respublica

Thanks MoDOT

Wouldn't you just know the weekend we are heading to the Huzzah, MoDOT would be making botch all of I-44. We debated staying put, but Dale really wants to go down there, it's his happy place.

It will be near 100 degrees which is bearable along the river, but boy, how does MoDOT think it's acceptable for the crews to be working in that heat. Hopefully much will be done at night.

The thing is about highway work, if they publicize the highway will close at 8 tonight, you just know it will be mostly closed all day. If Dale would get his Zoom work done soon, we could get out of hear before afternoon rush hour out on 44 makes things really snarled up.

Reminded of a bad memory

My Facebook Memories section had a post I put up in 2012 which involved our car just stalling on 64/40 as I was driving over to Collinsville. I was in the middle lane when it just died and by some miracle I was able to jerk the car to the left and onto the only grassy area on the whole highway. It was really hot and I had no idea what to do. As I recall Dale was out of town so I called his assistant and she drove out to wait with me for a tow truck and then drive me back to the seminary.

This only got more crazy when the mechanic gave me this advice and I wrote it on Facebook:

"As an update to my car dying on highway 40 Thursday, here is the explanation the mechanic gave me when I picked it up yesterday. He couldn't determine whether it was the fuel pump or the fuel injector valve and not wanting to bill us for 800$ if it wasn't the pump, he said, "drive it til it dies again, then get another person to crawl under the gas tank and pound on it while you turn the ignition key. If it starts up, it's the fuel pump".

Right. Like I'm about to even consider driving it anywhere in hopes it will die on me again."

 

In the end we never drove that car again and found a new one, the truck we still have, Ford Explorer. All too often I pass that spot on high 40 and think about that day. 11 years ago today.

 

 

An overdue highway update

With business back to almost normal, so are the mattresses and ladders falling onto St. Louis area highways. So here is an update long overdue.

For 2021 thus far-Ladders 49 Mattresses 24

Ladders being way ahead surely means work is being done in many places. I actually suddenly came across on in the middle lane of highway 40 near Kingshighway last week. it was a metal ladder already sort of smashed from cars rolling over it and luckily I saw it in time and no one was in the lane next to me so I could avoid it.

Antiquing

Yesterday's trip into Cuba was fun. The Meal at Frisco's was ok, but not a place we will hurry back to. But, the Two Old Crows antique mall was fabulous and we could have stayed in there for a much longer time. Here are some photos I took as we strolled through. I was actually looking specifically for an old cast iron cooking pot, the kind which would have hung in an outdoor fire place or campfire. There were a few that were close to what I want, but not quite and very expensive.

I did buy the t-shirt and Dale bought two old glass milk bottles which is a habit he has. We also picked up an old crock/jug which we are using to hold our new solar lighted house numbers.

We are on our way south again

Heading back to the Huzzah for a few days of nothing as well as getting to know the property. If my computer works, I will probably do some updating.

How far can you drive on empty?

The other day I had to go over to the seminary and when I got in the car I noticed the gas gauge was between one quarter and empty. I wanted to fill up in St. Louis to avoid paying 75 cents per gallon more than in Illinois so I nervously took the chance that I'd be ok and not run out.

I made it fine and so this story spoke to me this morning. The folks at "My Mechanic" took the time to test all kinds of car models to see how many miles they had left in the tank when on empty or when the car's gas warning light came on. They even put up a chart with the data they found for many models of cars.

This will be awful

Once again the way to get to St. Louis from Illinois will be messed up with road work. And this project by IDOT is going to really mess things up. The three right lanes of eastbound Interstate 55/64, the ramp to southbound Illinois Route 3 and the ramp to southbound Tudor Avenue in East St. Louis, will all close as early as April 1. 

Can you imagine the semi trucks during this time? They dominate that route as it is.

That's 3 lanes and ramps! There will be no way to get over there without sitting in a long traffic jam at any time of day. For us in Illinois, it will probably mean taking the Musial bridge and then meandering all over the north side of downtown St. Louis to get back over to 64/40 or points south. Thankfully we now live in Collinsville and don't have to make daily trips over there, but unfortunately Dale still teaches a class and is on some seminary committees. He'll be stuck with this trip a couple days a week.

Every year it seems like IDOT or MoDOT is messing with the Poplar Street Bridge or points east and west of it. Will there ever be a time when they don't? I doubt it.

Mattresses and ladders tally 2021

I've rather neglected posting the numbers of mattresses and ladders which fall on St. Louis area roadways since the beginning of this year. So here is an update:

Mattresses 13

Ladders 10

Seems like people are still moving around with mattresses even with the slow down.

 

What's missing on the roads lately?

The St. Louis area has had a lot of crashes due to the snow and other weather. But for some reason there has not been any mattresses or ladders falling onto the highways lately.

A good thing.

Monday morning traffic report

Every St. Louis morning news program has been reporting a tractor trailer on fire at 270 and Olive. What strikes me, as always, is just how too darn big these trucks are now. The interstates in Illinois to and from St. Louis are clogged with these big guys. They are in front of you, behind you, next to you and it is beyond belief how huge they are allowed to be. Some government agency is constantly regulating one thing or other, but never these enormous trucks. Here is the semi on fire this morning.

How tiny the men on the left look.