HWY17

[King Bob]

One of my wife's friends is moving to Scott's Valley, and we went over there on 12/31 to see the place. Even on an off day and non-commute hours, everyone drives like a maniac on 17. No way could I do that every day.

[Drunk Monk]

It's gotten a lot better with the improvements they did this summer.  On the south side, the lanes are wider and smoother, with a grippier asphalt and improved drainage. 

But yeah, it's like the cannonball run sometimes.

[Drunk Monk]

When there are no other vehicles, 17 is a joy to drive.  It's so beautiful. Ravel's Bolero came on and timed out perfectly with my ride. 

Gotta grab those moments of joy now.

[Drunk Monk]

When coming home from my mom's, I realized how much driving - driving 17 in particular - is part of my writing process. Something about the automaticity plus pop music on the radio is one of my muses. I had several breakthroughs on some blocks I've been up against for the last few days.

I'm also stunned on how crappy drivers are lately. Even with so few cars on the road, other drivers keep getting in my way. It fits into my ass-expansion theory. Assholes are like farts in an elevator* - they always expand to fill the space.

*note that this isn't quite the right analogy yet. Still fine-tuning this theory.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

G-Man has a “Performance/Attraction” theory that is very sound

[King Bob]

I feel like a lot of people are sucking at driving because there aren't enough other drivers to give them visual cues, so they just sit there when the lights change, or stray into the other lane, etc. I guess they're just bad at paying attention.

[Drunk Monk]

Plus we're all out of practice. I confess that when I got in my car after not driving for nearly a week, it took me a moment to remember where my parking brake was...

[Drunk Monk]

WOAH
bumper to bumper in the cats
Road work
Kinda nostalgic if it weren’t 98 degrees outside

[Greg]

Ah, the old ways aren't so far away after all.

[Drunk Monk]

Yeah no
This sux

---

Crap
2 sirens went by
Gonna b a while

---

Been in gatos for an hour now
This
I won’t
Miss

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Sheriff & chp just went by sirens blazing

[Greg]

You're still in Los Gatos. Oh my god.

[Drunk Monk]

I spent an hour in Gatos. Been there, done that. Probably posted it here before. 

It was the combination of tree trimming (that I knew was happening but just didn't note the exact time) coupled with an accident. Dead stop. In Gatos. It started to open up at the Lexington Reservoir and I literally drove past the last of the cones being picked up, but then it tightened down again just before Redwood Estates, where I passed a second group of cones being picked up, and was stuck behind the slow tree trimming tree for a few turns. 

Stacy texted 'Like the good old days'.

[Greg]

I'm glad you are home. The last time or two I went to the 'Cruz, I hit the dreaded tree trimming. I did find Highway 17 traffic on twitter. I saw you follow them, but didn't see any mention of an accident.

[Drunk Monk]

I did find Highway 17 traffic on twitter.

Yeah, there's an fb group too. I used to follow them more assiduously. It's kinda useless though because by the time something gets reported, it's usually clear and things often happen right after I commit to the road. 

It's certainly been one helluva commute, one I won't miss at all. Not one bit.

[Drunk Monk]

I’m stuck. NB. Dead stop. Been here for 20 min. The accident is just ahead but nothing is moving.

Don’t miss this at all.