DC Business Trip - Day 2

With all the traveling, my circadian rhythms were really off kilter when I woke up (with alarm) at 0500 this morning.  However, I'd made plans to get in for dental exam during one of the rare moments when I was near an office I knew my insurance would cover.  Because I definitely didn't trust WMATA to get me to/from the Little River Turnpike in Alexandria on this rainy morning, I ordered a "shared" Uber at 0600.  It's rare for me to use this driver service so I was unprepared for a completely different car (than the one the App promised) offering me a ride.  I was standing under an umbrella across the street from the Holiday Inn (Washington Capital) National Mall at that point, though, and they knew my name...  The ride was a bit sketchy (weather, traffic, lack of confidence by the driver) and the other passenger was sleeping.  Fortunately, though, I arrived at Reflection Dental by 0630.  Since they weren't open yet, I killed time by walking in the parking lot (still needed an umbrella).  My appointment with my dentist began at 0700 but I was able to get inside for paperwork before that.  With the helpful staff, I got a new set of X-rays, some scans of my teeth (for replacement retainers) and a full checkup (passed with flying colors).  I even got to see my old dental hygienist, who made an appointment for me to come back in March.  Happily, all the things we'd planned to do were finished by 0755 and I was able to start the long journey back into DC.  It wasn't too difficult for me to get another Uber and I was soon riding with him to the Van Dorn Metro Station.  My driver did a great job getting me across the busy city in the nasty weather and, by 0815, I was boarding a Blue Line train to King Street.  I then switched to the Yellow Line and passed through Potomac Yard Station for the first time (it was finished after I'd moved away in 2020).  In the end, I made it to L'Enfant by 0845, which gave me just enough time to get my work stuff from the room and find the rest of my work team in Capital Gallery for our series of (all day) meetings.  It was great to see everyone but, as the day wore on, it didn't seem like the material was crucial enough for me to have flown all the way across the country.  However, my boss was happy that I was there so maybe that was the biggest point...  At lunch time, I ordered from Uber Eats for the first time (with a shared menu that the group set up).  In the end, the food was good (restaurant selection) but I confirmed my earlier belief that such services were overpriced and unnecessary.  We continued our meetings until almost 1400, when we departed to the building across the street so we could join a Holiday Party with all of our other colleagues.  While there, I saw many folks I hadn't seen since I worked at an old company (2018/2019 timeframe): Amir, Phil, Crystal, Aaron, Claire, etc.  A current colleague (Daren) practically berated me for not telling him I was in the city.  I explained that the whole trip was short notice and he seemed to calm down after that.  There was good food and conversation and then we had time for a Holiday themed trivia contest.  With a few other folks (some of whom were brand new to me), I cobbled together a victory, certificate and bragging rights for the next year.  When the event was over (1545), I headed back to the hotel so I could drop off my bag in the room.  A bit later, I walked over to the (new to me) Citizen M pub on School Street, where our Boss had scheduled a post-meeting Happy Hour.  When I used to work in the building across the street (through 2015), this lot was an old DC Fire Station.  Anyway, almost everyone from my team was there and we had a great time catching up in a more social way.  The drinks were free flowing (although we took turns buying them) and I was one of the last people in the bar (with my Boss) when the event ended (1930).  After saying goodbye, I walked around inside the hotel for about 30 minutes to finish up my 10K steps for the day (I did get some odd looks from the staff about my circuits).  When I was finished, I returned to my room and made contributions to several charities for Giving Tuesday.  Before I knew it, the clock read 2230 and it was time for me to go to bed.  What a good day of work, networking and socializing!