The Metro Life Cycle

It’s always fun for me to do things for the first time with one of the princesses. Especially things that are ordinary to me. It rarely fails in bringing about some level of appreciation for things that I have not considered, or have become jaded to over time. Like riding the metro.

Princess #1 and #2 have now ridden the metro a number of times to take special trips with mommy, but Princess #3 has been impatiently waiting to be “big enough” for her own journey. (To be clear, she could have ridden the metro at any time, I just wasn’t prepared to handle a toddler and the metro at the same time. Not even the most precious observations are worth that kind of headache.)

This past Sunday it was finally her turn. We met up with some friends to wander the Eastern Market, and it really is simple* to get there via metro. Despite the added travel time of one-track running of Orange/Blue lines, it was a successful adventure for us.

[*Note: by simple I mean there is no changing of trains necessary. This is not to be confused with being either faster or easier than driving.]

Sassy Princess #3 -- ready to spend the morning searching for treasures at the market.

{still sporting her stylish, self-inflicted "cropped" bangs from Mother's Day}

I was struck by how her little 3 yo observations summed up the life cycle of most metro experiences: 

“I want to do the ticket! I like these stairs that are moving!”

“I like this train! I like these orange chairs! I want to sit by the window!”

“This train is moving fast! More people are getting on this train with us!”

“What is that smell? I don’t like it.”

“We keep stopping, can we get off yet? Are we there?”

“This carpet is dirty. I can’t see out my window, I don’t like this tunnel.”

“Are we there yet?”

“I can still smell something. I don’t like it. This train is dirty.”

“Are we there yet?”

“This train is loud. Can I lay down?”

“I want to do the ticket! Why are these stairs not moving? Can you make them move?”

“Can we be done with the train now?”

Ahh, how quickly they learn.

 xoxo -- Enjoy the daily adventures!

Some Gifts Keep on Giving

That's how I'm feeling about the Kindle I finally received for Mother's Day. It has completely changed my commute, because now I am forever armed with great distractions. So far, this is all I can remember about the metro characters from the past few weeks:

{Although perhaps #3's square head could represent the man who was literally yelling to someone on the other end of his cell phone, during a call he placed while on the train, "Sir, I will be forced to sue."}

It's been kinda glorious.

xoxo -- Bookworm

Absence Did Not Make Me Grow Fonder.

{and who really says "fond" these days anyway? kind of an awkward word in my opinion}

April was a pretty glorious month, thanks to "Spring break" and some fabulous vacation time off with my family (and many metro-free days). As I contemplate life in between when my next break from commuting arrives, here's a list of 10 things I definitely did NOT miss about the metro:

1. Delays due to: "a situation at Metro Center" or  "smoke on the track" or "a train off-loading at Foggy Bottom" or "fill in the blank with any numerous and frequently occuring excuses for delays"
2. The stairmaster workout from continuously broken escalators
3. Depressing commuter fashions and inappropriate rain gear
4. Blue/Orange line trains operating on a single track
5. Being subjected to the public's personal hygiene issues
6. Treacherously slippery tiles in the entrance/exit and walkways
7. Nearly always inaccurate signs projecting "next train times"
8. "Customers, be advised, this train is out of service. This train is out.of.service."
9. The annoying woman's courtesy voice on loop repeating, "Excuse me, is that your bag?"
10. The $51/week in total fare charges for the experience of it all.

xoxo Happy Spring!

Disco Metro

Tonight's metro ride was a little trippy... the lights inside the car kept going completely off, and then suddenly fully back on with no real level of predictability. No *exactly* like a strobe light, but it was such a similar effect, I couldn't help thinking... what if I was on the Disco Metro?! Maybe some of you have had the glorious good fortune to ride in a disco cab but no such luck here. I thought for a minute maybe one of these would suddenly appear:

How cool would that have been?! And then we'd all start a big commuting dance party, kind of like this:

{unfortunately nobody was dressed like this on my metro today}

Unfortunately, it was just one more metro malfunction for the day... but it did inspire some disco tunes at dance party when I got home!

xoxo - Get Down Tonight

Spring Fever

So finally the sun came out today, and it's sparked a full-on Spring fever that cannot be stopped. Spring cleaning, planning for Spring break... anything Spring-related and it's on my list this week. Things that I hope are NOT on my list are more rain and bad fashion rain gear on the metro.

One of my favorite things about Spring/Easter time is the Washington Post's annual Peep Show. Someone told me about it before we moved here, and it instantly made me happy about the local news options. It is spectacular, I highly suggest blowing off any Spring productivity by checking out some of the past winners.

And, when @unsuckdcmetro posted their Peeps Preview for 2011 I really couldn't help but feel an extra bit of joy for this year's entries. Because if this one doesn't win, imagine how good the others will be!!

{image of "escalator collapse at peepy bottom" from  UNSUCKDCMETRO.}

And, I also came across the ABA's version of a similar contest -- which isn't as elaborate, and the humor may only be funny to fellow law students/grads -- but peeps are pretty hilarious no matter what the context!

xoxo -- Peepy Springtime!