Major stress is just about the last thing I need right now with the possible exceptions of polyps on my rectum or front row Justin Bieber tickets, but that’s exactly what I literally got a truckload of flung in my face today. I was almost a full hour late for my radio shift on WNTA in Rockford, IL and I couldn’t do a thing about it except sit in my car and let my blood gurgle. It was torture.
The weather has been bitchy hot for a couple of days, and I guess that causes other things to go haywire in the atmosphere. There were ominous dark clouds in the sky that I’d never seen before that people were actually getting out of their cars to take pictures of. I probably should’ve taken a couple of shots myself, but I had more important things to do – like make it to the radio station.
The one downside of this week is that there is absolutely no easy way to get to the station from where I live. It’s about 75-80 miles depending on which way I take, but there are several ways to go and none of them are a direct route. There are two lane highways with construction areas that can slow me down at any time, so I have to leave early and hope for the best. Today was not it.
As much as I can’t stand paying tolls, that can be the fastest way even though it’s inconvenient to get to the Illinois Tollway on I-90. I have to go way south, and it’s more direct to take the two lane roads even though it takes longer. I said I’d show up this week, so it’s up to me to get there.
It’s been a challenge every single day, and the earlier I leave the more frustrating it has been to deal with. Today there was a hellish traffic backup on IL Highway 31 due to lightning from those big black clouds that knocked a tree over that closed the road. My only option was to blaze a trail myself, and that’s where everything went wrong. I felt like a blind mouse in a giant cheese maze.
This was the last thing I expected, but too bad for me. I called the producer and told him about my predicament, and told him I’d keep him posted but it didn’t look good for me making it there in time for at least the first few minutes. Then I hung up and tried to head west any way I could.
A lot of other cars were trying to do the same, and we ended up clogging the toilet as we looked for the best country road to get us somewhere. There were red lights and stop signs to slow us all down, and of course a gigantic landscaping truck hauling a load of trees was in the poll position.
It was maddening to have to crawl along, but none of us had any choice. I sat through one long red light after another, and the longer I sat the tighter my sphincter retracted. I really can’t stand being late, even if I can’t control the situation. If I say I’m going to be there, I intend to show up.
I finally made it to IL Highway 47, which I know intersects with I-90. What I didn’t know was, there is no westbound entrance and that put me into the trick bag even deeper. I have to admit the situation is funny and a typical Mr. Lucky scenario, but the fact remained I still was out of luck.
My stress level was through the roof and beyond and even though the Operations Manager Jim Stone is one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met in radio and covered for me, I still felt like an ass.
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