California Drivers

I've lived all over North America. I learned to drive in torrential rain in Virginia, snowstorms in the North, freezing rain in New England, and around old people in Florida. I've driven through it all and seen it all in my 30 years of driving—until I came to Southern California.

Don't get me wrong, there's quite a few things I like about driving here. For one, I can put the top down on my car almost all year and drive 90 mph (and yet people are still passing me). But what drives me crazy is that everyone here drives on the left on the highway. I was always taught that you drive as far to the right without having to pass people. Out here everyone automatically gets on the highway and heads straight to the far left lane no matter what speed they're going. Half the time if I want get around people I have to drive in the "slow lane." I'm usually the only car in the lane. Even on a Sunday morning everyone is on the left! And, I was always taught that it was polite to get out of the way if someone comes up behind you at a higher rate of speed. But no...not here. People tool down the highway in the fast lane and they might as well not have rear view mirrors because obviously they never look.

I'm also not fond of people that flash their lights, that's just plain rude. I've had a few people try to do that to me when I don't have time to get out of the way. I just smile, kick the turbo in, and let them smell my fumes. I do love my turbo Miata MX5. His name is Max and he's hazy grey like a Navy ship. I have personalized plates that say CHIK BMC. That was my rate in the Navy.

Most of the time the highways are pretty crowded so you have no choice but to tailgate a bit or else someone will barge into your lane. But people tailgate even when there's a lot of space! The other day I saw this car tailgating a transport (semi truck in US lingo). There wasn't even a car's length between them and there was no reason for it. Both were in the slow lane and the car had lots of room to move over to the other lane, there wasn't a car near them. My husband's a truck driver and he absolutely hates that because he can't see them.

Then there's the rain issue. If we get 1/2 inch of rain the news stations will blast across the TV screen STORM WATCH! I'm not kidding. People here can't drive in the rain. Mind you it does only rain out here maybe 2 weeks out of the year and we've had a draught for the past 10 years but 90% of the people are from somewhere else...where it rains and snows. They have no excuse!! I can't tell you how many people that do not have their lights on in torrential rain and they're always the cars you naturally can't see in the rain—white, light blue, etc. People, it's the law here; if your windshield whipers are on your lights are on. Shoot, I'm such a small car I have my lights on all the time because people are always trying to run me over. They're also tailgating at 80 mph in the rain. I like to drive fast but I don't do so in the rain. That's just stupid.

Still the people here are polite drivers compared to some cities I've lived in. Don't ever get in the wrong toll lane in NYC and not have exact change. I barely lived to tell the story.

A Dilemma of Sorts

I love to knit. But I have two problems. (1) I'm a lazy knitter so I don't challenge myself with a lot of patterns; and, (2) it's hard to come up with ideas when you live in an area that doesn't get that cold. Touques (that's Canadian for a wool hat) are too hot here and I can only knit so many furry scarves. Hubby bought me three skeins of this beautiful angora wool. There's one of each colour: wine, black and white, and I have no idea what to do with them. I guess I could knit a purse, but I don't really carry a purse that often. Gloves are out (see note about lazy knitter). Socks are out because (see note above again) they'd be too hot here. I've already got a ton of scarves. I don't want to make something for someone else since these were a Christmas present to me. (He also made me knitting needles on his lathe.) Decisions, decisions.

On a bright note, I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday and discovered that a new Mercedes Lackey Valdemar paperback book was out. Yippee, I love it when a new book in an old series is released. How I missed the hardcover book is beyond me. I'm tempted to read all her Valdemar books over again since it's been many years. I've been a little low on books lately. I was reading a few "girlie lite" books just for something to read. That's what I call those books about women who are trying to find themselves, are in the "safe" relationship, hates their job and is looking for Mr. Right. They're cookie-cutter stories. Nothing strenuous on the brain. The one I just finished was Testing Kate by Whitney Gaskell about a woman who's turned 30 (oh no!) dumped the safe relationship, started law school on a whim, went back to the safe relationship but has feelings for a fellow law student, and eventually realizes it's all a mistake. In the end she discovers she has an aptitude for history, drops out of law school and hooks up with the one she really loved. Mind you, she had to get engaged first to the wrong guy to realize what she really wanted. Sometimes I really want to yell at them, "Make up your mind!"

Happy New Year

It’s 2010, yippee! I’m surely glad that 2009 is over because it generally sucked. Not that I don’t have a lot to be grateful for, after all, both Bruce and I survived the economic implosion. His company is doing much better, so he wasn’t laid off, and mine actually grew during the downswing. Bruce actually is doing well at work now that he’s driving as well as working the docks. Our family is healthy so it wasn’t all that bad. But I can’t say that 2009 was the greatest year. Hanging on instead of prospering was more the norm for everyone. I did enjoy seeing the back end of Bush getting on that helicopter so it wasn’t all that bad ;) So will 2010 be any better? It’s going to start out sad for me as a dear co-worker is losing a battle with brain cancer. I’m helping his wife with his memorial right now by scanning in photos and making posters. It’s the least I can do for a wonderful man that will be missed by all that know him at work. Another co-worker, someone who is dear and near to me these last eight years, is getting married this month. I remember when she thought she would never meet “him” and I would always tell her that he’s out there, and sure enough he was. She’s marrying the best guy ever. God rewards the patient. I will probably blubber at the wedding. When I first started working at ASH, there were just Jacqueline, Monica and I in the department—how times have changed. I’m starting out the new year the same way I start out many new years, sick with a terrible cough. But it too shall pass. I wonder if there will ever be a winter that I don’t get a terrible cough because of my asthma? I wonder what life will be like for me when I’m old and grey. Will I be active or stuck in a nursing home? God willing, I’ll go out kicking. So what do I want for 2010? Health and happiness. Seems like not much but it encompasses everything. They go hand-in-hand, and really, do we need anything else? I also hope that my friends and family will also have health and happiness in 2010.