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I was a Lego maniac — still am to a small degree, actually — but “Fredo the Lego Maniac” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Before today comes to a close, indulge me for a minute as I share a favorite Sophia story with you all.

Picture it: the Bronx, 1985. A young boy, gay before he realizes it, sits in front of the television on a Saturday night. He laughs at the antics of four old broads in Miami, even though he doesn’t always get the joke. For the next seven years, this is his Saturday evening ritual: in his room, usually alone, watching these women crack wise about each other. That young boy was me, and those four women were “the Golden Girls.”

If I told stories in the style of Sophia Petrillo, that’s how one from my childhood would probably sound.

Estelle Getty passed away today just shy of her 85th birthday. She had been battling dementia for years.

It’s weird, I’ve been on a bit of a “Golden Girls” kick lately, watching all episodes in chronological order from my DVD sets. As if I need to really; I’ve been known (sometimes to an annoying extent) to recite lines verbatim while watching it with others. I seem to recall someone telling me, “Okay, that’s scary,” on my recent trip to San Francisco.

Greater Greater Washington covered today’s hearing between D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC). In particular, the hearing seemed to cover two things: maximizing the use of Union Station as an intermodal transportation hub (read intercity rail and bus), and the landmark’s embarrassingly inconsistent photography policy.

Imagine a world where Comic Sans (personified) saves the day. Highly unlikely, but it happens in the video above. (video via Gizmodo; hat tip to Trevor via IM)

In case you missed the Twitter tweets, facebook statuses and my housemate’s journal entry on the subject, I headed out to Bengie’s Drive-In Theater on Friday night. I’d never been to a drive-in. And yes, it was an experience.

Friday’s show was a triple bill: Kung Fu Panda (better than I expected, but still kinda meh); the Dark Knight (Oh. Hell. Yes!); and Get Smart (which we didn’t see — I had to work the next morning and that movie didn’t start till about 2 a.m.).

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the experience. Despite the heat of the day, the grassy field remained cool allowing for comfortable viewing. The food they offered was decent although I think they allowed the popcorn I bought to sit out a little too long.

The outing wasn’t without it’s problems though. The drive-in’s website proudly proclaims that it’s in Baltimore proper. Well… it’s not. The drive-in is located in Middle River, outside of Baltimore city but still within Baltimore County. When we entered the Baltimore address in our GPS device, it took us to somewhere in the middle of the city. Our complaint at the box office got us a brusque response complete with a reaffirmation that we were indeed in Baltimore.

Whatever. That’s like someone saying they live in Washington, D.C., when they really live in Vienna, Va. (There’s a choice quote about that from David Sedaris’ new book, “When You Are Engulfed In Flames.”)

Someone — we supposed the owner of the theater — also seems to enjoy hearing himself talk. When a movie or a cartoon wasn’t running, dude was running his mouth. As the night wore on, it became less informative and more annoying.

I also had an incident at the concession stand with a nearly empty ketchup dispenser. One pump and I had whatever was left in the can all over my shirt. Fortunately I was able to wash off some of it in the restroom and I had an undershirt on. But that it happened in the first place was enough to put me off for a bit.

I have to admit though that $8 for three flicks is a pretty good deal. Nowadays, you’ll be lucky to pay that little for a matinee in most places.

Would I go there again? Maybe, but I’ll smuggle in my own ketchup next time.

When I have the time¹ — and indeed the space — to setup my homebrew version of “Double Dare,” the Kid Wash will be one of the first things I’ll set up. Yes, I am a dork. (via Lifehacker)

West Side Story will be revived on Broadway next March, with previews running sometime in February. The show will not only enjoy a pre-Broadway run at the National Theatre here in D.C. for a month beginning in mid-December, but will also be somewhat tweaked for authenticity. According to Playbill:

The production “will introduce the unprecedented element of selectively weaving Spanish throughout both the book and songs,” according to the July 16 announcement.

West Side Story is one of my favorite musicals of all time, so I find this a bit exciting. I always wanted to take part in a production, but the opportunity to do so never arose. Given the median age of the main characters — or at least my perception of it — I’m probably past it. That and I think I lack the appropriate body type. At best, I suspect I could either be a stagehand or a strangely ethnic Officer Krupke.

Here are 21 U.S. railroad trips that will cost less money — and in some cases less time — than their airline trip equivalents.

From the “It Had to Happen Sooner or Later” file: Hello Kitty pasties. Now your funbags can be free without being excessively obscene. (NSFW – via Shindo)