A "Beef" On I-20/59 South

So, Katie...what did you do on Friday? Well, folks, I'm glad you asked. I sat on Interstate 20/59 South in Tuscaloosa for four hours due to an overturned cattle truck about five miles ahead of me. Yes, five miles. That's not even half of the miles that traffic was backed up. I guess you could say that the Alabama Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation had quite the "beef" to deal with Friday afternoon. (Yes, I've been working on that sentence for three days now. Thank you. I'll be here all week. Tip your waitresses.)

Anyhoo, I sat going southbound for about an hour and half, fighting the urge to be a sheep and follow the herd (pun intended) of cars that were turning around and going northbound on the southbound shoulder. About another 30 minutes, I gave into the temptation (the Lord forgives), turned the happy Saturn around and started going the other way. As luck would have it, that traffic was halted and we soon found out that cops were giving tickets a-ways down to people who had done just what we had done.

So after 20 minutes of sitting there, facing the wrong direction, the Lord rained down mercy, parted the clouds and the cars and I found some gracious people who let me finagle my way into a gap between them that just happened to be the perfect size for my car. After displaying my phat drive-reverse-drive-reverse skillz, I was facing the right way again and all was well with the world (whew, dodged that bullet). Except, we were still stuck on the interstate with no signs of relief anytime soon.

I made friends with the lady behind me who happened to be an attorney in Birmingham, lives in Homewood and whose daughter graduated from MSU about the same time as me and was an RA in Sessums (small world). We also befriended a trucker who was stuck in the lane beside us and he was getting the 411 from his trucker buds who were driving by in the northbound lanes.

Meanwhile, I turned the car off and started taking pictures. What else was there to do, right? 

A look at the backup. Look closely and you can see the family who had gotten their kids' bikes out and started riding them up and down the shoulder. Remember, four hours, people. FOUR HOURS!

Another look going the other way. See the cars who are facing the other way. They hadn't found any gaps in the traffic yet to turn around. However, all cars behind me were able to get turned around and dodged the ticket bullet as well. I guess you could say I started a good trend.

A look at the view from the middle of the road. Craziness is what this is called.

This is the way that my speedometer looked for two full hours. Notice the almost full tank of gas and I was only a little less than 50 miles from Birmingham (I had driven about 10 miles on Thursday after filling up). 

And this is what I thought of the whole ordeal.

And this kid started his own dance party.

The news crew came out to point and laugh at us and taunt us with other forms of transportation. I really need to learn how to fly.

I left Birmingham at 12:45 p.m., came to stand still traffic at 1:30 p.m., finally began moving at 5:00 p.m., and arrive in Jackson around 8:00 p.m., just in time to enjoy a good old-fashioned sleepover at my bud Stuff's (that's Stephanie, for you normal people out there) new crib in Byram. It has an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Not really, but it's pretty huge. And it has a waterfall. Word.

Saturday was spent celebrating the Sister's birthday in grand Walden fashion, complete with pork tenderloin, potato salad, Daddy-style green beans, fruit parfaits and cookie cake. Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like good eats, right?

And what would complete a post-home visit blog post better than pictures of this little guy. We were like two peas in a pod this weekend.

 

Dude, I totally wasn't ready!

Guys, this place is a pig sty. No worries. I'll take care of it. 

Anna and Ross better hope he can either deliver a mean tackle, shoot free throws blind-folded and with one hand tied behind his back or hit bombs over the left field wall because this picture has future janitor written all over it.