STRESS MANAGEMENT
Motorists had a lot on their plate this weekend in the wake of the massive thunderstorm that hit the area. Many found themselves searching for hours for a gas station that still had electricity — and was thus able to pump fuel.
Drivers pulled in to an Exxon on MacArthur Boulevard only to shake their heads ruefully and drive off when they found it had no power. Many said they were running on empty and had been coasting from gas station to gas station in hopes of finding one that was open.
One man, though, wasn’t letting the stress get to him. Parked in front of a pump, contentedly reading his Kindle in blazing-hot temperatures, he said he couldn’t drive any further and had simply called AAA. He even offered to let a fellow stranded motorist share his gas once it arrived.
COOLING CENTER
A Potomac woman taking a lunch break from her federal government job was relaxing in Pershing Park recently when she saw something a little out of the ordinary.
Now, mind you, it was a hot day — and there were cooling centers open in the city. But someone else had a better idea.
As the woman ate, she watched as a homeless man strolled over to the shallow, algae-tinged reflecting pool. He paused at the edge, taking off his shirt.
Then, just as if he were standing before a bathtub, he strolled into the shin-high water and sat down.
A little unorthodox, maybe. And probably illegal. But cooling nonetheless.
YOUNG NETWORKER
My, how early the Washington wheeling and dealing begins.
A blond toddler in blue suede Mary Janes on the Orange Line on Thursday night was handing out business cards from a small bag to her mother and father seated on either side of her. One for you, and one for you.
After she finished the stack, the young networker took them back and started again.
HEALTH CARE LOUD AND CLEAR
As an Alexandria woman was waiting for a bus on the day the Supreme Court handed down its ruling on health care reform, one man was determined to make sure every passenger knew about it.
“This health care stuff is everywhere. It’s everywhere,” the man said loudly. No one responded.
“I mean, it’s all over the place,” the man continued in a loud voice. “Did you hear what happened?”
People kept tinkering with their phones, some of them looking at Twitter and hearing plenty about the divided court’s opinion.
The bus arrived. The woman said it was a rare, fleeting moment of the Metro gods showing mercy.
DIRTY BUSINESS
While waiting for a train at Metro’s Medical Center station a man noticed the temperature dropped near one of the columns bearing the station’s name — a sweet breeze was issuing from the top of the pillar. Curious to see if he could gauge the velocity of the cool stream of air, the man raised his hand, brushing the column along its vented top. His hand came back coated in black, greasy soot. Turns out there are lots of ways to get your hands dirty in D.C.
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