Thursday, August 24, 2006
Stupid AZ Drivers
I used to think I was a good driver when it came to rain, wind, and excessive water. I mean, I wasn't so stupid to drive my car under a Tucson underpass where the water level is clearly marked at being 4 ft high. Nor was I stupid enough to go through the washes like many other idiotic Arizona drivers.
But oh no. When I was driving home from Gilbert , I ended up doing something really stupid. Monday weather was awful. It was raining and very windy, at least in Gilbert. By the time I got to Chandler it was also raining hard. And my windshield wipers don't work too well (I need new ones, but who invests in them right before the end of the monsoon season).
Anyway, on my way home, I happen to the intersection of Arizona and Queen Creek. If anyone knows the area, Queen Creek is under construction; right before Alma School, the cones sort of make this weird zig-zag, where it dead ends and you have to take a sharp right hand turn to get onto the right side of the road. Under the best of circumstances, it is difficult enough to manuever around the oddly situated orange cones and signs. But it was dark (it was 8:15), raining and windy, and some of the signs were knocked over.
Sadly, the most important sign was knocked down: the sign that blocked access to the second lane of the east-bound traffic--the sign that indicated that you had to turn right sharply if you wanted to keep going down on Queen Creek.
Ah, stupid me. I saw the sign on the ground, thought it had blown over into the wrong lane, thought I hadn't yet reached the spot to make the quick manuever. To make a long story short, I ended up driving down the wrong side of the road.
Luckily, someone was nice enough to flash their lights and traffic was slow enough that I was able to turn around.
So much for thinking I wasn't just another moronic Arizona driver.
Alas, I am one of them.
I used to think I was a good driver when it came to rain, wind, and excessive water. I mean, I wasn't so stupid to drive my car under a Tucson underpass where the water level is clearly marked at being 4 ft high. Nor was I stupid enough to go through the washes like many other idiotic Arizona drivers.
But oh no. When I was driving home from Gilbert , I ended up doing something really stupid. Monday weather was awful. It was raining and very windy, at least in Gilbert. By the time I got to Chandler it was also raining hard. And my windshield wipers don't work too well (I need new ones, but who invests in them right before the end of the monsoon season).
Anyway, on my way home, I happen to the intersection of Arizona and Queen Creek. If anyone knows the area, Queen Creek is under construction; right before Alma School, the cones sort of make this weird zig-zag, where it dead ends and you have to take a sharp right hand turn to get onto the right side of the road. Under the best of circumstances, it is difficult enough to manuever around the oddly situated orange cones and signs. But it was dark (it was 8:15), raining and windy, and some of the signs were knocked over.
Sadly, the most important sign was knocked down: the sign that blocked access to the second lane of the east-bound traffic--the sign that indicated that you had to turn right sharply if you wanted to keep going down on Queen Creek.
Ah, stupid me. I saw the sign on the ground, thought it had blown over into the wrong lane, thought I hadn't yet reached the spot to make the quick manuever. To make a long story short, I ended up driving down the wrong side of the road.
Luckily, someone was nice enough to flash their lights and traffic was slow enough that I was able to turn around.
So much for thinking I wasn't just another moronic Arizona driver.
posted by Laura Keslar at 9:19 PM | |
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Finally, married
One thing I learned from this wedding has been that whoever pays makes the decisions. For instance, the wedding cake: I wanted a wedding cake with no ripples (or whatnot) for the edging; my mother then goes and orders a cake with those ripples.
Other things learned include never have a wedding in a city you do not live in. I wish I would have been in Yuma, where I was married, to dictate what was happening with the wedding. For example, I wish I would have been there to see what the florist was thinking for the bridesmaids flowers. I had requested a small bouquet of all daisies (the flowers my mother had at her wedding). Somehow or other, she interpreted this as meaning that the bouquets must include $75 worth of flowers. This meant that my maid of honor went down the aisle carrying a freaking huge (by huge, I mean small baby) bouquet of flowers (which did not just include daisies). Bleh.
Though one thing I did love about my wedding was the guy who did my hair. Jovani, with En Gedi Salon (which, by the way, is the only Christian salon in Yuma--according to one of the ladies there), did a beautiful job with my hair. My husband had asked that I have my hair up, but whenever my hair is up, I look gaunt (which is not easy for my fat face) and angular. So I compromised by having my hair in an updo but with my bangs (long ones) covering my forehead (which is rather big as well). Jovani not only did what I had asked, but he made it better. Turned out really beautifully.
I didn't expect to cry at my wedding, but I should have known that I would, especially I started crying at the rehearsal. So glad I didn't put on the mascara.
On Saturday, July 29, I was married to the greatest man in the whole wide world: Michael Latimer. It is so weird to think that now I am married, with a ring (well, other than my beautiful engagement ring) on my left hand.
One thing I learned from this wedding has been that whoever pays makes the decisions. For instance, the wedding cake: I wanted a wedding cake with no ripples (or whatnot) for the edging; my mother then goes and orders a cake with those ripples.
Other things learned include never have a wedding in a city you do not live in. I wish I would have been in Yuma, where I was married, to dictate what was happening with the wedding. For example, I wish I would have been there to see what the florist was thinking for the bridesmaids flowers. I had requested a small bouquet of all daisies (the flowers my mother had at her wedding). Somehow or other, she interpreted this as meaning that the bouquets must include $75 worth of flowers. This meant that my maid of honor went down the aisle carrying a freaking huge (by huge, I mean small baby) bouquet of flowers (which did not just include daisies). Bleh.
Though one thing I did love about my wedding was the guy who did my hair. Jovani, with En Gedi Salon (which, by the way, is the only Christian salon in Yuma--according to one of the ladies there), did a beautiful job with my hair. My husband had asked that I have my hair up, but whenever my hair is up, I look gaunt (which is not easy for my fat face) and angular. So I compromised by having my hair in an updo but with my bangs (long ones) covering my forehead (which is rather big as well). Jovani not only did what I had asked, but he made it better. Turned out really beautifully.
I didn't expect to cry at my wedding, but I should have known that I would, especially I started crying at the rehearsal. So glad I didn't put on the mascara.
posted by Laura Keslar at 11:40 PM | |
