I love our neighborhood. We walk almost everywhere and the metro is just down the street for longer trips. The National Zoo is our neighbor. For the majority of the year, this is fine. Yeah there are tourists, but we can take side streets to avoid the worst of the crowds. But, a few times a year, the zoo hosts nighttime events and the streets turn feral.

Right now, it's ZooLights season. The display is great and draws tons of people. This is good for the zoo and local businesses. I 100% support it. The downside is the traffic. The zoo charges a steep parking fee. People don't want to pay so they park in our neighborhood. During the day, we are zoned for a 2-hour limit unless you have a residental permit. That stops at 6pm. So, we (*cough mostlymyhusband cough*) are left circling and circling for spots if we don't luck in to one of our building's few lot spots. It's rather annoying.

Now, if parking was the only problem, I would tolerate the inconvenience and move on with my life. But, it's not. Parking is so difficult that people park illegally all over the place. They park in front of hydrants, the park overlapping driveways and crosswalks, they park in our private spots, and they park in no-parking zones meant for busses and loading. It's like the rules no longer apply. If there is a space, a driver will cram a car in - no matter how poorly.

On top of this, drivers are frustrated which makes them more aggressive. More people drive through red lights, unexpectedly change lanes or make turns, and slam on the gas when they break free from traffic or see an open spot. It's scary when you're in a nearby car. It's terrifying when you're walking with your preschooler. 

This year, we're going to try to pick up our kid by metro as much as we can simply to avoid the chaos. It's less convenient, requires one of us to leave work early, and takes longer - but at least we stay off the roads.

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I’m just a few pages away from finishing The Handmaid’s Tale. Honestly, the book is fine but I’m more intrigued by how they translated it into a TV series. There is definitely a wider world to explore.

*Books shared here are affiliate links for Bookshop.org

• The year in pictures. [TIME]

• Ain't is great. [Brevity Blog]

• Small talk tips just in time for all those holiday parties. [Lifehacker]

• What does help kids. [ParentData]

• I have *thoughts* about people trying to restrict no-fault divorce. [CNN]

• Something is rotten on the Fifth Circuit. [The Atlantic - gift link]

• The quest for better gluten free pasta. [The Atlantic - gift link]

• Making a mental note to try this. [WaPo - gift link]

• There's more than one way to donate. [Life Kit]

• A fun interview with puzzle maker Will Shortz. [Up First]

• How to argue better. [Radio Atlantic]

• The 80-20 rule: Part right, part wrong. [The Indicator]

• The wild rice harvest and asking why we name big things for little men. [Kitchen Sisters]

• This is fan-tas-tic. [@orlysgrrl]

• Hallmark Christmas movie season is here. Huzzah! When we're not watching sports, we're chortling and commenting our way through these oh so cheesy flicks. This week, I particularly liked Holiday Hotline. The premise is a streeeetch and the melodrama is high, but it was a delight. I've always enjoyed Niall Matter because he's better than your average back channel TV actor. In this movie, he showed a particular vulnerability that made the story a bit more touching. Also, I adored that the courtship was more than a few days long. And it took place in Chicago! Way to spread your wings, Hallmark. [Hallmark Channel]

• We're trying to eat down everything in our fridge and freezer to create space for the holidays. We've only got a few, hardy items from our farm share left - but that includes two heads of cabbage. I'm the only one in our family who really likes cabbage. This week, I used up half a head in my lunch meal prep. I tossed together a kielbasa and cabbage skillet. It was super quick and the mustard vinaigrette imparts a ton of zing. Apologies to my colleagues for reheating cabbage in the microwave... [Budget Bytes]

This is paper. Really pretty, laser cut paper. [Colossal]

Not sure what to bake for the holidays. This list of over 90 recipes for cookies, bars, and bites from Real Simple can help. I can vouch for the coconut macaroons (so quick!) and cookies and cream crispy treats.

It’s Final Exam week and my only work goal is to provide positive support for our students. You got this!