Road Construction+ A Race= Road Rage

Yesterday morning all I wanted to do was get to work. Nothing major. I allotted more time than necessary because this stupid city is all ripped up. I should've just slept at work to ensure that I made it to work on time. Everything was going fine until I hit the Lake Nokomis area. For some reason, they decided that it would be fun to block off Cedar for a race. There was no warning of this. All of a sudden--bam-- street closed. I was forced to weave my way in and out of the neighborhood. Did I mention that all of the side streets were either blocked off or under construction? I went in circles for about ten minutes before I pulled over and asked a construction worker how to get back to Cedar. He was full of attitude and directed me back to the road blocked portion. I gave him attitude back and told him I couldn't get through that way. I ended up driving off in a huff. At this point, I started to panic. I had 15 minutes to get to work. I started to swear and scream. I continued to go in circles, until I ended up back where I started. I asked the State Trooper, who was blocking off the road, how to get around this. He said, "go up this street, take a right at Bloomington, take a left at the tee, take another left at the park and go straight at the stop sign." Huh. I was so confused. He was talking way too fast for me. I asked him to repeat it and he got all crabby with me. I was at my wits end. I told him to speak slower since I wasn't familiar with the area. Major rudeness followed from him. I went back the way I came and called work and told them I would be late. I was at the point of tears until I saw a nice looking couple walking their dog. I asked them how to get out of the mess and they nicely and slowly gave me good directions. Yay! I hauled ass to work and found myself dealing with idiots who can't drive. I can't even tell you the last time I used my horn so much. Long story short, I ended up getting to work 6 minutes late, which isn't bad, but still. I was so frustrated. And angry. I left my house a hour before work. On a Saturday morning. I shouldn't need a hour to get to work. I couldn't believe how unhelpful the construction worker and the trooper were. I wasn't asking them to break rules and let me drive through the barricade. I just needed to get myself to work...somehow. Is it really that hard to be pleasant and give good quality directions? Stupid Minnesota Nice. If you're going to block off a major road, please put up a sign ahead of time that informs people when the road will be closed. If you don't have the courtesy to do that, put up signs for a detour that won't take me on a tour of South Minneapolis.

Make the construction stop! For my sanity. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

Revenge of the Writer's Block

It's back. Just when I think I'm in the clear, it hits me. ARGH. Yesterday I was so ready to work on my screenplay and I just felt so trapped by it. It is very hard to explain. I wanted to come up with a three act structure. I've got Act I down, but it's II and III that need help. I guess I really need to just come up with an outline of some sort. I've got an ending in my head, but I'm not sure that I like it. I just don't know how I want it to end. I don't want the super happy ending--that doesn't fit with the story.

Part of my problem is I've been working with this story for two years. A lot has happened to me in two years. I am not the same person I was when I started writing. I'm having a hard time getting back into the head of old Michelle. I'm not sure how I can do that. I do really want to reflect this change somehow in the screenplay.

-SIGH- I guess for now, I am embracing my writer's block. My next day off I need to leave my apartment and head to Dunn Bros to see if I can't end my writer's block.

Sidewalk Watering

I have stumbled upon a weird phenomenon: sidewalk watering. The past couple of days every where I go, there's someone watering their sidewalk. It started on Sunday when a friend and I were driving back to her house from lunch. At first, I thought it's just a coincidence and shrugged it off as an oddity that I haven't seen since my Grandpa was still alive living on the South Side of Chicago. Last night I went for a walk and I saw a minimum of three people watering their sidewalks. It's all over the Twin Cities. What is the point to this? I just don't get it. It seems very wasteful and there doesn't seem to be a point to watering the sidewalk. Most of the people doing this are older. I wonder if this is their secret way to be nosy and see what's going on in their 'hood. That has to be it.

Best.Shoes.Ever

Aren't these the coolest shoes? I am so excited! Sparkly silver space age Chucks. I found them on super clearance at the Gap (of all places) for $9.97. Such a bargain. They were regular price $60. I am not sure what I am going to wear them with, but I couldn't pass them up. I think pretty much anything. They would be cool with a dressier outfit... like a skirt or a party dress. I can't wait to wear them.

I love my Chucks. I've been wearing them for half of my life. In high school I wore black high tops and my beloved black one-stars. They're just such classic shoes and always so comfortable. I can wear them for 8 hours at work and my feet never hurt. If the stopped making Chucks, I'd be very, very, very sad. I can't think of anything else that I still like from high school. They're also the one thing that I don't really mind if everyone wears. Usually, this makes me mad, but with Chucks, I just don't care. And they're my thing. My trademark shoe that I now own in silver. Hooray!

Finding the Off Switch

Ever since I can remember I've had a problem with thinking. I am always thinking. My brain never turns off. This was wonderful when I was in school, I could always be working on papers in my head. It's not so much fun now that I'm done with school. The constant thinking and over analyzing things. I just wish I could turn it off. Nothing seems to work. I've tried journaling before going to bed, but that doesn't work. I think it's a lost cause.

Make the Construction Stop!

I don't know how much longer I can take the constant construction all over Minneapolis. It is driving me nuts. I would really like to have my usual two options of how I want to go to work, instead of being forced to take the side streets since 35W is ripped up. Not that I don't enjoy taking the side streets everywhere I go, but I like to have options. Construction on its own isn't so bad, but I don't like it when it causes traffic jams at 9:30 at night. Like tonight. It was horrible. I almost needed some anger management classes after dealing with the traffic and the dumb drivers. My trip home was 45 minutes, instead of 20. Oh, Minneapolis, I wish you had a better public transportation system.

And I am going to stop blogging about this right now before I sound even more like a crabby old lady. At least I haven't taken an active interest in the Weather Channel.

I heart Natalie Dee

From Nataliedee.com