Monday, June 15, 2009

And They Go to The Big City....



...we survived our trip to our nation's capitol! There were times when, perhaps, I was wondering if we would make it home...alas, we survived.


I purposely, purposely, planned our flight so that we arrived in DC in the daylight hours. Why is this so important one asks? Well, from DCA (in Virginia) we had to board the Metro, travel to an unknown station, surface in a somewhat questionable area, and navigate ~5 blocks to Katie's house - all while towing our rolling luggage. So, naturally, our flight out of Philly was delayed 4 hours, which put us at DCA around 11:00 pm, just in time to catch the last Metro car to DC. We manage to find the Metro, buy tickets, board and surface at the correct station. We were, however, as the guy warned us on the Metro, in a "questionable neighborhood." Now, instructions like "on 6th between Q and R" may seem simple as first glance - but there are exactly 3 different directions one can go before they realize they're headed in the wrong direction. First, the street numbers were increasing - head back to 6th. Then, the alphabet was going the wrong way - head back to R....and we were off!! Questionable was right for a pregnant white girl from the back woods.....

The houses were your typical row houses, crammed right in next to one another with little steps and wrought iron gates. The sidewalks were terrible and crumbly. I was hauling ass ahead of Todd (hoping they would mug him, not me...) pulling my luggage (which sounded like a helicopter landing due to one semi-flat wheel...) when suddenly, the sidewalk was no more. The next thing I knew I was eating shit on the sidewalk outside of a house full of potential attackers - they were even 6 or 8 people outside smoking who saw the whole thing transpire! Now I was a prime target - I had already been downed!! I dropped my luggage and landed on both knees and elbows. Crap. I was convinced they were moments from pouncing when Todd pulled me back up to my feet. It seemed like eternity I was down.... I limped the rest of the way to Katie's where we promptly administered first aid to my skinned and bleeding knees while I retold the story of how I narrowly missed a full-on attack and DC mugging. And it just got better from there....

Thursday afternoon Frank, Katie, Todd and I took the Amtrak to Baltimore to watch the Mariners play the Orioles - and we won!! The park was amazing and the game was so much fun. We stayed in Baltimore overnight and hit the aquarium the next day. Prior to heading to the aquarium Todd and I thought we'd stroll to the nearby "International Market" to look for a spare shirt for him. Luckily the "Market" was only 2 blocks away and "markets" have shirts.....and weird chicken stands, and hookers, and thugs, and homeless, and crackheads selling wares from huge suitcases and so on. Realizing we are seriously "out of our element" so to speak, we made a B-line back towards the hotel. Todd didn't seem as worried as I was. 5'5", pregnant, blond and carrying an over sized purse made me a little worried - I will admit it.

As we near what I considered the "safe zone" we come upon a crackhead waiting for the bus munching on some Doritos. We watch him finish his Doritos and toss the bag onto the sidewalk. Being from the eco-minded, recycle-happy area of the northwest, Todd sees this as an opportunity to educate the man on proper trash disposal techniques by eliciting this statement: "Hey. The sidewalk isn't a trash can." I... was.... horrified. The guy reacted as one could expect: angry and confrontational. "Why don't you f***ing pick it up then!"....followed by a series of expletives I couldn't really discern because I was sprinting towards the hotel. Todd gladly picked it up and put it in the next trash can (about 10 feet from the bus stop) and we headed on our way. It's a fricking miracle we made it back. No shirts to be found, but at least we lived - I consider this a successful visit! I wouldn't recommend Baltimore, at least not the "International Market." Stick to the aquarium: it was awesome. The ballpark: phenomenal. The ghettos: not so friendly.

1 comment:

  1. Oh. My. God. Am laughing so hard I think I might puke!! Jesus, woman, it's a miracle you made it back in one piece!! Think of the stories you'll have to tell little Leo when he gets bigger (because that name gets my vote). And you look so cute with your pregnant belly! Talk to you soon!

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