Couldn't help myself...

So this morning started off like most other mornings. I hit the snooze for about an hour, got up, put on Alias (I usually put on a TV show I have on DVD in the mornings, since I find most morning shows incredibly stupid), took a shower, etc. I managed to find a really nice outfit without having to wear a skirt (which would involve shaving my legs, and I didn't have time to do that this morning) or put on my reeeeeally high heels. So I watched Alias for about 10 minutes, ate some strawberries, got all my shit together, and left the apartment.

Now, when I get in my car in the morning, I usually take a moment and scan the radio stations. I start with the most fantastic oldies station ever known to man, move to the alternative radio station, hit up a country station (there's only one, possibly two out here, which is so different than Beloit, which got four country stations), see what the three 70s-today stations are playing, and then the progressive station, before seeing if the song on the oldies station has changed. Some mornings, I'm lucky. Like a few mornings ago, I heard two of my favorite oldies songs of all time (Lightning Strikes by Lou Christie, and Walkin' In The Rain by Jay and the Americans, my romantic favorite). But most mornings, they play crap. There was once about a month ago when that overplayed, overrated Bleeding Love song was on three seperate stations at once. Three! So on those mornings (which is most of them), I break out the iPod and let it shuffle my current playlist.

This morning was no different. Nothing on the radio, so I head to the iPod. Valerie by Darling Amy Winehouse comes up, and it is in my opinion one of the best sunny day songs ever. So I roll down the windows and blast the music. The sun is out, the breeze is cool, and I'm singing and car-dancing to "Since I've come on home, well my body's been a mess, I miss your ginger hair, and the way you like to dress, won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me..." It's one of those great car moments when things are great. The guy in front of me (who I believe is in front of me most mornings, since I'm starting to recognize his Florida license plate) isn't going too slowly, no one is tailgating me, it's truly a rare morning.

Some background on my route to work. I started out going the way that Google told me to. Down the main throughway that goes across New Haven, then down a heavily traveled route in the heart of New Haven, past the merge for two major highways, next to the construction site for the new Smilow Cancer Center, and then around the block to get to work. This route would take 15-20 minutes on a decent day, 25-30 on a normal day, and 40+ on a bad day. It depends on when you leave, the weather, really anything. There was no telling. So after being in the car for an hour one day (to travel about four miles), I decided to start taking a longer, more indirect route. Even though it's longer, it's usually less traveled, resulting in a 15 minute ride to work. Plus, it's much prettier and more fun to drive.

So I hit the light at the midpoint of my drive and notice there is a parade of construction vehicles in front of me. My drive is nearly ruined! I'll be going 20 for the next mile and a half, and I'll of course become annoyed because the moron in back of me believes that I'm going 20 by choice, and he'll start taligating me and doing that thing where he swerves all over the lane to show his annoyance with me. So, on a whim, I turn left at the light, going where I haven't yet gone. And even though I pass by part of my old route to work, I just...keep on going. I can't stop driving. The weather is so nice and my iPod is reading my mind, it's like a spell was cast and I couldn't break it. I drove on for about 15 minutes, car dancing and smoking a cigarette. (Incidentally, I officially decided that I cannot smoke and drive at the same time. It's just one too many things. The road and the wheel and the pedals, taking a drag and ashing out the window, trying not to set the car or me on fire while trying to watch the road and drive in a straight line. It's too much.)

Eventually, I had to turn the car around. There are things to do at work, and as much as I would have liked to keep driving on, I'm not being paid to do that. But as I started up the walkway towards the doors, there was a spring in my step. I was humming to myself, smiling. Ignoring my duties in favor of some sun and music, however brief, was completely worth it. Now, even with the annoying things to do over the next three days, I'm starting projects in a great mood. And in a job you wonder if you're actually qualified for (and you wonder when the woman who hired you is going to notice), that's priceless.