Things that annoy me

Have I ever told you about Ben’s “bitch list?” Back in my undergraduate years, personal webpages were pretty popular and Ben made one to list his general grievances of the world at large. He listed really annoying things such as the speedbumps in his Bethesda neighborhood. They really tend to slow you down from that 90mph you’re trying to achieve.

Well, I have a few problems lately here in DC and I always find that it’s better to get them out than to keep them in. “Better out than in,” I was told recently.

So, without further ado, here is my very own, miniaturized “bitch list:”
○ DC cab drivers. Hands down, no contest, DC cab drivers are the most likely thing to give me a raging ulcer.
○ General DC attitudes. The veneer of politeness that just barely conceals the utter loathing the general DC public has for you is a load of crap. At least in NYC, if a random person on the street doesn’t like you or something you’ve done, they let you know in no uncertain terms. You always know where you stand. In DC, it’s a completely different political landscape.
○ DC food. What is with this place? Everyone keeps telling me that DC has a fine tradition of a wonderful variety of dining experiences. Yet I haven’t been to more than one place (Marcel’s; and we can’t go that often because they charge an arm and a leg and your firstborn for a meal) that makes me want to come back on a regular basis. Most of the restaurants here are more focused on the environment instead of the food (which clearly should always be the top priority). At least in Philly, there were a lot of quality options that didn’t break the bank. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked about the food trucks, or the Royal, or Sabrina’s, or Monk’s… Dammit, where has all the good food in DC gone? (Of course, if you have suggestions, I’m all ears…)

Now that I sound like I hate living in the District, I should probably point out some of the really cool things about the city:
○ The amount of green space. I love the fact that we have a huge park slam-bang in the middle of the city. And I like it much more than Central Park in NYC because there are far fewer people in it; it feels more like nature.
○ My condo. More importantly, my condo’s parking space. This is the equivalent of having my old NYPD parking permit in NYC. It just kicks ass!
○ The museums. Granted, I hardly ever go to museums because I have this (teeny, tiny) problem of becoming extremely bored when forced to appreciate art or history as a totally passive bystander – BUT, just knowing they are there at my disposal makes me a happy chica. And one of these days, I will see one of ‘em.
○ The National Zoo. Yeah, they haven’t always had a stellar reputation for their animal care, but they are working on it. And I love the animals. And the fact that it’s free. In fact, that applies to the museums as well. You can spend a lot of time in this city, reaping the awards of culture and not spending a dime. (Even Kennedy Center performances are free – they have daily live shows in one of the halls that are absolutely free.)
○ My friends. In fact, to make me sublimely happy, the few of you who are not here at this very second merely have to move. (Yeah, that means you.)
○ The Metro. I’m not going to lie – it could be a LOT better. But it does a tap dance on the dead corpse that is LA’s public transportation system and is the cleanest system I have ever seen in a major metropolitan area. And, unlike London’s tube system, DC’s Metro has air conditioning in the summertime. What a novel concept.
○ Dr. Rhea (now Elliott). She is the coolest vet EVER. I was just at the Dupont Vet Clinic yesterday so I may still be basking in the glow that is coming from the fact that Pookie’s urine is now completely crystal-free.
○ Furry children. The fact that this is where I got my kids should also be part of this “pro” list. Grace came to us through the hard work of HART and Pookie was originally fostered through the Feline Foundation.