4.02.2007

It's Off To Work I Go...

I have about a 35 to 40 minute drive to work each way, depending on traffic. It gives me a lot of time to think. One of my favorite topics is blog ideas. Most mornings, I come up with some really fun and creative ideas... but forget them by the time I sit at my computer to write them down.

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My radio station of choice during drive time is 89.1 The Wood, which is the local university's 'educational' station. They play some eclectic music, mostly adult contemporary, bordering on punk, which I like. They also have no commercials, which is perfect.

The only problem is listening to the college students fumble over their words and the controls, learning-by-doing. Luckily, they don't have too much to do - only the occasional news and weather update. One particular student reads the weather and, if it isn't raining, instructs the listener to go outside and "enjoy the weather." It doesn't matter if the high temperature is below freezing... If it looks pretty through the window, he doesn't have anything else to say!

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When I get ready to leave in the morning, I listen to the traffic on another radio station and try to prepare myself for the numerous @$$holes that will be on the road that morning. Nothing pisses me off more than people who don't believe in waiting their turn. An exit only lane is not an invitation for you to speed past everyone else who is waiting in traffic and then cut somebody off to get back into the mainstream traffic; vice versa, if there is a mile-long line of people waiting in an exit only lane to get off the highway, you may not speed past in another lane and then slide into the exit only lane at the last minute.

People feel protected in their cars. If they did this at the grocery store or the license bureau, they get the sh!t smacked out of them. And they would deserve it.

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My morning commute also involves a stop at the convenience store to get a hot tea. I don't drink coffee, but I do like a bit of a caffeine kick in the morning. I have a specific routine for getting my tea:
  • Get 24 oz. styrofoam coffee cup.
  • Put 5 to 8 pieces of crushed ice in the cup, in order to cool the super hot water so I don't burn my face off when I try to drink it.
  • Open a Lipton tea packet and place it in the cup.
  • Fill cup with hot water.
  • Put 2 Splenda packets in the tea.
  • Dunk the tea bag a couple of times.
  • Get a stirrer and stir the sweetener into the tea. Wonder how many other people have touched the stirrers before I put it into my cup. Rationalize that the temperature of the water will kill any germs that are on it.
  • 2 more Splenda packets.
  • Stir, dunk, throw away tea bag and stirrer.
  • Try to find the one lid that hasn't been handled by the last 43 people that made coffee.
  • Pay with my debit card for the $1.24 for a large hot tea. Wonder why it costs more for a large hot tea than a small hot tea, since I'm still only using one tea bag, just a little extra water. Think to myself that maybe I'll ask next time.

I don't actually drink any of the tea until I drive the last five minutes to work. I am highly opposed to hot tea being too hot.

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My goal is to someday have a job that I can do from home. I don't think I'd miss the commute.

10 comments:

Ginger said...

The second I read this post these lines started running through my head: "Here in my car, I feel safest of all..."

Looks like it's going to be a Gary Numan morning. Awesome!

Dave Morris said...

The large tea costs more than the small tea for the same reason Fiji water costs more than Desani. No really good reason.

I like how you put stuff in the cup first. I go so far as to put the sweetener in also, because when I pour my coffee in, it stirs itself and I no longer have to use the stirrer that 43 other people have touched. Of course your two-tiered sweetener process eliminates that as an option for you...

We have discussed the traffic thing before, and I agree. Assholes who believe their schedules are more important than mine need schooling with a 2x4.

Blogarita said...

All I gotta say is that must be some really weak tea! This is coming from someone who leaves the tea bag in her tea the entire time she's drinking it. I like it strong!

On the other hand, I've read that the biggest portion of the caffeine comes out in the first minute or so, so I guess you'd still get that kick.

Nobody said...

Oh god, I have a similar Green Tea Gas Station ritual when I skip Starbucks, and a tip for you. Do I really share this? ~roll eyes~

I'm such a dork.

So, I get the LARGEST soda styrafoam cup. 36/44 ounces, something like that. Use 4 green tea bags. Fill cup 1/3 of the way full with the hot as shit water. Wait for tea to seep. It will be SCARY strong. Like almost opaque.

Take out tea bags. Pour in 1 splenda (I just like a little sweet).

Then fill cup the rest of the way with crushed ice. (dodging the flaming fucking hot splashes of my original mixture.) Ice melts in tea and leaves the perfect iced green tea consistancy.

It's enough to last me like the whole freaking day, and despite the fact that the manager WATCHES me do this every time I go... he only charges me the 99 cents for the large soda.

Did I really just write that? ~giggle~

Bob said...

screw all that tea nonsense, just drink a soda. I'm much to lazy to go through that whole big production just for a drink.

rosemary said...

Thank GAWD i don't have to drive to work anymore. The very lasy job I had was 3 miles away from home and it took me 30 minutes to get there. I have a morning coffee ritual; everything has to be put into the cup in order....instant coffee, one level teaspoon creamer, packet of hot chocolate, water, mallows, cold water.

Tug said...

I quit getting coffee on the way in 'cause I didn't drink it until I got to work where we HAD coffee. Got sick of hauling a cup back & forth. And my 30 minute commute sucks now because of construction...but it's not the hour 1/2 I had in Phoenix, so that's good.

V said...

Wow, it's weird how much in common our commutes have. I listen to the high school (believe it or not) station, which plays only 70's music most of the time, and drink coffee, though, which I let cool until I'm almost there, too.

If you like indie stuff, check out aqueductisgoodmusic.com. I just (like yesterday) got into this guy. One of his songs is composed entirely of lyrics from the Princess Bride. I recommend "Living a Lie" though.

rosemary said...

I thought about you today....I treated myself to Del Taco for a late lunch. As I reached for a fork to be dainty as I ate the stuff that fell out of my taco rather than grab it with my hands and look like a pig, I saw that the forks had red sauce on them and finger prints in the red sauce. So, I said to myself....Violet blogged about just this nasty issue...and I used my hands instead.

Mel said...

Those highway complaints are some of my biggest gripes as well; but even worse, to my mind, is when someone cuts in front of you, SLOWS DOWN, and then makes a Slooooooooow unprotected left-hand turn.
That is guaranteed to get me to a slow burn. Guaranteed.
Thanks for stopping by!