I've never been one to enjoy commuting to work but the drive to Eureka is something I can usually tolerate with a little caffeine and some good tunes. It's normally not an unpleasant drive as long as the wildlife population hasn't decided to commit a mass suicide with the highway clean-up crews celebrating an extended vacation. However, some person or persons, more than likely a lot more heavily college edumakated than muah, has discovered the perfect way to ruin my daily drive and make me dread commuting. It's what I like to call the "14 Miles of Angst."

I'm talking about the lovely highway median project between Fortuna and Eureka. It's supposed to keep our roads safer by placing a solid median between the north and south running highways. In theory, it's a brilliant idea and should keep people safe; however in reality, it's a pain in my ass and I'm so sick of the slow progression it's taken. Seriously, did Cal Trans really need to block off 14 miles of roadway, ALL AT ONCE?!!! I'd like to think that an engineer actually wrote "4 miles" and then, due to an errant piece of his lunch landing on the plans, a "1" was accidently added. That surely sounds more reasonable than a person actually thinking this was a good idea.

After doing a quick, rather unofficial tally vote over a couple of Hot Toddies, the resounding vote (from my professional friends) was NO! We want our highway back and we want it back now. My normal 15 minute commute now takes at least 25 minutes. It's always my luck that I get stuck behind the person that wants to drive 45 mph to be "extra special safe" and in front of the jerk that wants to get to his destination 15 minutes ago. Every morning, I feel like I'm in an evil traffic sandwich and I can feel my blood pressure pulsating in my temples. I think I have peeled most of my steering wheel cover off and what's left has been severely picked at.

Now don't get me wrong, we do need this sort of median. I know that I don't want my family to be hit by the wayward driver and I certainly don't want anyone else to be subjected to the pain and loss of a nasty highway traffic accident. But again I ask, 14 miles? Why not 2 miles at a time? OK, how about 3 miles? Maybe I'd even consider 4 miles, but I think you see where I'm going here.

It's been more months than I can count, but I did notice the other day that they were painting the new median so that the cement rocks appeared to have more depth and texture (I guess, unless it was some sort of sealant and I totally missed it). I'm hoping that once Van Gogh or Michelangelo has had their fun, they'll pitch those steroid loving orange rubbermaid cones into the trash and once again set our highway free.