Monday, November 30, 2015

Monday Quickie

It took us six hours to drive home yesterday from Dallas - this trip normally takes no more than 3.5 hours.  I knew traffic would be heavy because of the holiday weekend, but add in a ton of rain and there were so many accidents, it was just crazy.  After a while I got bored and started taking some pictures while Jeff drove:
You know it's bad when you see a ribbon of bright red brake lights snaking ahead for miles...see where the blue arrow is pointing?  That would be said ribbon.

We finally cleared that mess and drove along for a little while before traffic came to another stop-and-go situation.  Two lanes, moving at most around 10 miles per hour, when all of a sudden people decided that the rules didn't apply to them and they started driving on the shoulder.  It irks me like you wouldn't believe when people do this - and apparently, it also irked the driver of a big white work truck, because he would edge his truck over into the shoulder so these rule-breakers couldn't pass.  This happened so often that I started taking pictures to entertain myself:
 There goes one car...
 And another...
 And another...
 
We caught up to them, and I have to say, it was very satisfying to see their law-breaking efforts stymied by that work-truck driver, who was obviously as sick of this as we were.  Honestly, I would have loved to see them ticketed, but I suspect the police were a little busy dealing with all the accidents on the road.

Anyway, that was a good part of our Sunday.  We had a great time with our youngest, who cooked the entire Thanksgiving meal!  And lest you think we forgot about the pets, even the rats got a tiny piece of pumpkin pie:
Dora appreciated the dab of Cool Whip on her piece!
Paco went into a food coma - seriously, he didn't get more than a couple of bites, but a full belly plus a huge beanbag chair meant he was out like a light!

Hope all of my American readers had a great Thanksgiving holiday - we are back to normal with a long run this morning since we missed ours over the weekend due to flooding rains in the Dallas area. 

24 comments:

  1. Glad you made it home safe and sound. The traffic sounds horrible. People don't know how to drive down here in the rain either. Hope your long run goes well today.

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    1. It's like people never took Driver's Ed; common sense seems to be lacking when it's raining.

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  2. I missed my long run this weekend too!
    It also irritates me when drivers think the rules do not apply to them. I especially hate when they know a lane is closing in like 5 miles but yet they wait till the last 100 yards and expect everyone else to let them scoot over at the last minute!

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    1. OMG, I know - you can see it coming when those drivers drive right up to a lane closure. Loathe that.

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  3. That driving on the shoulder is such a peeve of mine, and I am one of those who will edge over to keep people from doing it :D I have been called a beyotch many times, but they are the ones being assholes.

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  4. I hate it when a drive takes double the time it normally does. I don't like driving at all. Glad you made it home safe.

    Oh look at Paco his pose, melts my heart, love that dog.

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    1. I don't even like doing my backseat driving when the trip is this bad! ;)

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  5. Oh my--that drive, in the rain and the dark and with accidents. That doesn't sound fun at all. But the pie shot with the rat--best picture ever! Especially that it is a perfect little wedge-shaped piece of pie with whipped cream on top. Glad you got home safely, and good for you for getting right back into your exercise routine. I think El Nino has skipped right over California and landed on Texas!!

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    1. I'm beginning to wonder about El Nino - shouldn't it be hitting you guys first, and then easing up by the time it reaches Texas??

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  6. Yep, that is one of my biggest pet peeves - that and drivers driving 20+ miles over the speed limit in shitty weather.

    OMG, that tiny piece of pie - so cute! Glad you got home safe!

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    1. We saw one VW Bug speeding down the road (WHY???) and then nearly skid off the road when they had to hit their brakes because traffic had stopped. Ugh.

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  7. I had a similar trip just the other week where I miraculously made a 3.5 hour trip in double the time due to rain and idiot drivers. :-) Glad you made it home safe!

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    1. Jeff had to drive BACK to Dallas the following day and he did it in 3 hours. Sheesh...makes me think if we do this next year, we should just wait and go home on Monday.

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  8. What horrible traffic! Jimmy has blocked jackholes many times trying to do the shoulder pass. Like they are really going to get far!
    Your run wasn't much better this morning in this nasty weather. I missed Saturday too - dreaded sinus infection. Hope y'all are doing the St. Nick Fun Run this coming Saturday.

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    1. Jackholes - that's the best description of those drivers!

      We are doing the St. Nick run - see you then! :)

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  9. Oh I love those picture of that bad person driving! Where are the cops when you need them?! I just love that tiny piece of pie!!

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  10. Sounds like a whale of a trip. I love the pic of your small cute pet :)

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  11. I love that you can amuse yourself by taking photos of traffic. :)
    As for rats, yuck!

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  12. OMG....the pie slice for the rat?! That is FANTASTIC!!!!! (BTW....I see "Dennis" will be making this comment. It's me Roz. :) ) Have a great rest of the day Shelley.

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  13. we drove back from dallas too and left SUPER EARLY (ok 10a :-)) and it still took forever as well.

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    1. That's good to hear - we were thinking we should have left earlier but apparently it wouldn't have helped anyway.

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  14. That little pie piece! I DIE!

    Wow. I am shocked by the shoulder driving. I haven't ever seen that in Chicagoland... just, wow!!!

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