DC DMV Medical Report Headache

It is such a pain to go anywhere around here. What should take half an hour is two hours. My husband got a letter from the department of motor vehicles saying he needs to submit medical authorization for his drivers license renewal. Because we don't trust the mail service around here, we literally like to hand carry official documents and pick them up when they are completed. Lucky for us, the eye doctor was available today to complete the form, but the problem with that is she is located at Washington Hospital Center, a huge medical complex that is a pain to drive to, get around in, and escape from. And of course the parking ticket was a dud as it could not be read by the machine when we tried to pay, so it took even longer to find the parking attendant and get that addressed. While we were at it, I'm trying to relearn how to drive in the city, so whenever we go anywhere lately, I drive home. This time it meant going to our primary care doctor office in our neighborhood first. Today is rainy, there is always construction, the streets are congested, there are too many one way streets, and pedestrians are always jumping in out of nowhere. It gives me a headache! I dropped my husband off and he returned within five minutes or so. He always gets the runaround there and I have a feeling it will take forever to get a call to pick up the document. On the way home he said this is a great way to keep your mind sharp. All I can say is that it feels like such an archaic way to access this information and have hard copy documents in this digital age. These are the days I wish we lived somewhere else. But that somewhere else just isn't very clear to us just yet. 

Brushing Up on Driving

I used to drive all the time when we lived in Milwaukee. I didn't have a choice. I needed to drive to work and then from work had to drive to every satellite outpost to do my thing - a productivity efficiency expert in a very large Heath care organization. That included a lot of time on the road in the dreadful winter months which lasted almost all year long! Since we moved to DC I have become very lazy. My job at the Library of Congress was just two blocks away. So I walked to work and walked home for lunch. It was a dream situation and all the wretched driving stories were heard with compassion. Now that I retired and we get out and about more routinely I have found that my driving skills are a bit rusty - particularly in the tight urban landscape that we live in. My parallel parking needs some practice and just keeping my eye on the road are things I need to really think about now. Being a passenger is so much more fun as I'm snapping away taking pictures of everything and writing about it. So in order to get back in to the swing of things I drive back from wherever we go. Do I like it? Not particularly. But I better get used to it. 

AAA Maps and TripTiks

We just returned from a roadtrip to Wisconsin to visit friends and colleagues. We lived there thirty years before moving to DC ten years ago this month! As long as we are able to, my husband and I really enjoy the ride. In the old days, I would always get the AAA TripTiks, tour guide books, and maps before we started out. We often wonder how we ever got anywhere without GPS Systems. We stopped for breakfast in Buckeystown near Frederick Maryland on the first day. I noticed a AAA store, and we decided to stop to get a hard copy map of the east and Midwest. Sometimes I just like to see the route in a larger version from a small phone screen, especially when we are trying to decide where we might want to stop for the night along the way. Once inside the store, I was amazed by the size of the place and the number of people working there. Granted, it was a car repair shop and store combined, but it was really busy! If you get there after hours you can swipe your membership card at the entrance and there is a vestibule where you can get a map out of a vending machine. But I went inside and got what I needed. There is a big retail side of the place with luggage and all things travel related, a place for airline tickets and international tours, and of course TripTiks. I also just downloaded the AAA app that I need to explore. The problem is is that I am not even sure we even need AAA anymore given Google maps and our subaru safety buttons and vehicle aids. But I still use it for hotel discounts and once in awhile for flowers, and of course for flat tires a few times. For whatever reason I just renewed membership for another year. It just seemed like the thing to do. 

Driving and Blogging Don't Mix - A Record Broken

For the first time in almost five years, I was not able to post my daily blog for two days in a row. Usually I find the time to get it in but this past weekend was unusual. We were taking a drive to Lynchburg, and I was driving. My husband usually does all the driving, and I sit in the passenger seat working on all my social media sites - my Facebook page, Instagram, tumblr, fine art America, etsy  - and my blog. But since my sister was with us this time, my husband sat in the back seat. That left me no time to do anything - including taking photos - both going there and coming back. And once we hit our destination, we were running around with our family members. So today is a retro blog that highlights the few minutes I had to take photos at the Craddock Terry Hotel, during a short back seat drive for breakfast yesterday with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background, and a quick look at Poplar Forrest. We did spend time at the warehouse in downtown to see the updates of a huge renovation that will eventually become a residence. The view from the roof is amazing. Daylight savings doesn't help either, and the rainy, misty drive home was tiring. We don't travel well at all, and are thrilled to be back home. So my schedule starts again - and I kinda like it that way. 

Department of Motor Vehicles Medical Report for Submission Notice

Things were so much easier when you were young and feeling good! The problem is is that you didn't know it at the time. Getting a driver's license was a big deal, and renewing it was a little bit of a fuss. Now when you reach a certain age, proof must be shown that you are both medically and visually capable of driving a motor vehicle. Yes, it makes complete sense. But it is a real pain to get the paperwork completed the old fashioned way. These hard copies look like something from the 1960's. My husband received a notice that his documents were due by February or his license would be suspended. He needs to hand carry the document to both his eye doctor and his medical doctor, and hope that they return the competed form to him. Since it would never be completed at the time it was delivered, he gave the eye doctor a self addressed stamped envelope because our FAX machine doesn't exist anymore. Hopefully when it arrives, he will hand carry it to the medical doctor in the. neighborhood. Let's hope that they don't need to actually see him again in order to fill it in. There is something about "having been seen within the last three months" that worries me. Anyway, it just feels odd to have to run around like this. Maybe in the future we need to make sure our doctor visits correspond to the times we anticipate having to get all this filled in. But neither one of us even thought about it. It's a good thing this happens to probably mostly retired people who may have more free time on their hands. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe I need to check the web site? I have a feeling it wouldn't make any difference. 

The McLean Adventure

It's so wonderful to be off today! So we decided to run a couple errands and explore McLean, Virginia. The best part is the drive along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. And wouldn't you know there was a red mini convertible right in front of us most of the way. There is this thing about minis in this neighborhood....check out an earlier blog post! Anyway, we got off on highway 123 and headed towards our destination. We usually tend to dine in Alexandria, but thought we'd try something new. To my delight, and my husband's dismay, we ended up at the McLean Family Restaurant - the first thing we came upon. It reminded us both of Ma Fisher's in Milwaukee. It is a typical Greek, cheap, but always busy place. We stopped at the little Potomac Farm Market for some corn and watermelon. It's always got a steady stream of customers. We ended up with a pear the guy really wanted us to try. The Total Wine Store was the real reason for the trip. It's huge, and you can get just about anything, plus cheese, at a significant discount than the grocery stores. The gas price in Georgetown was $5.29 this weekend! And along the way today the prices varied from $4.25 to the deal we found at $3.81. It doesn't take much for us to have a good day - and this was one of them.

Car Bandaid

Sometimes blog ideas come from well meaning friends, which happens to be the case today. Because parking and driving around here can be difficult at best, it is not uncommon to see bumper scratches and dings. In fact, today in the news was mention that DC has the worst drivers. So, to add a bit of lightheartedness to a routinely annoying situation, someone got the clever idea to patch up the booboo with a giant bandaid. The patch job didn't quite cover the damage, but it was enough to get the attention of not only my friend, and myself, but I am sure a lot of other folks. It'll probably stay that way forever, which would not surprise me in the least.

Scenic Overlook

Along the George Washington Parkway heading towards Highway 123 to Tyson's are two scenic overlooks. I remember stopping at places like this when traveling with my family up and down the Eastern seaboard between Massachusetts and Florida. So today we stopped at each of them expecting to find some grand views. I suppose it depends on the season, what your definition of a grand view is, and what you were expecting to see. I was hoping for a view of the city in the distance, with the monuments and landmarks all in line. That was not the case. Instead, it was a few boaters on the river, and a lot greenery. I'm still hoping to see an eagle one of these days. And it's curious to consider what all went on in these woods since it became inhabited. On our way back home, there is a spot where a view of DC can be seen, but if you blink, it will be missed. Regardless, riding along the Parkway in either direction is always a very pleasant journey. Even though there was a new freeway constructed connecting South Milwaukee to downtown, we always chose the scenic route along Lake Drive to enjoy the views. Some things never change.

Theodore Roosevelt Island

It is quite the unexpected place to find in an urban environment. Nestled right off the George Washington Parkway in the Potomac River is a wonderful spot to stroll just about any time of the year. The island is a good size and has an interesting history that dates back to the 1600's. I believe someone lived on it in a substantial house during the 1700's and it saw some action by Union troops during the Civil War. We have driven to it a few times, parked the car, and walked over the very inviting bridge. There is a tribute to Teddy in the center. Across the way you can see Georgetown and the Kennedy Center. During one walk, I could even coax a lovely butterfly to sit on my finger. All along the GW Parkway are scenic overlooks. Especially on the weekends during the summer, the Potomac River is packed with water craft and activity. But the island is most interesting as it is so completely unexpected, and is a great place to bring out of towners. In Florida there were two ponds in our neighborhood with little islands in the middle of them. We used to use bamboo rods with bread balls to catch fish. The bird refuge on the island was loud and fun to watch. But we could never really get on their island, and I am sure they were glad about that. We get to mingle with the wildlife on Teddy's island, and it's mostly the human kind.

Indigo Landing

Driving along the George Washington Parkway this afternoon on our way to Alexandria for lunch and errands, we always pass by Indigo Landing. We've been to this restaurant several times, but not recently. It reminds us of a place called Pieces of Eight in Milwaukee, because it was also located on the water- Lake Michigan - and was nestled among a lot if sailing vessels. It's a great place to watch planes flying in and taking off from Reagan Airport, and has a birds-eye view of DC. During the summer, the kids take sailing and parasailing lessons, and it is all quite colorful. The bike/walking trail winds its way past here to Mount Vernon. It has the feel of an old supper club, even though it was recently renovated. There are two other restaurant choices right on the parkway- Cedar Knoll and the restaurant at Mount Vernon. Once in a while it's worth the trip, but probably not habit forming.

Glen Echo Park and Carousel

After visiting Clara Barton's National Historic Site, we walked over to the Glen Echo Park. The bridge over to the grounds reminded us a lot of Grant Park in Milwaukee. This one, however, had the remnants of the scenic train tracks in view. We felt like we were transported to another place in time when we came upon the carousel. This definitely reminded us of House on the Rock! So we bought a ticket for $1.25 each and rode the beautifully restored carousel - of course on a critter that moved! Who hasn't been on one of those platforms filled with animals of all shapes and colors. The experience definitely reminded us of a time gone by. Wonder how it was back in 1921 taking the train to Glen Echo Park from DC? Must have been a treat because it still was for us in 2012.

Stormy Weather

There have been a lot of threats for severe storms recently, but not a lot of them actually come to fruition. Just last evening it was reported that the airport was canceling flights, but it was dry as a bone here. This morning right after I got to work, my husband called to say his usual am walk was cut short because of the downpour. It looked pretty ominous from the 6th floor of the Madison Building. When I left for the afternoon, it felt nice outside, but it sure didn't look like it when we drove over to Alexandria for lunch. Regardless, I'm glad to be back inside, and happier that I am not in a plane that is trying to make a landing right now. The weather in Milwaukee was typically cold and uninhabitable - for me anyway. But the weather here seems to have taken on a mean spirit lately.