Little Things
It’s the little things…
I hate Metro! I ride the Washington, DC subway every day – not a long ride, but every day. It is mostly clean, mostly on time, and mostly safe – and I hate it. “Why?” you may ask. Good question… I asked myself the same thing. It’s the little things.
I have been doing the Metro thing for quite a while and I have polished my route down to which doors to use on which trains. I could almost do it in my sleep. And sometimes, having left the house at 4:30AM, I think I do. But there is always a problem.
The elevators and escalators are always breaking down and, in true Murphy fashion, always in the most inconvenient times and places. The signs in the metro are terribly confusing. This wouldn’t be a problem for me except that it confuses the tourists, and a confused tourist is an immobile tourist, and a clan of immobile tourists (they travel in clans) is a traffic jam. The station attendants are always mysteriously absent when the clans are immobile – I think they are behind the brown doors watching us like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” on all the CCTV cameras. The fare machines are generally reliable, but again seem designed to bring the uninitiated to a confused halt. And the Metro-powers-that-be seem to believe that rush-hour, which around here lasts for three or more hours, is the best time to send their armed teams with strong boxes in to remove the day’s take from the machines.
More often than not, I end my 15 minute ride on Metro shaking my head and grumbling my mantra, “I hate Metro! I hate Metro! I hate Metro!” Lesson learned? No mater how good your product is, people will hate you if you don’t get the little things right.
Snugglewuffie
Last night as we were getting ready for bed, Annelise announced that she needed her “Snugglewuffie”. Great… except for one thing. Neither MDW nor I had the faintest clue what a Snugglewuffie was. She said it was downstairs, so MDW went down to see if Caleb could help unravel the mystery.
MDW: “Caleb, ‘Liese wants her Snugglewuffie.”
Caleb: “OK. Which one?”
…
MDW: “What color is a Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: “That depends on which one she wants.”
…
MDW: “Can you help me find her Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: “If you tell me which one you want me to find.”
…!
MDW: finally finding the right question “Caleb, What is a Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: shrugging “A stuffed animal.”
Turns out she wanted her “Duck Snugglewuffie” which we discovered is actually an ostrich beanie baby. After we found it she wandered around the house for a bit… making her ostrich quack. Evidently, according to Gabriella, the term came from a show about a fish. Kids... Gotta love 'em.
Idiots and Maniacs
There is an old saying about other drivers which references their speed. It is true.
Yesterday I was driving to work in the fog – thick fog. I know the road well enough that I was able to keep it close to the speed limit. When I hit a straight section I was surprised by a roaring noise as the USS Nimitz passed me doing 70, in the fog, on a winding downhill road, in the dark, in a dear crossing zone. Maniac! The only thing that will probably keep him alive is the solid steel, 1974 vintage, powder blue Cadillac he was in.
This morning on the same road I got stuck behind a Buick. With 4 middle aged construction workers of Latin origin in it. Going 35 to 40 in a 45 zone where most people travel 55. On a clear, dry morning. Almost made me miss my train. Idiot!
Just for Susie… and the rest of us cheaters
Here is how to make macaroni edible and cheat the fate of the freezer while you do it.
I hate Metro! I ride the Washington, DC subway every day – not a long ride, but every day. It is mostly clean, mostly on time, and mostly safe – and I hate it. “Why?” you may ask. Good question… I asked myself the same thing. It’s the little things.
I have been doing the Metro thing for quite a while and I have polished my route down to which doors to use on which trains. I could almost do it in my sleep. And sometimes, having left the house at 4:30AM, I think I do. But there is always a problem.
The elevators and escalators are always breaking down and, in true Murphy fashion, always in the most inconvenient times and places. The signs in the metro are terribly confusing. This wouldn’t be a problem for me except that it confuses the tourists, and a confused tourist is an immobile tourist, and a clan of immobile tourists (they travel in clans) is a traffic jam. The station attendants are always mysteriously absent when the clans are immobile – I think they are behind the brown doors watching us like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” on all the CCTV cameras. The fare machines are generally reliable, but again seem designed to bring the uninitiated to a confused halt. And the Metro-powers-that-be seem to believe that rush-hour, which around here lasts for three or more hours, is the best time to send their armed teams with strong boxes in to remove the day’s take from the machines.
More often than not, I end my 15 minute ride on Metro shaking my head and grumbling my mantra, “I hate Metro! I hate Metro! I hate Metro!” Lesson learned? No mater how good your product is, people will hate you if you don’t get the little things right.
Snugglewuffie
Last night as we were getting ready for bed, Annelise announced that she needed her “Snugglewuffie”. Great… except for one thing. Neither MDW nor I had the faintest clue what a Snugglewuffie was. She said it was downstairs, so MDW went down to see if Caleb could help unravel the mystery.
MDW: “Caleb, ‘Liese wants her Snugglewuffie.”
Caleb: “OK. Which one?”
…
MDW: “What color is a Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: “That depends on which one she wants.”
…
MDW: “Can you help me find her Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: “If you tell me which one you want me to find.”
…!
MDW: finally finding the right question “Caleb, What is a Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: shrugging “A stuffed animal.”
Turns out she wanted her “Duck Snugglewuffie” which we discovered is actually an ostrich beanie baby. After we found it she wandered around the house for a bit… making her ostrich quack. Evidently, according to Gabriella, the term came from a show about a fish. Kids... Gotta love 'em.
Idiots and Maniacs
There is an old saying about other drivers which references their speed. It is true.
Yesterday I was driving to work in the fog – thick fog. I know the road well enough that I was able to keep it close to the speed limit. When I hit a straight section I was surprised by a roaring noise as the USS Nimitz passed me doing 70, in the fog, on a winding downhill road, in the dark, in a dear crossing zone. Maniac! The only thing that will probably keep him alive is the solid steel, 1974 vintage, powder blue Cadillac he was in.
This morning on the same road I got stuck behind a Buick. With 4 middle aged construction workers of Latin origin in it. Going 35 to 40 in a 45 zone where most people travel 55. On a clear, dry morning. Almost made me miss my train. Idiot!
Just for Susie… and the rest of us cheaters
Here is how to make macaroni edible and cheat the fate of the freezer while you do it.
posted by Odd Mix | 10:49 AM
10 Comments:
Just poppin in. I see you on a lot of blogs I visit. ;)
Thanks for posting the recipe! I feel like a rock star!
I used to live in DC - for a year - and the metro was my only means of transport. I was in the city so I mostly used the metrobus, but to get anywhere distant - of course I used the metro - every other time the train in front of us broke down and we'd be stuck. My train broke down once and we actually had to get out and wait for another.
You are right - it's SAFE! and CLEAN! but still...annoying.
*Gush* Snugglewuffie... I love kid language. It's cute when you don't have to decode it. When you do it's like trying to disarm a bomb in 13 seconds. Have a great weekend!
Snugglewuffie -- I love it! LOL!
"This morning on the same road I got stuck behind a Buick. With 4 middle aged construction workers of Latin origin in it. Going 35 to 40 in a 45 zone where most people travel 55. On a clear, dry morning. Almost made me miss my train. Idiot!"
LOL - OddMix, I live in So Cal and get stuck behind "construction workers of Latin origin" ALL THE TIME! I feel your pain!
Thank you for responding on Tree's blog. I was the one with the question about the type of doctor that helped your wife with her endometriosis. You have no idea the relief your post gave me! I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but it is comforting to know that others understand what I'm going through...I am currently struggling with finding the "right" doctor. They all seem clueless about endo....it is very disheartening. I would like to get a "cure" or relief w/o having a hysterectomy as my husband and I do not have children (yet)...all the medications out there seem to have terrible side effects, however. Thank you again for bringing up this infrequently discussed topic!!
Btw, my best friend just moved to Virginia this month and also works in D.C. She hasn't tried the metro yet, but she is having terrible troubles with the D.C. parking!
I am one of those tourists on the metro and I love it.
I love the Snugglewuffie story!
ha! tho i do love toronto's transit system i'm glad that i don't have to rely on it to get to work in the mornings. ah publick transit.
i get just as annoyed with tourists when walking home. they're all out shopping and clustering as i walk home and i get all ragey.
I go through that stuffed animal chase 3 times a week.
1. Idiot Drivers-my #1 pet peeve!
2. Snugglewuffie-love it! And isn't it great how brothers and sisters are sometimes the only ones who understand their siblings language?
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