Driving in Utah

Stardate 57030.4 (03-04-2004)

Driving in Utah is such fun. Wednesday while heading back from lunch, waiting in the left turn lane of 35th and Bangater, a guy pulls into the left lane (the one for traffic headed the other way), and drove down to the corner to turn into the restaurant there. I guess he was brain dead from starvation, and could not wait 15 seconds for the green arrow. He made three cars coming the other way maneuver around him. Wednesday, for the second time this week, an accident slowed traffic to a crawl. Monday, there was a serious accident that shutdown most of the freeway. Fortunately, no one was badly hurt according to the newspaper. The carpool went from one on ramp to the next off ramp, about 3 miles, in an hour. We got off the freeway, turned around, and went home. I worked from home, and my carpool friend took the day off. He liked it so much he asked if he could work 4 ten hours days. He is also worried because a rumor is going around that anyone not working 50 hours a week need to look for another job. I am not close to that. I did work out the math for it. If I worked 50 hours a week, it would add up to 13 extra workweeks a year, based on a 52-week year. This is 6 paychecks I won’t get, but I might get a $1000 bonus. Doesn’t sound fair to me, but it does save the company a lot of money. Again, a Dilbert story, where the ‘extra’ money goes to those who are bad at math.

So Tuesday there was no more carpool. It’s nice to be independent again, but I miss having someone to talk to, and I hate piling up mileage on the car. The discussion ensued at home about whether I could also do the 4/ten deal. Then I could resume the carpool. I’m not sure if I want to do that. It would mean a long time at work, and about 12 hours total time a day away from home and family with the driving commute. I wish sometimes that I worked at the offices down the street. Then I could walk to work, and not be concerned with the weather.

Some of the other issues with driving are the information signs. It’s a great idea, but traffic backs up when people slow down to read them. What really scares me is the intersection of Gordon and Hill Field Road. There have been several accidents there this year already. I avoid it on Saturdays and during the week at the holidays. All the people turning left block the intersection because there is not much room to the next light. I’m not sure what the solution would be there. I have noticed police stationed there during the evenings.

The Girl Scout Cookies are here. Distribution of the orders is a challenge, and it has occupied April for the last few days. The goal is to have everything done by Sunday. We are well on the way. 

Basketball is winding down. The last games are this Saturday. Rachel will miss hers due to having first Confession at the same time. I get the impression the kids are over it. I am getting tired of not being able to sleep more in the morning. Soccer is next. We received a notice from the acting commissioner that a meeting was scheduled with all the parents regarding the lack of volunteers. The options if there are not more volunteers is to merge the region into the South Ogden region, hand it over to the city, or dissolve it altogether. I still think whatever happens I would like the kids to go to the Layton region instead. Maybe Rachel can meet some local friends.

Lord of the Rings won big at the Oscars. I was amused by the opening where a Michael Moore hobbit was shouting that this was a fictitious battle, only to be stepped on by one of the mumakil. A little disappointing but not surprising is that Johnny Depp did not win best actor. April asked me if his Captain Jack Sparrow was an Oscar performance. I replied that I was not the one to ask. I thought many performances over the years deserved at least a nomination, but didn’t get one. This is another of those places where I forget I am not knowledgeable. On the other hand, I know what I like.
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