Thursday Blues-day...wait, that doesn't rhyme...

Yes that doesn't rhyme and it was just one more thing to go wrong on my commute home yesterday. I left work right around 5 pm, but a couple minutes later than I normally would. I will call this mistake number 1. 

I waited at Judiciary Square on the Glenmont side for probably 20 minutes. 2 trains came through in that time, both of them packed to the gills with people and no one getting off. During this same time I counted 7 or 8 trains going towards Shady Grove -- clearly they were not having any issues on that track. I finally gave up and decided to walk to Union Station* (mistake #2 -- more explanation on that at the end of the post). PS - I've been having an issue with my right foot in the last week and it gets irritated the more I walk or use it, hence, all the time I'm upright, so this was a fun almost mile walk, in the heat yesterday afternoon. 

By that point, I had missed the 5:20 pm train, and might make the 5:40 pm departure. Nope. Didn't happen. Especially with the foot issue. I walked into the station right at 5:40 and wasn't even going to attempt any sort of rushing movement. 

I was definitely no Betty Boop yesterday. 

All red-faced and limping.

The next train didn't leave until 6:20 pm, so I sat and waited. Only to receive an e-mail that THAT train might be delayed due to equipment issues. By 6:13 pm, a track still hadn't been posted for the 6:20 train (they usually post them anywhere from 15-20 minutes out from departure, if known). At that point, I received an e-alert that the 6:20 WOULD in fact be leaving on time, but with one less car, so to expect "crowded conditions". Yay. 

Because I received the e-mail, I started making my way out to the platforms and as I reached the door, I was lucky enough to hear the MARC customer service rep say that our train would be on track A-15. Yippee! I was one of the first people on the train and got a seat thankfully due to that saintly MARC rep. 

But wait, there's more.

::Stomps foot::

But, I don't wanna, Heather Dubrow of the OC Housewives (love her!).

The train I got on had no power, so it was hot. And quiet. And dark. And it seemed like the conductors weren't sure it would turn on, hence the delay and issues. But come what may, at 6:35 pm (15 minutes after the train was supposed to leave, if you're keeping track), the power came on and by 6:40, we were moving westward - Hallelujah!

I finally arrived home at 7:30 pm, 2.5 hours after I left work and ready for some pizza - thanks, hubs! - and HBO -- re-watching The Wire after reading this yesterday...LOVE LOVE LOVE that show. 

*Ultimately, I should have decided to just cross the platform at Judiciary Square and take a train in the other direction towards Shady Grove, getting off at Rockville and catching the MARC train to Germantown from there. I probably would have caught my earlier intended 5:20 train or at worst, the 5:40 train from Union Station from there AND I wouldn't have lost money standing on the Metro platform. Oh well, lesson learned. 

I still don't know why everything was royally messed up yesterday afternoon, maybe it had something to do with the fabulous year WMATA has been having so far. Lord only knows.

Happy Friday, y'all. Here's a puppy rolling around in a ball pit to make myself and you feel better about life.

Exact change

Just an interesting read about getting the perfect amount of money on your NYC subway fare card, here. 

Thankfully (?), D.C. doesn't have flat fares and I can literally put the $5.90 it costs me to go from Shady Grove to Judiciary Square, on my SmarTrip card, when I ride the Metro. 

Happy Monday, all!

Silver, silver, silver

Today we talk about something that has now been open for more than month in the DC area. I'm surprised I haven't even mentioned it yet, but I also haven't ridden it to know much about it. Haven't really had a need to.

Yet this week as I planned a few plane trips in the coming months, I was curious about how this new line could get me to Dulles Airport. Now the Silver Line does not go all the way to the Virginia airport YET (that'll happen in about 3-4 years -- at least that's my current bet), but I did discover there is a shuttle picking people up at the Wiehle-Reston East metro stop, called the Silver Line Express. For $5, it should (and, should being the key word) only be a 15 minute ride from the metro to the airport. That's not too shabby. Depending on where you live within the city, could be better than getting to BWI even. Nothing beats Reagan National in terms of proximity and access though if you live in the District or are very close to the city boundaries (think, Arlington/Alexandria).

For me, it's more than about double the time to Metro if I were to come from our home in Montgomery County, than it would for me to drive straight to Dulles from our house (approx. 45 minutes). If I'm at work, it's about 15-20 minutes longer to use public transit from Judiciary Square to get to Dulles versus driving from my house straight to Dulles. Either way, there are now OPTIONS. Way to go, DC. Way to go. 

Anywho, just an FYI for any of my traveling friends who need to get to Dulles and don't want to drive, or don't have access to a car. Or just don't want to pay for parking. 

Happy Friday eve!

Needed something cute to look at? You're welcome.

I paid good money...to stand...and wait.

Yup, you read that correctly. I paid $2.15 to stand on the platform at Judiciary Square for 10 minutes. Train never came. No trains came. I check the app on my phone -- no trains to Glenmont. No updates from WMATA in my e-mail. I need to catch my MARC train out of the city. So I leave the station after asking one of the station managers if they know anything. I get blank stares. A train could have pulled up in the next 30 seconds. I wasn't waiting to find out. I decide to walk to Union Station and do make the 5:40 train home. 

Yet, even now, I continue to wait. I'm currently sitting on a stopped train on the bridge over I-270. Le sigh. I'll make it home eventually.

I paid good money to stand and wait today. That could have been some Starbucks tomorrow morning. Blarg.

Some graffiti art on the train overpass on I-270. Still glad I wasn't in a motor vehicle.