Monday Morning Road Construction

An apt question: Where are we headed?

For many, the rarely convenient public service project affectionately known as road construction often gives rise to a balanced combination of anger, anxiety, and stress—which have a way of steadily building until that poor, unfortunate soul crosses your path. While an objective bystander (we'll call him Joey) hears "Good morning! How are you today?", you hear: "I hate you, and I hate your yippy puppy Frodo, and I will do everything in my power to steal your lunch from the fridge today."

"Surely they must be undercover D.O.T.," you think, implicating them in the morning's conspiracy to ruin your life by the teethy grin across their face.

While "for the public good," it can be debated whether the ends of road construction justifies the means—especially when it's your route to the office. Add to the inconvenience of it all the possibility of indefinite duration, and, well, the recipe for disaster is nearly complete.

Often masquerading around well-traveled areas, road construction goes by several different aliases: "Road Work Ahead," "Detour Ahead," "Maintenance Ahead," "Shoulder Closed," or my favorite "Be Prepared to Stop." The irony.

However, for some, road construction is surprisingly met with joy. For the running city dweller, "Sidewalk Closed" may as well read: "Go explore some new territory!" Instead of an obstacle stirring the flesh, such words are an open invitation to go get oneself lost, to pioneer some new paths, to see just where and how far your own two legs can take you.

Such was the case for me yesterday morning:

The orange tape.

The rationale: bridge maintenance.

The discovery of a new (albeit short) hill!

Can you spy the Bald Eagle?
With this second sighting of the winter, I'm beginning to think they may regularly roam the banks of the Mississippi.

The Mississippi River: The Only Road Without Construction.