This is Not About Jogging

I have finally calmed down enough to post my blipfoto, but just a little while ago, I was livid and fit to be tied with frustration. I was looking forward very much to attending another Summer Sings session with the West Village Chorale. I attended a session last summer, and it was great fun and took place in a beautiful church in the West Village.

Tonight's session was scheduled to begin at 7:30pm. My mom, an avid singer in her younger years, agreed to come along. We left the house (in NJ) around 5:40pm. Even under the worst of traffic conditions, this should have gotten us to the West Village with well over an hour to spare. Instead, we were caught in some of the worst standstill traffic I have ever witnessed. I kept changing routes, but to no avail. Every street I tried was jammed. By the time we arrived at the church's door, it was locked. It was nearly 8 o'clock and I was so disappointed and very angry to miss the event. Over two hours in the car, in traffic, for nought.

Going home wasn't any better! Heavy gridlock traffic like nothing I've ever witnessed. When we got closer to home, we stopped at a Chinese-German diner (don't ask) for a quick, late night bite, and finally got home just after 10:40pm. Over five hours wasted sitting in bumper to bumper traffic with nothing to show for it except a meal from the local Chinese-German diner.

Did I ever determine the cause of all this traffic? Yes. It turns out President Obama was in town, arriving this evening to attend several fundraisers. The news websites reported:

"Traffic was at a standstill on the West Side Highway as the presidential motorcade passed through."

I can vouch for that.

After walking away from the locked doors of the church in despair, I consoled myself with a quick stroll through Washington Square Park (just across the street) where it seemed half the town was gathered, enjoying the warm, muggy summer's evening with skaters, fountains, music, and of course, joggers.


Run, run, run!