Sign Sign Everywhere a Sign

Humor, SoCS 78 comments

When I saw the SoCS prompt last night, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. I had just returned from a week in Washington, D.C. and the post I was planning to write kinda went off the rails. “Off the rails” is a good metaphor since I traveled to and from D.C. via AMTRAK. Well, you could have guessed that, I’ve taken you along on several train rides to D.C. Great, now this post is going off the rails.

You see, the plan for today’s post was for something wrapped around Father’s Day. I had a good plan. I was going to share a few things my father taught me. I’ve been writing them down for months. There was one problem – before leaving for Washington on Monday, I didn’t realize that this weekend is the home of Father’s Day. I thought I had another week to assemble my thoughts. I mean, I don’t pay attention to when Father’s Day happens, other people do.

The week in Washington was chock-a-block full of morning to night stuff. Not much left at the end of the day for writing a post from scratch. The stuff I published this past week had been written before I left. I just had to adjust it based on the outcome of a hockey game, or in worst case, two. I figured I’d “bang out a post about dad” last night.

There are two things you need to know at this point. One, I’m not some crazy-productive writer who can bang things out. The second thing is actually part of that post about my dad. “No half-assed attempts allowed.” So, I peeked in my inbox and Linda had saved the day.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “sign.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

You’ve been saved too, from a hastily put together post about something. The best thing about Linda’s prompt is that I love signs and I have a bunch of photos of signs. I have used a couple before, but I have several that you haven’t seen. The captions tell the story that the signs don’t tell themselves and that’s it. As Linda says, enjoy!

This is a sign I can respect.
That poor guy is on the sidewalk at Great River Park. the park is flooded. He might be going under.
One of my favorite signs. This is the place where the seeds of those bar conversations are sown.
I know it’s a warning sign, but that guy looks like he’s having too much fun.
I always like seeing the tipping-over truck. Yes, I do slow down.
We’re getting off here. Eat ‘n Park is serving breakfast.
I was staying at a Hyatt. The sign is being reflected in the neighboring building.
When we see that a bridge may be icy, we know we’re in Pennsylvania.
This sign is in the Strip District in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is said to be one of the most bike-friendly cities in the states.
It’s gonna be hard to have any fun here.
Another sign of how you get to be a bike-friendly city.
This is one of my favorite signs.
Despite the warning signs, 1,000 people are injured each year at the gap.
Let’s hope we can all pay attention to this sign.
I had to get a picture of this sign.

Oh, and if that title put a song in your head, give a listen:

78 comments

  1. Your title, as you undoubtedly intended, put that song into my head, so it was good that you included the youtube link. You look too young, Dan, for that to be a song from your youth, but I remember the song from the early 1970’s when I was in high school (and long hair was still a possibility for me). As for your signs, what a great collection–they had me laughing and cringing and scratching my head, sometimes all at the same time.

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    1. Thanks Mike. I graduated high school in 1972, do I heard this song on the car radio, many times. Hair, if any length is becoming less of a possibility for me these days.

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  6. I don’t know if it’s the caffeine coursing through my veins, but I could comment on all of these signs. So I won’t – except to say, love the Hyatt, the bridge might be icy or may be icy – I’ve never mastered that grammatical distinction; and of course you had to get that last “no facilities” sign!

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    1. Thanks Maggie. The may be icy signs are so good to see on the way to Pittsburgh, since it means we’re now in Pennsylvania. On the way home, though, continuing to see them means we’re still in Pennsylvania (it’s a big state). The sign st the rest area had to be captured.

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  7. Funny, that song is the first thing that popped into my head when I saw Linda’s prompt. Unfortunately, it’s been stuck there ever since.

    Nice signs and response to the prompt, Dan. The taxi sign grossed me out, but then I smiled at the bike-friendly sign. I hope after a fun-filled week in D.C., you get to relax today with the Editor and the furry kids.

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    1. Thanks Mary. I thought of you when I added the bike signs. I saw your comment on the taxi sign – sorry, but I had to include it. I can’t reply there from my phone.

      I think a quiet weekend is on tap (and I picked that phrase for a reason). Although, I just got back from a walk in the drizzle. Maddie said I owed her a walk.

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  8. I found my all time favorite sign hiding behind a bush in Palm Cove, Australia. It read, and I paraphrase:

    BEWARE THIS IS A TROPICAL BEACH (and here is a list of all the things that will kill you)
    – 25 foot sea crocodiles.
    – Sharks (naturally)
    – Ultra poisonous sea snakes.
    – Boxies (jelly fish) The poison from one will kill you in 15 minutes, the less lethal one will kill you in an hour.
    – Eels (with really big fangs)
    – Cassowary. (it is a big shy pretty bird that will gut you if you get too close)
    – Marble Cone Snail (Yeah, a snail – and don’t think you can outrun it)
    – Blue-Ringed Octopus (venomous, of course)
    – Snapping Turtles (not native to Australia, the ultra-large and thoroughly nasty snapper is an import from Minnesota. Originally brought over to defend beach combers from everything on the list above, the beast still insists on taking down a few tourists every year – a small price to pay)

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    1. Yikes. As I read that, I figure my luck would be to be bitten by the less lethal Boxy and be gutted by a Cassowary in my 45 minutes of bonus time. Good to see that your home state made a contribution.

      Thanks…I think.

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  9. Love your signs. They show the wide breath of your interests from honoring our heroes to the humor associated with trying to explain to a human what the results might be from their actions. :-) I’ll look forward to your Dad post, and greetings from hot, hot, hot KS. :-)

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  10. This prompt was worth it just to have you post a “No Sanitary Facilities” sign on your blog, Dan. And thanks for getting that song stuck in my head — it may be one of my favourites, but I’ll hate it when 2:00 rolls around and I can still hear it! ;P

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    1. Sorry Wendy, if I feel my ears burning, I’ll know who started the fire. I had to walk almost the full length of the entrance ramp into that rest area to get that picture. I didn’t see it in time to stop on the way in. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  14. As I am looking at your post in the tiniest way possible I am sitting the insurance pharmacy awaiting my prescription to be filled ( which was dropped yesterday and promised to be filled but let’s nit open THAT Pandora’a box) i promise to come back with a great comment later on. Glad you had a good trip. I imagine with no shortage of signs. 😉

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  15. HAHA! We really did think of the same song! I wonder how many more of us there will be?
    I agree that you should not just bang somethin out about your dad. He deserves many fine tributes, no half-assing, fersure.
    I like the signs. Taxi sign for sure. Hehehee! :)

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    1. I think there are likely a few others. That song jumped right into my head. I really figured that, with all the notes I had, I could pull a post together quickly, but it wasn’t going to be anything he would have liked.

      So, I’ll ask you same question as I asked Laura. Does the taxi sign remind you at all of little kid carpools?

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    1. The Molly Wee would be the bar, if I lived closer to New York. The Molly Wee is always a stop when I go to New York, even if I just go for a day. Similarly, Jacob Wirth’s is a stop in Boston, if I get anywhere near downtown. Tunxis is the local watering hole. But, I’ve had conversations in all of them that have made it into stories on Saturday. Cheryl moonlights wherever I need her, she’s just the best bartender :-)

      The sign in the Taxis is from New Orleans. I don’t know how those guys could have worked it into that song.

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  18. Thanks for including the song. It seems that if I get a song stuck in my head I have to listen to it before it leaves. Reading through the comments I now have Strange Magic stuck in my head so I will have to go and search it out on youtube.

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  22. Dan–these signs are the best. Clicking your heels and jumping for Caution. Gotta love it. The Blasting sign reminded me of Pinocchio singing ‘Give a Little Whistle.’ And then the ‘No Sanitary Facilities.’ No kidding. I have yet to see one that was even borderline sanitary!

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    1. Thanks Lois/ That little warning guy is having way too much fun to be effective. I never thought about your take on the Facilities, but you’re right, they never are.

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    1. Thanks Joanne. That poor guy goes under the surface a couple of times every year. I feel bad for him. They put the dock out around Memorial Day, but we had a short period of flooding after that, this year. I take photos of signs all the time. I keep thinking I’ll find a use for them. This was a good prompt.

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  24. Apologies for my late arrival Dan. We have had sunshine today and we were out enjoying it! It has been a busy two days and there are several posts stewing around in my brain.
    Love your signs! That bar looks like a great place. I sure hope that guy knows how to swim…
    I would never play around at a train depot. I have deep respect for those beautiful bad boys. Where I’m from we have very few icy bridge signs but many Watch for Rising Water, Bridges May Flood signs. And I love the Hyatt reflection! Awesome. Happy Father’s Day!

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  25. Happy Father’s Day, Dan! ☕. 🍓🎂. 🍻
    I think we would accept anything you wrote since the body of your blogging posts are very fine and edited by the proper Editor, Dan!!
    I love signs!
    The one respecting Korean War Very was the pretty brass and most meaningful “sign.”
    My favorite was a stop sign / no left turn / combination with one way (I think it is an example of the worst collection that you can find in Any town or city!)

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  29. What a collection of signs. Laughed at some, wondered at others, said a prayer especially the women who fought in battle. Your collection deserves a star for variety. And Happy Father’s Day again!! Enjoy it!! 💐

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  32. That’s cool to be saved by a blogger friend :)
    You can always save your Father’s Day post for next year. Or write about what your dad taught you for another post. Maybe suggested by another blogger friend.
    Love the signs. And the song very much!

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  33. Oh, wow, your signs are very explicit. The ‘no changing clothes’ one made me sad, the tornado one made me worry, the taxi warning made me wonder about their past experiences, and the Hyatt reflection made me say Yeah, great photo!

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    1. Thanks, The Hyatt and the taxi are both from New Orleans. I didn’t take the taxi photo, but a friend gave me permission to use it. I’m sure there’s a historically good reason for the sigh and the amount. The tornado warning might have been Salt Lake City or Omaha – the beach, yeah, that’s a bit sad.

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