Rock ‘n Roll Marathon, Construction, and Parking Nightmare

I hate trying to find parking around here. In the Midwest we had a two car garage, a very long driveway, and street parking. I really miss it! When we moved to DC that was a convenience we had to give up. Our 1890’s condo building doesn’t have underground facilities. So parking is always bad, but now it is even worse. For more than a month the entire street behind our building has been blocked off for utility work - although no one seems to know what it really is all about. It was supposed to end by February. Now the signs say the end of April. On top of that the ridiculous Rock ‘n ‘Roll marathon was yesterday. We were not only trapped in our house because of street closures until two in the afternoon, you also had to find parking that was not along the scheduled route - or you would be ticketed and have your car towed. It used to be you wouldn’t be able to move your car, now it would be moved away for you whether you liked it or not. I am not against marathons but this one needlessly disrupts every DC quadrant. We oftentimes decide when we go somewhere based on events in the neighborhood and time of day if we plan to take the car. It is a real pain in the neck but we are not yet willing to give up our vehicle. The only bright spot is we have a circle drive that takes you right to the front door to unload groceries, etc. but when someone decides to use the drive for a parking space - forget it! 

Avoid Rolling Thunder at All Costs

As it becomes warmer in the morning, I need to get up earlier to avoid heatstroke during the AM walk. I hate mornings and have developed a habit of getting up at 9:30 AM since I retired in February. But that doesn't work in summer. In the past, we somehow ended up walking later in the day on weekends and have always run in to the rolling thunder mess around the mall on Memorial Day weekend. Luckily, we didn't see a bit of it because it was so quiet at 8:30 on Sunday! After breakfast, we thought we could outsmart the mess, and decided to search for a lampshade that needs replacement and wanted to get to McLean. That was the biggest mistake! Aside from the exit closures because of all the motorcycles around the pentagon, and the baseball game, we were stuck in a big way. So we changed over to the opposite direction and headed to Alexandria to the target store for a few items, then towards Mount Vernon just for the ride and to let the time pass so we could safely return without all the turmoil. In the meantime, we were getting thirsty and stopped at McDonald's for our favorite lemonade - which was refreshing on the way back home. We were going to go out this evening for dinner but have decided against it unless it is within walking distance. It's nice that everyone comes to the city for events and such, but it can be a real pain for the locals. I thought when we left Milwaukee we also left rolling thunder behind. Thanks goodness it's not every weekend - but there's always something else.