as much as It would be a selfish pleasure to read your stuff all the time?

Kid...
You have prolly one of the nicest guys I've ever met (in 44 years and two coasts,) -who's 100% over the moon on you... (for good reason, you're quite the catch.)

As much as FresFam may be a part of your diet of conversation,
--I would really hope that you and your Mr. would find so many other things to do, (alone, together, etc...)
-and that Fresburg Famished would not rate too high on the list.

As far as normal life?

Not to scare you, ---but it really never will be quite the same ever again.
(Which is a very good thing, this is a good guy, you're a great girl, --and God's going to do something with the two of you together that is going to go way farther than some sort of chemical reaction.)

-Ain't neither of you going to be the same, you're going to be two parts of something totally different, and it's going to be very very cool.

Them thar 'newlywed,' years are kind of never to be replicated, ya know?
Everything is going to be upside down, there's going to be awful and good in the same moment, it's going to be roller coaster... and underneath it all will be this sense of something else having happened that will always be there, and this greater sense that you're never alone anymore, like, ever.

Love is kind of a very positive terminal condition...
it's kind of like what happens when something goes into a cuccoon and then comes out the other side totally changed.
Still same you, still same him, -but whole different deal altogether...
And you never really come out the other side...

There is a very real healthy aspect that is kind of an affirmation and being sent out, (like at the end of a sermon,)

'...go, do, be, love each other, let nothing come between you (ever,) be together always, be apart only to pray, but then don't be apart too long, else you hurt each other with your absence...'
(It's actually a verse, I'll let you look it up.)

Remember always: this love is authored by the same person who authored both of you, --and is in it with you, (as you are about to find two very different people once married, (at times,) and it will some times be a real mystery, a bit of a challange, and very interesting things shall happen...
(one woman, who got married a wee bit later, wrote in her blog '...being married and a mom is wonderful, but a bit different, for example: I know far more about men's grooming habits than I've ever cared to...')

My father said one time (about marriage, and about being a man in marriage,'
'men are like dogs, they want food, water, a warm place to sleep out of the rain, scratch them behind the ears, give them a roll in the hay once in a while, and they'll be by your side and happy forever...'
(I nearly fell through the floor,)

but it's quite true.

Garrison Keillor also ratted us out:
'...(men,) we're all sixteen year old boys, who happened to just get older.'

Sixteen year old boys are quite high spirited sometimes, -but really have very little courage and steadfastness, (all those pimples and voice crackings and such...)
-yet, when given a reason, such as a beautiful girl who loves us?,
Nothing can stop us, it's all we see...

(well, except the girl herself...)
-Which, I suppose is the last great secret, (and has nothing to do with highways...)

The strongest and most determined man, though mortally wounded and dragging himself home more dead than alive, --will do so purely knowing that the woman he loves is waiting for him.

-What no 'thing,' (no weapon, no war, no ideal, no foe, nothing,,) can do, however,
-the woman can, because it's in the womans eyes, her voice, what she says and does.
-That can bring a man back from the dead in an instant, (or it can obliterate him even quicker...)
Women don't just give birth nine months after 'something that started with a kiss'... nope, they give birth to those who love them every moment they're with them...

So, really? that's the only thing to fear, sweetheart, annihilating the poor buggar,
because the one thing he will never ever have a defence against?
Will be you. (especially after the 'I Do's,')
No man does.
Our only achilles heel is our heart, and this fella obviously gave his to you a looooong time ago.

But that's where I see this as a good thing and am happy.

A truly kind and nice guy, has found a sweet girl with a wonderful heart, who really loves him, and she said 'yes.'

You watch, this guys' going to plow down cement walls, (just for the fun of it,) on one kiss by you alone...

(Please... forget about Fresno Famous for quite some time...)
-None of us (in the know,) will be offended...

-time for this displaced NewYorker to make schluffies...

-Bless you,(and that guy of yours.)

-E

Five days....five days...

I'm flipping out. It makes me type faster. :)

I'm looking forward for my life to go back to normal so I can be a regular in this forum.

no preshuh...

nope...

none...

(that last post was typed so fast, I thought you were qualifying for Indy or somethin',)

There are ways to design expressways and super arterials (what these 6-lane roadways are called in the world of Traffic Engineering and Planning) to carry just as much traffic and maintain similar travel times for vehicles while being more pedestrian friendly (That means schools, homes, and just people in general too!). It takes a lot of creative thinkers and open-minded traffic engineers, planners, and city officials. In Issaquah Highlands, Washington, a group of urban designers/traffic engineers/planners took a planned 6-lane expressway/highway, split it into 2 3-lane one-way roads, which are much more pedestrian friendly. It works for both alleviating vehicular traffic as well as ensuring that pedestrians have a safer route to cross (3 lanes rather than 6 lanes = 45-50 feet rather than 120 feet to walk across).

The good news is that there are many more people in City Hall (Traffic Engineers, Planners, and city officials alike) who are looking for more creative solutions to solve our traffic problems, rather than just building wider, faster roads to get people in their cars from Point A to Point B as fast as possible, but are looking more towards how we can make vehicle trips fast and efficient while maintaining a safe and encouraging environment for bicyclists and people walking down the street, and finally, not viewing roads as barriers in communities, but as intricate and essential pieces of the fabric of a community.

The bad news is that, the plans for Veterans Boulevard are not new. To completely divert from the planned expressway or arterial street would be very difficult and would probably find much opposition from those who, with good intentions, are looking for another east-west corridor to carry more traffic and to encourage more commercial development on the northwest side of town. To stall the Veterans' Boulevard project could mean a loss of potential tax dollars from developments waiting for its construction so that they can get the kind of access they need for success. And believe me, we need more tax dollars.

So my two cents is this:

If you live around this area, do your homework. Research other cities and how they have dealt with the building of new roads such as this.

If there is no flexibility in design, research mitigation measures for the noise and ask for them as much as possible. It never hurts to ask, or even advocate for making this road blend in with the community rather than divide or become a barrier in northwest Fresno.

There are better ways of designing roads! Northeast Fresno communities are still auto-dominated and lack the charm and liveability of a walkable, pedestrian and people oriented community. Other large cities have managed to carry all of their traffic on narrower roadways (Seattle for one).

Like I said before, I'm just throwing all of this out there. It's worth researching, in the very least. At least we'll all be more informed.

Grantland seems the real danger for school kids and it will only get worse. This new overpass would do wonders for reducing traffic on both Shaw and Herndon. We need better East-West routes. And would you want to stay at the old motels in Highway City?

Look at the tremendous progress and beautiful communities in North Fresno and Clovis. Improve the access and make it more liveable. Think of the long-term ramifications.

whole ting reminds me of the other evening over on Blackstone and Shaw...

One the one corner you had this huge bunch of people with 'END WAR NOW,''HONK IF YOU WANT PEACE,' signs and big banners, waving them jumping up and down...

-Other corner? Maybe two to three 'NO PULL OUT DATE,' 'FREEDOM ISN'T FREE,' folks with their signs hollering and saying 'HONK IF YOU SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.'

...and I'm sitting there, in this big tangle of traffic, (it was rush hour,) with all these people trying to negotiate each other with the lights, --all of us getting distracted by these folks jumping up and down, darn near causing wrecks...

Having made it through THAT, I was headed down the next block, when I come across three guys dressed like Ninja turtles and a girl dressed like a pirate --they're jumping around selling cel-phones...

(whole time I'm thinking... 'hmmm, I wonder if the 'peace' folks may have slipped a twenty or two to the 'no pull out,' folks (who I think were vets...not sure,) -just to heighten the contrast...

that and
'...HONK for PEACE...'

-kinda oxymoron ain't it?

welcome to Fresno...

I knew the mention of that would send chills down some people's spines. Generally, I would dislike Walmart too, but I admit, due to their low prices, I do some shopping there. I also shop at locally owned business. It all depends on the product or service I need.
Anyways, the development in this N/W area is growing. In the last 2 years, several new strip malls, fast food joints and a Save Mart have been built. There are plans for more houses and even for 2 hotels in the area. Add in this new roadway as well.
Ok then that's fine, but give me my 24 Hr. Super-Walmart.

...better watch it when you say 'Wal*Mart,' in these here parts... Them tree huggin social conciousness patchoulli wearing liberals...

(okay... my fellow tree huggin social conciousness patchoulli wearing liberals,) get mighty uppity when you go mentioning the retail-deathstar...

I personally don't mind the place 'tall.
But then again, being a Yankees fan, I'm used to evil empires...

The cost of this project is approximately 60 million. I agree that it could be better spent. The traffic has increased in the area due to new development. The traffic does get backed up at Grantland/Herndon during rush hour times. Instead of building a new road that runs right in the middle of housing deleopments and 2 schools, fix the existing interchange. I would love to see the current interchange updated. Especially due to the new development at that intersection.
This area has changed a lot in the past 5 years. New housing tracts, strip malls and new business. I hardly recoginize the corner near my home. I understand that time brings change. I still don't see the need to build this new roadway. Fix the current interchange. Make it safer and better.
To me it's not really a fair trade unless they allow the Super-Walmart to be built near N.Bryan. Then I might consider it a fair trade, as I would never have to venture past Sierra Skypark.

would be basically same as the present 'major street,' system.
(I'm assuming they're talking three lanes each way.)

Two lanes in each direction (one slow, one not so slow,)
-with a steady lane that would be dedicated (as the crossstreets require,) for slowing down and turning off of the main thorofare,)
(OR) as in the case of higher speed (less interrupted roads,)
-it's three each way with ramps that take traffic up and off of the main road to make their crossovers.)

-It's basically a pre-planned version of having a 4 lane (two in each direction,) with 'carv-out,'s having to be cut in later on (for turning off per crossroad.)

I couldn't imagine a school (not,) having crossing guards at such pedestrian/traffic crossovers, (I see them all the time on much quieter streets as it is.)

What about Herndon and Grantland traffic? It's not fun trying to get from Grantland to the other side of the railroad tracks and on to Herndon, and it's only getting worse. The Veterans Blvd would go over all of that and 99 too, making it easy to get over to Herndon from your area. And actually creating less congestion and less smog.

Is that not a fair trade for the six lanes and some traffic noise? (although six lanes seems like a bit much).
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http://www.thefresnan.com

Just out of curiosity, would traffic in the area warrant it? I know the area, but not a frequent visitor, so I really have no idea what traffic is like in the area.

Also, what's the cost? I'd argue that it's money that could put a nice little dent in the cost of a good mass transit system... but oh well.