Hey Girl

I'm going to have a niece!!!! Okay, fine, she technically won't be my niece, but she may as well be. After all, I will be the greatest Aunt ever! My best friend from college, Hollis, found out last night that the peanut is a girl! I could not be any happier. Her name will be Elisabeth Rose. So, Beth.....I can't wait until you get here. You are going to be SO beautiful, and spoiled. :)

In order to have a fitting title for this entry, I have chosen 'Hey Girl' by O.A.R. as the song of the day. Click on the OfARevolution Player at the bottom of the website. For a studio version of the song, select the album 'Risen', then click on the song title. For a live version, select the album 'Any Time Now' (disc 2), and click on 'Hey Girl'. If you feel so inclined, check out the rest of their stuff too. Their best song (and probably the most well known) is 'That Crazy Game of Poker'.

Yesterday after work I rushed home to let Abby out and then rushed to the metro to get downtown in order to see the Cherry Blossoms. It was a great afternoon, and there are so many things that I want to write about it. I took some pictures, but I don't have a digital camera, so I can't post them yet. I will get them developed this weekend and then use my sister's scanner. There will be pictures soon, and I will probably write more about the experience once I post them. Until then, I am going to talk about my love of mass public transit. Not only are you relieved of the stress that you face by driving, but you also get to people watch. I love to observe others, especially in places like the airport, the mall, the metro, etc... So, my trip on the metro went as follows:

5:41 pm - Arrive at the Huntington station parking garage and realize that there are many more empty parking spaces in the late afternoon.

5:44 pm - Enter station, pull out my SmartTrip card to check the value. See a line behind the Fare Card machines, and wait in it.

5:45 pm - Notice that no one is using one of the machines. Step up to the machine, scan my card and the screen reads, -$2.70. Figure that the machine must be broken because I could have sworn that Jenny told me that she left value on my card before returning it to me.

5:46 pm - Go back to the original line I was waiting in. Observe a lady coming out of the turnstiles and approaching my broken machine. She easily presses 'cancel' to erase the -$2.70 from the screen, scans her card, sees its value, and leaves the station.

5:47 pm - Return to the 'broken' machine. Scan my card again. "-$2.70" What?!? I didn't even know that the turnstiles would let you off the metro with a negative value on your card. I insert $15, only to have a value on $12.30 on my card. Proceed through the turnstiles and head to the platform.

5:51 pm - Train approaches the station. Realize that it is not a good idea to wait right in front of the doors, as there are many commuters angrily waiting inside the train for the doors to open so they can rush to be the first one up the escalator.

5:53 pm - Sitting on the train as it leaves the Huntington station.

5:59 pm - Since there are not too many interesting people headed into the city in the late afternoon/early evening, decide to make my own fun. I have my sunglasses on the top of my head, even though the train is currently above ground and the sun is shining.

6:01 pm - Train leaves the Braddock Road metro station and prepares to go underground.

6:02 pm - Train goes underground, I pull my sunglasses off the top of my head and put them on.

6:04 pm - Train emerges from underground back to the sunlight. I take my sunglasses off and put them back on top of my head. Plan to continue this escapade the entire trip.

6:07 pm - Train is stopped at the Reagan National Airport station. A group of 4 or so teenagers and a mom get on the train with their huge suitcases. Immediately, one of the teens says, "So how many minutes are we going to be on the train?"

6:08 pm - Laugh to myself and think, "Metro Virgins!" (Like I am so experienced, I was the one that thought the machine was broken 20 minutes ago.)

6:09 pm - Completely forget about my sunglasses plan as I am now intrigued with the conversation of the tourist teenagers.
the mom: "Look kids! You can see the city. Quick, look, before it's gone."
(train goes back underground)
the mom: "It's gone."
(train stops at the Crystal City station)
announcer: "Next stop, Pentagon City."
teen girl: "*gasp* We are going there tomorrow! To shop! I can't wait."
teen boy: "So, how many more minutes are we on this?"
teen girl: "All my friends say that I should go to Georgetown."
the mom: "We aren't going to Georgetown."
different teen boy: "You couldn't get into Georgetown."
(realize he is now talking about the University)
teen girl: "Maybe I could."
the mom: "I think that American is probably more realistic for you."
(roll my eyes at how the mom is dashing the girl's hopes and dreams)

6:13 pm - Train is stopped at Pentagon station and a kinda hot guy steps onto the train. He chooses to stand by the doors and lean against the glass partition as there are not many seats left on the train. I notice that he is carrying an 'Easton' bag which is obviously holding a baseball bat or two. He is wearing a t-shirt, which in the corner says "Believe" and the v is in the shape of a harp. I really want to see the back of the shirt to decipher what it means, but I never do. He pulls out a book, a large book, a book bigger than any book that I have ever read. I never see the title but I imagine from the looks of it that it was a historical novel about Mary Queen of Scotts or something to that effect. I continue observing him. He is wearing khaki shorts and tennis shoes. There are some orange stains on his shoes which can only be from baseball clay. I smile to myself as I realize that maybe there ARE guys in this city who actually like the same (cool) sports as me.

6:19 pm - Get off the train at L'enfant Plaza, rush to the next platform and transfer to the Orange Line.

6:24 pm - Arrive at Smithsonian station, ready for my evening of walking, picture taking, and thinking.