Wednesday 7 January 2009

Speciality English traffic jam, guaranteed calorie-free!

Today I left work just after 5 p.m. for the 25 minute journey home - and arrived at 9.30 p.m. In one of my most stupid traffic decisions ever, I used the motorway instead of going through town. Further ahead a car transporter had overturned in the rush hour, shedding its 9-car load over the southbound carriageway, so 4 lanes of heavy traffic backed up 15 miles and had to be channelled through part of Bristol, which was a factor in the second accident on that road...
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I got through half a tank of petrol and the stack of CD's thrown on the back seat which someone had given to me when clearing out their stuff. The classical ones were a mixed bag - I like classical, but not for four hours solid. The last one of the pile I managed to grope for said "Aotearoa", and I thought good - some nice Maori harmonies coming up. Sigh. My last hour was spent listening to the twittering of bellbirds, tuis and saddlebacks, thoughtfully recorded by a dedicated NZ twitcher...
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...while trying not to think about wanting to go to the loo, and trying not to spot the men who suffer no such qualms, jumping out of their cars to point percy at verges and trees without a care in the world...
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On a positive note, after several days of being relatively careful with food intake, particularly at work, I had left the office feeling so hungry that I could think of little but what I was going to treat myself when I got home. Four hours trapped in my car and the corresponding discomfort cooled my ardour, and forced me to reflect that the more I cheat, the longer it will all take, and I was down a pound this morning. So goody goody two-shoes had a salad. Final thought on the subject: happiness is an empty bladder. Nuff said.
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The nurse checked my wound this morning and agreed it was taking a bit long to heal, but said it was OK, and give it another week.
-oOo-

6 comments:

Dawn said...

Hi Caroline,
Thank you for your comments on my blog, they are really appreciated.

Steve (my husband)and I drove to Plymouth and back - before and after Christmas. On both journeys the only driving problems we had were on the M5/M4 link at Bristol. I think before Christmas it was at J10? We were listening to the radio as we were driving past and some poor sole had been stuck in the carpark of a shopping center for 45mins and hadn't moved. However I think this was due to excessive traffic and not an accident. And we did move quite quickly, so it was ok.
Sometimes we get these snags that force us to think with our heads instead of our stomaches!! lol
;o)
xx

oozyxena said...

LOL Caroline you are soooo funny! poor you, at least this time you wasn't freezing! only pissed off! I'm sure all that music must have kept you calm, just think if you was playing rap! garage! or hip hop! LOL you would have been bouncing of the ceiling LMAO

Zena xxx

Nola said...

I would have gone nuts!!! Nothing worse than when you are "busting"!! Good decision with the salad by the way:)

Lonicera said...

Dawn - I heard about the problems you mention, but that was during and after I was in hospital being banded, so I was away with the fairies a lot of the time. People in authority interviewed on TV bang on about the speed and recklessness of car drivers - and yet every single incident has a lorry in the centre of it, and usually a continental driver at that, who's not familiar with how we drive here. Bring back rail distribution, I say...

Zena - I also didn't mention that my radio wasn't working. What would have been perfect for taking my mind off the fact that I was trapped in a sardine tin for four hours breathing in carcinogenic fumes would have been audiobooks, someone telling me a story... Maybe I'll join the 21st century and get myself an MP3.

Nola - Today I have to admit that ... thing about salad is... I adore lots of sweet chilli sauce on it, and that's high calorie, isn't it.

Oh well - tomorrow's another day.

DocSly said...

Caroline, what a long time to need to GO! I drive one hour to work each day and that is long enough in the car. Those men do have an advantage. Out here on the prairie, some women do the same. You go girl on the salad! Take care and keep up the wonderful blogging.

Lonicera said...

Thanks DocSly - comments really appreciated. There must be loads of silly women like me who are too squeamish to pee in public. When I was 14 I travelled back from holiday on a long-distance bus to Buenos Aires, for the first time on my own, which was when I realised how bad I was: I was incapable of even using the (truly disgusting) toilets at the various stops along the way. Total time holding it in: 8 hours. Couldn't walk upright when I got home!! Learned my lesson then & have never let that situation arise again... (So four hours was a doddle comparatively speaking!)

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