Day: March 23, 2011

Stoplight Karma

After spending an enjoyable evening discussing the Victorian Era classic Jane Eyre, I looked forward to a leisurely drive home from the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri.  Fortune smiled upon the Firebird and I as we moved northward on Broadway through a dozen or so stoplights, all green, with little traffic to impede our progress.  Not surprising, since the sun had set over an hour prior and most folks were home enjoying after dinner entertainment or a walk outside on this mild early spring evening.

The interstates (I-35, I-670 and I-70) proved nearly empty, at least until I approached the Legends and the I-435 intersection in western Wyandotte County, Kansas.  I-70 narrows from three to two lanes between I-435 and the last free exit for K-7/US-73/US-40/US-24.  I slowed to second gear for the right turn acceleration lane onto northbound K-7, barely making fourth gear before stopping at the first stoplight next to Quik Trip near the Sandstone Amphitheater.

Fortune frowned another three times upon me, forcing me to stop at Parrellel, Leavenworth Road and the new stoplight halfway between Leavenworth Road and 4-H Road in Lansing.  I skirted past the final stoplight (at the aforesaid 4-H Road intersection) and zig-zagged home a couple of blocks.

New Stoplight on K7 Midway Between Lansing and Bonner Springs
New Stoplight on K7 Midway Between Lansing and Bonner Springs

Explain to me how it is that I can travel through mid-town Kansas City, Missouri on a major street with nary a single stoplight and a 35 mph speed zone, but when I get within ten minutes of home, on a four-lane highway with a 65 mph speed zone, I get stopped four times!  How does this help us (drivers) conserve gasoline and improve our MPG?

Thank goodness I’m riding in the van tomorrow!  So much less stressful to snooze in the backseat or read a book for an hour and not pay any attention whatsoever to the latest ‘improvements’ made by KDOT.

Plaza Branch Jane Eyre Lecture and Discussion

A Taste of Victorian Literature
A Taste of Victorian Literature

In less than thirty minutes, I’ll retire downstairs to the lecture and discussion of Jane Eyre sponsored by the Kansas City Public Library ‘A Taste of Victorian Literature‘ reading group.   So stayed tuned for another long recap blog post similar to last month’s post entitled ‘Toasting (or Roasting) Fanny Price.’

Diary of a Crazy Cubemate

Day Two (Today, Wed 23 Mar 2011):  My ‘maddened’ cube-mate of nearly fifteen years continues her distracting tantrums.

Day One (Yesterday, Tue 22 Mar 2011): I returned from a sick day off Monday to a different cube-mate than I said farewell to last Friday.  By lunch time, I was asking the Department Administrative Assistant to find me a conference room for the rest of the afternoon so I could work in piece and not be embarrassed to answer my phone (for fear of a Turrets-like outburst coming loudly from the next cube).

Outbursts heard over the cube wall on Wednesday ‘Day Two’:

This program is going to give me a nervous breakdown.

Who uses FoxPro as a back-end database anymore?

Crap! Dammit! (followed by multiple heavy sighs)

Mid-day Update:  I was on a long conference call for about an hour or ninety minutes this morning.  The cube next to me became eerily silent.  I just got up from my desk and realized her body and laptop were missing … hence the blessed quietness.  Sadly, as I’m typing this update, she has returned so my blissful silence will soon shatter.  Thankfully, lunch beckons me to abandon my desk in a few minutes.

Mid-afternoon Update: Cube hallway conference between our boss and my cube-mate.  Not disruptive, but distracting and hard to ignore and concentrate.  Actually, the light at the end of the tunnel may be in sight, as I just heard her say she may have this project finished by the end of the day today.  Hallelujah!

Mid to Late Afternoon Update:  She’s quiet, but now she’s running her space heater (and probably wearing a throw blanket to boot).

As I was leaving, she elatedly reported completion of her frustrating project, so tomorrow should be smooth sailing (or at least less stormy than the past two days).