Hains Point Loop- why is it closed?

This will likely mean nothing to the 3 or 4 people who might routinely read this blog, but if anyone out there on the world wide web knows why Hains Point is closed in the after 3PM every weekend and holiday all summer long, please shed some light. Is this just because it gets too crowded on the weekends? The makeshift gate extenders are going to keep walkers out as well, so I’m perplexed. I’ve been googling all morning and have come up empty. So, people on the interweb: Why is the Hains Point loop closed?!? It’s such a lovely little loop, and while I should get out there in the mornings rather than wait until the evening, sometimes I SLEEP IN on weekends, making this very unsavory. I can't be the only one who likes to ride her bike around in circles on a summer evening. What gives?

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Well, what do you know?

I got a letter the other day from the US Attorney’s Office (which, I admit, sparked a few moments of anxiety) informing me that a defendant in one of their open cases had confessed to robbing me. They explained that he had offered this confession as part of a plea agreement and was being charged with a couple accounts of 2nd degree robbery. As part of the agreement, he could not be prosecuted for the crimes that he committed against me, but I was encouraged to submit a “victim impact statement” to for the judge to consider prior to sentencing him for his other crimes. There was no specific mention in the letter of when or where the robbery occurred so as it was, I wasn’t sure exactly to which robbery this was referring. Was it the apartment break in? Bike theft #1? Bike theft #2? Perhaps one of three car break-in’s I’ve had prior to having my alarm installed? The only case I was pretty sure this wasn’t in reference to was my purse theft in Madrid (which, like DC, is a den of thieves!). Considering that bike theft #2 was the only one in which the thief was apprehended, I assumed that this was the case. But before creating my statement, I called the Attorney’s office for more information.

Well, what do you know? It was the guy who broke into my apartment (and stole two computers and a wedding band). I was shocked and delighted that they actually caught the guy! It is almost two years after the fact, but they actually caught him! Apparently he was caught escaping from some 4th floor balcony by a police officer passing by, and according to the attorney, he is quite a professional. His routine involved posing as an HVAC repair guy, complete with a fake van! (Okay, the van was real, the repair company logo on it was not).

I’m sure he’s caused significant heartache and financial loss for all of his victims, so I’m hoping that the judge won’t got too easy on him. I will now happily admit that the score of thieves who rob me in DC is Gina:1, DCPD: 1. Hooray!

What else is new in DC, you ask? Oh, you know, the usual. It has been hot as blazes here all week, with a slight break in the heat today at just 90 degrees. It is excellent popsicle weather, but that’s about it. Our house is a’buzz with air conditioning, yet our beautiful master bedroom with majestic vaulted ceilings and 4 fabulous south-facing windows remains very sweat-lodgy, which is neat. I’m thanking little baby Jesus that the Washington Sports Club down the street opened just in time, as it provides me with a highly air-conditioned environment in which to swim bike and run. Some day, maybe I’ll be able to ride my real bike* again….

But speaking of popsicles… I got a milkshake at Pot Belly today with my lunch because I’ve recently learned that in terms of wifely demerits, being 15 pounds overweight is no worse than squeezing the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube. At least according to this 1930’s husband and wife scoring system. Now all I have to do is stop being such a lazy sack of beans and make the effort to fix my hair and be perfumed and girdled before I start making breakfast every morning for my husband and by golly, I’d be a very superior wife indeed!

*Have I mentioned that I bought a big huge beach cruiser at Target to ferry me back and forth from the metro to my office? It is a beast and weighs about 50 pounds- possibly more with the rad chrome fenders and sweet basket I added. The bad news is that its upright seating position combined with my general dorkiness makes me look a lot like PeeWee Herman when I ride it to and from work. The good news is, it makes my road bike feel like a rocket!