23 January 2004
Today...In short..Kind of...
So it all started last night...And not the way I wish...I left work early to make sure that I was home in time to run Lara some place. The March for Life was yesterday in D.C. and no matter what your view on the issue, if you went to CUA and had lived through the invading of people on campus - Kate almost got run over by a priest and a nun one year - you too would hate the day! They (both sides here) take over the whole city and it is just a mess to say the least - and for those of us that live in D.C. - for us to complain - it has to be a big deal! So anyway - needless to say I ended up not having to drive Lara any where - but it kind of ruined my great plan. Drive Lara around and then drag her over to work for 15-20 minutes so that I would not have to get up extra early to get things started before I went to pick up the car from National.
And yes - it is National Airport NOT Ronald Reagan National Airport!
So, I got up before 6:00 am - fed the cat, got my coffee and headed into the lab. But then Metro decided to have MAJOR delays - so I went to the airport first. After getting my car - this really crappy Chevy, but that comes later - I head off to the office. Now for those of you that do not live in the area or know the area - to get out of VA and head north, you have to cross a bridge at some point. We every road in and out of VA this morning - traffic jams like you could not even start to think about...So I am going along listening to my NPR (yes, I am nerd) and just enjoy being in a warm car and not walking. I cross over the crosswalk and the light turns yellow - okay I am in the intersection and I really don't want to be stuck in the middle of it - so I proceed through it - kind of - this lady with a dented up car cuts me off and then I am stuck in the middle of the intersection - and then I see it - the flash of the red light camera. Now let me put this out here and if I am wrong, please let me know. I was taught how to drive by my father (who is a professional driver) and he told me NEVER to switch lane while near an intersection - and this lady, with the dented up car mind you, did just that and now I will have a moving violation on my record. I ended taking down all of the info about her car so that way when the VA DMV sends me a citation - I can then report all of this back to them. Oh and did I mention that the ticket will go to my Parents house in PA? Yeah - they are so going to love opening that one up! So I get to work - kind of. I work in Georgetown (at Georgetown) and there are a WHOLE LOT OF HILLS in Georgetown...The car cannot get up the hills. The the peddle is on the floor and I am just inching my way up...Not cool at all! So I finally part the car only to discover that I do not have enough quarters to pay for the meter all day. At that point I think oh well - ticket me - the car rental company is going to be sending that citation to me anyway -I put all of the change I have with me in the meter and I go into the lab, at 10:30 am. So I am setting up my experiment and all is going okay...Oh, and did I mention that I STILL have not finished that abstract that is by 5:00pm? So about 3 steps into the 7-8 hour long experiment Wonderboy walks into tell me that the machine that I need to use has just been broken by someone else. Now, this piece of machinery is owned by my lab - and we are nice enough to let others use it...And what do they do? They break it and then don;t bother mentioning it to any one!!! So spent the next 45 minutes running around trying to find another machine - I finally found one - across campus - only to discover that it is the new version of the one that I have, no one in the lab that owns it really knows how to work it and it is up to me to figure out for the most part...Great. Back to the lab - finish my abstract (handed in at 5:00pm - right on time) and then bring my experiment over to the other building to finish it off - very odd results to say the least. I think that the cells know when you are having a bad day and just try to have fun with you! I finally get out of the lab at 7:00 pm and head back over to the airport. Not a bad day over all considering that I have had 5 phone conversations with my mother - she wanted to know at one point what exactly palmentos were - Spanish peppers I found out for her - a few other phone calls from random people - no lunch and a powerless car to return to the airport - but at least I do not have a ticket for parking at an expired meter - I think it was too cold for them to go outside to day to ticket. Over to National - a hour later - and 5 cars later I am finally able to leave. Call it me being taught incorrectly here - but I think that windshield wipes should at least be able to get water off your windshield here - the cars would not even do that. As I am leaving I turn the local AM news radio station on to find out where I live has a bunch of burst pipes (and a major water main break) in the middle of it. Right where I live. I look at the clock and it reads 8:20 pm - and they say that the traffic is still backed up from rush hour...Needless to say I got in to my place at about 9:00 pm - after making a pit stop for some Diet Coke (be proud Jules!) and some fries - sorry - I need some comfort food after today. I walk in (chatting with Ab's who's have a totally Fab. time in FL) to find out that Burt has gotten sick on his food. Great it is 9:00 pm - I have not packed as of yet and I have a sick cat. Thankfully at that point my Mother called to tell me that she doe snot want me to drive back up to PA tonight alone. At this point it is fine with me - I have my new "US" a cosmo to finish before I send them off to Ab in a care package and a few journal articles to read as well as proofing the Grant. I am going to go finish off the bottle of wine that was opened a few day ago - there is about a glass left, fill up the tub and take a nice long soak and just read before I have to get up and leave D.C. by 6:30-7:00 am in the ice and snow...But for being able to sleep in my own bed with a nice warm kitty (he is feeling much better after getting his fur ball meds - thank you) and the temperature just as I like it. I just hope that Burt does not decide to start snoring again!
And yes - it is National Airport NOT Ronald Reagan National Airport!
So, I got up before 6:00 am - fed the cat, got my coffee and headed into the lab. But then Metro decided to have MAJOR delays - so I went to the airport first. After getting my car - this really crappy Chevy, but that comes later - I head off to the office. Now for those of you that do not live in the area or know the area - to get out of VA and head north, you have to cross a bridge at some point. We every road in and out of VA this morning - traffic jams like you could not even start to think about...So I am going along listening to my NPR (yes, I am nerd) and just enjoy being in a warm car and not walking. I cross over the crosswalk and the light turns yellow - okay I am in the intersection and I really don't want to be stuck in the middle of it - so I proceed through it - kind of - this lady with a dented up car cuts me off and then I am stuck in the middle of the intersection - and then I see it - the flash of the red light camera. Now let me put this out here and if I am wrong, please let me know. I was taught how to drive by my father (who is a professional driver) and he told me NEVER to switch lane while near an intersection - and this lady, with the dented up car mind you, did just that and now I will have a moving violation on my record. I ended taking down all of the info about her car so that way when the VA DMV sends me a citation - I can then report all of this back to them. Oh and did I mention that the ticket will go to my Parents house in PA? Yeah - they are so going to love opening that one up! So I get to work - kind of. I work in Georgetown (at Georgetown) and there are a WHOLE LOT OF HILLS in Georgetown...The car cannot get up the hills. The the peddle is on the floor and I am just inching my way up...Not cool at all! So I finally part the car only to discover that I do not have enough quarters to pay for the meter all day. At that point I think oh well - ticket me - the car rental company is going to be sending that citation to me anyway -I put all of the change I have with me in the meter and I go into the lab, at 10:30 am. So I am setting up my experiment and all is going okay...Oh, and did I mention that I STILL have not finished that abstract that is by 5:00pm? So about 3 steps into the 7-8 hour long experiment Wonderboy walks into tell me that the machine that I need to use has just been broken by someone else. Now, this piece of machinery is owned by my lab - and we are nice enough to let others use it...And what do they do? They break it and then don;t bother mentioning it to any one!!! So spent the next 45 minutes running around trying to find another machine - I finally found one - across campus - only to discover that it is the new version of the one that I have, no one in the lab that owns it really knows how to work it and it is up to me to figure out for the most part...Great. Back to the lab - finish my abstract (handed in at 5:00pm - right on time) and then bring my experiment over to the other building to finish it off - very odd results to say the least. I think that the cells know when you are having a bad day and just try to have fun with you! I finally get out of the lab at 7:00 pm and head back over to the airport. Not a bad day over all considering that I have had 5 phone conversations with my mother - she wanted to know at one point what exactly palmentos were - Spanish peppers I found out for her - a few other phone calls from random people - no lunch and a powerless car to return to the airport - but at least I do not have a ticket for parking at an expired meter - I think it was too cold for them to go outside to day to ticket. Over to National - a hour later - and 5 cars later I am finally able to leave. Call it me being taught incorrectly here - but I think that windshield wipes should at least be able to get water off your windshield here - the cars would not even do that. As I am leaving I turn the local AM news radio station on to find out where I live has a bunch of burst pipes (and a major water main break) in the middle of it. Right where I live. I look at the clock and it reads 8:20 pm - and they say that the traffic is still backed up from rush hour...Needless to say I got in to my place at about 9:00 pm - after making a pit stop for some Diet Coke (be proud Jules!) and some fries - sorry - I need some comfort food after today. I walk in (chatting with Ab's who's have a totally Fab. time in FL) to find out that Burt has gotten sick on his food. Great it is 9:00 pm - I have not packed as of yet and I have a sick cat. Thankfully at that point my Mother called to tell me that she doe snot want me to drive back up to PA tonight alone. At this point it is fine with me - I have my new "US" a cosmo to finish before I send them off to Ab in a care package and a few journal articles to read as well as proofing the Grant. I am going to go finish off the bottle of wine that was opened a few day ago - there is about a glass left, fill up the tub and take a nice long soak and just read before I have to get up and leave D.C. by 6:30-7:00 am in the ice and snow...But for being able to sleep in my own bed with a nice warm kitty (he is feeling much better after getting his fur ball meds - thank you) and the temperature just as I like it. I just hope that Burt does not decide to start snoring again!
