Thank you, Mr. President!

NOT!

Yesterday, I left work at 5, in the pouring rain, and walked 5 blocks to my bus stop. I really didn't mind, since it WAS Friday and I was glad to be out of the office. My pulled hamstring is finally feeling better, so the walk was not as bad as it has been for a while.

Since it was raining, my bus was about 10 minutes late. Not unusual when the weather is bad and I am a pretty patient person, so didn't really mind. When it got there, I got on, got my seat and pulled out my Nook to read on the way to the park and ride lot.

I usually am buried in my book, so pay no attention to how long the drive is taking, but yesterday would look up once in a while and realize that we had not gotten very far. Oh, well, rain will do that. I called Hubby to tell him I would be late, so he wouldn't worry, then went back to reading.

Usually the ride to the lot takes about 20 minutes. When it is raining it can take 10 or 15 minutes more. I looked up about 15 minutes after I got on and we were barely out of town! What the heck was going on? Not being able to do anything about it, I went back to my book.

After a while, I looked up again and noticed that we had not gotten on to the HOV. The bus was actually on the ramp waiting to get on to the freeway. What? This would take forever!!! Then I realized that the HOV must be closed, since sometimes when it rains really hard and fast, it will flood in some places. I guess better to close it now than risk buses getting stuck. So back to my book.

A while later, I looked up and we were finally on the freeway. I happened to glance over and the northbound lanes were all closed....at rush hour. I thought to myself, that there must have been some flooding somewhere, since I had not seen a huge wreck. I became really curious and started watching. There were police cars all over the place. They were in the northbound lanes and one was at every entrance and exit ramp. BUT, I didn't see any flooding anywhere. It was the weirdest thing.

After a while I called Hubby and told him we were only halfway to the lot and about the other side of the freeway being closed and that I did not know we even had that many police cars in Houston. Seriously, I have NEVER seen that many. I told him I would be later than I thought and he told me to be careful in the rain.

Right when I hung up, I realized....President Obama was coming to town yesterday for a fundraiser. Military and government planes do not fly into the commercial airports. They fly into one south of town. I called Hubby back and told him I just figured out why the HOV and the entire north bound interstate were closed down for MILES. And just as I was telling him, I saw the presidential motorcade drive past.

I know Houston had to provide total security for the President's visit. But it was a mess!!! Shutting down the freeway on a Friday night, when it was pouring rain. Oh, and the rodeo is going on. So the northbound lanes would have been bumper to bumper for hours anyway.

It usually takes me an hour from the time I walk out of my office until the time I walk in my front door. Last night: one hour and 40 minutes. Ugh. And mine wasn't the worst. I heard on the news last night that some people were stuck in traffic for HOURS.

Thank you, President Obama, for having your fundraiser last night. I am sure tens of thousands of people appreciate it just as much as I do. I know that the planners could not have predicted rain last night, but they could have known it was Friday night. And they should have known the rodeo is going on right now.

On the positive side, I am finally getting over my cold and only have some remaining congestion and can deal pretty well with that. I am so glad it is the weekend!