looking back at my week and remembering how it started out, with a literal standstill. almost to work, just a few miles away, and traffic ground to a dead halt. all lanes full, no one moving an inch. switched from cd to radio and heard power lines were down across this busy road due to overnight storm, and that the road was closed less than one mile ahead. numerous warnings to avoid this road at any cost. too late. stuck in the middle of it all. any traffic trying to go through would be diverted to do a u-turn and headed back in the opposite direction. nowhere for me to turn off as just offices and businesses on my side, until i could get to the next mile road.
settled in for a bit of a wait, texted my teaching partners, and just watched it unfold around me. the diverted traffic began to back up going in the other direction, emergency vehicles tried to get through, to rescue people somehow getting into accidents going 3 mph. perhaps not letting each other into their lane? watched people in other cars, most on cells, out of cars trying to see what was going on ahead, listening to music, coming up with strategies, calling into work and wherever they needed to be, trying to move to the ‘best lane.’ people walked by, moving faster than the traffic.
saw a helicopter arrive overhead, people jockeyed for position, cars continued to crawl ahead and up and over. finally got close to the next mile road where i could turn, saw a firetruck pulled all the way across the road ahead of me. 1 mile of distance had equaled 1 hour of time. made my move, made my turn, oops – that road was closed for construction. determined. followed a rogue line of cars through a neighborhood, somehow emerged on the other side of it all, back on my original busy road i needed to be on, got back on track to where i was going, looked to my left, saw a full moon.
Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn’t block traffic. – Dan Rather
I didn't have my glasses on.... 
Not a fun thing to be stuck in a traffic jam. Love the photo you matched with your writing 🙂
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colline – not too bad, just worried about my co-workers taking on my burden, got back the music and watched it all happen. )
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“Got back on track to where I was going, looked to my left, saw a full moon.” Found my way. Loved it.
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david – thanks, it was an hour, filled with all kinds of adventure.
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A great lesson on how to survive a traffic jam!
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thanks annabelle – and there really is no other option but to embrace it all. )
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KSbeth, it’s always so strange to see the moon during morning hours. And then to have it follow the traffic jam. I always worry about running out of gas when I’m stuck in one.
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yes it is always a bit of a strange phenomenon. full moon was there the whole time, just revealed itself when the sky (and the traffic) cleared itself a bit.
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Those traffic jams are a real pain, all you can do is switch off the engine and wait, but what a traumatic time it can be when one needs to be somewhere 😦 I love your interpretation of the jam using Dinky toys and the like, it looks brilliant 🙂
Have a jam-less weekend with lots of love and hugs 🙂
Andro xxxx
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thanks andro, and you just have to go with the situation as well as you can when the situation arises. yes, it’s hard when you have to be somewhere at a certain time. have a great weekend too )
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Thank you my sweet and great friend
I will certainly try to have a nice weekend 🙂
I have just been reading your
nightmare of a canoeing story 😦
You were lucky to survie that
over a twenty mile hike…
Glad you are both okay Beth 🙂
Andro xxxx
Andro xxxx
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)
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Hope yours was exciting 😉
Andro xxxx
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I’m lucky that I have to deal with traffic; I just deal with the nutjobs of public transit 😉
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true, and you have your own ‘situations’ to deal with, that is for sure )
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lol, yep and people jams as well.
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Makes me glad I’m retired!
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i’ll bet! )
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at least you knew of a reason for the hold up
it really winds me up when I’m stuck in a queue of traffic that isn’t moving anywhere – then when it does start moving normally again, there’s no apparent reason why 3 lanes of traffic were at a standstill for so long – no road words, no sign of any accident, no broken down vehicle, nothing
Ggrrrr!
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duncan – somehow it does make us feel better if we know the ‘reason,’ human nature i guess – )
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I can empathize! The first thing that your post reminded me of was a short story by Julio Cortazar, The Southern Thruway, a fun and short read if you ever have a few minutes to kill while in traffic 😉 : http://latinamericanshortstories.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/the-southern-thruway.pdf
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thanks for passing on the link, i loved the story )
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I loved the rhythm of this piece. Beautiful. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow no matter how slow – detours and all :-).
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thank you and that is so true )
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ahh the traffic jam – when patience is so easily lost and tempers flare and no one knows the meaning of ‘play nice’ – glad you got through ok unharmed – nice pic to accompany it to Beth 🙂 xx
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thanks jen )
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Traffic jams can reveal lovely things when one isn’t stressed.
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absolutely right )
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In my village where it’s possibly one car an hour (during rush hour) passing through, then he stops in the middle of the road to chat to a walking villager, so sometimes I have to wait many minutes till he moves on to talk to another villager. It can take ages to get out of the village sometimes 😀 xox
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i love this ralph.
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Enjoyed your writing very much. You write of the mundane and average fantastically! 🙂
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thank you so much )
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I like jam for breakfast but not that flavour 😦
I hope you are enjoying a wickedly enjoyable morning Beth 🙂
Andro xxxx
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i completely understand, andro. it’s cold but beautiful, hope it is beautiful where you are too )
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It has been a cool day weather wise but a lot warmer than what is normal for November, mind you I like the colder weather anyway so I’m not fussed 🙂
Have a lovely afternoon 🙂
Andro xxxx
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I have been stuck in so much traffic, watching minutes and hours of life tick by.
Beyond frustration!! One time it took me 5 hours to go 50 miles. I would have tried to find a way to get out of the traffic IF I could have moved. But I was totally and completely STUCK.
I have had nightmares about traffic…..
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i’m not surprised!
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