Ahsirt meets Murphy...

On Sunday night, I proudly announced to everyone that this was my last week in DC and nothing could hurt me now. Then Monday morning at 6:30 I met Murphy...the inventor of Murphy's Law. You may know him. I was sleeping nicely for once on the train when I was startled awake by the conductor. We were parked on the tracks just past the Point of Rocks stop. Apparently the carnival was coming to town and was blocking the tracks heading to DC. From Point of Rocks to Rockville there was one track. Mind you there were about 20 trains coming and going from DC Monday morning. Passenger and freight lines share the tracks. So we sat in Point of Rocks until 7:30. This means I got to Union Station at 8:30. I usually get there at 7:30. You can see where this is going. I was 45 minutes late for work. When I got to work I realized that my shirt was ripped. The sleeve was ripped from my elbow to my shoulder. I looked like a street walker. Thank God I had my ID badge for WHC, otherwise the cop who stands outside probably would've mistaken me for a hooker. For lunch I selected a personal pizza from the cafeteria - only to get to back to the dungeon to realize it was cheeze bread. When I finally got to go home, things went from bad to worse. I get underground at the Brookland/CUA Metro station and the power goes out. I'm stuck underground in DC in the dark. I was a little freaked - but more freaked that I might miss my train. The security guard pushed open the turnstiles and let us all enter the station. I boarded the train and went to Union - where the turnstile would not accept my ticket because I had never swiped it in Brookland. I explained my plight to the station manager who looked at me with a "yea freaking right" look. Apparently he was as tired as me, because he didn't argue, he just opened the gate and let me go. I reached Gate A to find out that CSX had placed heat restrictions on all MARC trains. Apparently when the mercury tops 90, the rails expand and deform. Therefore trains must travel at 20% speed through some areas and only 1 train can leave the station at a time. GREAT! To add insult to injury, Union Station lost power at 4:30 thus halting all rail travel to and from the great city of DC. My 4:55 train departed the station at 5:55. It was 8 before I stepped of the train in my hometown. Thanks Murphy!

Side note - today my preceptor let me leave WHC at 2:30. I promptly caught the 3:35 train to Brunswick where I had a ride waiting to bring me back to wild, wonderful WV. I was sitting in my air conditioned house at 5:30. That sure was nice. :) C'mon Friday!!!