MB's "Twilight Bark"

Today I am writing what I could most accurately describe as a Twilight Bark. As in, one dog barking a heartfelt warning to many other dogs. (Do NOT miss this Twilight Bark clip from YouTube.) 

On Friday Len went for his annual checkup. While there, he received a pneumonia vaccine, because after all the hoopla about the covid vaccines, the pneumonia shot is no big deal, right?

Len started feeling lousy that very afternoon and he still felt awful on Saturday. So we didn’t go to Chicago to visit our kids and grands. 

By Sunday morning he felt okay, so we decided to drive to the kids that afternoon.  

BUT. A very big crash happened far ahead of us on south bound 94 in northern Illinois and they closed down all four lanes. It was a Suez-worthy backup.  We drove two miles in two hours just to get to the exit ramp off the expressway. At which point, of course, they reopened the expressway. So we got back on it. We had planned to get to the kids at 2:00. We got there at 4:15.

Oh well, it was wonderful to see our loved ones. My granddaughter held my hand a lot as she pulled me through her house to see her things.  She has a whole panoply of very small princesses and princes and side characters.  She told me they are her “trophies for good choices.” I’m still laughing. How much would you love to get trophies for  your good choices?

Anyway, here are my twilight bark warnings for you. Isn’t it amazing that we can be this many years old and there are still so many things to learn?

1. Do not have a vaccination the day before you are going to do something you really want to do. Most likely you won’t have strong side effects but once in a while, you will. 

2. Even though you are going to a place you used to live, and you know the route like the back of your hand, consider clicking open Google Maps or whatever driving app you use. Let it stay open while you travel. Those apps know where giant snafus lurk and they will steer you around them. By the time we noticed a lot of cars getting off at an exit – we had zipped past it. That’s when I opened the app to discover our ETA had just gone Suez on us.

Have you learned new strategies lately for how to do a very simple thing you have done a zillion time before?

Please. Do share.

WOW!  UPDATE FROM LEN!

We interrupt this post from Mary Beth to bring you late-breaking news!  The thing that lead to the traffic jam was not a run-of-the-mill fender bender - no, it was a Chicago-style shooting!  Apparently an older gentleman (actually younger than me, but still older than most) was driving East (toward the City) in a Honda Civic when a Blue Chevy rear-ended him.  That driver then shot at the fellow in the Civic, punching holes in his car and breaking the windshield.  The victim was hurt by flying glass, but not injured by the bullet, which is good.  They are still looking for the driver of the Chevy.  Scant details here:  https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/all-eastbound-lanes-of-interstate-...