Give Me a Footbridge!

Departure Time: 7:12
Arrival Time: 7:54
Weather as I call it: Cloudy...but promise of clearing in the air...I still didn't wear a jacket...but maybe I should have.
Paper Guy: No hat..shades...I think it may have been the same outfit as yesterday.
Shady Gas Price: $2.95
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Another issue-free drive...

I noticed that the bike path along the Esplande is named...It was on a sign sticking out of the ground proclaiming that this bike path was the "so and so" bike path...I didn't see the exact name...

I want something named after me...Heck, if Fiedler can have a footbridge, so can I...

I call the Darmouth St. footbridge...call the EnuhCork footbridge now...

Actually I will take any footbridge that traps the most trucks over 12 feet in height.

Please Come To Boston In The Spring Time

Departure Time: 7:16
Arrival Time: 7:58
Weather as I call it: Sunny...I didn't wear a jacket
Paper Guy: No hat..shades...
Shady Gas Price: $2.95
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Happy Post-Holiday commute...not too bad on the roadways today...thought I would catch some peeps sleeping at the wheel...but no dice.

I had thoughts that the traffic volume would decrease now that colleges are out for the summer...not so...I haven't been able to detect any difference in the number of collegiate commuters.

Time to Take Some Time Off

Departure Time: 7:24
Arrival Time: 8:09
Weather as I call it: Partly Sunny
Paper Guy: Hair slicked back...shades...making sales.
Shady Gas Price: $2.97
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Not a bad commute....nobody stalled their car in front of me...no accidents...no incidents..

I will be off until next Tuesday...so take it easy out there....

Plate Problems

Departure Time: 7:09
Arrival Time: 7:48
Weather as I call it: Sunny again
Paper Guy: Shades today...with the black McDs windbreaker
Shady Gas Price: $2.97
Yelled at other drivers: Yes
Feared for my life: No

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You can add 'bird poop' to the list of stuff on my car hood.

I would have had a 7:04 departure time if I didn't have a problem with my license plate. When I walked out to the car today, I noticed that the plate attached to my front bumper was holding on by a thread...or by one single screw...not sure why...but instead of fixing it, I took the whole thing completely off and got on the road...not sure if that was against the law or not...I didn't get caught in any case.

Some woman stalled on Route 28 today...At least I think she stalled. She threw on her hazards and sat there. I was right behind her and I panicked a bit. I think I shouted, "You've got to be kidding me..." She was able to get it going pretty soon...but for a few seconds, I thought I was stuck.

My Forest On My Car Hood

Departure Time: 7:14
Arrival Time: 7:54
Weather as I call it: Sunny..and a little windy
Paper Guy: Light brown knit cap and glasses...not sunglasses.
Shady Gas Price: $2.97
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Now that my wife has the CR-V...she gets to park it in the garage...Mostly because I was waking up the baby everytime I opened the garage door in the morning...but slightly because she's the boss. Not sure what the true percentage split is between those two factors...

Since I park outside, I am noticing lots of "stuff" collects on my hood...including:

• Little green leaves


• Small black seeds of some sort


• Tree branches


• Pollen

I find myself staring at this stuff throughout the drive....wondering when it will come off....I think it's time for the car wash.

Friday Isn't a Dry Day

Departure Time: 7:10
Arrival Time: 7:54
Weather as I call it: Light rain progressively getting heavier as I drove along
Paper Guy: No hat No shades Not happy
Shady Gas Price: $2.97
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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The further west I went...the more the rain came down...

I ran into some slow spots...I think people were letting go of the wheel and burying their faces into their hands to cope with the rain.

Some people can't handle it.

One With Machine

Departure Time: 7:14
Arrival Time: 7:55
Weather as I call it: Partly Sunny...high 50s
Paper Guy: No hat and shades...
Shady Gas Price: $2.99
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Easy Peasy drive today...There are times when driving seems effortless...when you feel one with your car...One of those times was this morning. No police, no issues, no bad weather, just good times.

Here's a close up of Paper Guy...still kinda blurry but that's what happens when you take a picture while driving.

No California Stops in Boston

Departure Time: 7:20
Arrival Time: 8:08
Weather as I call it: Sunny and of course a bit humid
Paper Guy: McD's black windbreaker...and the shades
Shady Gas Price: $2.99
Yelled at other drivers: Meh
Feared for my life: No

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So the sun finally came out today...after 8 days of rain, we have some dry pavement to tread on...

There was this white pickup that tried to take a left turn while I was driving through town. I made him think twice. He yielded to me....which was the right move...there's nothing better than that split second lurch where the driver is making that decision of "Should I go?" and the rational side of their brain tells them to step on the brake.

At the intersection of the Monsignor O'Brien Highway and Storrow Drive, there is a red light. Most people take a right at this light to get onto Storrow Drive...

You know, "turning right on red" is allowed in this state...but you have to come to a complete stop first...Most people at that intersection sorta slide through, making a quick look to the left and flooring it to get onto Storrow...I call that a California Stop.

Wellup...today...there was a state trooper standing near this intersection to remind us: This is Boston, not L.A.

He didn't pull me over...but I watched him pull over another guy in my rearview...The state trooper pointed at the driver in a forceful way...as if he was shouting out "YOU!" at the same time...and then pointed to the curb so let the driver know where he should park his car.

I learned my lesson...Don't do anything stoopid near state police barracks.

Maybe I'll Build an Ark

Departure Time: 7:13
Arrival Time: 7:54
Weather as I call it: Yeah. It's raining again.
Paper Guy: You tell me...see below
Shady Gas Price: $2.99
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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I think a lot of peeps are staying home and not dealing with driving through the new Venice...It's been really easy for me. Not a lot of stress...

I know this photo has been a long time coming...but here is PAPER GUY in his all of his rain gear glory!

Soon I Will Be Sailing To Work

Departure Time: 7:12
Arrival Time: 7:54
Weather as I call it: Rain...heavy rain throughout the trip
Paper Guy: Gray and blue raincoat...no shades
Shady Gas Price: $2.99
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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1. Massachusetts is underwater...really...it's been raining and raining and raining and...well you get the picture...there has been many road closings and lots of flooding. Take a look at some of the flood photos from around the area. You will happy to know that the roads I use to get to work are totally passable.

2. I was sleepy today...my eyes were heavy by the time I pulled into the parking lot at work. I may need to drink some caffeinated beverage before I get behind the wheel...which will probably lead to more yelling and fearing...

3. Traffic volume should be getting a bit smaller starting this week...colleges should be out for the summer...which means less yelling and fearing.

Foggy Streets and State Troopers

Departure Time: 7:29
Arrival Time: 8:20
Weather as I call it: Foggy
Paper Guy: Shades and earwarmer!
Shady Gas Price: $2.99
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Happy Friday to you. I don't know if it was the fog or the late start or a combination of both but it was a long drive to work today. But with the volume and the limited visibility, I still didn't have a bad drive...just a long one.

I saw a lot of Massachusetts State Police cars on my drive. One was monitoring speed towards the end of Soldier's Field Road. Another one was overlooking the trimming of trees on the same road. The third one was driving behind me...making me nervous for no reason...I always think I am going to get pulled over...just because I'm me.

"They" being Major League Baseball

Arrival Time: 7:57
Weather as I call it: Light Rain
Paper Guy: He had his hat on..and his shades were back
Shady Gas Price: $2.87
Yelled at other drivers: Yeah...
Feared for my life: No

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They, you know..."they"...have the long rubber tubes out to count cars.

You have seen them...they are black, about a half inch wide, laid across the roadway, and are attached to some mechanical box...When you drive over them, there is a noticable bump in the road.

These tubes are all over Storrow Drive and Solidier's Field Road. Hopefully with the data they are collecting with the tubes along with the survey I filled out a few weeks ago, "they" will make good decisions when they start working on the tunnel.

I had to beep at a guy in a green minivan who wasn't paying attention at the light. Although his back window was tinted, I could see that we was in the midst of a long stretch when the light turned green. I yelled something in the vein of, "Wake up, Sweetheart and let's get moving..." and he did.

Holding On To Nothing But The Wheel

Departure Time: 7:17
Arrival Time: 7:59
Weather as I call it: Light to heavy rain at times
Paper Guy: Hat was back on..no shades
Shady Gas Price: Holding steady at $2.87
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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I was noticing that my steering wheel is worn on the left side...and the left side only.

I was wondering if I take more left turns than right...it's weird...but I counted the number of left turns I take to get to work. 5 left turns...but I take an equal number of right turns each trip.

I think the wear of my wheel comes from just my driving style. I hold the wheel with my left hand...and I drink coffee, eat bagels, change the radio station, wave to people, etc with my right.

Can You Polish a Turd?

Departure Time: 7:15
Arrival Time: 7:58
Weather as I call it: Mostly cloudy...some sun in spots...probably pushing 55 degrees
Paper Guy: I think the hat is gone for the season
Shady Gas Price: $2.87
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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There was an aggressive MBTA bus in town today. After he was done dropping off passengers, he threw his weight around...narrowly missing a minivan as he pulled back into traffic...think of this lumbering yellow and white hulk of a vehicle jerking quickly to the left while a limber (in comparison) maroon Windstar maneuvered wildly out of the path of the incoming bus.

Ok, the scene wasn't close to being that cool...but that's the most interesting thing that happened today.

This Is What It's All About

Departure Time: N/A
Arrival Time: N/A
Weather as I call it: Sunny...a great spring day in Boston
Paper Guy: N/A
Shady Gas Price: N/A
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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I had a trip to the dentist before I went to work today...so I didn't collect the normal metrics....

Since most of the stuff I write about in this blog is seemingly negative, I just want to point out that today was a great day for driving. Sun shining...the leaves are back on the trees...the chill of winter is gone until much later on this year...The roads are clear of ice and snow...people are running along the Charles...Everybody was driving with each other rather than against each other.

It was a day that reminds you of the reasons why you live here rather than somewhere else in the world.

Cell Phone Talking Blues

Departure Time: 7:15
Arrival Time: 7:57
Weather as I call it: Sunny and seasonal
Paper Guy: No hat and shades...singing to himself
Shady Gas Price: $2.87
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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I saw somebody driving down the street covering their face with multiple sheets of 8 x 11 paper. Were they hiding? Were they covering up a sneeze? Were they reading a report (while driving) and then the wind blew it in their face? I don't know..probably best left unexplained.

So, I encountered a slow moving vehicle...and it was having a hard time staying in the lane...

I passed the woman...and as I looked in, she was on her cell phone.

At the next light, I kept watching her in my rearview...it definitely wasn't a quick call...she was involved in an intense conversation. My question to you is: Who the heck could she be talking to at 7:40 AM with that intensity?

She's not the first person I have seen chatting away at the crack of dawn behind the wheel. I just don't get it. I guess after 8 hours of sleep, she needed to fill the silence again...

Sun Returns Gasoline Burns

Departure Time: 7:22
Arrival Time: 8:11
Weather as I call it: Wispy clouds obscuring sun in East...blue skies in the West
Paper Guy: No hat..shades...so you know it's gotta be warmer.
Shady Gas Price: Didn't see it today
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Slow going in town because I was behind a big truck that had a hard time slowing down for pedestrians crossing the street...Objects not in motion tend to stay not in motion?

It's been a good week...not a lot of yelling or fearing.

How about this for a profile picture?

No More Mr. Nice Guy

Departure Time: 7:22
Arrival Time: 8:16
Weather as I call it: Light Rain
Paper Guy: A huge umbrella...It was one of these 8 panel numbers with an alternating pattern of crimson and white. He IS a Harvard man
Shady Gas Price: $2.89
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Ya ever get behind a person who lets everybody pull in front of them, stops for every pedestrian, cautiously manuevers around every pot hole, etc.?

Yeaaaaaaaaaaah....I was behind that person today.

I think they were looking for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Whenever they encountered an opportunity to be nice, they were.

Now, I am all for being nice...but there is a point where it becomes annoying...especially when they are not standing up for their own unalienable "right of way" rights.

Sometimes you have to just push through.

May Showers Bring April Flowers

Departure Time: 7:22
Arrival Time: 8:12
Weather as I call it: Rainy...just rainy.
Paper Guy: Winter hat but appropriately not wearing his "shades" today....Shades is another word for sunglasses.
Shady Gas Price: $2.89
Yelled at other drivers: No
Feared for my life: No

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Funny thing I saw today...A woman was crossing the street in town and as she got to the other side of the street, a car passed her by.

As the car passed by, it splashed a little bit...and I mean a little bit...of water in her direction...

Well, I guess enough of the water splashed into her shoes and it provoked the woman to react unusually...

She started to dance as if her feet were on fire...Think of what it may look like if you are watching someone walk on hot concrete in summer with no shoes on...sorta that quick hopping between your two feet to diffuse the pain.

The look on her face was one of disbelief...nearing horror.

Anyway, the scene made me chuckle.

May Day! May Day!

Departure Time: 7:10
Arrival Time: 7:47
Weather as I call it: Cloudy...50s
Paper Guy: Paper guy still wears the winter hat
Shady Gas Price: $2.89
Yelled at other drivers:Nope
Feared for my life:Not today

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Should we twirl 'round the May pole? Is Maypole one word?

Pretty easy drive today....Monday are generally pretty easy...

Easy like Monday morning......................

Just doesn't have the same effect, no?

Control Your Road Rage!