You know what I felt like these past 24 hours? I felt like someone was always in my way. Seriously. Wherever I was, wherever I was going, there always seemed to be someone else just ahead of me, taking their own sweet time to do whatever it was they were doing or to get to wherever it was they were going.
Today was a school day, so I was up early and out of the house by about 8:40am. I hadn't gone more than half a mile before I got behind a tractor trailer. I followed it for a while before it eventually turned off. Then, I got behind a car that was going slower than it needed to. I followed it for a while until it finally turned off. Then, I was in the home stretch toward campus when I got behind another car that, again, was going slower than necessary. Admittedly, we were in a school zone. But, seriously, slower than necessary.
I finally got to campus, and class was uneventful. But afterwards, on my way to another building, I was walking behind two people who decided to stop and have a conversation at the bottom of the steps I was about to walk up!
Leaving campus turned out to be more adventurous than usual thanks to the two women who were pushing a baby buggy along the side of the road. Well, I shouldn't say that. They were actually walking in the road while pushing a baby buggy. I had to go into the other lane to avoid them. Fortunately, no one waas coming the other way.
I headed home, retracing my route from Main Street in Nanticoke to the Sans Souci Parkway to Carey Ave. in Wilkes-Barre. I'm guessing it was about 12:30 when I got to the area around Meyers HS. I don't know if it was lunchtime or if there was an early dismissal, or what, but it seemed as though all the kids and teachers were getting out of school. A crossing guard stopped traffic to let some kids cross the street. Kids who crossed farther up the street managed to stop traffic on their own. Then, I almost got hit by a guy who made a left turn while I had the green light and made a right. I noticed that he had Iowa tags, but still. The traffic laws in Iowa are basically the same as they are here, aren't they?
Anyway, I managed to make it to the Market Street Bridge without a scratch on me. On the other side of the bridge, I noticed a bus parked in my turning lane. The bus, I think, had brought a band or maybe Obama supporters to the campaign rally with Joe Biden. Whatever it was doing there, it forced me to make my turn from the wrong lane.
I finally made it home for a quick lunch, then set off for work. I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for coffee, but had to wait in line behind four senior ladies who were all ordering flatbread sandwiches and coolatas or something. Translation - it looked like it would take a while to fill their order. But, another worker stepped up and took my order, so I actually had my coffee before the final sandwich was served. Then, as I'm making my way to the trash can on my way out, who's there but the same woman who took my order. She's doing something or other and, in the process, impeding my access to the trash can.
And, lest you think that is the end of the story, think again. There was one final crowning moment. I was in my lane, headed for the entrance to the parking lot at work, and there was a minivan in front of me. I will say that there are four lanes on this side of the road, and they are clearly marked. The right lane is for right turns only. The lane to the left (my lane), is for traffic going straight. The two left lanes are for drivers turning left to get on Interstate 81. Somehow, the minivan driver missed the signs. As I was coming up from behind, I saw the van's right turn signal go on and the driver stayed put until the minivan could cross into the right turn lane, all of which forced me to slow down when I shouldn't have had to. Another out of state driver who apparently can't read the signs.