Rush Hour and Early Morning Views

I am not a morning person. I wish I was, but it’s never going to happen. But this morning we had to get up by 7 AM to bring our guest from Milwaukee to Union Station. After that we needed to drive to Alexandria to get our punctured tire replaced at Beyer Subaru service. We got a flat tire on Tuesday - luckily in front of our house, during the daylight hours - and were able to drive a couple of blocks to the gas station around the corner to get the spare tire put on it. The gash in the tire was so big it couldn’t be fixed. So as we drove in the early morning light, in rush hour traffic, the typical sights and views looked a little different. I’m just glad we were going in the opposite direction of the traffic  - away from DC - and thankful that my commute for ten years was walking two blocks to the Library of Congress. What a mess the traffic is on good days. So now we are sitting in the Subaru service waiting area waiting for two tires to get replaced. It hasn’t been a good year for our Forester - a cracked windshield, check engine and several other warning lights that wouldn’t turn off, and a flat tire. I can’t wait to get back home and relax. But that isn’t going to happen because there is a work crew banging around the house digging a French drain. We aren’t getting a noise break lately and it’s getting very old. 

DC Rush Hour Traffic, Subaru Maintenance, and Safeway Flu Shots

It's never a good idea to schedule an appointment anywhere in this town if it involves rush hour. But we did. We had a 1000 Subaru service maintenance appointment in Alexandria. Our Subaru Forester is almost a year old and needed a check up. Aside from the typical mess, there was a stalled vehicle smack dab in the center lane creating an even bigger mess. In spite of it all we managed to get there right at 1000. Twelve miles took almost an hour. But rather than sit in the waiting room for two hours, we decided to walk across the street to the Safeway grocery store and get flu shots. This is the first year I'm not at work to get one, and our medical clinic is not a place we particularly care for. My husband has been getting his flu shots at CVS and such for the last few years. We were early enough to avoid a busy time, but the pharmacist was all alone and getting frequently interrupted. We sat in a space that looked just like a doctor office or clinic. Wouldn't you know my husband's insurance paperwork was accepted without a hitch, while mine was creating a glitch (in spite of the fact that we are both on MY self plus one insurance from work!) An additional benefit of getting a flu shot in this setting is that there is no co-pay and we got two coupons for 10% off on groceries at Safeway with an end date of March 2017. When we got back to the Subaru waiting room and got a coffee to warm up from the air conditioned waiting area at Safeway, the car was ready. So having service at the car shop is best during the week and after summer is over. Just make sure there is a Safeway across the street to get your flu shot and kill two birds with one stone.