My Best Stuff

It’s like getting a present,” Christa Cothrel says a little gleefully. The Arlington resident and self-described bibliophile has been getting books in the mail for four years — free.

Joan Wendland of Sterling hasn’t bought a book in 18 months, yet her bookshelves are full. She has sci-fi and fantasy, mysteries, nonfiction, audio books and one incredible Jasper Fforde novel autographed by the author. “He doesn’t come through the States often,” Wendland, 44, says, “and when he does, there’s a huge line.”

BLACKJACK DEALING. Resume writing. Improve your life. Make more money. Become more attractive. Turn that great invention idea into reality. Heck, is that Sudoku puzzle too hard for you? There’s a class for that, too. Washington’s source for educational seminars both serious and off-the-wall is First Class Inc., that business whose brochures are usually nestled [...]

“Is there somewhere around here I can get a quick lunch, like a half-smoke, maybe?” The question catches the man pushing his Fayette Street door open for fresh air off-guard. “Sure, there’s a Five Guys two blocks that way.” Are you kidding me? You live three blocks from the greatest, oldest, stubbornest carryout in all [...]

MARY PFAFFKO was on her way back from the gym, walking down Connecticut Avenue, and there it was. A wood thrush, common in the East but rarely seen outside deeply wooded areas. But there it was, right on the street. The only problem was that it was dead. In her role as president of the [...]

YOU CAN’T SAY BILL MAHER IS AFRAID of offending people. After the “Real Time With Bill Maher” host’s broadcast show, “Politically Incorrect,” got pulled off the air after some of his post-9/11 comments, he took his political humor and commentary to a more receptive audience at HBO. But it’s stand-up Maher prefers. “Telling jokes to [...]

WITH THE CURRENT DRIVE to be green and spend less money, thrift-store shopping is now eco-chic. But what if those Gap skinnies or Seven bootcuts don’t fit, are out of date, or are just revolting? Don’t die of barfness — reconstruct. Did Levi Strauss have skirts, appliques and raw hems in mind when he invented [...]