Walt's Tree Service has done a good job for me. They did lovely and inexpensive work cutting oak branches looming over my home (with no damage to the house!), removing a dead three-story redwood and grinding the stump, taking down a dead tree leaning against my shed with no further damage to that shed -- and cutting/stacking the resulting firewood (though they didn't split the large discs, just chainsawed it all up into appropriate lengths). They will chip up what they cut if you prefer. Call Anner at (240) 876-9983. His English isn't the best, but I speak no Spanish and we made ourselves understood. Or call his brother Walt at (240)674-3638, and they'd be delighted to come give you an estimate. The actual office number is 301 933-0752 but they don't speak much English at all. Lynn

Well, you reminded me that I need to make a stir fry, I haven't had that in a while. I had a wok years ago but it didn't fit well on my gas stove's grates and that little metal ring didn't help. I finally put it in the yard sale, no one bought it and I gave it to GoodWill, LOL, but it was carbon steel and worked fine other than it tipped over off the burner regularly, spilling some of the contents. Lynn, I agree with azzelea, you need to season the cast iron with shortening instead of oil. I know some other people use oil and have been successful, and my dutch oven is well seasoned because I've done numerous batches of french fries in oil and that's kind of "soaked in", but I still think shortening works better. I season mine for about an hour at 350 in the oven. I rub the pan with the shortening and then put it upside down in the oven with a baking sheet under it to catch any drips. Mine are pretty old and so just need occasional reseasoning when I cook something high in acid. I never burn the old seasoning off, I scrub it off, and Dad actually sand blasted one for me, LOL, but I know someone here sprayed theirs with oven cleaner and put it in a garbage bag to get back to the "beginning". Annie

This place is so good I've included a review. Try anything but definitly try the dumplings... ************************************** Deceptive is the word for Yeah Shanghai Deluxe, the two-year old restaurant with the hippest name in Chinatown. Sandwiched in along a row of look-alike, undistinguished eating places the narrow, storefront Yeah Shanghai Deluxe, with its dumpling kitchen in the window, could well be a casual, fast lunch spot or even a carry out. But walk past the steaming, up front action of the dumpling prep area and cross over a charming little bridge to the cave-like rear dining room with its brick walls and Italian wine cellar look. There, is a sight every Chinese food freak searches for, a sea of Asian faces. Not a Caucasian in the crowd. The blackboard specials are in Chinese here (so are the newspapers) and although forks are available everyone seems to be eating with chopsticks. Obviously this is not your fathers Chinese American restaurant serving Egg Foo young, egg rolls and moo goo gai pan (none of which are on the menu). Its a new-fangled Chinese-Chinese restaurant serving the rare-in-New-York specialties of Shanghai. Oh, you can order moo shu pork, scallion pancakes, spring rolls or hot and sour soup, but why do it? Those dishes are available at every cookie cutter, garden variety Chinese eatery. But steamed, juicy pork buns, pork shoulder in honey sauce, chrysanthemum fish, roast chicken Northern China-style and Shanghai dough arent and Yeah Shanghai is a find because of those light, unusual, often exotic dishes. Its beautiful presentations, one-dish-at-a-time service, pleasant staff and agreeable dining room ambiance also enhance the experience. In fact, the only dishes sampled that were just ordinary were two standards: hot and sour soup that needed hot sauce to jack it up and shredded pork in garlic sauce that was no better or worse than it is elsewhere. Instead, start with those steamed, juicy pork buns or soup and meatfilled dumplings, eight of them. Eat each one on a soup spoon slowly sipping out the broth, then, eating the pork, remaining liquid and outer won ton-like shell. They are a mellow delight. Dont depart without trying one or two dim sum. We selected steamed pork and leak dumplings and werent sorry. They offered a welcome taste and texture contrast. Most main courses are attractively encircled by a border of thin, alternating orange and tomato slices and taste as good as they look. Get that whole Northern China-style roast chicken, presented with its head and feet and a clump of tender, moist shredded strands of chicken. Add the accompanying brown sauce replete with minced garlic and youre on your way. The pork shoulder in honey sauce is its equal. The soft, juicy meat, in a coat of fall-away fat, easily separated from the meat, is sinfully delicious and the honey adds a subtle sweet note. Ten lightly breaded, gently cooked Peking-style prawns are another good bet. Finish up with the spongy, steamed thousand pieces cake, an acquired taste to be sure, but like Yeah Shanghai Deluxe itself, one that is not a routine Manhattan eatery. 65 Bayard (@ Mott St.), 212-566-4884. *********************************************** This little place is a must- if you're not hungry just share some dumplings michaelp

I lived in both the greater LA Metro area and in the East SF Bay area, which are both exactly like the DC area in terms of density & traffic. I respectfully disagree. In my experience, the East Bay is nothing like the DC area, which is a good thing for the East Bay. If somebody put a gun to my head and said move to the East Bay or DC, I would head west in an instant. I have only a little experience with the LA area, so I won't quibble over that one. I'm not sure which rail system you are refering to in the DC area. If it is Metrorail, be advised it is operating at maximum capacity with no hope for desperately needed improvements in the near term. Parking at outlying stations can't begin to meet demand. Management is defensive and not particularyly good at what they do. There are serious safety issues, including management's refusal to let authorized independent inspectors onto the tracks, which was just in the news. The control system and management's operating procedures have a serious unaddressed safety flaw, which resulted in a recent fatal accident, even though the train operator did everything right. I have relatives who use the sysem daily, so this isn't just long distance hearsay. We also have a Metrorail employee in the family, so there is insight from that angle too. I would take the East Bay's BART any day over Metrorail, but I would take Metrorail over driving. That's how bad the commute is in the DC area.