This is the commute that does not end/It just goes on and on, my friends....
So, this morning... See, I have about an 18-mile drive to work. Normally, this takes me about 20-25 minutes. Today? 1.5 hours, almost.
First, there were the sheep. It happens this time of year. Shepherds are moving their flocks to their summer grazing grounds, and because they are not stupid shepherds, they use the roads to do that. So, you get to drive through large herds of sheep in early summer and late fall around here. Usually not a problem. You creep along (BUT DON'T STOP!), the sheep move out of your way, you get to the other side of the herd in a few minutes, tops.
...Except, of course, when there are tourists in the line of traffic trying to get through. The SUV in front of me had Ohio plates on it and at least three kids in it. They stopped, the sheep swarmed around them, they opened their windows to pet the cute little sheepies and take pictures. You get the picture. Took 15 minutes, at least, to get through the sheep. *sigh*
But I figured that once I was through that, I was home free. Just fly down County Road 240. Not a problem. Well...NOT!
I get into town, where they have brilliantly decided to do roadwork on the one of only two ways to get into Durango during the hour when everyone is trying to get into town. Dumb, but...OK, not so bad. Can deal with that. Except that the traffic controllers had to be the worst traffic controllers EVER. On the going-into-town side of the one-lane section, the backup was almost two miles long, according to my odometer. I finally get through it, get through the one-lane section, and what do I find on the other side? Eight cars waiting to go out of town. EIGHT CARS! So these controllers have a two-mile backup on one side and eight cars on the other. What is wrong with this picture? I hope this doesn't last long. I hate having to take the highway into town because it takes about 15 minutes longer than the back way I usually take. :p Thank goodness I can pretty much come in when I want and leave when I want around here. Not a timeclock to be seen. :)
In other news, Happy Solstice to the pagans on my f-list. Don't party too hard. :)
First, there were the sheep. It happens this time of year. Shepherds are moving their flocks to their summer grazing grounds, and because they are not stupid shepherds, they use the roads to do that. So, you get to drive through large herds of sheep in early summer and late fall around here. Usually not a problem. You creep along (BUT DON'T STOP!), the sheep move out of your way, you get to the other side of the herd in a few minutes, tops.
...Except, of course, when there are tourists in the line of traffic trying to get through. The SUV in front of me had Ohio plates on it and at least three kids in it. They stopped, the sheep swarmed around them, they opened their windows to pet the cute little sheepies and take pictures. You get the picture. Took 15 minutes, at least, to get through the sheep. *sigh*
But I figured that once I was through that, I was home free. Just fly down County Road 240. Not a problem. Well...NOT!
I get into town, where they have brilliantly decided to do roadwork on the one of only two ways to get into Durango during the hour when everyone is trying to get into town. Dumb, but...OK, not so bad. Can deal with that. Except that the traffic controllers had to be the worst traffic controllers EVER. On the going-into-town side of the one-lane section, the backup was almost two miles long, according to my odometer. I finally get through it, get through the one-lane section, and what do I find on the other side? Eight cars waiting to go out of town. EIGHT CARS! So these controllers have a two-mile backup on one side and eight cars on the other. What is wrong with this picture? I hope this doesn't last long. I hate having to take the highway into town because it takes about 15 minutes longer than the back way I usually take. :p Thank goodness I can pretty much come in when I want and leave when I want around here. Not a timeclock to be seen. :)
In other news, Happy Solstice to the pagans on my f-list. Don't party too hard. :)