There will be no daily trivia until the winner of the contest is announced. Sometimes I will ask for help from the posters here and that is what I am going to do today. I need your help in calming me down. The best way to calm me down is to take my mind off of the number of clueless people I ran into this week. The best way you can calm me is by updating me about what is going on in your life. Tell me everything!
I don’t mean to sound superior in this post but certainly I am a superior driver to the clueless people I ran into this week. There are movements in many states that don’t already ban talking on the cell phone to join the states that do have that ban. See, I don’t think we need to ban talking on cell phones while driving, I just think we need to ban clueless people from driving.
Yesterday I am tooling along on a four lane road in Newberg. A van was next to me. He had head phones on and was rocking out to some music. He looked right at me. Did he see me? If he did it didn’t register in his feeble mind. He pulled into my lane. If I hadn’t honked (which he didn’t hear) and slammed on my brakes he would have hit me. And if I hadn’t turned to the center divider when I braked the car behind me would have hit me. The Van went on its merrily way just as nothing had happened. Which I don’t think he knew what he just did. The car behind me and I just shook our heads.
A couple of days before that I was seriously thinking about designing a page, with a split photo. On one side of the split photo would be a picture of the Indianapolis 500 Speedway. On the other side of the photo would be the picture of a grocery store parking lot. At the bottom would be a notation “on the left is a speedway, on the right is a parking lot. Just thought you should learn the difference.” Then place on the windshields of some cars in the parking lot. That was after a car speeding through the parking lot almost hit a young pedestrian (may four?). First of all, people coming out of the store are often clueless themselves and don’t even bother to look to see if cars are coming. And even if they are aware. sometimes little kids will often run ahead of their mom or dad and the parents can’t catch them fast enough to keep them out of the traffic lanes. Doesn’t that mean you should slow down in the parking lot? Seems logical to me.
Which brings us to selfish parkers that park in the traffic lanes in front of the grocery store blocking traffic, blocking the view of pedestrians coming out of the grocery store, and they do it when there is an open legal parking spot two feet away! I mean I understand temporarily parking in front of the store to let out an elderly or disabled person but for God’s sake when you are finished letting them out go park legally. I mean you are a healthy adult male or female so that walking an extra two feet won't kill you. It might even be good exercise for you.
I could go on but my blood pressure is already to high so I think I will stop now. Bring my blood pressure down with your updates. Tell me what went on in your life last week and what you have plans for next week.
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I read this in Santa Barbara, where we have come for the wedding of my sister-in-law's stepdaughter, which happened yesterday. Lovely wedding, the photos of which are here: http://tinyurl.com/lhn35g
Today we are going to a Greek festival with our son, his wife and our granddaughter.
Tomorrow we'll drive home and find out how many dogs our housesitter has left us with!
Hi Bev
Beautiful photos of what was obviously a beautiful wedding day.
Sounds like a fun day tooday with the family. Hope all the dogs survived the housesitter!
Bill
Are you sure you weren't driving in G'ville last week? If it makes you feel better, if misery loves company, every one of the incidents described is fairly common here and my reaction is the same as yours.
Happening week here. Moved Mom up to the house Sunday. Saw retina specialist Monday - good news, she didn't need an injection in right eye. Tuesday, up early to meet packers. Who knew they had to see the valuables I packed, to mark them High Value. Unpack boxes to show contents. Afternoon of cleaning. Wednesday up early to meet van. Who knew you couldn't ship jewelry? Pack up Mom's 4' jewelry armoire to go in car. Finish cleaning, scouring, scrubbing. Thursday's inspection went well & Mom gets deposit back. After hours of scrubbing lineoleum, mgr says they're going to replace it for Joe. Sigh. Lunch, final banking, get prescriptions. Lake blew in at 7:30had late dinner. Another terse discussion of insurance on car. He had Mom up at 7:45, they were on the road before 9:00 Friday. Did the pool, took paperwork to body shop and they'll handle everything with the other insurance co. Went to a bbq with the pool group that evening. Told cirriculum chair I wouldn't be teaching winter term. I was in bed by 9:00, slept 11 hours.
Transitioning. Exhausted. Weepy on occasion, with no provocation. Can't talk about Mom being gone just yet without tears. Never bothered me when she took off for a week or a month once a year. This is a whole different feeling. hard to explain. Not like I'm lost, but like I've lost something important? I'm sure I'll be better when I get past physical and emotional tiredness. Time to explore options, opportunities and choices. Writing lots in MPs.
Next week I plan four days at the pool, an afternoon with the guitar group, line dancing and editorial hours. Anything else is one day at a time.
The world is full of clueless drivers. All we can do is get used to it and drive defensively. Which doesn't mean we can't get a little apoplectic when we encounter one of them too close for comfort. So I hear you and I sympathize and hope you're calmed down by now and ready to enter the fray whenever you need to go out again.
And PS to that. All phoning while driving should be against the law, and with heavy penalties attached. Texting while driving should get a prison term.
Nothing much to update here. I've changed night caregivers for the two days a week my regular one doesn't work. Saving myself a few measly shekels by not using an agency. We'll see how it works out. Otherwise everything is pretty much status quo.
Hi Dr
i'm tickled pink that your mom didn't need an injection.
I certainly didn't know you couldn't pack jewelry, what a pain.
I think it is normal to both we exhausted and weepy. I also think it would be normal to be scared.
You have lost something important but I wonder if you feelings would be tempered if maybe you could look at the future and plan a cross country trip in the next few months to Arizona to see your mom?
We are all here if you need us!
Bill
Hi Pat
I kind of agree with you about banning texting but if people had a clue they wouldn't do that to begin with. I am not sure about the cell phone ban because where do you stop? If they banned wearing head phones while listening to music I wouldn't have had such a close call. Plus I wonder if that doofus could hear emergency vehicles. And what about eating while your are driving? And putting make up on while you are driving? And the list goes on.
How is the new caregiver doing?
Bill
So the Guy in the Van? I think I was beside him today, nut can drive fast can't he? It really is a bit ridiculous how people are with all the gadgets that they can use while driving. It amazes me how some people manage to get or keep their drivers license. I agree with Pat on the punishment for using cell phones and Texting while driving. And games too...I actually saw a guy next to us today on the interstate playing a game! It really is endless what people are stupid enough to do or try to do while driving.
Bev, the pics were just lovely....such a beautiful place, looks like you had a great time.
DR, looks like you are as busy as usual and hope that helps with the emotions. Glad too your mom didn't have to have the injection. So you couldn't ship the family jewels huh? Wow, did not know that. Heck I would have been happy to help with that just call next time! :)
Nothing real exciting to report. I didn't win the lottery, but dad is going on his annual golfing trip for 4/5 days this month....guess that is as close to the lottery I will get for this year, so I'll take it.
Hey Dona
The nut can drive fast and not pay attention to cars in the other lane. I've seen people read newspapers and books while they are driving.
Enjoy the four or five days alone this month!
I didn't win the lottery either, now it is up to 138 mil. I can live on that.
Bill
Bill, it is illegal here to wear a headset (both ears) while driving, so your guy was probably breaking the law right there. Or would be here. I can live with people doing hands-free phoning, though I don't think it's a good idea, but texting, gaming, makeup, anything that takes your eyes off the road should be banned.
Hi Pat
I don't think it is illegal here for a headset and until 7-1 it wasn't illegal to talk on the cell phone. Now you have to use hand free sets.
I just think people caught texting while driving should never be allowed to drive again. We don't need that kind of stupidity on the road.
Bill
Dona - enjoy your break! You certainly deserve it.
Hi DR
Wow you are posting early! Are you recovering? Getting some rest?
Bill
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