Livin' On a Prayer

Well, I've officially been welcomed to D.C., and I almost died in the process. Sure, call me a drama queen, but I'm going to call it "livin' on a prayer".
Everything was normal when I walked out of the office at five o' clock yesterday, minus the previous monsoon that I thought had quickly swept through the District. Boy was I wrong. All I wanted was to get home, change my clothes, make dinner, eat (of course), and go work out. Instead, I was informed that the Metro would be stopping ONE stop short of my destination due to a power outage. Therefore, EVERYONE on the Metro would have to exit, catch a shuttle that would take us to the next Metro stop, and continue on to the desired destination. Everyone quickly exited the Metro hoping to run and catch the shuttle and get home. Boy were we all wrong in thinking that would happen too. Thousands of people were crammed into the Metro station trying to catch a shuttle so that our work day could finally end. One problem, for the first twenty minutes there was only one shuttle bus, and it only carried 12 or so passengers. I was now standing with a thousand + angry people who were pushing and shoving to be the next to the bus. Our cell phones didn't work, it was pouring rain, and we all wanted to be home. In the back of my mind I thought my life was going to end right then and there. I felt like I was on the Titanic and was hoping that I'd be the next passenger off the ship before it sunk, and I was left to drown. I felt like another number. I felt like the world was ending. Thank goodness for answered prayers because miraculously the Metro started working again, and I was able to slip through the crowd and catch the first Metro out of East Falls Church. Finally, I had made it to my long and awaited destination, but the fun had just begun. Running in heels from the Metro to my car in the torrential down pour, I nearly got struck by lightening. I had no time to think, only time to realize that a bolt of lightening virtually blinded me, so I ran faster and harder hoping to avoid being electrocuted. I was now drenched from head to toe. I ran up to the fifth and last floor of the parking garage, only to have to run in the rain one more time to get to my car. I was now shaking, completely soaked, carrying my heels, and praying that tonight wouldn't be my last. I began driving out of the parking garage, only to come to a sudden stop on the third floor. And there I sat, in a puddle of water from being so wet, for over a half hour, never moving more than two feet, wondering when this day would ever end? And it didn't for a few more hours. My dear sister and her friend said they'd come pick me up, the car could stay parked at the Metro for all I cared, I just wanted to go home. I parked the car, took my heels off, and began walking to meet them so that they wouldn't get caught in the massive Metro traffic jam. Trampling through mud puddles with no shoes on and rain for over a mile, I was finally rescued. They informed me that the power was out at the apartment so, we decided to go out to eat, but everyone else in McLean had the same idea in mind. We bagged that idea, and it was homeward bound at last . What should have been a five minute drive home took over twenty. With all of the rain we couldn't see out the windshield and the power outage had wiped out all of the street lights. Nothing in this town was working. Now, over three hours since I left work, we FINALLY made it back to the apartment, where we had to function by candle light. A few hours later my sister and I decided to pick up her car. Having seen"I am Legend" I think I can now relate to how Will Smith felt when there was NO ONE left but him. I'd never seen streets so empty, so dark, and torn apart by the storm. Apparently in the combustion of the storm three tornado's had touched down in the D.C. area, one almost right here in McLean. We were informed that that power would most likely be out for two or more days. So, this morning I had to have an ice cold shower by candle light. Luckily it only took a little over 24 hours for the power to start working again. Just in time for the first night of the NBA Finals. Thank goodness prayers really do come true.