Got my Christmas Gift this morning on the drive in. Missed, by a hair, hitting a raccoon. Don't usually have to worry about critters at this time of year, but the warm weather has them still out and about. This one was meandering off the edge and decided to cross in front of me at the last minute. Woke me up for sure, but there was no thump. I don't need another thing for Christmas at all. I'm all set now. May you all have a blessed and Merry Christmas, and safe travels over the holidays.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Monday, October 12, 2015
Shaping Water
Listening to NPR this morning on my way in, and Garrison Keillor comes on with 'The Writer's Almanac' and I'm casually listening to it. More paying attention to the sides of the road as they roll by so I'll, hopefully, miss any critters that are thinking about committing suicide. The poem for today was about looking at a lizard by an author who titled their book "Shaping Water." It wasn't the poem that got me thinking - it was the title of the book.
When you think about it, the only way to shape water is to alter its environment, or to indirectly affect it. You can freeze it and shape it; you can heat it and create steam, then direct the steam into different shapes; you can change geography and redirect it into streams, falls, ponds and lakes. But try to take it in your hands and physically change its shape and it will slip through your fingers. It is an entity unto itself and will not be shaped by your hand. You can force it to go where you want. You can turn it into a pond, a stream or waterfall. You can make it flow fast or barely trickle. But no matter what you do, you can only change the shape of the geography or container - you cannot change the shape of the water itself. Try to hold it in your hand at any time and it will still slip through.
A bit like life, no?
When you think about it, the only way to shape water is to alter its environment, or to indirectly affect it. You can freeze it and shape it; you can heat it and create steam, then direct the steam into different shapes; you can change geography and redirect it into streams, falls, ponds and lakes. But try to take it in your hands and physically change its shape and it will slip through your fingers. It is an entity unto itself and will not be shaped by your hand. You can force it to go where you want. You can turn it into a pond, a stream or waterfall. You can make it flow fast or barely trickle. But no matter what you do, you can only change the shape of the geography or container - you cannot change the shape of the water itself. Try to hold it in your hand at any time and it will still slip through.
A bit like life, no?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
That's What Happens When...
Serendipity, poetic justice, whatever you choose to call it is okay with me. Not long after I wrote my previous post on Thursday about getting my snow legs, I headed home on my commute. It had been snowing on and off all day in Gaylord, and when I left at 4:30 it was snowing again. I did something I rarely do, I took the downtown on ramp instead of going to the south end of town, because it's easier to make a right at the main turn than a left. This put me on I-75 a few miles north of my usual spot, but that wasn't a problem. It was snowy and traffic was light, and the road didn't look all that bad. I was making good time up until the point where I hit the black ice south of my regular on ramp at #279.
Man oh man, it was *that* quick and I slid from the right lane across to the other side and slammed into the guardrail. Hit both the rear and head lights of the truck and bounced back across the lanes to slam into the right guardrail, and slid along it for a ways before coming to a stop. It's amazing how time seems to slow down when these things happen. You hear about it, but unless you yourself have experienced it, you can't really understand. The time lag between what is happening and how you react is massive, even when it's only a half-second. So much can happen in that half second.
I slid and hit the rail before even registering that the truck was out of control. Then comes what you hope is logical thought. Apply the brake? Let out the clutch? Turn the steering wheel? Which way? Crap, I could die right now. All that and more go through your mind in just that half second. That's a lot of thought happening in a very short amount of time. At first I was thinking "Okay, you know what to do..." then SLAM into the rail and all that 'thinking' was replaced by panic. When the truck finally came to a stop I barely realized that I had done all the right things and was now stationary and out of the line of traffic. More importantly, no one else was involved - there were no other cars anywhere within sight when this happened.
I was still in a bad spot but was out of the traffic lane. It actually took about 5 seconds before I was able to think. During those few moments, I was dazed, felt air rushing through the window and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then I realized the sliding window behind my head flew open from the impact. I look at my side mirror on the drivers door and noticed the gas tank cover also had flown open, but the mirror was intact - both were in fact. I needed to check to see if my tires were still okay, but there was traffic now and all I could do was sit there for a bit. That's probably a good thing because it gave me much needed time to collect myself and breathe. I realized that my phone was under my feet, and that there was loose stuff thrown about in the cab.
First things first, I couldn't stay in the spot I was in - if someone else hit me there, we would both be in a world of hurt. After checking the tires, I pulled forward about 30 feet and got a bit more off to the side. That's the right thing to do, but in this case I was on a slight incline and anyone with a stick-shift knows that's a hard place to be. No choice though so I set the brake. Thankfully it still worked. Made my calls and waited for a coworker to check out the damage to make sure I could get on with the commute. I was shaking so bad, I couldn't speak very well. But that eventually passed and the truck was drivable, so I headed home.
Now, I was supposed to go in to work the next day but we had to take the truck to a collision shop first and then I would head on from there. No problem, I'm fine now, right? Yeah, right. Going through the damage to the truck and hearing the words 'totaled' and 'very lucky to be alive' were enough to bring the panic back. Didn't make it in Friday, but I will be damned if I'm going to let it keep affecting me this way. The truck may be totaled, but I AM NOT. I'll be back out there Monday morning - probably a bit earlier and a lot slower, but I will be out there.
So, when you're out there driving and you're 'stuck' behind someone who's not going fast enough for you, remember please that they have a very good reason for it. Have some patience and please for everyone's sake, be kind behind the wheel.
Man oh man, it was *that* quick and I slid from the right lane across to the other side and slammed into the guardrail. Hit both the rear and head lights of the truck and bounced back across the lanes to slam into the right guardrail, and slid along it for a ways before coming to a stop. It's amazing how time seems to slow down when these things happen. You hear about it, but unless you yourself have experienced it, you can't really understand. The time lag between what is happening and how you react is massive, even when it's only a half-second. So much can happen in that half second.
I slid and hit the rail before even registering that the truck was out of control. Then comes what you hope is logical thought. Apply the brake? Let out the clutch? Turn the steering wheel? Which way? Crap, I could die right now. All that and more go through your mind in just that half second. That's a lot of thought happening in a very short amount of time. At first I was thinking "Okay, you know what to do..." then SLAM into the rail and all that 'thinking' was replaced by panic. When the truck finally came to a stop I barely realized that I had done all the right things and was now stationary and out of the line of traffic. More importantly, no one else was involved - there were no other cars anywhere within sight when this happened.
I was still in a bad spot but was out of the traffic lane. It actually took about 5 seconds before I was able to think. During those few moments, I was dazed, felt air rushing through the window and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then I realized the sliding window behind my head flew open from the impact. I look at my side mirror on the drivers door and noticed the gas tank cover also had flown open, but the mirror was intact - both were in fact. I needed to check to see if my tires were still okay, but there was traffic now and all I could do was sit there for a bit. That's probably a good thing because it gave me much needed time to collect myself and breathe. I realized that my phone was under my feet, and that there was loose stuff thrown about in the cab.
First things first, I couldn't stay in the spot I was in - if someone else hit me there, we would both be in a world of hurt. After checking the tires, I pulled forward about 30 feet and got a bit more off to the side. That's the right thing to do, but in this case I was on a slight incline and anyone with a stick-shift knows that's a hard place to be. No choice though so I set the brake. Thankfully it still worked. Made my calls and waited for a coworker to check out the damage to make sure I could get on with the commute. I was shaking so bad, I couldn't speak very well. But that eventually passed and the truck was drivable, so I headed home.
Now, I was supposed to go in to work the next day but we had to take the truck to a collision shop first and then I would head on from there. No problem, I'm fine now, right? Yeah, right. Going through the damage to the truck and hearing the words 'totaled' and 'very lucky to be alive' were enough to bring the panic back. Didn't make it in Friday, but I will be damned if I'm going to let it keep affecting me this way. The truck may be totaled, but I AM NOT. I'll be back out there Monday morning - probably a bit earlier and a lot slower, but I will be out there.
So, when you're out there driving and you're 'stuck' behind someone who's not going fast enough for you, remember please that they have a very good reason for it. Have some patience and please for everyone's sake, be kind behind the wheel.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Gettin' My Snow Legs
Getting ready to head home in a bit - 60 wonderful miles of snow covered road in mid November. Nobody has their snow legs yet, although almost everyone thinks they do. Half the ride in this morning was clear, and within 5 miles of the snow hitting the road, there were folks off in the weeds.
Take a lesson from Mother Nature here - just chill. Whatever you're heading to can wait the extra 5, 10 or 15 minutes it will take you. Sending yourself or someone else off the road just so you can make it in time for the first few minutes of your program is not safe, smart or worth it.
It probably won't kill you to take your time, but it might kill me if you rush it. So please, slow down and pay attention to the road. You're not out there alone and we want to make sure you make it home or wherever you're going. Good Luck!
Take a lesson from Mother Nature here - just chill. Whatever you're heading to can wait the extra 5, 10 or 15 minutes it will take you. Sending yourself or someone else off the road just so you can make it in time for the first few minutes of your program is not safe, smart or worth it.
It probably won't kill you to take your time, but it might kill me if you rush it. So please, slow down and pay attention to the road. You're not out there alone and we want to make sure you make it home or wherever you're going. Good Luck!
Friday, September 30, 2011
2011 Color Tour on I-75
Well, my Dad says you have to take the side roads to see the sights. Taking the freeway is just getting there without enjoying the trip.
I agree, to a point. For those of us who travel this stretch every day however, there's plenty to see. The Fall colors along I-75 in Northern Michigan have been beautiful this year. There has been mighty impressive sky too, challenging you to pay attention to the road. The yellows seem brighter, the reds more fiery, and through it all the evergreens are a constant backdrop for the fall fashion show of color.
Those side roads will always beckon, but when you're simply looking to get on home, you tend to take the quickest way. Nothing says it can't be beautiful though, you simply have to look. Beauty is where you find it.
I agree, to a point. For those of us who travel this stretch every day however, there's plenty to see. The Fall colors along I-75 in Northern Michigan have been beautiful this year. There has been mighty impressive sky too, challenging you to pay attention to the road. The yellows seem brighter, the reds more fiery, and through it all the evergreens are a constant backdrop for the fall fashion show of color.
Those side roads will always beckon, but when you're simply looking to get on home, you tend to take the quickest way. Nothing says it can't be beautiful though, you simply have to look. Beauty is where you find it.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Blue Monday
Yes, it's February and my world is white. Why do I feel blue today? The weekend was very busy but a lot of fun. Work today is going well - no deadlines looming and the workload is not overwhelming for a change. No real reason to be blue, but here it is, a blue Monday.
Sometimes you need a kick in the pants to get out of a funk, and sometimes you have to be the kicker. Makes it tough when you have to be the one kicking your own butt. Today I definitely need the kick, and since it's against my nature to confide in anyone when the blues hit, I better loosen up the leg and get started.
What I need is a deadline or some goal today to ward off the blues.
Sometimes you need a kick in the pants to get out of a funk, and sometimes you have to be the kicker. Makes it tough when you have to be the one kicking your own butt. Today I definitely need the kick, and since it's against my nature to confide in anyone when the blues hit, I better loosen up the leg and get started.
What I need is a deadline or some goal today to ward off the blues.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
White Knuckles and Wall Huggers
Contemplating the drive home for the holidays and somehow now my daily drive doesn't seem so bad. Usually I have company going downstate, but I probably won't this time. A family emergency has made it so that my house partner will be heading down tonight or tomorrow morning, and I won't follow until sometime on Friday. No help for it - I can't get out of work due to commitments at the office, and he must get down there as soon as he can. All I can do is try to make it as stress-free for him as possible. Kind of hard to do that when I'll be dreading the drive down myself.
Since my move Up North, I've become a lousy driver in busy traffic. I'm one of those 'white knucklers' that you pass and laugh at, like the person on the outside ring of the skating rink, hugging the wall and afraid to get into the mainstream. I know that by the end of the weekend I'll be back to my lane changing, swearing, charging downstate driver self, but am secure in the knowledge that it won't take too long to revert back to my Up North casual commuter stance.
Until that time, if you happen to look over and see someone who seems to be having a rough time of it, give them a break and back off, keep your brights down, and for Pete's sake, be a polite driver out there.
Since my move Up North, I've become a lousy driver in busy traffic. I'm one of those 'white knucklers' that you pass and laugh at, like the person on the outside ring of the skating rink, hugging the wall and afraid to get into the mainstream. I know that by the end of the weekend I'll be back to my lane changing, swearing, charging downstate driver self, but am secure in the knowledge that it won't take too long to revert back to my Up North casual commuter stance.
Until that time, if you happen to look over and see someone who seems to be having a rough time of it, give them a break and back off, keep your brights down, and for Pete's sake, be a polite driver out there.
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