Tag: commute

Random Monday Thoughts

Here are a couple of random thoughts for a pre-work Monday morning.

The drive from Methuen to Canton today took less than an hour. We are firmly in the summer traffic lull. Two weeks from now cities and towns will be starting up their school years and the 55 minute drive I made today will take 90+ minutes. I know how bad it gets, but seeing how good it can be (not that 55 minutes is really that good) just makes September through June that much worse.

I indirectly gave my step kids the weirdest compliment they are ever likely to get. I was in my room getting dressed and that cat jumped onto the bed where I was sitting and got all affectionate. I tend to baby talk to the cat when I am petting her. I was saying goofy things about how the kitty loved her mummy and her big sister and her big brother. Then I said that kitty’s sister and brother love her too because they have good taste in kitties.

I told the cat that the kids have good taste in kitties. What the hell is wrong with my brain? How did that sentence even form in my head? Good taste in kitties? Please!

I played a lot of guitar this weekend. On Friday I finished (except for vocals) one song and started another. On Saturday I finished two songs (except for vocals) and started another. On Sunday I started four songs. That’s nine songs worth of guitars recorded. I was not physically prepared for so much playing and today my finger tips are literally on fire. Oh the pain!

Nitwit

Every once in a while one of the kids will have a change to the morning routine. This requires both the other kid and me to also make changes to the morning routine. Over the last couple of weeks, that has meant that we have to get up earlier so that one of the kids can go straight to school instead of going to their Dad’s and taking the bus from there.

On Friday, we drove to school without any problem. As we were heading to Dad’s house I realized my phone and my glasses and my work badge were not to be seen. Damn. That meant I would have to stop at the house on the way to work. It would be okay, getting up early meant I had time. It was just a pain in the behind. Just before I got home I heard the beep my phone makes when I get an email. Uh… Oh yeah! I usually put my phone on the passenger seat, but on that day I put it in the console so my step daughter wouldn’t be sitting on it. Problem solved!

Today was another early day for us. This time as I was driving between the school and Dad’s house I realized I forgot my glasses and my work badge. Urgh! Idiot! This time I really did forget them. What is wrong with me? I’ve only been managing to NOT forget these things for about 10 years. That’s all.

Nitwit.

Why Christmas Week Rules

Here is one of the reasons (besides the obvious ones) why the kids’ Christmas vacation week pretty much rules. Today I left the kids’ Dad’s house up in the great white north of New Hampshire, and pulled into a parking spot at work 54 minutes later.

Monday is a telecommuting day for me, but I had to go in for a morning meeting (which was then postponed) so I drove home at lunch time to finish my work day at the dining room table where I belong. 44.1 miles in 44 minutes. Absolutely brilliant.

…and probably never going to happen again.

Another Day of Snow Sucking Up the Place

I took the kids to their Dad’s house this morning so that they could catch their rides to school.  I was a little surprised by the state of some of the roads.  The snow ended yesterday morning, but it still was a little sloppy here and there.  Route 93 North seemed to be much icier than I had expected.

I’m working from home today, so I didn’t have to deal with my long commute.  My wife, however, has to go to a training in Boston today.  She left the house at 6:30am.  She called me at 8:00 and she’d only made it about half way, if that.  As of 8:15 she still wasn’t even remotely close.

Why?

Is this a case of the state dropping the ball on cleaning up the highways, or is it just an example of a phenomenon that occurs each year where most drivers react to the first snowfall of the year by completely forgetting how to drive in the snow.  I would guess that it’s a combination, but frankly the snow fell yesterday and both things should have been cleared up by today.

Hang in there, my love.  Be safe.  I love you!

Winter Commutes

We got some snow in the Boston area yesterday. Just a dusting really. Not enough to mobilize the snow removal forces for most cites and towns. That means yesterday’s snow turned into this morning’s ice. The drive in was a touch on the slow side (44 miles in 86 minutes) but it could have been worse.

The evening commute, however, is going to be worse. We have more snow in the forecast. It’s another dusting, but it’s coming this afternoon. Just in time for the evening commute.

I want to warn Eastern Massachusetts that they had best stay the hell out of my way. My step daughter has a school event tonight and I am going to get there on time and I don’t care how bloody the path behind me gets in the process.

Pull over, I’ve got a Christmas show to see!

Fast Commute

I worked from the office this morning, but I’m telecommuting in the afternoon. It marks the first time I got to drive home from Westwood outside of rush hour traffic. I set the stop watch on my phone when I punched out. I wanted to time the trip from my desk in the office to my desk at home.

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Considering that I’ve had a bunch of two hour commute since moving to Westwood, this is astounding to me. And it makes each morning and evening commute that much more insulting.