Tuesday, February 19, 2008

'TIS THE SEASON...

for potholes, that is.

We in Michigan have a bonus season that others probably don't get the thrill of experiencing: pothole season. (Actually, I forgot--we in Michigan have SIX seasons, including construction, making pothole season No. 6.)

If you think I'm kidding, let me assure you that Michigan is notorious for bad roads, and with our cold/warm/cold/warm winters, its no wonder. Not only do we have all the fun of driving on snow and ice, but we get the added excitement of getting around town without wrecking your car on a daily basis.

For as long as I can remember, one main road by my house has been so bad its like driving through a mine field trying to dodge the inevitable potholes that cover the entire two-mile stretch. This year, though, seems to be the worst in a long time.

I remember when my oldest boy was about 4 and we were driving through that stretch of town. He decided he wasn't going to sit down and put his seatbelt on. I warned him about what could happen if he didn't sit and put his seatbelt on--that he might fly through the windshield if we were in an accident, etc. He wasn't phased with even the threat of death. Until I hit a pothole and guess what? He flew over the front seat and hit the dash. The road was that bad, but he was only hurt enough to learn his lesson. :)

To get back to recent times, though, it is so bad that all the tire places in town are swamped with repairs. We even have a website to report potholes, which pretty much is useless since there are so many it is impossible to keep up with the demand of fixing them. And the weather doesn't help either. Even our recent 5 inches of new snow overnight doesn't fill in most of them. Hitting a speed bump at 50 mph doesn't compare with hitting some of these potholes (trust me, I've done it!).

In the meantime, I continue to go out of my way to and from work or to and from anywhere to home just to avoid this mess. Oh, I am so ready to go on a vacation!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hate potholes...we have a few around here, but they don't sound as bad as up there!

Your vacation cruise will be here before you know it :)

Marcy said...

I hate this time of year too. With the salt and the plows there are always potholes EVERYWHERE *sigh* It's bad enough we have to drive/run in the snow, couldn't winter just be a tad easier on us? :P

Unknown said...

I remember potholes from my days in Northern Ohio. We have some here, but they're not too bad.

Sunshine said...

Wishing you a great vacation and wishing you were taking all us pothole-dodgers with you.

jahowie said...

I was just commenting the other day on how bad the roads are around here too. It's been a very rough winter. Once again...I think that I can fit in your carry on. ;-)

zanne said...

oh vickie - i can hear the ships' horn now - blaring your departure!! have a fruity little drink with an umbrella in it for me!!!!!