Barrier

We have an old and not-very-funny joke in Minnesota that goes something like this:

"How many seasons are there?"

"Two: winter and road construction."

Go ahead and take a minute to compose yourself after that knee-slapper.

Okay, so B is for barrier. The road construction here is out of control right now, and I had to take a total of seven detours yesterday to get through my day. 

Manfriend informed me that the large orange and white plastic barriers are called "water-filled Jersey barriers." These barriers are light enough to carry when they're empty, but heavy enough when filled with water to stop a car.

Jersey barriers are jerks

Do not confuse jersey barriers with crash barrels, which are usually filled with sand.

Crash barrels can be jerks too

How's that for a knowledge bomb, my friends? 

Seriously though, these barriers and barrels are a barrier to my happiness and general sense of well-being. For example, at 6:15 a.m. yesterday, I let out an aggressive string of expletives when I hit my first detour. While I do love a good curse word, I love them less when they come freely before I've had coffee or a single human interaction. 

Barriers, be gone.