Monday, April 6, 2009

The Cherry Blossom Debacle

We decided we could and would do it.  When Saturday showed that Sunday's forecast was for perfect (sunny with temps in the low 70s), we thought, "Hey, we get up at 6 a.m.  Why don't we go as soon as Rhett wakes us up and for sure we'll get a parking space close to the trees?  Who else would be at the Tidal Basin at 7 a.m. on a Sunday?"  Great plan, right?!  Wrong.

Problem # 1.  Rhett let us sleep in until 6:30 a.m.  (Yes, you lucky childless folk, 6:30 a.m. is sleeping in.)  This was great except that we had planned to be long gone by this time.  Remember
Home Alone where they are frantically trying to leave the house?  Yep, that was us.  We were out of the house at 6:45 a.m.

Problem # 2.  We decided to take the GW Parkway to Memorial Bridge.  We got there at 7:31 a.m., one minute after the bridge was closed.  One minute.  And this was really closed, not just kinda closed. I'm talking barricades and police. Why? Oh yeah, this small race called the "Cherry Blossom 10-miler."

Problem # 3.  This race is actually one of the largest running races in the country.  In fact, yesterday they had a record 14,000+ runners finish (finish, not just start) the race.  So not only was our bridge closed, but once we figured out how to get into the city (man, I hate driving in Virginia!), it was packed.  All those runners had to be parked somewhere, and they were right where we wanted to be.  We couldn't even get out of the car.  (Chuck's mom was with us and considering the pain she's in, we couldn't park close enough for her.  But that's okay.)

Once we decided to abandon seeing Tidal Basin blossoms, we thought we'd take a drive through the Kenwood subdivision in Maryland where the blossoms are stunning.  So we at least got pretty close to some.

So how were these pictures taken if we never left the car?  We walked seven houses down from ours and snapped them.  Maybe we should have done that in the first place.  But the really good news was that we got to eat Monkey Bread when we came home.  Omy.  Soooo good.


Anyone notice my squished left eye?  Isn't it weird?  I don't think I have palsy.

4 comments:

  1. i've always wanted to ask about your lazy eye but didn't want to be rude. ha! fun pics...rhett is loosing the "baby look" and is growing so fast.

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  2. ha, angie, did you know that erin really did have lazy eye has a child? :) maybe you did know?

    the pics are great - sorry the day wasn't. but at least you tried and know you'll go into next time better prepared. (didn't you run that race last year or the year before or something?)

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  3. wow, i just enlarged your photos and that boy of yours is absolutely beautiful.

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  4. i had no idea, i was being sarcastic as i don't have any siblings around to torment anymore and my husband just ignores me. i would never have guessed. forgive me erin, you know i love you.

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