Observation of the Day!
All of you have heard the expression, 'You can't get there from here." Yesterday I genuinely couldn't get there from here.
I sped down I-94 on my way to Indiana for a mini-reunion with my "old" friends from my Marion school days. It was something I was really looking forward to. Lots of laughs and good times. These were the people who knew me before I knew me.
I left about 6:30. I saw a flashing sign that said I-94 closed at Mauston. I didn't think much about it except I would be detoured and it would make the drive a little longer. Ha!, I wish that was the case.
At about 9:30 I hit stopped traffic eight miles from Mauston. It took me almost two hours to get to Mauston. Early on I noticed a woman walking along the line of cars. I guess she left her car and decided to get in her morning walk. I passed her several times. She actually got to the exit before I did (at least four miles) and was on the phone at the bottom of the ramp.. She did this walk in flip flops.
I passed about ten highway workers standing in their orange vests with their thumbs up their asses. Thanks for the help WDOT.
There was also a soldier in full camos just finishing up a pee at the side of the road. It was good to note he was wearing his beret as he should when outside in uniform.
I finally got to the off ramp to Mauston with the other lemmings. When we got to the end of the ramp, you could go left or right. There were no signs, no information, nothing to give us a hint as to what to do. Where the hell am I? I finally learned that bridge was closed because the flood waters on the Wisconsin River. I elected to turn right because a sign said I-94 alternate route. This turned out to be the regular sign for an alternative route everyday. I proceeded to an intersection manned by the local police. I had to take a right. I soon found myself in a residental neighborhood. I asked the cop what might be open. He had no clue. i am not sure he even knew why he was directing traffic to the right. Where in the hell am I?
I turned around and went back to the intersection, deciding that I would go east on hwy 80 and figure out where I might cross the river. As I re-approached the underpass for I-94, I found a sign saying 80 east was also closed. All bridges across the state of Wisconsin all the way to Milwaukee were closed. Still no information about alternative routes. I turn left heading up to I-94 and going back towards Minneapolis. There was a state cop directing us back to the freeway. I asked him what to do. He didn't know, but said that maybe take 21 at Tomah to Oshkosh and then turn south through Milwaukee. OSHKOSH!!!!????? WHAT? Where the hell am I?
I followed a road rally group to Tomah, and we all turned off. We met in the parking lot and no one could seem to find out what to do. By now I had invested three hours in Mauston with hardly an alternative to take. I decided to go home. I couldn't get there from here. 402 miles of wasted time and gas.
I have a great fear I am wandering into one of those periods of personal Murphy's law because not only did I spend three hours in Mauston, I also lost my Ipod and the stem on my sunglasses.
Happy Father's Day!
Sam
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