TX-DOT needs this sign...

 

I petitioned the TX Department of Transportation to put this up where necessary to warn drivers...

 They said it would be too expensive and choke out any other road signs because they'd have to put them up every 6 feet.  On every road in the state.  Yes, I am exaggerating - it would need to be every 3 feet.

Another "early out" morning for us - I needed to go to the doctor's office to get blood drawn for another "follow up"... or because he needs to make another payment on his Mercedes.  I'm kidding again... he should be able to pay cash for it thanks to my good insurance.

The doctor's office is about 45 minutes away.  The main highway to get there has been under construction for the past two years and you never know how long the delays will be.  So, we take a different 2-lane back road for most of it.  Seems like this particular road brings out more than the regular stupid we see every day here.

Today, I could see several trucks coming at us with their flashers on; they may have been driving a bit under the speed limit, but I wouldn't call it "slow moving traffic."  Just as we approached them, the stupid driver behind them decided this would be a good time to slowly pass them, while driving in the opposing (as in: MINE) lane.  A hard turn onto the shoulder by me prevented a head-on collision.  The driver in our lane made no attempt to get back into his own lane, nor to speed up to get around.  Literally, if I hadn't swerved when I did... well, it would not have been pretty.

A couple minutes after that, we saw what is a regular occurence in south Texas: someone driving mostly on the shoulder.  When we first came here, I thought that was a quaint custom: getting over so the car behind you could get around.  There have been public service announcements here that "the shoulder is NOT a driving lane."  Yet some people (mostly older) drive down the road, mostly on the shoulder...

I am speaking about the vehicle furthest to the right.  As you can see on the photo directly above, you still have to go into the other lane to get around these assholes.  They are doing nothing to improve the flow of traffic, but are creating more of a road hazard... every vehicle coming up behind them still has to pass them.  Literally, I have seen cars 4 across on a two lane road like this.

As we got closer...

You can see the dumbass in the black pickup is mostly off the road; the car on the left is mostly in their lane.  If I were to try to get around the black pickup, I would be trading paint with the white van with their lights on.  Nothing good comes from driving on the shoulder, not to mention what that driver has to when there is something on the shoulder or a mailbox that sticks out into the shoulder.

I have even been passed on the right (yes, on the shoulder) on this particular road when I'm doing the speed limit (or maybe slightly above) by an impatient driver behind me.

So much stupid.

When we got to the doctor's office, I checked in with the receptionist, and reminded her that the last time I needed blood drawn, she "forgot" to let anyone know I was there, and I waited for an hour and 20 minutes.  Typically, if you are just having blood drawn, there is no wait, unless the person in front of you is also getting blood drawn... you don't have to go through the usual procedure of waiting for an hour, getting through the door (like getting beyond the velvet rope at the hottest club in town), getting weighed, and visiting with the nurse for 5 minutes, before you wait for another 30 to 45 minutes for the doctor.  Really, this should be in and out.  Here's how busy the waiting room was this morning...

On the bright side, I didn't have to sit in the middle of a bunch of sick people.  But, I still got to wait for about 15 minutes before Miss Mary (the lady who draws blood) ushered me through that special door.  She is good at what she does; had me poked and drew three vials of blood, then wrapped a bandage around my arm (this is new - apparently those industrial strength bandages they were using tore some "old people's" skin.  Mary had me in and out of there in less than 5 minutes for her part.

Then, I was free.  After breakfast (I had to fast for the blood work), we had some errands to run (important stuff like stocking up on Rufus's food), gassed up the Equinox (for over $1.50 per gallon less than we were paying in Phoenix), then out to the storage unit.  The big storage unit (where we keep the motorhome), that has other stuff we've stashed there.  We made a significant dent in that stuff - not much we're keeping, so donating and trash.  We keep whittling away at it.

One of the cases had old band stuff in it: photos, contracts, my Musicians Union card... one day soon, I will copy the photos I want to keep, then toss 'em.  More work for another day.  "Oh look - the motorcycle helmet that is '4 helmets old'... it has furry stuff growing in it.  Yeah, I think I will be safe in tossing that."  The helmet that is '3 helmets old' is still in like-new condition; that one will go to the thrift shop.  "Oh, look again - the National Award I received in 1989.  The actual plaque.  With disintegrating foam stuck to it from the padded case it was in.  That one is kind of special to me: it is for 'outstanding contributions to the photographic industry'.  It is voted on by the past living National Award recipients and has to be unanimous... if one person votes no, the award is not given that year.  It was a complete surprise to me that year, and I just happened to have Joan and Steph with me at that convention.  It was presented to me by a photographer/friend (Lee Corrigan) I really admired.  I consider it to be to the state photographic industry, through the Professional Photographers of America, what the Cecil B. DeMille Award is to the Golden Globes.  That was a busy couple of years: I helped organize the Certified Professional Photographer program, was past president of our state professional organization, defended some photographers who were being "double taxed" at the state capital (against lawyers from the state Treasurer's Office), presented seminars at regional and national conventions, and worked with PPA to establish copyright protection for the imaging of its members.  Oh, and operated a studio during all of that.

The plaque is going to take some cleaning up.  I had no idea that the foam it was packed in would turn into the messy goo it did.

The next trip down "Memory Lane" will be going through those boxes and albums of band stuff.  Sometime in the next few days.