Something in the air?

I've just been away for a weekend teaching Qiqong in Beith, in North Ayrshire, which is not too far from Glasgow.

On my down I left at 3.45, thinking that it would take me 1.5 hours (according to AA route planner) and missing all the weekend traffic on the Edinburgh by-pass and the M8. How wrong could I be? Extremely wrong it seems.

I got to the by-pass to be met by a wall of traffic. There'd been an accident, but on the other carriageway. Why was my side held up? Who knows, but it was.

Then the radio informed that there had been accidents on the A9, the M8, the Edinburgh by-pass, a road just off the Edinburgh by-pass, the M73, a road into Beith and a road in Ayr. What the heck was going on?

Anyway, my satnav decided that I needed to get off the M8 and go on the M73. I decided to go 'her' route. It took me precisely 35 minutes to get from the beginning of the slip road from the M8 onto the M73. Big error... or was it? I haven't a clue. But I have to say I felt very blessed when the traffic report reported approximately 5 minutes after I'd managed to get onto the M73 that there was a car fire happening on the slip road from the M8 to the M73. Somehow a 35 minute delay didn't seem so bad.

I got to my destination 1.5 hours later than planned, but all in one piece. Phew!