I emailed this to Persephone, who’s become my very first good friend from here! As it is mundane and pointless, this seems to be a good home for it…
Let’s just say yesterday was a very … um… interesting day.
I left work at 4:30 to go visit friends a few blocks north of me in DC. I took the Metro to the next stop from where I work, got out and walked the wrong way for a few blocks. Went back the other way and discovered it would have been easier to just walk from work in the first place.
Anyway, had fun… ate a nice prime rib, got caught up on gossip (ex-coworkers). Left their hotel at around 11:30 or so.
Was walking back to the Metro station, and after a while I said, “Hm, this doesn’t look familiar.” Found out I was not on the street I thought I was. Ok, said I… I’ll keep going in this direction until I find the station…
Well, I walked. And walked … and walked. I never found that station, and I walked from maybe 11:30 to about 1:30 AM. I finally found myself near the Metro where I work. So I go to the station - and it’s closed. Because the
last train departs around 11.
So I’ve been walking for hours, and not in good neighborhoods, either. It’s about 35 degrees outside. My feet are swollen and my muscles are seriously hurting. I’m a little hungry, which turns into nausea as the hours progress. Oh, and of course I’m exhausted.
Since I can’t get to the Metro station, I decide to go to my office. I figure I can crash there, work a few hours at least, then go home the next day. Uh-uh. Security card’s not working. Building’s locked down.
So now I’m thinking… I could walk all the way back to where my car is - it’s way north of the city, closer to Baltimore than DC. If I were to drive it, it might take me an hour or so. Walking, it would take me more like 3 or
4. And it’s now 1:30 AM.
In desperation I call a friend in MD at 1:30. She has no idea how to get to where I am, and hardly ever comes into DC (I had to endure a “this is why I hate DC” lecture…). She says she’s going to call a friend of hers (who’s
sick, BTW), one who knows the area, and if she can get a hold of her, she’ll call me back and they’ll both come to get me.
So I get the call, and they’re coming. “Oh, but I have to get ready, and I don’t know where you are…” etc etc etc (I’m feeling absolutely wretched, somewhere below Bag Lady, but I do love it when people try to make me feel worse. As if I was just walking along, looked at my watch, and said, “Oh darn! Look at the time! Can’t get the train now! Oh well, I can always call Miss X…” Calling was an absolute last resort… why can’t people get
that??)
So she doesn’t know how long it’ll take. I say thanks and hang up. I’m not gonna make them come here any quicker. To myself, I say they’ll be there at 2:45.
I’m really freezing at this point. I read some - Fellowship of the Ring - and sometimes I walked around, trying to keep warm. Trouble was, my feet were in bad shape… I limped a lot. I probably looked homeless!
My friend shows up with her friend at 2:45. I get home around 3:30 AM. I call work and tell them I’m coming in at noon.
So that’s where I was. How was your day?