Random Reader Rant and/or Revel

by Prince Of Petworth January 26, 2012 at 10:00 am 75 Comments

Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may have. But please no personal attacks. I’ll open this thread every morning at 10am.

Rant: From MPD this morning, “Pedestrian struck 10th Street & Spring Road NW. Crossing Guard struck by Vehicle. Minor injuries”

17thSter

What happened this morning on P St between 17th and 18th? There were firetrucks there since early morning.
- Britt
  
  I was wondering about this too! I hope everyone is ok!!
- princeofpetworth
  
  “1700 blk of P St NW Closed due to Fire Equipment on scene of Carbon Monoxide exposure. use Q St, P St, 16th St or New Hampshire Ave as alt.”
Ronald

Rant: The Red Line. The people who manage the Red Line. The people who work on and drive trains on the Red Line. The smell of pee in the Dupont station on the Red Line. The smell of fish on the train brakes on the Red Line. The inane choice to stope Shady Grove trains at the far end of the Gallery Place platform on the Red Line. The broken escalators on the Red Line. The lack of customer service on the Red Line. Paying their pensions in return for that crap service on the Red Line, and not paying for repairs on the Red Line. Never-ending construction at Farragut North and Union Station on the Red Line. Pedestrian-hating crosswalks outside White Flint on the Red Line. Hour-long back-ups at Park-and-Ride exits because of broken fare machines on the Red Line. Oh how I hate the Red Line.
- Anon3
  
  Priceless. I’m sorry to find humor in your misery but it did make me laugh. :)
- anonymous
  
  ha. Yep, the Red Line is exactly why I avoided going to grad school at American. Do I have regrets? Absolutely not.
Britt

Rant: Nearly hit by a car taking a left while I was passing through the intersection on my bike (I had a green and the right of way). Thank god for good brakes on my bike. I heartily apologize to anyone who started out their morning near Dupont Circle as I yelled some serious profanities at the driver.
Rave: Crossing guard at New Hampshire Ave and R Street NW- he makes my morning with his greetings and cheer.
- Britt
  
  Oh and Rant #2: Won’t be in town when the Boss comes to DC. AND I had just convinced my husband after many years that a Bruce concert is MUST-SEE. Bummer. Enjoy the heck out of his concert DC-ites, I’ll be missing it!
- Former Lawyer
  
  I second your rave about the crossing guard. He’s a great guy.
- Anonymous
  
  Yeah, I love that guy. We should remember this and get him a collective birthday/holiday gift some time from the community. Makes me feel good about humanity when he greets me in the morning.
  - Britt
    
    What a great idea! I would definitely be all for this. We could even just do it now or do an “end of the school year” gift. What do you think? What could we get him?
  - onemore8
    
    I am short on gift ideas, but yeah, that dude is a breath of fresh air on the walk to work each morning.
Meg

Rant: Forgot my cell phone and had to drive back home to get it.

Rave: Because of that detour, we missed the huge accident on 95 and were able to hop on the ICC and get to work on time. Plus I noticed a commuter bus to DC that picks up across the street from my house and, upon further investigation, drops off three blocks from where I work. Such an advantageous mistake!

Rant / Rave: Anthony Bourdain’s new show “The Layover” makes me want to visit everywhere we goes. Except for maybe Amsterdam. For some reason that place didn’t seem all that appealing, but I’m sure it is.
- me
  
  You know, many people just put too much importance on the drug and red light district thing. It really is a nice place to visit and walk around. Great museums and really nice people. Plus, their canals aren’t nearly as smelly as you would imagine, if you’ve been to Venice and know what that sewer smells like. (Though, IMHO, Antwerp beats Amsterdam by about a million.)
  - Meg
    
    The one thing I like about his shows is that he refuses to do anything remotely “touristy,” which includes any well-known museums, locations, or heavily baiting with the drug culture / red light district. Even then, I don’t know. It didn’t seem as exciting as the other places he went to (Hong Kong, Singapore, even San Francisco looked cool).
- mabdc
  
  I like the show as well but I did not want to visit London after that episode for some reason!
- Anonymous
  
  Are you a reverse commuter or do you live out that way and commute to DC? Probably makes you a rarity in PoPville.
  - Meg
    
    Former resident, work in DC. I’ve actually discovered more of DC now that I don’t live in it.
  - Anonymous
    
    You must be new here.
    - Anonymous
      
      I’m the anon that asked the question and I am on the site quite a bit over the past couple of yesrs. I just must have missed this fact. I kind of assume everyone on here lives in DC but I guess I shouldn’t. PoPville stretches far and wide.
pabloraw

Rave: Again, one of my photos was chosen to be part of the DCist Exposed Photography Show

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benavente/6682547577/in/photostream
- Britt
  
  Congratulations!! Thank you for sharing with us- any chance of getting prints of some of your pictures? They’re so beautiful- do you ever sell any of them?
  - pabloraw
    
    Thank you! please e-mail me raw(dot)pablo(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll give you the information.
  - horseshoe
    
    Really beautiful, Pablo, congratulations! +1 on the question re: pics for sale.
    - pabloraw
      
      Thanks! I am in the process of updating my website www(dot)pablorawphoto(dot)com but you can take a look there. It will be ready in a week or so.
- mabdc
  
  Congratulations Pablo!
  - pabloraw
    
    Thanks! I’m hoping for good weather for our moonrise photo in February!
- b4life
  
  Congratulations and nice shot! I checked out some of your other photos and they are great! Wow
- shaybee
  
  whoa, that photo is awesome! congratulations!
claire

Rave: Only working half days today and tomorrow.
Rave: Going to spend my afternoons doing cooking prepwork for a party I’m hosting on Saturday. I’m currently very optimistic about getting done everything I want to (10 dishes total, mostly small plate kind of things), having everything be delicious, and not being too busy during the actual party. Fingers crossed…
Anonymous

Rant: Instead of calling a trapper or a professional to deal with an animal in their crawlspace area, our neighbors set out an insane amount of mothballs. The toxic fumes had permeated and overwhelmed our whole house by midnight last night. Even sleeping with the windows open (which was freezing), it was almost unbearable and caused headaches, burning eyes, nausea, and other symptoms you might expect from inhaling toxic vapors. I am not exaggerating when I say it was enough to make you vomit. The odor has already seeped into all of our clothing hanging in the closet as well as our coats in the vestibule and who knows what else. We’ve already demanded that they remove the mothballs, and we’ve left some (inaccessible) windows open before leaving for work with the hope of airing it out and are considering staying in hotel tonight. Does anyone have any suggestions for where to go from here?
- pabloraw
  
  How about leaving the bathroom fan running with the door open to help air circulation?
- Anonymous
  
  Get a bag of charcoal. It will absorb odor.
  - 13thnearu
    
    They fill their attic with moth balls YOU fill your attic with charcoal!
    
    HAHA
    - andy
      
      they pull a knife, you pull a gun.
- Anonymous
  
  Good ideas! Thanks.
- 17thSter
  
  Ground coffee also absorbs odor.
Otis Gal

Rant: I’ve got nothing to complain about
Rave: Boss called in sick which meant I had time to stop for coffee on my way to work! Yeah Big Bear!
Anonymous

Rant: Red line, obviously.
Rant: People who wear backpacks but don’t realize they have a BAG strapped to their body. You need an extra 8 inches of clearance back there! Stop moving around and hitting people in the face!
Rant: This week is moving as slow as possible.
Rant: Waiting on job news for my husband…He wants the job so bad, and they estimated a decision mid-January. Yesterday they said they still haven’t decided and maybe they’ll have something next week. Hurry up!!!
Rant: Living in the suburbs.
Rave: Looking for a place to buy in the city! FINALLY!!!!
- Tall backpacker
  
  Sorry bout that…
b4life

Rant: Park Mobile and paying to park in DC. Add to that, the wicked parking enforcement agents. As I’m getting OUT the car, he’s already eyeing my car ready to pounce. I’m convinced, my car is on a most wanted list in their system. I refuse to give this DC racket anymore money from fines!!

Rave: It’s Thursday and I’m alive and well!!
- Anonymous Coward
  
  how long do they have to give you before they can ticket you? It seems ridiculous that they could ticket you before you had a chance to walk to those new pay meters where you get a receipt and/or call the phone number to pay.
LilMomma

Rant: New parking initiative that Ward 1 is trying to implement in U Street Corridor. Ridiculious. Go live in the burbs if you want a guaranteed spot. Also, if you drive home at 9 pm, you live in a city…it is reasonable that you. will not. get. a. spot.

Rave: Taylor Deli Sandwiches. Ability to order online and then pick up. Love.
- Matt
  
  You’re right, instead they should just brethalize everyone that gets into the drivers seat of a car between S and W/9th and 18th after 10 PM on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Same effect.
msmaryedith

Rave: Today is my Friday!
Rant: Maryland drivers
Rave: Beach this weekend
Rant: Feeling directionless when it comes to career changes. It’s a bad time to try to transition into something with which I have no experience. Has anyone got a recommendation for a really good recruiter? Or maybe a career counselor? (although the latter would have to be very inexpensive for me to be able to consider it)
horseshoe

Rave: It’s almost Friday and this makes me happy.
Rant: Feeling old because I wait around for Friday to get here.
Rave: Who cares – it’s almost Friday!
mabdc

Rant: I don’t sleep. I stay awake until about 3 every night even though the alarm clock will still be going off at 6:30 every morning. How long can I keep this up? I’m not doing anything important until 3. I’ll just read, online shop for things i’ll never actually buy, work out, sweep the floor and then before I know it the clock is telling me it’s 1, 2, 3 in the morning. I need to get out of this cycle!
- mabdc
  
  Rave: finding pictures of my dad in his 20’s when he was a helicopter pilot offshore. It’s hard to imagine my parents young!
- Kam
  
  Working out before going to sleep keeps you awake. Try not to work out before you sleep, give yourself some time to relax, read a book, close your eyes, breathe deep.
  
  Good luck.
  - mabdc
    
    Yea..I know working out is bad late at night but I work 9-5 and attend grad school 5-8 every night, and then you’ve got homework, and then dinner..and before I know it..it’s 11 o’clock at least. I should probably wake up early and do it rather than stay up late and do it but it’s just easier said than done. Eventually!
bear425

Rave: Interesting potential job opportunity just came my way. It’s a little out of my area of expertise but with a good organization and a potentially very nice pay increase. Hmmm…

Rave: It’s a good feeling to know that my hard work over the last several years has paid off in terms of other people noticing it, even if my current employer has its head in the sand.
- Britt
  
  Best of luck, Bear, in your decision making!! You know what’s best for you.
quotiazelda

Rant: Freaking Red Line.

Rant: Waiting for a call to schedule surgery for my daughter. It’s minor, but the kid is a little freaked.

Rave: I think I’ve worked it out so I can fulfill my work obligations AND take our customary summer trip to visit the in-laws. It will be tight but doable.

Rave: Lunch with a big group of friends today.
hiphopanonymous

Rave: Took the Red line but didn’t get stuck in the madness!
Rave1: One of my fav bands, Needtobreathe, will be at the 9:30 Club in April – going to buy a ticket to night!
Rave2: Took a stroll through Georgetown yesterday while on a work errand and really began to enjoy and appreciate the neighborhood (the residential part, that is).

Rant: My a**h***e of a roommate gets back from Arizona tonight. Ugh.
Rant1: I’m already bored and its only 11:16.
anonnnnn

rant: this busy week feels like it’s never going to end.

rave: PAYDAY

rave: feeling a lot more energy lately. maybe since i’m not smoking?

rant: still cravvvvvvvinnnng smoking.

rave: taking photos every day as part of my 365 project. really pushing the creativity, and loving every minute.

rant/rave: single, yet again. might just be meant to be this way forever?
- TG
  
  Keep up the non-smoking. So great for you. Not preaching, former smoker myself – 8 years of not smoking and counting.
- mal
  
  ooh good luck! I quit 2 years ago after smoking a pack a day for 8 years – I am now addicted to the Nicorette lozenges, but I rationalize it’s better than smoking. still trying to quit those :/
jindc

Rant: A 29 year old, physically fit, man with two children should not die of cancer. He was living with the pain while serving in Afghanistan – that is a true warrior. I hope that his family finds laughter and joy in their memories as well as comfort knowing that our Family will aways be there for them.

Rave: reminders of how prescious life are. Just wish they would come in less painful ways, is possible.
- Anonymous
  
  Sorry for your loss. I am a cancer survivor and I have to say that for me it was almost a gift because I find life so sweet now. Cancer is just such a terrible disease that impacts far too many. It should be a national priority to erradicate this disease.
  - Anonymous
    
    cancer. jesus.
    
    there needs to be TONS more awareness of all the things our gov’t and corporations do that causes cancer.
christanel

Rave: Coffee meet&greet with a company I would love to work for
Rant: Minor case of food poisoning
anon

rant: lack of focus at work. i’ve been this way for the last several weeks. cannot concentrate or motivate. frustrating since i have so much to do. i know, i should probably close pop in my browser….but that’s my lack of motivation. ugh.
- Anonymous
  
  I feel you. I’ve been like that on and off for months now. So burnt out!
  
  Knowing all the usual tools of taking breaks, rewarding yourself with internet time, list-making, etc. etc. isn’t helping me one bit.
mc

Rant: Car struggled to start this morning so I popped the hood to find that the wires connected to the engine had been completely chewed through. thank you alley rats…I will now train my dog to be a rat killer.

Rave: Excuse to work from home today…

Major Rave: Just got a call for with my job offer!! Same company I currently work for but a much better position with increased responsibilities. Really excited to start the new role!
- allison
  
  That car chewing issue happened to me recently as well! Transmission (on a very new car) started shifting randomly all of a sudden and it’s because the wire between the speed sensor and the transmission was completely gnawed through. Now everytime we drive over one of the many huge potholes or temporary steel road covers in this city my husband and I say “oh well, at least that’ll shake the rats out!”
- giantsquid
  
  Ikea sells stuffed rats (like for kids). At $3 each, I buy multiples and let my dogs train- I mean play with them. They hold up pretty well.
soozles

Rave: radiator heat! The refurbished radiators are putting out wonderful heat, and my house is comfy at last.

Rant: one of the radiators had a leak, so I have to do a lot of work on a replacement so it can be installed.
- ew
  
  And they are seriously beautiful
  - soozles
    
    Thanks. I’m a happy girl!
  - djdc
    
    Agree. I am glad they are (mostly) working and, indeed, they are beautiful. I’d love to do the same with mine but I am too lazy/scared/uninformed. Even the knobs are painted stuck.
    - saf
      
      It is time-consuming, but not hard. You could totally do it.
saf

Oh no. That crossing guard is always so nice. I’m glad it’s only minor injuries, but I wish she hadn’t been injured!
Amber

What the heck? A woman was raped at gun point in Eckington on Q St. A very residential area with lots of foot traffic and cars. I’m new to Truxton Circle/Eckington and extreamly alarmed by this. Do any neighbors have some input as to if this is common or a rareity? Is there some kind of neighborhood watch group or safety program I could get involved with. So far, I love the area and do not want this kind of threat for myself or other women who live here.
victoria

Comcast just sent me an email offer that if I pay them $20.00 extra a month they will try to address all the problems that come from their crappy service. WTF???
margaret

Rant: Why is it so hard for people to realize when a relationship is over?

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