Thursday Ramble: Take a Walk

Okay, I read something that made me want to add to this post.  The idiots in Florida decided to end the special development district that was created in the 1960's allowing Disney to be essentially self governing, they had their own zoning, code enforcement, drainage, police, fire and utilities.  The legislature passed a law, and the little Hitler signed it.  Disney had a few weeks to wrap things up and hand things over to a new board appointed by the governor.  And Disney did, entering into binding agreements that will control almost everything for decades.  

Development rights on one parcel of land, are restricted until 21 years after the death of the youngest heir alive, of King Charles III of England.  That is a life in being at a time certain plus 21 years.  They applied the Rule Against Perpetuities.  Most lawyers haven't  thought about that rule since the bar exam (hoping the question wouldn't come up.) Some bright lawyer with a wicked sense of humor used it.  Bravo!  There are times I love this profession.  I was a property law nerd in law school, I loved this stuff then and I still do. 

Now back to the regularly scheduled programing. 

The weather is changeable at the moment.  Warm and sunny one day, cold and rainy the next.  When I can, I try to get out to take a walk.  I have lots of excuses about work and such, to not walk, but I know I need to walk more, use it or lose it.  

A couple of weeks ago I started getting off the subway when going into the office, a stop before my stop, and walking.  About a mile, a nice urban stroll in the morning rush hour.  One morning last week, the weather was especially pretty, and I went one station past my usual, and walked back.  A couple of blocks out of my way, had me walking on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the President's House. 

The first five years I worked in DC, my office was less than a block away from the White House. The station I exited the subway at, and the exit I took out of that station, were my morning commute for those years.  When I started I signed a release allowing my employer to share my information with White House security, we were close enough that they wanted to know who was working there. As I walked south toward the White House, I could see the window of what had been my office.  My employer sold that building, and we moved a few blocks north and west about 11 years ago.  

It is nice to be able to walk by the White House again.  Four years ago it was turned into a virtual fortress, for a couple of years you couldn't get within a block of it without an invitation and clearing security.  The fence surrounding the grounds is taller than it was before, but you can now walk up and stick you phone or camera through the fence, like you could during the Obama administration.  While I could always hope that more would be done, I feel good about the people who live and work there.  It is both a residence for the President and his immediate family, and a workplace for a lot of people.  

The Eisenhower Executive Office building is a two minute walk away, and is the work place of many senior advisors.  Legend has it, that Eisenhower hated the building, it is very old fashioned, and he had vowed that when he was elected President he would have it replaced with something modern. Others feared the loss of the landmark, so before he took office, it was renamed in his honor, in a successful effort to save it from the wrecking ball.  Politics have always been a strange place. 

North from there, across a couple major streets, around or through a couple of squares and I am at the office.  A nice 15-20 minute walk.  I needed that, I need to do more of that.