosol lubricant into your door locks.

Rebates

Check the following for product rebates: colgate.com, crest.com, generalmills.com, kelloggs.com (jeans voucher), kraftfoodscompany.com, nestleusa.com, ragu.com, nabiscoworld.com, rightathome.com, 3m.com

Wizards’ Opener

November 2nd at Verizon Center at 7 for their home opener! www.nba.com/wizards

Oldie but real Goodie

Joan Baez at 8 pm at the Music Center at Strathmore on Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda(Grosvenor Metro) October 27th. www.strathmore.org

Reminder!

Install new energy efficient windows and not only will you stay warmer this winter and save money on utility bills, but you will get a tax credit of up to $1500. Go to energystar.gov to see what products qualify and what other projects might earn you a credit.

Remodeling hints

Hire a small outfit to do the work where the boss is the head laborer and overhead is low so the cost is lower. Save up smaller jobs since professionals usually charge at least an hour’s pay to come in the front door. Give your demo cast offs to Habitat for Humanity (Richmond Highway) and take a tax credit for the donation. And try to accomplish your project off season for a cost savings. Planning a pool? Get it done in February.

If you haven’t seen it yet……….

“Hair” at the Opera House at Kennedy Center from October 26th to November 21st.

Fun!

Tuesday, the 26th, go to the annual High Heel Race. Costumed participants practicing for Halloween sprint down 17th Street around 9 pm after gathering for a fashion show between six and nine at DuPont Circle.

Taking advantage

While mortgage rates are incredibly low and home prices down, maybe now is the time to buy that retirement/vacation home. Give us a call and we’ll let you know how the market is in your dream location. Same goes for that investment property whose rent will help with the retirement expenses.

Things are looking up

Northern Virginia, 52% of the homes for sale in August were on the market for 30 days or less. In Arlington, average sales prices were up 6%. Take a second look at what waiting to buy will cost you.

Signature Theatre

Kicking off the fall season is”A Fox on the Fairway” by popular local dramatist Ken Ludwig and “Walter Cronkite is Dead”starring Nancy Robinette and Sherry Edelin. For details, www.signature-theatre.org

Marine Corps Marathon Week End

Friday and Saturday October 29th and 30th, a Health and Fitness Fair at the Convention Center and the Marathon on Sunday with a 10K on thee Mall. www.marinemarathon.com

Spooky Fun!

The 14th annual Halloween Parade in Del Ray is October 24th beginning at Bellefonte and Mt. Vernon Avenues at 2 pm. Prizes, food and music! Delrayhalloweenparade@yahoo.com

Whoa!

The Washington International Horse Show is October 26-31 at the Verizon Center- www.verizoncenter.com or wihs.org

Enough wine festivals!

Go for the brew! Bull Run Regional Park Saturday and Sunday, October 23rd and 24th with more than 40 breweries, delicious food and a family fun area. Novabrewfest.com

Some familiar names!

At the Birchmere – from Broadway, Barbara Cook on the 29th, Don McLean on the 7th of November, Keiko Matsui on the 21st of November and the realtor’s favorite (“Condos in the Sky”) October 30th – Tom Paxton.

Halloween all day!

Air and Space’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly hosts a Halloween party Saturday, October 23rd from 2-8 pm. Arrive in costume for spooky science activities, a tot zone for tiny ones, flight simulators, face painting and a puppet show. http://airandspace.si.edu/fright.

Drafts

Don’t overlook insulating indoor outlets and switch covers. Turn off the circuit breaker, unscrew the cover, press a foam gasket in place and replace the cover. Stop drafts coming through unused outlets by inserting childproof shock guards.

Finally!

After three years of construction and temporary stages in Crystal City and at the Lincoln Theatre, Arena Stage (really three stages) opens Saturday, October 23rd from 11:30 to 6 for an Open House. Free tickets on line at arenastage.org. The first production will be “Oklahoma” and there will be sneak previews at the Open House.

Chores

Before wintertime arrives, shut off the outside faucets, begin raking and set up your compost pile for the leaves,. drain your pool if you have one, after the final leaves drift down, clean out the gutters, drain down the outdoor sprinkling system, stock up on firewood, service your snowblower and have your furnace serviced.

Baltimore Museum of Art

The long awaited Andy Warhol exhibit kicks off October 17th. Fifty large scale works done in his last decade will be exhibited. If you take the quick 35 minute trip on Amtrak, there’s a direct short bus to the museum from Penn Station. Just ask at the ticket counter. Baltimoremuseumofart.com

Funny Man

Jimmy Fallon in two shows at 7 and 10, Saturday, October 16th at GW. Ticketmaster.com

Good to know!

When the power goes out and you want to open your garage door, disconnect the automatic door opener by pulling on the release rope (usually has a red handle) hanging from the trolley. Now you can raise the door manually. To reconnect, push up on the trolley lever attached to the rope.

Brand New!

Rosslyn’s new repurposed (used to be the Newseum) arts center opens Sunday, October 11th with all day performances like Afrofunk band Chopteeth, Ibis Chamber Ensemble, Bowen McCauley Dance. 10 am to 11 pm, www.arlingtonarts.org

Fairfax Fall Festival

Saturday, October 10th, gourmet food vendors, artisans and entertainers plus a classic car show and amusement rides. Old Town Fairfax, 10-5, www.fairfaxva.gov

C-A-P-S, CAPS CAPS CAPS!

October 9th at 7 vs. the New Jersey Devils – new season kick off.

Block Party

At Rustico on Saturday, October 9 from noon to six for another epic day of rollicking autumnal revelry as we celebrate Oktoberfest in style with lots of good food, good beer, live music and fun for the whole family. Brews will be poured and barrels of wine against a backdrop of delish dishes prepared by Rustico, Buzz, the Evening Star Cafe, Vermilion, Tallula, EatBar, Columbia Firehouse, Birch & Barley and Star Catering. Rusticorestaurant.com

Fun in Alexandria on October 9th

Alexandria Boutique Week

Discounts and prizes at 62 stores from October 9th to 17th. Visitalexandria.com


Alexandria Arts Safari

October 9th from 12-4 at the Torpedo Factory. Meet the artists and get some holiday shopping done. Torpedofactory.org

Another Taste of…………….

This time, Georgetown on October 9th with more than 25 restaurants participating including Georgetown Cupcakes! Tasteofgeorgetown.com