Okay, so the strain of commuting an hour each way to work is starting to become apparent to me now. In addition to being a drain on gas and time, it also seems to wear away at my resolve to get things done. For example, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but my blog posts are becoming a bit more irregular now. :)
Part of the problem is that the difference between having seven hours free in a day and only having five and a half to six hours is enormous. It seems like I blink and my morning is gone, with the dreaded drive already waiting for me. Half the time I have to rush to get out the door, as my necessary departure time has crept up on me while I was unaware. It is kind of discouraging to sit down to write or get applications done only to find that you have to run around like a madman trying to find your keys instead.
The other part of the frustration is the traffic. I have never felt such an intense dislike for other motorists as I have recently. The fact that people in Houston aren’t exactly the safe driving champions of the world doesn’t help matters either. Along those lines, people who drive while talking on cell phones? You can all die in a fire. That’s right, I’m talking to you. You know who you are. And we both know you deserve it.
Along with all of that is the haunting specter of an unavoidable accident or breakdown. For some reason, the prospect of the car failing as I am trying to drive to work seems to hover just behind me whenever I get behind the wheel. I don’t know if it’s the fact that the drive puts so much strain on the car, or the fact that I am so dependent on the vehicle now, but this new stress is something I really don’t want to deal with. The nightmare of falling asleep at the wheel as I’m driving home at midnight is another worry that makes my drive less than relaxing.
I was going to discuss radio as well, but I might need to save that much venom for another post. Maybe multiple ones. Grg.
In any case, I have that wonderful commute to look forward to again today. Wish me luck; I will probably need it just to make it through the experience. See ya!
The fear of the car breaking down always worried me to. That is why I always wanted to take the cell phone with me when I was driving. Just knowing that you were on the other side of a phone call if I needed help really comforted me.
ReplyDeleteI also lived in fear of falling asleep at the wheel. I would turn the air conditioner on super super cold. I didn't care if I was FREEZING I just knew that I would stay awake. Chewing mint gum also helped. Singing outloud with the radio was a must if I was extremely tired that morning. Eating stuff also helped. Usually if I was actively chewing something I didn't worry about falling asleep.
ugh, commuting sucks. So sorry you had to do it this year.
If I had an hour long commute, you could bet that I'd be listening to books on tape. They make the time go by a lot faster and give me something to focus on besides being angry at the morons I am forced to share the road with. If you need some books, let me know and I'll mail you some copies or something. Anything I can do to help the future father!
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