Thank goodness it's Thursday

I have been semi-retired for over three years, and occasionally when I'm out doing this or that, driving surface streets for the most part, I glimpse backed-up traffic on the Haggerty Road viaduct overlooking I-94, and consider myself lucky. The road construction in southeastern Michigan over the last two or three months is unprecedented in my personal experience, and I've lived in the area for 35 years.

Beginning this week, however, I began to use other words to describe the road construction around here. They're not polysyllabic words, but they're colorful.

The good news? I returned to work at Ford Motor Company as a part-time employee, three days a week, and I'm thrilled. I work in Transmission and Driveline Engineering on Plymouth Road Livonia , and I have a Finance-related assignment that is both challenging and something desired by the organization, even at senior management levels.

Many moons ago, I began my career at Ford in the building to which I now travel three days each week, and one of my best assignments ever in my career was also at TDE in Livonia, several years ago.

The wrinkle? Getting there! Years ago, my commute from Belleville up I-275 was 25 minutes, with infrequent traffic backups.  Now, it's like traveling through a bombed-out wasteland where commuters inch along on superhighways, their eyes hollow with dark circles, blood pressure at unsafe levels.

at the beginning of my Monday morning commute, approaching the intersection of Huron River Drive and Haggerty, metropark entrance on the right, was a long line of traffic. It took three lights to turn left onto Haggerty, where I was stopped again by a train crossing the tracks. The train was moving slowwwwwly.

I took the ramp to I-94 east, not recalling what to expect at the I-275 northbound ramp. I was in luck - the ramp was scheduled to be closed later that day, but I beat the bulwarks, just this once.

With two lanes open on I-275, I figured it would be easy getting to work. But if I chose an alternative route, forget the Ecorse Road off-ramp - it's closed. I recall that that area got quite an upgrade only a few years ago when Visteon came to town. How is it that the road deteriorated so badly in a relatively short period?

When I reached the Michigan Ave. exit, traffic slowed to a crawl. Traffic on the on-ramp was backed up, and we slowed to a halt for stretches of time. Same at Ford Road, and just north of Ford, a five-car accident. If you think it's bad being stuck in traffic, try being those guys.

I reached Plymouth Road, treated myself to a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts, and arrived at work over an hour since I left home. There's gotta be a better way - literally.

Today, Thursday, I'm off work, thank goodness, although I do have a few errands, one that takes me to Ann Arbor. Hope springs eternal.

Living in the land of the Wolverine

The University of Notre Dame plays a football game against the University of Michigan on Saturday night, under the lights in Notre Dame Stadium.

The ND campus is a wonderful place to visit, especially in the fall on a football Saturday: the Golden Dome, the Grotto, Sacred Heart Basilica including Mass after the game, with the women's choir in the loft above singing in celestial fashion, Touchdown Jesus, the bookstore, a steaming brat, young families just beginning their own traditions, senior folk celebrating yet another year of Irish football, bright young people everywhere.

Over the years, living as an ND fan in the land of the Wolverine has seen its ups - last-minute field goals, Rocket Ismail punt returns (whether happened to exciting punt returns, by the way?) and downs - think the last three years, particularly last year, when Michigan, down 24-7 to ND, made a highly improbable fourth quarter comeback and won the game with two seconds left.

That's one of the things I've admired about the Michigan football team over the years - they don't give up, and they believe in themselves until the game is over. You may beat them, but in order to do so you have to continue beating them it until the game is over.

Denard Robinson personifies this quality. The Irish had him contained until the final quarter, but he could see that there was still time left in the game, when he began to torch Irish defenders until the heartbreaking, supremely frustrating climax.

This year, I'm hoping the outcome is different. The ND defensive line is special this year, and the offense has played mostly smart games, particularly with a new quarterback - the team has a positive turnover margin this year. I'm looking forward especially to establishing the running game, early. Not only is it sound football strategy, it's more fun to watch.

So, here's to my beloved Irish and a victory over U-M on Saturday, breaking their 3-0 losing streak to U-M and propelling ND to 4-0 on the season, for the first time in over a decade. Go Irish!