Family

I was blessed to spend two weeks with the side of my family in Michigan. I don't talk about my family on the blog much because (a) despite my fat mouth, I am, in some ways, a very private person and (b) I want to respect their privacy. Still, I'd like to go on record as saying, I have two sisters named Susan and I love them both very much. Every time I see them, I am amazed and humbled by what a great job they are doing raising their children. They make me proud, even though I don't have anything to do with it. (There are husbands involved too and all that. Whatever.)

Platinum Giraffe

Platinum Giraffe is a fun little blog that may be the only one on the internet updated less often than mine. Upon reaching Michigan, I had words with the proprietor of said site. Mainly, I took her to task for not warning me that Inuyasha was essentially "Somewhere in Time" set in Japan. By way of apology, she introduced me to the joys of a program called "Good Mythical Morning" and its hosts Rhett and Linc. It's a You-Tube thing so you'll have to look it up for yourself but there is some significant goofy pleasure to be found there if you have that kind of internet. (Now that I'm home, I don't. So sad.) As an added bonus, one of the things I really appreciate about Rhett and Linc is that they are clean, no foul language, reasonably controlled on the adult content. That's a rarity in comedy these days, especially in an internet context, and I really appreciate their work.

Pure Michigan

Imagine, if you will, having traveled almost a thousand miles to reach the Michigan state border. At the border, on I-75, Michigan has a lovely sign mounted in stone that says "Welcome to Michigan" and, below, the states new motto "Pure Michigan" in great white letters on deep blue. This trip there is another sign, an orange one. It read "Construction Next 40 Miles." The result is classic.
To the left, ranks of orange barrels. Forward, brake lights as far as the eye can see. And to the right, the orange sign obscuring part of the welcome sign leaving the eye to read "Construction Next 40 Miles. Pure Michigan."
I'm probably not doing the scene justice. It was priceless. I know I'm not the only one who saw this but so far I haven't found anyone who got a picture. I really want a picture. Honestly, I think it should be a postcard. You'd make a fortune.

Traffic Advisory

Hello first world car driving people. Most of you are very nice. Some of you aren't. Having just returned from the long march, I wish to share a few helpful suggestions with the latter group.
This ain't the blasted Autobahn!
Running up on my bumper and flashing your lights does not, in fact, make me want to move out of your way. It just tells me you are a self-important, rude, speeding jerk driving a brand new automobile that costs more than the trailer that I live in. It reminds me of the fact that we both have insurance and that you have more to lose in a collision than I do. It reminds me that I have brand new brake pads and that I can go even slower. Thank you for bringing to my attention that my life is so trivial that I don't need to go 90 miles an hour on the highway because what I'm going to is not as important as what you're going to.
At first I thought you must be a heart surgeon or that someone needed a brain transplant but there are too many of you for that to be a sufficient explanation. I would also assume that a surgeon rushing to a medical emergency would be smart enough not to be on the phone while they change lanes every ten feet.
And why are you watching TV? I cannot tell you how surprised I was to see a movie playing in your vehicle as you passed me on the other side of a line of orange construction barrels. I didn't know cars could play movies. Of course, I also didn't know you could choose which side of the barrels to drive on. Silly hick me.
I notice that a disparate number of you have California license plates. Are the rules different in California? I have often suspected this when I watch the news, so thank you for confirming it for me. But maybe I'm being unfair to California because there are enough of you from other states to remind me that stupid is universal. I also notice that in this "bad economy" there seems to be a correlation between how expensive the car is and how "important" the driver.
I should warn you, I have rage issues. It says so right on my psych chart. I also have "anarchist tendencies" and "hostility toward authority figures." Perhaps, as a suggestion, honking and flashing your lights to let me know how important and powerful you are in the social hierarchy is not the best way to communicate with me. I am the kind of person who always carries a tire iron in the car, even though I do not have a spare. There is a chance that we might share a rest stop further down the road. I might even follow you to one. Or I might just stop this car right here in the one-lane construction zone and come speak with you. Do be kind enough not to encourage me to combine psychotic rage and hillbilly enthusiasm on your fine automobile.
To recap, running up on my bumper and flashing your lights will not, in fact, cause me to change lanes…in a construction zone…single lane…in Kentucky…with shoulder work also going on.
(True story, I kid you not. One lane, shoulder work on both sides, and some goober zips up on me and flashes his lights. I guess I was supposed to drive off the side of the mountain so he could pass. Then when we get out of construction and he passes me, still not kidding, he's talking on the phone with a movie playing on a screen inside the car. I had some…strongly held opinions on his parentage.)