Dan Antion

Wrong Direction – #SoCS

The perfect lime wedge.

Welcome to the weekend. It’s Saturday and we’re going to visit the bar for an adult beverage and some polite conversation. Linda G. Hill has given us the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, and despite the possible use of ‘election’ we never talk politics at this bar,

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘ect.’ Find a word with the letters ‘ect’ in it, and base your post on that word. (Not to be confused with ‘et cetera,’ which is ‘etc.’) Enjoy!”

Now, if we were having a beer, we’d both be surprised.

“Wow, Cheryl, where is everyone?”

“Business has been off in the bar Dan. I think people are worried about the coronavirus.”

“A little over-cautious, I suspect. Speaking of Corona, but not to be confused with the virus…”

“Coming right up, Dan. Where’s your buddy?”

“I saw him waiting for a parking space in the upper lot. He’ll be along shortly.”

“Cool.”

“Hi Dan, sorry I’m late. I had a hard time finding a parking space.”

“I know. The lower lot was empty when I pulled in, why don’t you park there?”

“It’s tight. I worry that my car will get dinged.”

“Fair enough.”

“Here’s your Corona, and a perfect lime wedge, Dan. Hi David.”

“Hi Cheryl.”

“Would you like your usual setup?”

“I would. I swear the traffic on this road gets worse every week.”

“Well, let’s get you calmed down, but not so ‘calm’ as to add to the traffic woes.”

“Thanks Cheryl. Is the traffic bad coming in from your direction, Dan?”

“It is David. In fact, it’s bad all around here.”

“Must be scary when you’re riding your bike.”

“Scary enough that I’m not riding it on the road anymore.”

“Really?”

“Really, it’s too dangerous.”

“Here you go, David. Three fingers of John Howell’s Bourbon, a snifter of seltzer and a glass of ice.”

“And you remembered the cherries, thank you Cheryl.”

“Enjoy.”

“Cheers, Dan.”

“Cheers.”

“No offense intended, Dan, but I’ve seen you on your bike. You’re, let’s say, pretty visible.”

“Ha, I know I’m a large target, and I’m riding a twenty-seven-inch bike, but it doesn’t matter.”

“You are taking precautions, right?”

“Of course. I wear a helmet. My bike has reflectors, I wear gloves, good shoes and I carry a small first-aid kit, but there’s no protection that works in a vehicle-versus-bicycle accident.”

“I guess not. And there aren’t many bike lanes.”

“There are not, David and drivers around here have no respect for the bike lanes we do have. They swerve in and out of them all the time.”

“Well, they don’t have much respect for other drivers, either. The state or the towns should do something about this.”

“The towns are trying, David. They’re adding traffic circles and speed bumps, humps and tables., but they’re largely ineffective.”

“I wish someone could explain those terms. I know what a speed bump is. I thought a speed hump was…”

“Now, David, this is a family bar. I stopped to see if you boys want any food today.”

“I think we’ll have some later, Cheryl.”

“OK. By the way, I’m with David, why all the new names for speed bumps?”

“Bumps are the little things. Humps are wider, but still completely curved. Speed Tables bump up, are flat for a while and then bump down.”

“Well, aren’t you the fountain of knowledge.”

“You did say ‘I wish someone could explain…’ David.”

“Rhetorical, Dan. The concept you fail to understand is rhetorical. Then again, it’s my fault, I’ve known you long enough to know you delight in answering rhetorical questions.”

“Maybe we should order some food. Cheryl, how about a large pepperoni pizza.”

“I’ll put that in, Dan, and I’ll refresh the drinks when it’s ready.”

“Excellent.”

“So, Dan, back to the traffic. If the efforts by the towns aren’t working, maybe the state should step in.”

“This state? Don’t count on it. This state doesn’t care.”

“What makes you say that?”

“About one-third of the states are so unconcerned about ‘non-driver’ traffic deaths, that they actually set goals that would allow more people to be killed, including pedestrians and cyclists.”

“And Connecticut is in that third?”

“Yep.”

“That’s sad. So where will you ride?

“Once the Windsor Locks Canal opens for the season, I’ll ride there.”

“That opens in April, right?”

“Unless there are eaglets.”

“Eaglets?”

“The lower portion of the canal is a Bald Eagle nesting area. If any of the nesting pairs have babies, they’ll keep that portion closed until the eaglets fledge.”

“So, the state cares about baby birds but not so much about cyclists.”

“Your pizza is almost ready. Here’s another round, boys. And David, if cyclists wanted respect, they’d have a cute name like ‘eaglet’ – I mean who doesn’t love saying eaglet?”

“Good point, Cheryl. So, Dan, are there any other trails nearby?”

“Northampton.”

“Northampton is over thirty miles away. I wouldn’t call that close.”

“No, but there’s a chance CTRail might extend the Hartford Line to Northampton, or at least coordinate their schedules with The Valley Flyer which goes to Northampton from Springfield, Mass.”

“Can you take your bike on the train?”

“Yes they’ve added bike racks.”

“How perfect for you, a train ride – a bike ride – a train ride, all in the same day.”

“That would be nice.”

“As nice as a hot pepperoni pizza?”

“Mmmmmm, pizzzaaaaa.”

To see the whole report. Copy & paste this link in your browser – https://smartgrowthamerica.org/app/uploads/2020/01/DbD-2020-Report.pdf
As we walked by, Maddie spied a cat who gave her the stink-eye.
No baseball here, the infield is still a sheet of ice.
The entrance to Maddie’s park (well that’s how she sees it).
Squirrel houses.
We had a nice warm day. Warm enough for Maddie to just camp on her deck.
I had to go into Hartford early on Friday.
I think that shadow means MuMu has claimed the shelf above my desk.
“You’re back…”
Presented as evidence – I DO brush MuMu
It seems I woke MiMi from her beauty sleep.
Just playing around at breakfast.
Sure, you can have some of the potatoes.

72 comments

  1. The cat with the stink eye didn’t realize how experienced Maddie is with receiving one of those. :-) Looks like Maddie will have some more deck time next week. That chart is unbelievable. I had to read it twice and check out the link. I don’t even have words to respond.

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    • Thanks GP. Sorry to see you’re in with CT – we can afford a few more deaths on the road. It makes me angry.

      Windows 10 does many more things in the background, especially if you’re running older versions of your applications. I could actually give you some specifics…don’t worry, I won’t. I would if there was something you could do to improve it.

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  6. That chart is quite sobering. Sorry to see where New York is. Seems like the more we push forward the more we go backwards.

    Great job with the prompt! Beautiful calico cat, but that’s a pretty mild stink eye! I bet Maddie had a good laugh over that one. Love the photo of Maddie enjoying her deck. When she’s out there, her whole body looks happy. It was worth every hour you put into building it.

    MuMu is really guarding her domain. For Heaven’s sake, don’t lose that brush! Lol.

    And MiMi, still struggling to be left alone!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • Thanks Ginger. I think the problem around here is mainly distracted drivers. Cars have swerved in front of me, cut me off and passed me so close that I really don’t think they see me. I’m pretty hard to miss! We’ve had cyclists killed by cars, so I’m just not taking the chance any longer. It’s sad, but it’s not worth it.

      The girls all have their own approach to the early signs of spring. MiMi and MuMu have their windows, Maddie has a porch and deck choices. She seems to know then the Trex surface is warm (it does get warm) enough to lay on. She pulls us over for a few minutes. MuMu really seems to be saying “if you’re going to sit there, you should brush me.”

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  13. I have a friend who’s a serious biker and she says it can be pretty scary safety-wise. She’s got the distracted drivers and tight lanes but she’s also got to contend with catcalls and cars full of teen/college age boys who give her a hard time. I’m impressed she sticks with it.

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  17. So much to enjoy with this post, Dan. I see Florida made the bad list…… We just spent a bunch of city tax dollars on green bike lanes. I’d still be scared if I were a biker. I can’t want for baseball to start. Those trash-talking birds you have crack me up. I love those guys! “Rhetorical, Dan. The concept you fail to understand is rhetorical.”–Ah, David, you are dear to my heart. When I was feeling a tad bitchy at work (which became a regular occurrence :D) I would ask an, obviously (to me), rhetorical question and wait for Ms I Know Everything to respond. One look to my coworkers and we would die laughing! Ms IKE took awhile to catch on, but eventually she did. That was a whole lotta fun! Have a great weekend, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I just saw two crows this morning walking on the ice near fist base. I hope they don’t spray for insects. They sprayed last year and it kept the birds away cuz nothing to eat.

      Hartford actually has a combination bike/bus lane. I kid you not.

      I do answer rhetorical questions. My wife just glares at me sometimes to let me know “don’t answer!”

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  19. A few things, Dan. 1) I’m sorry for your sucky bike trails, but it makes me feel blessed that WI does a great job with them. 2) We don’t have the traffic you do here, but I still do not like riding roads or city streets on the bike. 3) I am now craving a pepperoni pizza.

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    • Thanks Mary. Sorry about the pizza. There are a lot of good bike trails in CT, just not may where we are. Still, I love the canal trail – I just have to share with the eagles. As for the traffic, it only takes one distracted driver.

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  20. Hahaha. I agree with David. When I first saw a speed hump sign, I was taken aback. I always thought they were bumps. But I don’t know. New things do shake up the norm and give folks something to talk about and more importantly, complain about. How could we go on without complaint fodder? Haha. Great post as always, Dan. Thanks for sharing!

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  23. LOL Now that’s a serious stink-eye from that cat, Dan. Too funny. Really enjoyed seeing your family in action. I do not tire of seeing them. Great job on the prompt. Way to go!
    As for the coronavirus ….. The biggest thing to keep in mind is know where your hands are at all times and wash them as much as possible. If you have a habit of putting your hands up to your face, stop doing that too. If someone around you is coughing or sneezing, IF you can get away from that person. Every piece of equipment I use at the gym I wash down before and after I use it … just makes good sense. I heard a report that incited panic in the public and I just shook my head. Stock up on canned foods, get extra medicine, prepare for the worst. Come on!! Let’s put things in perspective and just take precautions. The public does not need to fly into a panic. Darn it!
    Biking ….. it’s getting scarier and scarier here. We finally bought a bike rack so we can go biking in a safe biking park. We really need bike lanes on our roads and we just don’t have them!

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    • Thanks Amy. I agree, normal precautions like we should be using for colds and flu. At least I don’t have to do my slow burn with the people who think their presence is so important that they have to come to work when they’re sick. That really bothered me.

      We have bike lanes, in a lot of places, but cars swerve in and out of them. I’ve always had a rearview mirror on my left handlebar, so I could see what;s coming, but sometime, you just have nowhere to go. I’ve been squeezed off the shoulder by cars drifting out of their lane. It’s just not worth it.

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      • I too have a rearview mirror on my left handlebar, Dan. As you say, it’s just not worth it. Even with a helmet a biker has little protection when it comes to a car or worse a truck.
        What gets me is when someone at the gym for heaven’s sake is hacking. Really? Talk about the stink-eye …. my look says it all and I move far away. We all, young and older, need to take responsibility and THINK about safety first. As I told Hubby last night when he attempted to get me into a panic (he goes overboard!) I do not want to hear any more about this virus for I am choosing to focus on beauty and good and love. I will NOT feed into the fear that is so prevalent today! And I’m smart enough to know how to take precautions. Universal precautions were drilled into me when I was an RN.

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  24. It’s always an education to read one of your posts. I’ve never heard of speed humps or tables. Thanks for the explanation. I’m sure I’m going to run into those terms a lot now that you’ve introduced them 😉

    I’m horrified though that many states are increasing their targets for road carnage. WTH?!

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  25. “About one-third of the states are so unconcerned about ‘non-driver’ traffic deaths, that they actually set goals that would allow more people to be killed, including pedestrians and cyclists.”

    Only the mind of a bureaucrat could conceive something that messed up.

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  27. OMG, I love the stink-eye cat! Calicos are my favorite, anyway, and the stink-eye is so typical of them! For some reason, we get a lot of bicyclists around Corydon in the warmer weather. It’s like there’s a biking trail through here or something. I’ve never seen one hit, or cocked up in a ditch, so drivers around here must be considerate of them. Cuss them, maybe, but don’t hit them.

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  28. I’m far too chicken to cycle, also not exactly known for my sense of balance, so probably best all round that bikes & I remain strangers😂 My daughter & granddaughter do & on the streets of London, which I try not to think about. I don’t know where they fit into the hump/bump discussion, but there is still massive uncertainty about who has right-of-way at a village I know with a “square-about” some 10 years after it was built 😀

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    • A “square about” ? That sounds frightening. I don’t like yielding the right of way when it should be mine, but I usually give way to the larger vehicle. I’ve only been in London once, and I had enough trouble walking. Thanks for reading !

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      • London driving is an interesting experience, well … when it’s not all traffic jams anyway. I used to like it – but I had a beat up old car so few argued with me over right of way 🙂These days I’m a gentler old-lady country-side type driver.

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  29. MuMu gettin her brushing, aw!
    Well I am not surprised where my state falls. Other than my own dead-ender, you wouldn’t catch me on a bike on an actual street here. Almost the same for walking, but I live on the safer side, otherwise, I wouldn’t. Trails are where it’s at.

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