Tuesday morning:
Previous night’s sleep, in hours: Six. Not bad. Pretty typical, in fact. Nothing a couple strong cups of dark roast can’t take care of. Grind, filter, water, switch.
Nothing.
The coffee maker is broken.
I’m going back to bed. See you later.
Dorothy said on May 11, 2010 at 9:15 am
Our coffee maker broke on Sunday. What are the odds? Thank God (for Mike’s sake – I don’t drink coffee) that we had a spare in the closet.
Oh and he loved his Kermit Ruffin CD. Yesterday was his birthday and he opened his gifts first thing in the morning, at my insistence, so he could download it to his iPod and listen to it at work.
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brian stouder said on May 11, 2010 at 9:39 am
So when I saw the headline “Disaster”, I immediately braced for some linkage and so on for the terrible and worsening BP/gulf disaster. Rachel Maddow had a funny little aside about the various things “BP” might stand for: Biblical Proportions, Bad Publicity, and Big Problems stuck with me, although she had several more.
So when I read the nature of the Proprietress’s black-gold disaster, it made me laugh (although not maliciously!). Here’s wishing you good luck on the coffee thing – and that it wasn’t some other failure (Wasn’t there a near-miss recently with the breaker box?)
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Julie Robinson said on May 11, 2010 at 9:58 am
In a coffee emergency, the DH used a funnel to hold the filter and poured the water through. But it seems like a good morning to go back to bed here too.
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judybusy said on May 11, 2010 at 10:00 am
And it’s probably still chilly and rainy, too! Yes, in the grand scheme of things, a coffee-barren morning isn’t the worst of things, but the mornings I’ve been deprived by a split filter were ugly, ugly times. (They were the unbleached kind for my Melita drip type maker, and after four split in a row, I went back to bleached by the Melita company and recycled the losers.)
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coozledad said on May 11, 2010 at 10:03 am
You’ll have to apply for the coffee maker bailout. The government didn’t want to get in the business of making home appliances, but considering private enterprise can’t touch anything from automobiles to banking to energy production without turning it to shit, they were pretty much forced into it. Sure, it weighs a hundred and forty pounds, but it won’t destroy an ecosystem.
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LAMary said on May 11, 2010 at 10:04 am
So no warm brown friend for you this morning, eh?
I have my ancient Chemex in the closet for this sort of disaster. I have a gas stove so the Chemex is put to use when the power is out too, which is more frequent than one would think in LA.
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MichaelG said on May 11, 2010 at 10:12 am
My toaster just broke. The catch won’t catch. Push it down and it pops right back up.
The average high for May 10 around here is 80. Yesterday it was 47, rainy and windy. This morning it was 39. It’s been a really shitty spring.
The Tour of California starts this Sunday. First leg from Nevada City to Sacto. I’ll be there. It’s on VS with Liggett and Sherwin et al. It’s supposed to be warm.
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coozledad said on May 11, 2010 at 10:27 am
I’m beginning to think they should begin to refer to the busted oil well as “The Fountainhead”.
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brian stouder said on May 11, 2010 at 10:48 am
All I can do is shrug in your general direction, Cooz
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Angie said on May 11, 2010 at 11:08 am
The fancy-schmancy coffeemaker I received as a wedding shower gift three years ago has never, ever made good-tasting coffee. All this time I thought it was me, so I tried adjusting every possible variable. Recently, I decided I *am* smart enough to make coffee, so it has to be the machine, right? Last weekend I spent $25 on a French press, and presto, good coffee. The fancy-schmancy Cuisinart machine went into the pantry until I decide what to do with it. Do I give it to Goodwill and let someone else spend three years trying to make good coffee with it? Junk it?
Wishing you dark(er-roast) days ahead.
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paddyo' said on May 11, 2010 at 11:14 am
About that coffeemaker bailout: Cash for Dunkers, Cooz?
I used to use a French press coffeemaker, then the glass pot/pitcher of it calved a big shard one day, unannounced. But I got an espresso maker for Xmas and, lo, I’m a cafe Americano lover now.
In either case, my Plan B against malfunctions is Geez Louise! coffeehouse, just around the corner. “Louise” is a storefront mannequin, and the shop’s gay proprietor faithfully dresses her in a new outfit every day and plants her on the curb out on Colfax Avenue, her arm raised as if to hail a cab — except she holds a coffee cup. Or, I dunno, maybe her hand’s up for a bailout, too.
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Angie said on May 11, 2010 at 11:18 am
Geez Louise! sounds perfect. All the non-Starbucks coffeehouses around here come with a side of evangelical Christianity, except the one next to the hookah shop, where you have to wait 5 minutes for a barista to emerge from the cloud of smoke in the back. (I usually pick hookah over Heaven, myself, or feed Starbucks’ evil corporate machine.)
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LAMary said on May 11, 2010 at 11:23 am
If my Chemex is plan b, we have a plan c if there are no chemex filters around. I have one of those aluminum stovetop espresso pots. You can get six little espresso cups or two big mugs of coffee out of one of those. If the big one hits, I’m ready with the coleman stove and the espresso pot.
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ROgirl said on May 11, 2010 at 11:46 am
The aluminum espresso pot is the thing for when the power goes out, too. I have to light the burner with a match, but I know I’ll get good coffee.
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MichaelG said on May 11, 2010 at 11:56 am
I’ve got one of those stovetop espresso pots. Also I’ve used paper towels for filters. It can get sloppy, but it works in an emergency.
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moe99 said on May 11, 2010 at 12:15 pm
What you do is you go to amazon.com via Nancy’s kickback lounge and you get one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/swissgold%C2%AE-300-One-Cup-Coffee-Filter/dp/B000G71J6G/ref=nancynallcom-20
I use it all the time as the only one in the house who drinks coffee (the dogs don’t care too much for it).
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nancy said on May 11, 2010 at 12:49 pm
OK, folks, I’m back. Whew. Every time this happens, I swear I’m going to give up coffee, because no one should be this dependent on a single drug just to feel normal.
And then I have two cups and think: Nah.
Alan went out and bought a new Krups. Second cup down, starting to feel normal again. This must be what heroin addiction is like, only without the junkies.
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jcburns said on May 11, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Surprised Alan didn’t cobble one together out of scrap wood from the basement. I can only imagine what it must have been like, Nance, stranded, mere dozens of yards from the nearest Starbucks or Caribou!
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nancy said on May 11, 2010 at 1:15 pm
But Jo-ohn, it was RAIN-innnnggg.
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Deborah said on May 11, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Nancy, you hit on a topic that everyone has an opinion about. I use a number 6 drip cone with Melita filters and thankfully the little store on the ground floor of my building sells the filters, so if I run out I don’t have to go out in the rain or snow to replenish. What I usually run out of though are coffee beans and they only have Folgers type down there so I’m out of luck when that happens. I like the coffee they sell at Whole Foods, Allegra or something like that. I also like Lavassa, but when I make it, it never tastes as good as at the Lavassa place down the street. I always buy whole beans and grind fresh every time. My husband likes the press method so we make it 2 ways. One tea kettle of water, split. The weird thing is I have to drink decaf because I’m a total bitch if I drink regular and I’m still addicted.
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Julie Robinson said on May 11, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Here too, and I really need to go grocery shopping. There are no fresh fruits or veggies in the frig. But I’d rather stay inside and remember our great four-day weekend helping Sarah celebrate.
BTW, if you’re tempted to see the Matisse exhibit at the Art Institute in Chicago, save your $18. It should be titled “Matisse: The Ugly Years”.
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ROgirl said on May 11, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Matisses are always worthwhile seeing.
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Deborah said on May 11, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Wow, Julie I couldn’t disagree more. I found the Matisse’s amazing. The exhibit targets a particular time when Matisse was going through a period of change. He was on to something and was experimenting. I loved the very small engravings/sketches.
edit: I should also mention that if you go to the Matisse exhibit through the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute, designed by Renzo Piano, you will find it quite an enjoyable experience, spacious, bright, contemporary and minimal.
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Dave said on May 11, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Angie, is your fancy-schmancy coffee maker one of those Cuisinarts that combine the grinding process inside the coffee maker and then you have coffee? My son’s in-laws have one of those and after our first visit with them, I was really wanting one until I started reading reviews of them and the overall consensus was thumbs-down. They clog up easily and require frequent, thorough cleaning.
My sister and her husband are not coffee drinkers but their oldest son loves the stuff. When he moved out recently, my sister said one thing she didn’t miss when Jakob left was the smell of coffee (imagine, I love that, how can she be my sister?) and loved the extra counter space she gained.
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Julie Robinson said on May 11, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Well, that’s the thing about art, isn’t it? Intellectually it was fascinating, but on a visceral level it didn’t work for me. And I love me lots of modern art. Yes, the new wing is amazing.
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john c said on May 11, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I’m reminded of the great WC Fields line: “I was once stranded in the wilds of Afghanistan and lost my corkscrew. I was forced to live on nothing but food and water for several days.”
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Mindy said on May 11, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Coffee makers: I have back-ups for the back-ups. When the Krups is no more, there’s the very stained but serviceable Mr. Coffee waiting in the basement next to the Black and Decker Brew ‘n Go. Then there’s various camping contraptions if circumstances become truly dire.
My own disaster occurred at 1:30 this morning. My dog Eli was in pain and unable to produce the desired result after considerable squatting. He finally gave up trying and just sat in the woods in the rain. An x-ray showed that his colon is once again no where near where it’s supposed to be. So he’s at the hospital hooked to an IV in hopes that fluids will coax his colon back into place just like four years ago when this happened. He needs warm fuzzy thoughts, please and thanks.
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judybusy said on May 11, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Oh, Mindy I hope your pup pulls through!
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moe99 said on May 11, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Warm fuzzies for Eli. Hope that all gets put back in place w/o surgery.
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Julie Robinson said on May 11, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Lots of warm fuzzies, Mindy. Has anyone read the Jon Katz books about his animals, especially his dogs? They make me want one, even though I’m severely allergic. I just finished Izzy & Lenore and have A Good Dog lined up next. But bring your hankies.
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LAMary said on May 11, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I ususally grind my own beans too, but for the past two weeks I’ve been buying Trader Joe’s New Orleans style chicory coffee. It’s very tasty. Don’t make it too strong.
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Jean S said on May 11, 2010 at 3:17 pm
hate coffee, love the jon katz books. best wishes to eli…..
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brian stouder said on May 11, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Last night we went to Grandma’s house in a (successful) effort to mow her grass ahead of the rain, and my brother was there with his new puppy. Don’t know what she is, other than she looks like a little lab. Even at her young age (I think 12 weeks) she’s all legs and feet, and she doesn’t know a stranger. Somehow, it ended up that I mowed and mowed, while the fine young son and his gramma and uncle and the puppy all socialized, but we digress. Here’s warm fuzzy thoughts for Eli’s GI tract
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Dexter said on May 11, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Best coffee I have found in the past ten years is Trader Joe’s Bay Blend, processed by burning off the acid. TJ’s Kona is great, too, but I stick by the Bay Blend…the bay is San Francisco Bay. It’s cheap, too.
My French press carafe shattered, too, paddyo’. I substituted a thicker glass beverage mug, same size, no problems. French presses make the best coffee, but I rarely use mine anymore. I too have a spare electric dripper, and a camping coffee pot which works well, and it certainly makes a different tasting cup.
I knew an old guy from Idaho who travelled around the world in his retirement.
He had an ancient Honda Gold Wing mc on which he criss-crossed the country some summers. He had his pack and bedroll tied to the sissy bar and on the outside of the pack he had tied his coffee pot. He also packed a few tea bags in case something prohibited him from brewing the java.
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Angie said on May 11, 2010 at 3:29 pm
@Dave — It isn’t the grind-and-brew, just the “brew” part. The consensus among most people I’ve bitched to about it is that it gets too hot and is burning the coffee. The hot plate temp is adjustable, and I’ve tried turning it to the lowest setting, but it still tastes like poo. (I work at a newspaper, so my tolerance is high for crappy coffee. But this Cuisinart’s coffee is something else entirely.)
john c’s line reminds me of last summer when my brother first deployed to Afghanistan. He was really grateful for the bags of coffee Starbucks sends to the troops, but not the fact that they were whole-bean… and not a grinder in sight. (We finally sent him one.)
Warm wishes to Eli!
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Scout said on May 11, 2010 at 3:32 pm
In case you were wondering why all the small appliances were on the fritz, Mercury has been retrograde, folks. It goes direct today.
We like the Trader Joe’s Morning Blend or Breakfast Blend… something like that. It’s in a light blue can, is all I know.
Mindy, Eli is in my thoughts today.
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nancy said on May 11, 2010 at 3:35 pm
You know Mindy would have three backups; her e-mail address is hotcoffee3@, etc.
Dogs GI tracks get twisted? How does that happen? I thought only horses suffered from that particular malady.
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Dorothy said on May 11, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Scout, not being a planet-follower (or whatever that is called), I’m not sure what all that means. Could you explain to the uninitiated?
Kisses to Eli’s warm ears and fingers crossed that the other thing gets uncrossed!
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Rana said on May 11, 2010 at 4:06 pm
*sending good thoughts for Eli*
I would make snobby sounds about all you folks addicted to your coffee, but I go in and out of spells where I Must! Have! My! TEA! so I have no high horse to climb onto.
I rationalize my tea drinking thusly – if I encounter a caffeinated drink during a period when I’m not drinking tea regularly, my body over-reacts and I run the risk of a panic attack launching. But if I have a little bit each day, I can handle the occasional over-caffeination.
A lot of it is related to the weather, though. During the winter I start with a cup of green tea, then during the rest of the day suck down probably five or six cups of milky, sweetened black tea. In summer I switch to sweet tea (pronounced sweetee). It’s a good thing I’m not one of those people who have trouble sleeping after drinking tea, except for the diuretic effect. Fall and spring, though, neither the hot variety nor the cold particularly appeals.
btw, French presses are great for making tea, too.
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brian stouder said on May 11, 2010 at 4:10 pm
‘French presses’ sound fun all around!
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Dexter said on May 11, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Rana, I finish my coffee before noon and about 4PM switch to tea. I like the Stash brand but I finally found a Bigelow type that is the best, the Bigelow Earl Grey. I’ll have one of those and later a regular old Lipton black.
The loose leaf teas are the best but I never take the time to acquire them anymore.
I read that the Irish drink more tea than any other nation…true?
http://www.englishteastore.com/wholesale.html?gclid=CKCT7YD2yqECFYd-5Qod20Y5fg
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Joe Kobiela said on May 11, 2010 at 4:31 pm
After reading all these problems with coffee, Im glad all I have to do is go to the fridg and pull out a ice cold 12oz can of diet coke.
Pilot Joe
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brian stouder said on May 11, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Joe – you and I could not possibly agree more completely, than when the subject at hand is icy cold Diet Coke
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Jeff Borden said on May 11, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Phillistines! A cold soda in the morning? Ugh.
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Sue said on May 11, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Jeff Borden, don’t you know that a soda and Hostess snack item of your choice is the engine that revs up highschoolers every morning? It’s how we’re building the generation of tomorrow.
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Jean S said on May 11, 2010 at 5:23 pm
some dogs are genetically prone to GI issues. I’m ultra-careful w/my pup, as he’s part Lab and part German shorthair (we think). The deep-chested breeds apparently are at greatest risk…
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Little Bird said on May 11, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Soda in my a.m. drug of choice too. Diet or regular, either one works. I am not really fit to be around until I have at least one can. Usually I need 3 over the course of the day.
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LAMary said on May 11, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Bay Blend is my usual choice of TJ’s beans. I buy the Breakfast blend sometimes, or the Colombian. The ground New Mexico pinon coffee they have is good too. We drink a lot of coffee in my house so there are usually at least two types open and neither goes stale.
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alex said on May 11, 2010 at 5:59 pm
In case you were wondering why all the small appliances were on the fritz, Mercury has been retrograde, folks. It goes direct today.
Here’s hoping you’re right, Scout. I’ve been house/dog sitting at my folkses’ all week, where the computer keyboard is totally unresponsive even though the connection appears to be correct. Then this A.M. the TV decided not to work either. Better Mercury than lightning, which is what I’ve been suspecting. We’ll see when I get over there.
Which brings me to my sad dog story. My doberman with dysplasia has been living with my parents for some time now. She’s a very needy dog and hates to be alone and I keep her there because my parents are home all day usually while I have to work. She’s easily terrified by storms. Yesterday I found her fallen into a narrow stairwell in a very uncomfortable position. I had to pick her up and put her on a level surface and she could barely walk. Never seen her like this before. She has been stiff and having a hard time getting up, and I thought she might have just been sore from being in a bad position all day, but this morning she was again having enormous difficulty standing or ambulating. I’ve been dreading what’s coming. I feel it’s selfish to keep her alive if she’s suffering, but I just don’t want to let her go yet. I’ve been giving her aspirin in dosages that I’ve seen recommended for dogs and hoping that she weathers this crisis. She’s had some bad arthritic spells before and then snapped out of them.
Please send warm fuzzies to my Lexi. I don’t even know how old she is. I rescued her about five and a half years ago and was told she was six to seven at that time. She used to be able to take off flying over hedgerows and brush and there was no squirrel or snake she couldn’t catch. She could leap into the bed of a full-sized pickup if she wanted to go along for the ride. She was the most athletic dog I’ve ever known. Now she howls and cries if she finds herself splayed out on a hard floor and needs to be lifted. She was able to get up if she had traction from carpet or the bare earth, but even that is beginning to change as of yesterday.
On edit: Loved my French press until it blew to smithereens one day when I pressed. Quite a mess of blood and grounds that time, so never bought another. Current coffee machine is a very disappointing Mr. Coffee with a metal urn that dribbles coffee out of the spout everywhere but into the cup held under it; also extremely sloppy when pouring the water into the machine. Who designs this shit anyway? My previous Mr. Coffees lasted many years and even when they looked disreputable as all hell I kept them because they functioned well. This one may just be going out with the trash even though it’s in pristine shape.
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Dave said on May 11, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Warm fuzzies to both Lexi and Eli, hope Eli gets better, hope Lexi does, too, but, as I watch our Bichon Frise slow down at 10 1/2, I dread the day that will come. They are long-lived dogs, so we probably have Desi for awhile longer, we hope.
Merury in retrograde, hey. I know a full blown astology believer and he’s been talking about Mercury in retrograde for a month, it’s the reason for everything that goes wrong. I’m not certain what the reasons are the rest of the time.
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MichaelG said on May 11, 2010 at 6:32 pm
My busted toaster is a Cuisinart. Does that mean something?
I get my coffee at Peet’s. I let them grind it. I’m too lazy. Two mason jars will swallow a pound and keep it reasonably fresh in the reefer. I use a Mr. Coffee – the cheapest one they make. Works great with no frills; just hot water through a cone with a warm plate. . I paid $17.95 at Target. I had my eye out for Lileks when I was there but didn’t see him.
I have a French press but I don’t like it. It’s a pain in the ass. Too much work, too messy and I don’t see the big improvement over the Mr. C.
Nice scratch and a pig’s ear for Eli and Lexi. Get better quick.
I pushed the “submit” button by accident.
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Deborah said on May 11, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Lots of sick pups among us. Good wishes to all.
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Rana said on May 11, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Poor pups. I hope they’re all feeling better soon.
(If anyone wants to pluck their heartstrings about grieving over the loss of a beloved pet, I’ll plug my friend Chris’s book, Walking with Zeke.)
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moe99 said on May 11, 2010 at 7:18 pm
My Max, the black lab, is 13 and also has a harder time getting around each day. Rimadyl seems to help his aches and pains. It’s not cheap but it works. Don’t know if you want to try to get some for Lexi or not, Alex.
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Holly said on May 11, 2010 at 7:55 pm
My breakfast choice is a coke and a slice of cold pizza.
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LAMary said on May 11, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Alex, Lexi may have had the canine equivalent of a stroke. My Rudy, a great dane, had one of those. The vet called it some sort of episode, not a stroke, but whatever. Rudy was eating his food right in front of me, and suddenly he crumpled. He could sort of stand up, but then would collapse again. He was 12 at the time which is old for a great dane. The vet said it was likely part of some greate ailment, like cancer, so we put Rudy down.
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alex said on May 11, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Thanks for the advice on Rimadyl, moe. Will look that up and see what it costs. Years ago the vet was trying to talk me into ordering expensive meds through him but I took a pass because the problem wasn’t serious at the time. I read that chondroitin supplements may help also and looking into that as well.
Yay for Mercury in retrograde finally taking a powder. I’m typing on the very computer that didn’t work yesterday. Tech support at the cable company had to walk me through with regard to the TV and it’s back up and running. And as for Lexi, she’s up, and though not running she’s ambulating quite well today and has a good appetite.
On edit: LAMary, my parents’ previous dog, a lab, had a series of mini-strokes where she would crumple and be unable to walk, but then would recover. She finally succumbed to one that was really bad. It had occurred to me this might be the problem with regard to Lexi.
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nancy said on May 11, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I reinstalled my old Mercury/retrograde widget, and the amount of malfunctioning in my own and everybody else’s life around here of late makes me wonder if there’s something to it. Dybbuks can’t explain it all.
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LAMary said on May 11, 2010 at 10:03 pm
alex, it’s called a vestibular episode, but I see there is also something called vestibular disease. This might be what you’re seeing.
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brian stouder said on May 11, 2010 at 10:11 pm
If I could have a retrograde Mercury, it would have to be a black ’68 Parklane, like this one
http://www.mjq.net/fiveo/50mercury.htm
Steve McGarrett – he was ahead of his time and anachronistic, all at once.
But beyond that, I don’t subscribe to ascribing bad magumbo to a ‘retrograde Mercury’, because if it could possibly be done, then BP would surely stand for Blame Planets, by now. (they wasted no time playing the Blame Partners card).
But Dybbuks – that’s a superstition I can subscribe to!
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Jolene said on May 11, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Idiopathic vestibular syndrome is the name they gave me when Sam, my wonderful Australian Shepherd, got sick. It was awful. He wasn’t very old and went from being tremendously energetic and athletic to being barely able to stand. Had to be put down. It was years ago, and I miss him still.
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Dexter said on May 12, 2010 at 1:18 am
Here’s hoping for full recovery for all the doggies. In Episode 9, “The Pacific”, Sledgehammer’s dog dies back home. The letter saddened him awfully, in the midst of his friends being killed all around him. This did not strike me as odd at all. It’s the dog lover in me.
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LAMary said on May 12, 2010 at 8:01 am
I still cannot speak about my dog Charlie without breaking down and he’s been gone for 15 years.
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MichaelG said on May 12, 2010 at 9:25 am
You’re up early this AM, Mary.
I don’t even want to think about losing pets. It sure is the huge downside to having them.
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Deborah said on May 12, 2010 at 10:04 am
You are so right about the downside of pets, MichaelG. My two litter mate cats are 11, have had them since they were 3 months and I am not looking forward to life without them. They are healthy and I’ve heard that house cats live an extra long time, so here’s hoping.
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judybusy said on May 12, 2010 at 10:34 am
I still have a snapshot of my childhood’s longest-lived family dog on display. My family used to talk about him so much that my ex referred to him as “super Pete, who could rescue babies from burning swamps.” The memories stay long.
My cat died this winter while I was on vacation. He’d lost a great amount of weight, then abruptly stopped eating days before we left. There wasn’t time to take him to the vet, so I warned my neighbors (and the vet) of the worst case scenario. Glad I did. My very sweet neighbors spent a lot of extra time with him and took him to the vet for cremation after he died. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t take him in, as I suspect he had some big problem I could have spent a lot of money on, only to make him miserable for a few extra months. We had a warm day the day before we left town, so one of my last memories is his sunning himself by the house for hours. He seemed like an old man who knew the time was running close, and taking advantage of being outside for one last harrah.
Which is a windy way of saying I hope all the pets mentioned here get well and if they don’t, I understand the loss.
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LAMary said on May 12, 2010 at 2:24 pm
I was up early because two different management types at my place of work wanted me in two different places at the same time, fifteen miles apart from each other. So I went to my usual place of work at 5:30, got in an hour of work. Schlepped to the other place, worked three hours, then went back to my usual place. This satisfied no one, of course and involved being stuck in traffic because a freeway ramp was closed and the detour route involved lots of surface street driving. Just shoot me.
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