Day 131
I’ve noticed that the traffic is something that is talked about and reported on on the radio constantly out here. Today while driving I was told, by a very informative DJ on some radio station, to stay clear of Route 83 especially near Addison. All I could think of was, “Wow … THANKS!”
However, being new to the area … I had NO IDEA what Route 83 was or where it was or if Addison was a street or a town or how to steer clear of any of it! For all I knew I was headed toward it or on it!
It’s really odd listening to a traffic report, while driving in a new area, knowing very little about the streets and highways because if you felt lost or kind of “not with it” yet … after listening to the report you felt even more so.
The DJ continued to tell me that there was a stall on the Inbound Ryan. Good to know – if I knew where it was. I do know it’s a highway … but inbound from where? What if you are going southbound? What if you are going northbound? If you are going IN (I’m assuming to “the city”) you can go in from two directions. Where is that stall?
He also told me it was “33 to the Junction”. It was like listening to some coded language. Thirty-three WHAT? Minutes? Miles? Where was he that it was 33 to? Where was his “base camp”? 33 to WHAT junction? I told a friend this when I got home and she suggested he was talking about Petticoat Junction! Ha! If so, I’m no longer in Illinois! Or 2012!
I was going so slowly in traffic today – whatever road I was on as all roads were bad and each was worse than the next – that I realized how slow “at a snail’s pace” really is. I know this because I think I saw a snail pass me. Seriously. At one point I considered turning off my car and just letting the guy behind me push it along!
At least if there’s traffic in Denver there is pretty scenery to look at while you are sweltering in your car. Here I was usually stuck next to someone with their bass on so loudly that my heart is still pounding from the vibrations. And have I mentioned that it’s pretty … damn ugly. Yeah, sorry people of this area … I really haven’t seen ANYTHING attractive yet.
In any case … I was driving around today, taking different routes to (and from) where I was doing errands trying to find my way and get used to street names. And I realized … they use a LOT of numbers out here. Route 83, Route 53, Illinois 119, Highway 102. And then when I came upon a street name that was familiar … it turned out to be a different street which just so happens to have the same name. And I’m not talking side streets … I’m talking major thoroughfares. Egad people … get a bit more creative and stop reusing names! This is confusing. Or to the right it’s one name (Highland Terrace) and to the left it’s another (Acorn Court) or Dempster turns into Miner for a while and then back to Dempster 2 miles down the road. What is with THAT?!
I found myself on the west side of the airport today. I didn’t even know the airport HAD a west side to it! I corkscrewed my way for over an hour through neighborhoods and industrial areas and everywhere I went it was hideous, horrible traffic. I kept listening to the DJ telling me to stay away from the north end of the southbound lanes of 42 just past 108th. WHAT? I don’t think I was anywhere near there – but who knows? I could have been. I was going inbound from being out but I was going south before I went east. So, was I where he said?
In any case, one of these days I’ll figure out where these roads are that they are talking about. Until then, I just hope I’m lucky enough not to be in the middle of where they’re telling me to avoid!