New Highway Construction

The local Interstate is in the process of connecting feeder highways, widening, and upgrading to connect sections already completed in the city it travels through. It's overdue, but money takes time to be granted by TxDot, and the design takes years to complete after the funds are available. The construction will stretch until near 2030, and the normal complaining is in full force. 

Added to this construction is the near future widening of an arterial highway. Right-of-way is almost completed, and the design looks like it's completed. The construction will involve about about 8 miles of widening, and the completed construction will take up the complete right-of-way. From past experience, the initial construction will involve turning one shoulder into a travel lane, and removing the other lane to construct the new concrete. Before that happens, part of the new drainage structures will be completed, and eventually this section will be opened to divert traffic. The other section will be completed, and the highway project will be done. 

This all means years of detours, dealing with the most ignorant of drivers, constant complaining, and my efforts to avoid all by taking alternate routes. I'm lucky, I can avoid these sections of highway, and not have to deal with the new construction. My experience tells me the worst of drivers seem to be found in construction zones, and the havoc they cause is something I avoid like the plague. With the sometimes poorly maintained detours knocking out front end alignment, taking extra time by traveling other routes is worth the effort.

Ravages of the Sun

Yesterday, I went to my biannual visit to my dermatologist. As usual, there were things to hit with the liquid nitrogen, which left some places to eventually scab over and fall off. It's the fruits of my youth, and according to my doctor, probably the result of a severe sunburn I was afflicted with when I was young. I can pinpoint the sunburn. I received it when I was about 10 years old, and it left huge water blisters that eventually peeled. The pain was barely tolerable, and can best be described as second degree burns over 75% of my body. It wasn't an even trade off for a day at the beach.

I don't think many people realize the sun emits ultraviolet radiation that is destructive. Like all ionizing radiation, it destroys cells, and cuts DNA like a knife. The result is mutations, and with me, these mutations result in seborrheic keratosis, basic cell carcinomas, and melanoma. Most are only unsightly, and annoying, but melanoma is deadly. I've been lucky with only one melanoma that was stage zero at removal.  

I now wear hooded, long sleeve shirts, with a hat and gloves, when I venture out in the sun. I should have worn the same during my years of working in the sun, but youth, and ignorance, led to where I am today. My ignorance is now my sentence, and I will deal with this until I'm gone. 

What Has Passed

My family had veterans that served from WW1 to Desert Storm. None were killed, but all had someone to remember that reminded them of the perils of service to the organizations designed to preserve peace with force. My family didn't have to deal with the loss of a loved one to the perils of combat. For those that did, this is the day their service is not forgotten. Society may forget many things, but should never forget those paid the ultimate price.

The Best Solution

 New York City elected (and I use that term loosely) a new mayor that is not only not qualified to do anything but sharpen his criminal skills, is a Moslem Marxist. Whether the elections was corrupted, or not, the city needs to have all U.S. funds removed, and the state of New York completely responsible for the bastard child of destruction. Let the hair fly with the hide, and televise the reactions when the city is exposed as a hive of grifters.

So...Another "Election"

 While elections are important, it's more important to guarantee the votes are legal. While all the hoopla is about the candidates, or expenditures, the fact elections are not honest is pushed onto the back burner. Until everyone is forced to appear in person, and their finger dipped in ink, elections are just another way of fooling all of the people some of the time.