[1]: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/14943697.htm
[2]: http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?book=3386673&mode=card
[3]: http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Johnny%20Dollar%20AND%20mediatype%3Aaudio%20AND%20collection%3Aoldtimeradio

It was pretty funny to watch my site statistics take an abrupt drop mid-Friday. It’s vacation time!

I worked a half-day yesterday, and in the morning the roads were wide open. Always a sure sign of a holiday weekend or a state employee strike. But I ended my half-day in Chaska, about 30 miles from home. I gave the pressmen a chuckle as they weren’t used to a designer’s client who knew what to do with a loupe. I took secondary freeways home, mostly Hwy 13, and made great time through my old stomps. And as I passed over I-94, I saw an absolute parking lot. Packed!

An hour later we were on our way to see Anna’s ballet program and it was still packed. It turns out there was a reason beyond the sheer volume of people undergoing ritual holiday city evacuation:

> The accident [on I-94] happened when the container truck hit a retaining wall on the right side of the roadway, ricocheted across three lanes of traffic and struck the median barrier, McDermott said. The truck jumped the median into eastbound traffic, and the front axle was torn off. The axle crashed into a Coca-Cola semitrailer, which caught fire.
>
> From [The Pioneer Press this morning][1]

That must have been exciting to drive immediately behind. Can you even imagine the concentration of grumpiness and sullen injustice over those preceding many miles of I-94. Many of these folks taking a half day, running home to get the boat, the wife, and the kids (in that order) and “hitting the road early to beat the traffic”. Foiled, hot (it was very uncomfortable yesterday) and left burning up their too expensive gas going nowhere. For hours. Because of one truck driver. I hope he didn’t have a heart attack or anything. But I shudder to think of the mob judgement that would have been meted out had it been discovered that he was just IM’ing on his mobile phone.

But, me? I’m happy as a clam. Well, happier I hope, as I’m not consigned to spend my life sitting in cool murk until someone comes along and rips my mouth open for a tasty treat and a chance at a prize; nature’s original Cracker Jacks. Instead, I get a nice long weekend. I do have a little work to do, and I’m teaching on Sunday, so there’s some studying to do. A little home improvement. A little Greek. Should be a good weekend.

Here are my hints for a nice Independence Day weekend:

– Don’t say “fourth of July”. Say “Independence Day”.
– Watch Mel Gibson in *The Patriot* to get a little feel why the above might be proper.
– Otherwise, have the TV off.
– Read *[1776][2]*. It’s truly fantastic.
– Go see some fireworks. It’s a light bug year.
– Eat a lot. Fat tastes good.
– Sleep late. Unless you work for any retail outlet I might like to visit, in which case you’d better be there on time and you’d better be cheerful.
– Listen to *[Johnny Dollar][3]*. No, it has nothing to do with the American Revolution, but I’m addicted, so you may as well be, too.