Brightwood Lights

Gravel Road, Part 2

Well, the road was finally paved. Our theory became that they were trying to raise the revenues to finish paving it by posting ever-changing “No Parking” signs and then enforcing them fiercely but sporadically. We came home late one evening to see a new “No Parking” sign, going into effect at 8 AM the following morning. Since Caleb often leaves the house shortly after 8 on days that I work, he figured he’d just leave with Simona at his usual time. At about 8:02, however, a neighbor sent her daughter over to warn Caleb that they were ticketing and towing. Caleb ran out the door with no shoes on, leaving the six year old neighbor to watch Simona while he moved the car.

All that, and still no paved road at the end of the day. But boy, did the DC government make a pretty penny off the ticketed and towed cars!

We left for Thanksgiving on Tuesday, November 20, relieved to be driving to Georgia, since flying would have meant finding somewhere else to leave the car for five days. We spent a good bit of time during the drive debating whether or not the street would be repaved upon our return. We agreed to go with “probably not.” (We also spent much of that time in equally stimulating conversation, playing “Name That Team!” in which Caleb named random college sports conferences no one’s ever heard of, like the Big Sky Conference, and I got to guess the teams that belong. I know- how much more fun can one have on a 10.5 hour car trip?!)

Anyway, Thanksgiving itself was quite a lot of fun. And, upon our return, we were stunned to find a smooth, nicely paved road. Until we got about two-thirds of the way down the block, only to find that one side of the last third of the street was STILL not paved. How they managed to NOT finish that section I cannot explain. Out came one more round of “No Parking” signs, and, on Monday, November 26 (more than one month after our one-block section of this road was first touched), our street officially went from being likely the worst in the District to being likely the best. Come on by for a visit to check it out yourself!

[And I will be posting new pictures of November and early December soon- I promise!]

Gravel Road

Back in mid-October, it seems the DC Department of Transportation decided to re-do our road. This was much needed, as I’d often told friends that the condition of our road likely resembled many a war-torn area. After a week straight of not being allowed to park our cars on our street, we were blessed with. . . a gravel road. The process of un-paving our street has been complete for several weeks, and we are hopeful that we’ll have a fancy new blacktop surface soon. In the meantime, I figure everyone loves a good Top Ten, so I thought I’d share my ten favorite things about living on a gravel road:

1. It’s easy to give directions. “. . . north on 7th, then take the first gravel road on your right.” Can’t miss it.

2. Gravel has done wonders to slow down the speeders on our street.

3. This experience has made me admire the efficiency of the Georgia DOT.

4. Parking is easier to find, as gravel deters those non-residents who’d been choosing to park on our street.

5. Though it’s not quite a dirt road, there’s still something quaint about living on an unpaved road.

6. The dust covering our block’s cars has increased business at car washes on Georgia Avenue, which in turn strengthens the local economy.

7. It deters crime, as getaway cars can’t make such a smooth escape anymore.

8. It helps distinguish our street from similar small one-ways around it.

9. Who else in DC can say they live on a gravel road?

10. And last but not least, living on a gravel road helps me appreciate relative smooth condition of the pot-holed, metal-plate-covered streets throughout the District.

June Updates

Over the past few years, many of you have implored me to “contact my congressman/senator” about a bill near and dear to your heart.  That may have been a humanitarian crisis, a business issue, or some other noble cause.  Whether or not I agree with your bill is moot, because as a resident of “the District,” I have no Senator or Congressman to contact.  None.  Instead, I can lobby in unique ways like donning full body paint and running laps around the Capitol, which may not be a form of expression available to you.  So it’s fair, right?  We both have a “voice” in Congress, don’t we?

Umm, not exactly.  Though we don’t usually use this blog as a political forum, it’s our turn to ask YOU to do what we cannot do for ourselves.  Contact that congressman/senator you assume all Americans have and remind them that your friends here in DC lack the “representation” that is generally assumed in a “representative democracy.”  If you are so inclined or would like more information on the issue, click here.

Thanks for indulging me.  Now, if you’re still with me, you can go to the photos page and click on the various “tags” at the bottom to see updated pictures.  Specifically, click on “house” to see updates of the windows, “Simona” to see her latest adventures, or “June” to see what we’ve been up to this month.