Monday, July 11, 2005

"I'm home" or "Pink is the new black"

Got in from DC not too long ago. The trip home took 7 hours and 10 minutes (as opposed to the 6 hours and 15 minutes it took to initially get there). The big difference was due mainly to 270 being a parking lot. Sitting there, listening to G. Gordon Liddy's radio show, the thought came to me that maybe I don't miss the area as much as I thought. Traffic this bad at 3 pm on a Monday afternoon? Turns out that it wasn't the usual hellish DC traffic, but the result of a 6 car pile up. Whew!

The free DC Metro Area apartment finder book is 3 times bigger than its Columbus counterpart. I think it must be the New International Version. My housing choices seem limitless. Especially since I haven't established what my budget will be.

Fun fact: a lightning bug still glows after smashing into the windshield of a car traveling at 80 mph.

My whirlwind trip has really got me yearning to move back to the District of Crack (well, actually Alexandria). The job search efforts must be raised...after my Hilton Head trip.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Traffic sucks out here. The commute is the biggest headache of this new job. I haven't even started and I can't wait to get a new job, that's closer to where I live. Oh well, Cisco will make everything better.

Law Fairy said...

Wheeee, vacations!

As much as I'm psyched about moving to Los Angeles, I am NOT looking forward to the traffic... ugh...

Micah said...

thse - I'm hoping to find a job on the Metro line. Walking distance would be ideal (like my last job), but I'm not holding my breath. Cisco cures all.

law fairy - I don't envy you. When I was living in DC, the traffic was second only to LA. The average DC commuter spent 80 hours a year just idling. I can't imagine how much it sucks out in La La Land. Enjoy that.

Kate The Great said...

You know, I think there's something a little delicious about the unpredictable, carefree life sans job. You make me a little jealous, man. Well, except for that whole budgeting thing. I guess I'm supposed to be budgeting, too, but that's another story.

GMadrid said...

Really cool fun fact on the lightning bug. I am in the middle of a job search as well. Good luck it is not fun.

Anonymous said...

I think I recall D.C. metro traffic as actually being the only area WORSE than Long Island, traffic-wise anyway. But then again, I've never been to LA.
Good luck!

jasdye said...

wow. 80 mph, not kph, right? man, i don't recall that ever happening to me. usually it's just another blotch on the fast-moving windshield of life that i can't windshield-wiper off, no matter how much fluid i use.

then again, 80 mph is fairly slow...

i didn't get the niv thing. is it 'cuz it's written in so many languages? i guess that would make sense. (duh!)

Anonymous said...

When the "Worst Traffic Cities" list was released earlier this year it was noted (on our newscasts, at least) that while LA and San Fran were ahead of DC, those cities had actually made some improvements over previous years. The DC metro area, on the other hand, was getting worse and had no improvements to speak of. I commuted to the Pentagon for about a year and could see the HOV lanes slowing down over time. IMHO, we have reached saturation. The only solution now is more roads or less people.

Micah said...

KtG - Yeah, it's great until you realize you have no money.

gmadrid - Good luck to you, too.

kris - Thanks. I don't remember LI's traffic being that terrible, but I haven't spent considerable time there. And maybe I didn't drive (or ride, as it was) during peak times.

jasdye - Actually, that's a nice new interpretation of the quip. Actually, the guide was so big that we referred to it as "the Bible." Guess I should've explained that.

heartbreak - So, you're saying you don't want me to move down there? You can't monopolize all the hot bartenders yourself, bud.

slyboots2 said...

Is that Irish pub still in old town Alexandria?