Gas Station Renovation

I noticed that the Exxon station on Wisconsin Avenue at Montgomery Lane in Bethesda, MD is closed and undergoing renovation. I saw them painting the canopy last Friday so it looks like they are just renovating/updating it, not tearing it down. I don't know if it will come back as an Exxon or if it will change brands.

[where: 7340 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD]

Update March 30: I really did see them painting the canopy, which now seems odd since they totally removed it. It looks to me like they are putting a new one up though, so I'll stick with my original conclusion. (for now at least)

Update April 13: I have another post about the former Exxon gas station.

10 kids drink windshield wiper fluid at day care

Ten children drank windshield washer fluid after a staffer at an Arkansas day care mistakenly put the liquid in a refrigerator and served it. Only one child remained hospitalized Friday morning, after blood samples showed "measurable levels" of methanol, a highly toxic alcohol that can induce comas and cause blindness

From the AP via Yahoo News.

Review: Wing Hub Buffalo Speedway chicken sandwich

Wing Hub, located at 2914 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, MD. Their specialty is chicken wings but the also have a lot of chicken sandwiches and burgers. I went there for lunch and got the Buffalo Speedway chicken sandwich which is a crispy fried chicken fillet with lettuc tomato, mayo, bleu cheese and buffalo sauce. I also got a side of fries (or 'spuds' as they call them).

The chicken sandwich was was wrapped in paper but was still a drippy mess of wing sauce and bleu cheese dressing. Not that it is bad though, in fact, it was excellent. Very tasty, a bit crispy (the wing sauce didn't make it soggy). The sauce was a little spicy but not too spicy and the blu cheese dressing offset that nicely. In fact, it was so good I almost went back the next day for another one. I don't want to think about the calorie and fat content of the sandwich, I am sure it is loaded.

The fries were uninspired, they were thick cut, which isn't my favorite, so if you like thick cut fries, you might have a different opinion. Dipping them in the wing sauce that dripped off my sandwich did make them pretty good though.

I just looked at their website and they have a coupon for $1 off a sandwich, I don't know how long the offer is good for, but I will try it next time I go.

Low Fee ATM in Bethesda

I don't have to worry about ATM fees, my bank refunds whatever fee is imposed. Because of this, I can go to whatever ATM is convenient. I still look at the fees though (why give some bank that I have no connection to extra money?). Fees have been going up and it seems most are between $2.50 and $3.50. I went to the HSBC bank in Lionsgate Condos on the corner of Old Georgetown Rd and Woodmont Ave and was pleasantly surprised to see the fee was only $1.75. That is still too much to charge for accessing the machine (50 cents seems more reasonable), but, it is the cheapest one I have found in Bethesda. If you find a cheaper one, let us know.

UPDATE: They have since raised the price significantly, no more pleasant suprises.

[where: Bethesda, MD]

Review: Mayflower Chinese Restaurant Szechuan Beef

I have been avoiding chinese takeout restaurants for the past couple of years, the concept of vats of food simmering for hours (or days?) until you order it doesn't seem like a recipe for good food. However, I have been getting chineese food urges for a week and yesterday decided to give in.

I went to Mayflower Chinese Restaurant and Carryout, 7925 Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD (Near Cordell Ave). First, no warming dishes of pre-made food. Second, I could look into the kitchen area and the first thing I noticed was fresh vegetables (brocoli and celery if you're interested) Somewhat relieved, I ordered the Szechuan Beef from the lunch menu, it came to around 6 dollars. While it was being made I idly looked around the very small restaurant, very basic with half a dozen tables and a couple of coolers of soda. less than 5 minutes later I took it and walked half a block to Veteran's Park to eat.

Now for the food. It was decent, not as good as what you get from a decent chinese resturant, but better than I expected. The vegetables had been cooked fresh and the bell peppers and onions still had a crunch to them. There was also plenty of food, it rates high on the value for the money scale. It is hard to get decent food cooked fresh in only a few minutes, but I'll probably head back there another nice day to try something else.

Where did all the trees go?

A couple of weeks ago, when the missing Bethesda Circulator bench was found, the Gazette reported that they wouldn't be putting the bench back anytime soon because of upcoming construction. It looks like that construction has started. They took a chainsaw to the trees on Woodmont Ave between Hampden Lane and Elm St in Bethesda, MD. Also a spiffy new "Construction Area Do Not Enter" sign. This is the building where the Ritz Camera and the auto repair shop were.

[where: Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD]

Update March 26: JH left a comment pointing to this article that says Equinox Fitness Club will put a four-story 31,000 square foot location here. (It also says that it will be at the intersection of Elm Street and Hampden Lane, even though those streets don't intersect). Thanks for the link.

Another bank robbery in Bethesda, MD

Yesterday I heard a bunch of sirens and a bit later saw the channel 7 news helicopter, but I couldn't figure out why. This morning I found the explanation.

Around 4pm on Friday the Bank of America at 7316 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD was robbed by someone with pepper spray. This robbery has a happy ending though, customers and bank employees chased the robber down the street and apprehended him. More info from WJLA.

This is the third (and hopefully last) bank robbery I have heard of in Bethesda in the past couple of months.

Glorious Snow

I think this counts as a just about perfect snow. 4-6 inches, mostly overnight so we weren't stuck at work then having to drive home in it, and cleared off the roads quickly. If only it weren't so windy and it would pack a bit better.

Currently, all but the neighborhood streets are clear and wet, no snow or slush on them. It is below freezing but that doesn't seem to be causing problems.

Tomorrow should be sunny and 29, so the roads should remain good (except in the early morning, before the sun comes up). Wednesday is supposed to be 40 so this snow won't last long, enjoy it while you can.

[where: I-495, Bethesda, MD]

Better Cell service coming to Metro

Cell phone service will be getting better on Washington DC's metrorail system soon. Instead of just Verizon, there will be service from Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. Also coming access to the internet and wi-fi. Twenty underground stations will have expanded coverage by the end of this year and the whole system will be finished by 2012.

That is good news for riders, but there is good news for metro too. They will get a second network for its operations for free and will get a minimum of 25 million dollars during the 15 year contract.

WMATA: Metrorail wireless service to expand.
WTOP: Deal will expand cell service on Metro

Road work on Old Georgetown RD March 2nd and 3rd

Old Georgetown Rd in Bethesda, MD will have 1 lane closed Westbound (Northbound really) between Glenbrook Rd and Auburn Ave (where the Exxon station is in downtown Bethesda) on Monday and Tuesday March 2nd and 3rd (2009) between 9am and 2:30pm to repair a gas pipe.

Update 3/5: The road work was rescheduled for March 4th and 5th. I didn't check to see if they are actually working on it now.