Category: traffic

Movin’ On Up (or across town really)

My days here are numbered. The new director of event technology will start next week and for the next several weeks I will help him transition into this position. I’ll be training him until the Elder Extroverted Holy One brings forth the second child. During the delivery I will be in the corner of the room with an epidural and copious amounts of drugs to help us get through the delivery. With all of my saved up vacation time I will be able to stay home with the family and help with everything. It will end up being some great daddy-Young Extroverted One time as the new one learns what kind of crazy world it was forcibly brought into.

After the holidays and the new year I should be starting here. Where I will, hopefully, be the official director of event technology. So, I’m slowly finding my work getting me closer and closer to our home in the east Nashville area. Also, it puts me closer to the Sommet Center and the embattled Nashville Predators whose tickets I still can’t afford (not because they’re outrageously priced but we’re outrageously broke) but would go to every single game if given the chance.

Speaking of hockey, I got the YEO signed up for the G.O.A.L. program hosted by the Preds and Delta Dental of Tennessee. She’s excited about it or I’m excited about it for her. Maybe I’ll just go as her and get some ice time! Our equipment fitting session is this Monday and, unfortunately, we have to drive to the Southern Ice Arena in Franklin for this fitting and all 4 sessions of the program. Looking at past G.O.A.L. programs we missed the ones at the Centennial Sportsplex. Which would’ve been way closer. But then I think about the sacrifices that hockey greats’ parents made to drive their wunderkinds to their respective games and practices uphill both ways in the deep snow all across the Canadian wilderness and figure it’s not so bad driving down to Franklin except maybe for the exceptionally poor drivers the most Tennesseans are.

Life is Just a Tire Swing That Done Blowed Up

Parts of my day yesterday were interesting so I thought I’d share my good times.  On my way to my doctor’s appointment I was driving out of the parking garage at work.  I tend to take corners fairly close because other drivers love to speed through the garage taking wide turns.  However, this time I take a corner a little to close and scrape the pathfinder’s back passenger-side door.  It also left a nice bulge in the sidewall of my back left tire. Not good but wasn’t flat yet so I kept my eye on it through the day.

Doctor’s visit went well.  I think my beer baby is growing and is on track to take over The Elder Extroverted Holy One’s baby gut any day now.  I guess my doctor doesn’t think I’m morbidly obese or he would’ve said something. Right?

I get back to my car and the bulge is still there but the tire is still not flat so I head back to work.  After which I pick up the Young Extroverted One and head towards home.

The bulge finally gave up on Ellington Parkway.  So, I pull over.  I’ve changed a number of tires in my day but I have never had to change a tire in the pathfinder.  Sweet.  I, finally, remembered where the jack, wrench and other stuff were kept, but, I had no clue as to how to get the spare tire down from under the car.  At least I used it as a good learning opportunity for the YEO for I believe changing tires is one of many important skills females should know (unless they don’t want to).  So, here we are on the side of extremely busy Ellington, me looking through the car’s instruction book trying to figure out how to get the damn spare tire down from under the car and YEO asking me billions of questions. I tried not to play the men-don’t-read-instructions (truthfully, I usually don’t until I break something) card because, as parents, the EEHO and I are not into the specific gender roles game that society plays on kids.  I find the information I need and we move to the back of the car and lower the tire.  I then realize that I have the jack in the wrong place and can’t put on the spare tire because the car is not high enough.  So, I have to lower the jack and move it.  In the lowering process the open passenger door gets lowered into the guardrail and removes a decorative side thingy (and that is the technical term I saw it in the instruction book).  WOOHOO!  I am way jovial at this point.  Hey, at least I’m consistent with damaging only one side of the car!

I think we’ll have to change more tires for the YEO to really get it and for me to show how to do right.  She did get to raise the chain that holds the spare tire back up into the holding position.  She loved that doing that skill.

Blinking Yellow Traffic Light = Stay Home. In Bed. It’s Safer.

I was hoping for more varied responses to the previous post.  I think the winner is my dad’s comment with the Floridian’s response to certain traffic signals.  Beautiful.

Now to the lovely story.  I was driving down Church Street (just writing Church St. has me longing for the Black Mountain Bakery and their Mountain Mystique coffee brew on a lovely cool morning . . . sigh . . .) on my way to work and came upon the blinking yellow light as Church goes over 65.  I should have proceeded with caution considering I just saw two cars fly through the blinking red-light of which they are supposed to stop, look for any on-coming traffic and then proceed through the intersection.  But, no.  It’s early, it’s Saturday and there aren’t many cars out.  All of a sudden a small white car comes barrelling down on me.  Feet on brake.  A little fishtailing.  Speedy heart rate.  But no awful sound of front of white car smashing into side of my car.  No deployment of airbags.  Whew.  After laying down some lovely words directed toward the errant driver I proceed on.  As I look back in my rear view mirror at the next red light I watch another car just fly through the intersection.

I’ve always been a firm believer that drivers in Nashville were bad.  This just adds more proof.  Ugh.  I find myself driving more offensively than defensively.  I’m sure there are bad drivers everywhere but give me a break.

Well, Men’s Health has a list of cities that has the worst and best drivers.  I think I’ll look over the top ten cities with the best drivers and move there.

Traffic Rules Poll

This is just an informal poll but I wanted to know how many people really know what to do when confronted by a certain traffic opportunity.

When you come upon a blinking red traffic light what is one supposed to do? Same goes for a blinking yellow traffic light.

After a sufficient number of comments about what you think you should do in this situation I’ll post about my lovely experience as I drove into work this fine Saturday morning at 5:30AM.

Southern ‘Urban’ Living and Pet Peeves

At the moment I am trying to make a move up the corporate ladder. Yup, I am climbing up ‘The Man’s’ damn ladder. Hey, it looks good on the resume and it means more money while the Elder Extroverted Holy One is in school.

I work for Presentation Services or PSAV which holds the audio visual services contract in many properties across the states. I found that a director of event technologies (which used to be director of av) position is open at the Marriott at Vanderbilt University. This is a very cool opportunity because not only is it advancement but it’s also closer to EEHO’s school and the Young Extroverted One’s school. Plus, the hours are a little more flexible and no real late night rigging hours.

Now on to the peeves: With this new property I am very close to downtown and have to drive through downtown. So, not only do I have to get familiar with new traffic patterns I also have to watch out for more pedestrians. And this is where you have to listen to this song while reading the next paragraph (if you can): In the Middle, In the Middle, In the Middle – by They Might Be Giants.

I began noticing the awful practice of crossing a busy, wide street in the middle of the block when I spent a short time living in Memphis with the then fiance EEHO (although she was just the Extroverted One at the time). We would be driving down Union to Idlewild Presbyterian Church (where she and I worked) and these people would be crossing the street at random times and spots along the block. On top of that they were going slow!?! As if daring us to run them over. Well, I am seeing the same thing here in Nashville. It’s not like it’s miles to the next corner to cross appropriately and safely. The corner and a traffic light are right nearby! I feel like I’m playing Frogger but I’m one of the cars and the not-so-smart pedestrian is the not-so-smart frog. I just don’t understand it. Does this happen everywhere? Is it just a southern ‘thang’? I just don’t get it.

My next pet peeve is probably a lot of people’s. The lack of turn signal use which really pushes my buttons. It really is the only thing that makes me yell out loud when I am driving. With this new commute I have been doing I’ve been seeing it more and it drives (ha!) me nuts.

Last, but not least, is rampant cell phone use while driving. I feel like I’m the only one that’s not using the phone. Am I somewhat indaquate that I don’t have conversations to carry on while I’m driving home? Am I not important enough? I just don’t see what is so important that it can’t wait until you get out of your car or before you even get in the car.

Heck, those are the folks that aren’t using turn signals I bet . . .