DC highlights (and lowlights ;) )... A fun meme

A freind of mine had this in her Blog and they are so true and funny that I had to copy it from her. (thanks Holly and her blog http://stitchesoflife.blogspot.com)

You know you're from Washington DC when...

You say you're from DC, but you actually live in VA or MD but are too tired to explain where.

You don't consider exploding man hole covers to be an unusual occurrence.

You know where the Pentagon really is but never bother to correct anyone about its location.

When it takes you 45 minutes to drive 3 miles on I-66, 95, 395, 495, 50, 123, 29, or 270, it's a pretty good day.

There are at least fifteen ways to get everywhere and you know which way to go based on the weather, time of day, current political climate, terrorism road closures, and whether you are coming or going.

You pay more money in parking tickets in a year than you do in medical bills, college costs and rent combined.

You know that driving through Georgetown, you will hear the music of the car next to you louder than you can hear your own.

"I got stuck behind a motorcade" is a common and real excuse for being late.

"Finding a parking space" actually becomes an appointment on your calendar. (E.g.. 7:00-8:00 Gym, 8:30-9:00PM - find a parking space, 9:00-10:30PM - Dinner reservations.)

You've never once been to Wal-Mart and don't even know if there is one.

When you say you're going to the mall and you don't mean shopping.

You never refer to the 'Metro' as the 'subway'.

You elbow tourists out of the way on the Metro escalators to "gently" remind them to WALK LEFT, STAND RIGHT.

Going to work early means being there by 9:00AM.

You don't bat an eye at 500 politicians and businessmen in suits running like their lives depended on it just to catch a Metro that will be followed by another in 90 seconds.

You call it Targét, not Target, and are well aware that the one in Alexandria is just a "tad different".

When Washington National Airport is and will always be "WASHINGTON NATIONAL" or just NATIONAL, not "Reagan National".

You can tell by people's cars where they live and maybe even what neighborhood.

You've claimed that there's nothing to do on a weekend night even when you have the entire nation's capitol to explore.

You have the Metro map memorized, yet act like you don't know when someone asks you how to get to Metro Center.

You meet someone else who says they're from the DC area and you realize they live two hours away from you.

You notice that there's been construction on the same stretch of highway for the past 5 years and you've never see anyone working on it.

You know you've crossed into Northern Virginia, without ever seeing a sign, only because your speedometer goes from 60 to 0.

You know that Vietnam is no longer in the South Pacific, it's now been re-located to Seven Corners.

The few times you have gotten lost in DC you have somehow ALWAYS ended up in Anacostia and every road out somehow leads back to Anacostia.

You realize that I-395 is Northern Virginia's version of NASCAR.

There is no such thing as North, South, East, or West on the beltway, it's just go "that" way!(Inner circle/outer circle)

You go anywhere on the Eastern Shore, Rehoboth, Dewey, Ocean City, Skyline Drive, or the Outer Banks for vacation and everyone you meet is from DC.

You don't find it unusual for the city (and the government) to shut down when 1 inch of snow falls.

When you refer to "the government" you mean the federal government.

You can see the national cathedral from almost anywhere.

You know at least 2 rowers.

You know that Georgetown is NOT only a school.

You consider Northern VA to be in no way similar to southern VA.

You know which bridges to cross to get to Maryland or VA.

You actually know what goes on in Dupont circle.

You can't go to Tysons Mall without seeing someone you know!!

You have a few friends who don't know what their parents do...It's Top Secret government work.

People don't ask you if Chevy Chase is named after the actor.

You can harmonize perfectly with the alert for "Doors Closing" on the Metro.

50% of your senior class went to Mason, JMU, Tech, VCU or UVA.

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from DC.

A ramble or two

Firstly, let me say I will be making a mass or 2 update posts soon. There just hasn't been time or inclination yet, but I think I will see it coming down the pike shortly.

I just finished watching a movie that I was highly impressed with seeing. In fact, because it was cable, I caught it all the way on the East Coast feed and watched the tail end of it again on the West Coast feed. Those of you with kids, it is certainly worth it to see, but there was a quote in it that struck me that even us as adults could carry away from it. The movie is Akeelah and the Bee. The scene is relatively early in the movie where Akeelah is over with Dr. Larabee at his house, the second time and he has started to work with her for the Scripps spelling bee levels. The Dr. (played by Laurence Fishburne) asks Akeelah(played by Keke Palmer) to go over to a wall to read a quote that he has framed on the wall.....
I'm taking the quote level from IMDB.com ( a great reference site for TV and movie stuff)

Akeelah: [quoting Marianne Williamson] Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
Dr. Larabee: Does that mean anything to you?
Akeelah: I don't know.
Dr. Larabee: It's written in plain English. What does it mean?
Akeelah: That I'm not supposed to be afraid?
Dr. Larabee: Afraid of what?
Akeelah: Afraid of... me?

That quote really hit me because of the way things are in my life at times, the self-doubt and such play so heavily and make it hard to see just how powerful I can be. We as individuals can be a formibile fighting force when we have our minds set and focused on our goals. In a respect, it makes me think of another important saying ; that at times the only person who can stop ourselves from being the best people we can be, are ourselves. Hopefully my light shines through more often than not so that your light will grow too!!! Hopefully you can take something from this and apply it to your own life on a constant basis.

Until later and Happy Labor Day!!!!