Commuting: Fun, fun for everyone!

So, now that the economy is in total disarray, and I already live in a distressed, rural area, my career ladder has taken me on a journey... 125 miles round trip every day. I should start by saying that I am one of the lucky ones. I have a good, professional position that isn't likely to disappear anytime soon. I know it is absolutely shameful for me to complain, so I will attempt to (thinly) veil it...

When I began my new job in June, it was a breath of fresh air. I had been in my previous position for 7+ years and was experiencing a bit of burnout - not full-blown burnout, mind you. I was not pacing the hallways humming the "Jaws" theme or anything. No, I was simply a little singed, and I needed a change.

This is good since the political machine was going to force change on me whether I preferred it or not. The Guv'na had changed, a political favor was owed, and so out I went on to bigger, better and FARTHER things.

The midwest in the summer is hot but beautiful, if one has air conditioning. My SUV did not. Yes, that's right. I took on this lovely scenic cross-country drive in an SUV as gasoline prices were topping $4 per gallon...while wearing business suits...with no air. Brilliant, eh? Okay, so it wasn't a breath of fresh air after all. It was almost immediately a breath of superheated, furnace-stoked, stifling, humid air. After shelling out more than $400 in gas per month and melting away extra weight in my personal sauna for two hours a day, I downsized to a tuna can-type car with air in September... you know, just when the temperature is cooling down alongside the gas prices. As I said, brilliant!!!

So, although summer is a bitch, autumn is stunning, and I actually came to enjoy my drive for the two weeks that comprise fall here. Then, I blinked, and winter came. Now my journey is an ADVENTURE. I've seen vehicles in ditches, on their tops, and in the median. Personally, I thought it might be more interesting to take my vehicle over an embankment into a ravine one morning just for the dramatic effect. It really was impressive.

I've also racked up two speeding tickets over the past four months. I made it more than 30 years of life and about 17 years of driving without a single ticket. Now, two in short order. Where were these guys when I played Dukes of Hazzard that icy morning?!

I'm not an unattractive girl, so the complete lack of leverage on the speeding tickets was initially unnerving. I thought, "Am I really getting that old? Have I lost 'IT'?" Although this may very well be the case, I am still fairly certain that the officer(s) just couldn't get past my hideously plain and utterly styleless car. It's like seeing a hot guy at a bar just to realize he's wearing MC Hammer pants and a denim jacket. It's just a deal-breaker.

The only pure benefit that my commute provides is the two-hour concert I hold every day. I am a music junkie, so the luxury of a private space with my tunes is superb...except for one thing. It is really only pseudo-private. My fellow motorists find my antics hilarious. I'm convinced that there are some travelers that plan their morning drives to correlate with my performances. I used to care a little. I don't any longer. Hell, it's now a game. How many motorists driving yellow cars will visibly laugh if I appear to be performing opera as I pass? Exactly how many ridiculous facial features am I capable of, and how do I acquire more? Can I actually make motorists consider calling for medical attention to assist me based solely on my unique in-vehicle song and dance act? It is both disturbing and delightful.

There are so many more wonderful facets to discuss on this topic, but as it is now 2:40 a.m. and my drive begins in less than five hours, I believe I'll have to leave you with a cliffhanger, a part deux, if you will.

To be continued...(if the mood so strikes at some point in the future.)