Serenity Now....and other

No foodie stuff today…

I often think in the Fall that this is the “prettiest” season, until Spring when I think this is the prettiest season. As the years pass, I am tending to believe that fall indeed is the most pleasant time of the year, or at least what I enjoy the most. After the rigors of summer’s heat and sun in your eyes at 4:45 am, now the more leisurely arrival of sunlight and shorter days just seem more peaceful. Yes, I admit there is a factor of “Gee, I can’t mow the grass now, it’s getting dark” releasing you from some chores with good reason, but there is the psychological aspect as well. Nature is relaxing from the growing frenzy of the summer and getting ready to slumber for the year. The plants are slowing down, and the trees show us that wonderful display of colors. Just today I was driving down Millstone Landing road on the way to the digs, and was really struck by the reds, yellows, oranges, and browns of the trees along with such a wonderful quilt of textures. I suppose one might draw some conclusions from this attitude as I approach another birthday divisible by ten, and there might be something to that. Slow down, you move too fast..

Which provides a nice little segue into another of my favorite subjects: our local traffic. Why some people believe that their personal time is ever so much more important than mine, I’ll never know. Last evening I was heading north on Route 235 towards a little gourmet place, and it was “rush hour”, which now occurs anytime between 3 and 6. All three of the traffic lanes were moving, certainly not at the speed limit, creeping yes, but certainly not stop and go brake lights. I was in the right hand through lane, just minding my business, going with the flow as it were. Well, the person in the little car behind me had enough.. darting into the right hand “right turn only” lane accelerating past all the other idiots obeying courteous driving practices (and the law), they shot up the road until the next intersection. If there was an “island”, they just forced their way back into the through lane “go ahead and hit me sucker, I put all my money into the exhaust system on this beauty!”. If no physical impediment, “Hey! I am not turning right, I’ll just keep going”. MUST turn right at intersection is only a suggestion. Or maybe they can’t read. Of course this technique works just fine, they probably save maybe, a whole 15 minutes over the other slugs and me…But just once! Just once!! I’d love to see these guys get pulled over, but nope. Sigh….

Or just this morning as I was exiting from the parking lot at Starbucks (no comments please) at the exit furthest south, I fetched up behind a van also wanting to turn right. It was past peak, but there still was some southbound traffic in the various three lanes. SO we wait. And we wait. All the while the “merge lane” as I like to call it, was empty and there were enough spaces between the vehicles that a thoughtful merge could be easily accomplished. But, we wait. Finally, as it always does within only 6 or 7 minutes, all three lanes were clear. Okay, how about now? Oh, wait… there’s somebody coming out of the north exit. So hold your horses. That car did a rapid transit to the far side (probably to do a “U-e” at the light) so finally after he cleared us, the van moved straight across the so called merge lane into the…..RIGHT!! hand traffic lane and proceeded south. As it worked out, I followed said vehicle south, and it remained in that lane until it turned off right into San Souci. Am I missing something here?

Slow down, you move too fast.

DFD