Welcome to the Hall of Cool

Apparently 45 minutes can make a difference. By the time I typically get in the car for the morning commute, flipping through channels leaves me with little to desire. Sports Talk 980’s going on about the Yankees-Sox race, WTOP’s got minute by minute Rita evacuation coverage, Z104 is playing Lenny freakin’ Kravitz, and Elliot’s talking up some grotesque disease like “monkey feet.” Looks like it’s time to pull out one of those CD’s I know all the words to. Hello, BNL!

But today was different. Having a big presentation this morning, I hit the parking lot running at 6:30. While the sun may not yet be up, it appears that I was, and as usual looking for something to listen to. And what’s this? Engaging radio banter? From Elliot, no less? Get out of town!

Elliot, the disc jockey on DC101 was reporting back on his very nice dinner the prior eve at a restaurant in Arlington, 2941. It’s on Fairview Park Drive just a stone’s throw away from the old Random Run digs, and it’s at the foot of one of those giant office buildings you can see from the Beltway (NOTE: KEEP READING, THIS ISN’T A RESTAURANT REVIEW BLOG, I’M JUST WORDY.) It’s a 5 star place with waterfalls and white gloves and expensive steak and fish you’ve never heard of. Can I vouch? Heck, no. I eat at the Five Guys down the street.

Also not in the business to review restaurants, Elliot was raving over the owner of this place, Rick Adams. No, he didn’t meet him. No, I haven’t met him, either. But I am taking this post to induct him as the First Member of the You’re a Blog brand-new Hall of Cool. Welcome Rick, here’s your members-only Green Jacket. (Don’t sue us, Masters.)

Now why would YAB bestow such an honor on no-namer Rick Adams? Well, I did some research (after hearing about the guy on the radio) and he’s led a pretty impressive last decade. Ok, like I said, he’s the owner of one of the nicest restaurants in Northern Virginia. In fact, he owns the office building it’s located in. Not to mention the near by lake. Hell, the guy’s sitting on tons of acreage that townhome developers would kill for. But I ask you this – how does this guy become so rich?

Long story short, Adams came up with serial line IP and also founded UUNet, a huge ISP in the nineties. He took his brainchild public, made Massive Pay Day #1, expanded operations, and then promptly sold his stake to WorldCom for Massive Pay Day #2. (Worldcom then tried to convince the world 2 plus 2 is threeve.) So, our first HoCer got rich by having a good idea, hitting the market big, and then selling high.

(The same should go for all of your Fantasy Football GMs with Cadillac Williams. Do it, trust me.)

So what does a guy do with eleventy billion dollars? Other than build a fancy office building and start a fancy restaurant where he brought a handpicked chef over from Italy to cook in it?

He buys an X-Wing fighter.

With Rick Adams’ IPO money, he purchased one of the actual X-wing fighters used in the Star Wars trilogy. Now most of them are miniature models – I’ve watched the featurettes. But for the hangar scenes, not to mention Dagobah, they had to construct some real life spaceships. And Rick Adams owns one of them.

And he keeps it in his backyard. This comes from the maitre’ D who talked to Elliot and was confirmed by a caller who lives four houses (read: mansions) down from Adams. When I was growing up, I had a swing set. Rick Adams can destroy the Death Star. I also am going to go out on a limb and assume he doesn’t do his own landscaping. After all, he’s gonna need Yoda to pick that thing up when it’s time to mow the lawn.

So welcome to the Hall of Cool, Rick Adams. Here’s your Green Jacket. Just don’t wear it at Augusta, so says our lawyer.