Comfort Zone

Now it is time for me to be petty. What is stuck in my craw today? Drivers waiting at lights who insist on having one to two car lengths of space in front of them. Did they confuse the driver's ed rule about having a car length between you and the next guy for every 10 mph you are going? Well if you are going 0 mph, you therefore should have 0 carlengths in front of you. It would be OK if there were just a few of these people out there but no, at any light, you'll see almost 50% of people doing this. Why would I care? Well let's say I want to turn right on Green going west. The right turn car lane is about 6 cars deep but sometimes as little as 3 selfish cars manage to block the access to it as they insist on having their comfort zone. Obstruction anyone? Waste of gas? If you recognize yourself here, please inch up to the car in front of you once you are past the danger of being rear ended (the only reason I could see for this).

This does not happen in NYC or Boston (home of the particularly impatient driver known as the "Masshole"). This would not be tolerated. Space on the road is precious there although the main reason  they idle so close to the next car is to prevent anyone from cutting in front of them, which massholes are known to do. I am an honorary masshole. Too impatient for Michigan driving.

In NYC, locals were frustrated with slow moving tourists blocking the sidewalk and painted a line in the middle of the sidewalk: one side for tourists dawdling and the other for the fast moving locals. This was a joke in NYC but in London, they are doing it for real on Oxford Street, which must have the most congested sidewalks in the world. We were on them briefly until claustaphobia got the better of me.

It was in the mid 20s  but beautiful when I went for a run out in the sticks this morning but dry. Soon I won't be able to run on the scenic beauty road as dirt roads remain icy much longer than the paved.

I went out for BBQ with Josh at lunch. It's been a long time since it was just the 2 of us. I do enjoy Julia but I feel we can have better talks when it is just us.

What's up this week? My cancer check-up. I managed to skip the last one 3 months ago. I have no signs of recurrence and they do no tests. This week's visit includes the  dreaded mammograms. As my tumor was impossible to feel, the mammogram is the only way any local recurrence can be detected in my case. The most likely area is chock full of scar tissue and is quite lumpy. But they are the same lumps.