From Thursday, 18 Aug 11
IN -
Gave my wife four sets of work clothes for me to stage at work for the rest of the week and the beginning of next week. That way I could ride every day this week.
It was a very sweaty morning (about 70o - 87% humidity), but I finally saw a deer near the seminary. It had been so long that I hardly recognized it. She was facing away from me and several cars went by when I saw her, so I felt fairly confident that she wouldn’t, you know, run me over.
Maybe that’s an unreasonable fear, but I would really not like to have my butt kicked by Bambi as he prances over a road in the dark. That is very Un-Prop-like.
When I got on campus and in front of my building I saw something that I had never seen before, the sprinklers were on.
That’s it, nothing more exciting than just, the sprinklers were on, oh, and I did not get hit by a deer. I guess I’m not really building up the suspense I said I would need.
This may be an Illini6 exclusive. As I was heading home, as I rode around the southern part of my work campus I saw the train tracks full of trains and trucks. I could see and hear the gates down at the crossing.
I approached cautiously. I really have no alternative route and I had no idea if they would let me cross. I could see that the train wasn’t moving, and as I got slowly closer I could see that there were several trains filling the tracks.
Passing a man who was walking back to one of the trucks I asked, “What happened?”
“Derailment,” came the answer.
There was a man standing on the track waving cars by so I rode up and he waved me by as well.
Looking over my shoulder I could see where the problem was, one of the cars had been crunched and what I assume was the cargo was spilled all over the track.
I crossed the tracks and turned around to get a picture. I didn’t know if that was allowed so I tried to be as nonchalant as possible, hoping that the Canadian Pacific man wouldn’t notice. He noticed.
“You can go down there and get a better shot, just stay off the tracks.”
I thanked him, but said that I had to be getting home.
I got my photo and pedaled home as fast as possible to try to meet my youngest at the house.
Once in Mundelein I pedaled across Lake Street to find one of the side streets full of about five police cars, a fire engine and an ambulance.
I wanted to stop but I was already running late. I never did find out what happened there.
Once I had gotten home I saw on the news that a man had stabbed two other men while I was riding home, except that man was in Gurnee, opposite of the way I ride.
What a crazy day.
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