Our return from DC yesterday was far less auspicious than our arrival on Wednesday. We got a good start, leaving the city at 11:00, and once again finding no traffic on the Beltway. It was a little slow at the tunnel in Baltimore, but once we got to the easy-pass toll lanes, it was clear. We stopped for lunch at the rest stop in Maryland just after noon, got back in the car, and it all went down hill from there.
My first step was to take a sip from the coffee I had bought in the rest stop only to find I hadn't put the lid on tight. Oops. So now I looked like I'd been shot in the heart by Juan Valdez. Oh well, not a big deal; we were on our way home anyway. Then we saw the sign:
The New Jersey Turnpike was closed. We saw this sign in Maryland. There would be no entry to the Turnpike once we crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
I had no idea what alternate routes existed, but I had faith that someone would let us in on it. (My only alternative would have been to call my personal GPS system, the Hubs, and have him guide me every step of the way by cell phone.) There were signs and they were clear and all, but it was slow going from that point on. The upshot is that the trip is usually about four and half hours long, with the Delaware Bridge marking the midpoint. But the trip took us six hours, nearly four of them just in New Jersey. Once we got back on the Turnpike around exit 5 -- it was closed south of that, two tractor-trailers and a box truck had the accident about 6 am, I later found out -- it still kept slowing down. It felt endless. I ate powdered donuts. My sciatica was screaming at me. All I wanted was to get out of the car.
We got home around five (just in time for Gilmore Girls, at least!) at which time things continued to go downhill. R wasn't feeling well, hadn't gone to work, and I think would have liked Mommy to make her some food and generally take over her care. This I did not do. Jeez. There were dishes in the sink and an uncleaned litterbox. The house is a mess. I'm sorry she doesn't feel well, but at that point, neither did I, so much. I felt less well after I spilled my iced tea all over my desk and had a hissy fit, throwing stuff and such. Felt good, I haven't done that in such a long time! But then of course I had to clean that up, too. K needed some computer help, but at 9 I just went to bed with Cary Grant and slept the sleep of the righteous, as they say.
I had gotten up at my normal early time in the hotel in DC and gotten my errand done at Office Depot before K met me for breakfast at 8:30. By 9:00 we were off to the World War II Memorial.
I was raised to live in fear of the New York City subway system, but the Metro in DC is wonderful. It's organized, it's clean, it's easy to use. Of course I had my own personal guide who's familiar with it, but even so, I probably could have navigated it myself. It took maybe 20 minutes to get to the Metro stop closest to the Memorial from where we were.
The weather was beautiful and there were really no crowds anywhere, not on the Metro or the streets or at the Memorial itself. It was, however, quite a trek to get there from the Metro stop. It's only five blocks on the map -- 12th to 17th streets -- but they are long city blocks along the Mall, and I think the walk must have been about a mile.
I was quite moved by the Memorial. I had brought a picture of Jack from the war with me, to leave there if such things were being done, but they weren't. Even so, I had a real feeling that I had brought him there with me. I found some parts of the Memorial to be a little too jingo-istic for my taste, but overall there was a sense of the sacrifice the Greatest Generation had made, as well as what they had achieved. I suppose in the spring or summer it's more likely to see some veterans there, but I didn't expect it at this time of year. That might have made the experience a little different. It's a shame they had to wait until these men and women were in their eighties and dying to remember them this way.
I got some good pictures, and I've posted them, along with my rambling narrative, here. There are about 15 pictures, so if you have a dial-up connection, it will take forever to load. Just a warning.
I'm off to begin what I hope is my last day of endless errands. R is getting ready to leave for work; she looks like crap and will probably be sent home early, I imagine. Now that I've slept, I know what to do for K's computer, if she hasn't already figured it out herself. If they both go out tonight for New Year's -- maybe they will, maybe they won't, we'll see -- then at least the house will be quiet.
Speaking of, Happy New Year, everyone. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is, it's just midnight, we have one at the end of every day, but, What-ev-er!
--------------------------------------------------
I'm watching Today
--------------------------------------------------
last ::
next
Sweet Sorrow - 06.12.2007
So ... - 12.19.2006
Christmastime Is Near - 12.18.2006
Fifteen Years - 12.17.2006
A Message From Our Sponsor - 12.16.2006
|
