Traffic Rant, Part II

I left at the worst usual time today from work, and encountered the same traffic that made me have the same reaction as in the last post.

I even changed lanes on I-40 today into one in which a crazy little white car, though a ways back, was obviously flying past most other cars.  (But by now I've realized that everybody making this commute has to be out for themselves while on this road, so I've just joined in the attitude in order to keep myself sane on the drive.)  After passing some slower cars, I switched lanes back again to the original one I was in.  By now, the little white car has been tailgating me for a while.  No biggie, now that I'm where I need to be for my exit, they can do whatever the heck they want to.  Little white car proceeds to drive up beside me, and I look to see what crazy-little-white-car-driver looks like.  I can't see though, because she is leaning all up on her steering wheel and checking her other blind spot as she simultaneously swerves into another lane away from me.  But, in her hasty passing, I got a glimpse of something that made me do a double-take.  Her toddler daughter, in the back seat, was as close to the window as could be, staring straight out at me, giving me the evil eye while shaking her head and making all her colorful hair clips in her braids flip around, and wagging her finger at me like she was telling me off reprimanding me.  Must have been something she learned from her crazy-driving-don't-get-in-my-way-or-me-and-my-toddler-will-tell-you-off-because-we-deserve-the-entire-road-to-ourselves lovely mother.  I was glad to see the kid sticking up for her mom, who was too busy to glare at me herself because she had to work on playing the vroom/switch-a-roo/tap game around other people's bumpers.

Thank goodness I was exiting.

And if that wasn't fun enough, once off the interstate, I got to enjoy some guy's R&B nothing but bass music who was sitting behind me at the light, which was loud enough to drown out even my own tunes.  Honestly, I don't know how folks like that deal with it - it hurts my ears, and I'm not 3 feet from the sound source.  I mean, I have my times of my own loud music, but I make a point not to bother others with it, and bass is a completely different story altogether.  Guess that's where the difference of common decency and respect come in with this world.  Oh well.


Man, I just love Raleigh...

...It keeps my cynicism and sarcasm in check, and I'm now a healthy user of cross-outs and always proof my writing, just to make sure you guys don't get an overdose of cynical Sarah.

Vroom, tap, switch-a-roo, tap...

Loosely translated, that was the plan of virtually every single car on my way home from work.  It's really making me consider getting up at some crazy early hour just to drive into work and home in the afternoon at times that no one else is on the road.

Today it was pretty much like everybody (except me) had organized a zig-zag game of lane switching, and just for fun, the rules required that you do it within 4 feet of somebody's bumper.  And 2 feet gives you extra points.  And turn signals are OPTIONAL, just to make things more interesting.  And the more you tap your brakes, the better.

And that wasn't even rush hour.

It really does get to you after a while.  Time to seriously consider changing hours.

These are a few photos I've taken on my way home from work sometimes when the amount of traffic amazes even me.  Pay special attention to the other side, which is even worse.  Honestly, I don't know how the people in it stand to sit there like that every day.  Never fails to be consistently backed up every afternoon (with the exception of when a wreck completely blocks all lanes).  But in the year-plus that I've been making this drive, I've noticed even my side has consistently gotten more congested.  To the crazy point that it was at today.

(when the opposite direction was completely blocked by a wreck ahead, and the only traffic was entering from the entrance ramp)

...Now I'm at home unwinding.  Need it.

 

(Disclaimer:  These pictures are taken while driving, but all I do is hold the phone up and snap the camera button.  No watching involved.  Eyes remained on the road.)

It's my Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me,

Happy Birthday to me,

Happy Birthday to Sarah,

Happy Birthday to me!

Even though, after having an annoying head cold for a few days, this is pretty much how I feel...

So conflicted...  I just want to rest, yet it's my birthday, so I wish I felt like this...

(If you ever want some funny entertainment with animals, go here or here - definitely good for a laugh, especially from the animals' perspectives.)

Here are a few photos from last year's birthday...

The tasty cake made by my mommy (that inflicted sugar shock, haha!)

Dad steals the candles, as always :-)

Strawberries everywhere...

So, here's to another year... and the past 25!