LONG DIVISION!

     This is a new Blog. But an old complaint!
      My wife, my friend and his wife, and I all
got caught up in some long division yesterday.
       "New math" or not....in my book, you still
can't divide 7 into 1.
        But that's what Penndot was determined to
do as it attempted to merge 7 or so lanes into 1
along Interstate 81 near Scranton.
        We had started out two hours before our
scheduled dinner with two very good friends
in Binghampton, New York. It's a trip that should
take no longer than an hour and a half.
        Then we saw the ominous flashing lights of
a State Police Cruiser just ahead.  A little earlier
and we might have been able to use a convenient
exit. Instead the red and blue lights merely
served as a "Welcome" to the "parking lot."
         There were, at that point, no signs that
everyone should begin to merge into any
particular lane. No Flag man directing us in one
direction or another. Just Tractor Trailers, trucks,
and cars all trying to guess which lane might
give you the best chance to keep moving....at
least a little!
         Nearly 45 minutes later we finally reached
the cause of the congestion. Workers were
involved in replacing one of the two lanes on an
Interstate bridge. I was going to tell you they were
"working" on the bridge. But, as we passed, they
were all enjoying lunch. It was about the hour
we should have been eating ours.
         Maybe we just should have stopped
and joined them. It wouldn't have changed the
traffic flow very much had we blocked the only
open lane.
         To be fair I had heard a radio report earlier
in the day about possible delays on the highway.
They did, however, refer to tie ups in the south
bound lanes. Unless someone has changed things
without telling me Binghampton still lies to our
north! Where's Rusty Fender?
         I'm told our Interstate highways were
originally designed to move military traffic
quickly in times of national emergency. Why
do I feel a war could have started and ended in
the time it took to move 5 miles on our trek?
         If this continues I'll probably either have
to find a different route or start my Christmas
Eve shopping earlier than usual on the 24th!
         Hope you're not in a hurry headed north
and that all of your NEWS is good!