Skipping Through Traffic

So they're doing roadwork on Madonna Road. If you're not from around here you probably aren't aware that Madonna is the main thoroughfare through this particular part of San Luis Obispo. My office is located at one end of said road, while my house is five blocks in the opposite direction. Usually the drive takes approximately five minutes, depending on how many lights I hit.

Today, the drive took upwards of twenty.

Now, I realize this is not an earth-shattering delay or an inconvenience really deserving of this level of complainery™ , but let me tell you a little bit about myself and the situation, and maybe that will make things a little clearer.

Firstly, I hate traffic. Now that's a word I probably use a little too lightly, but in this instance I actually mean it. I HATE traffic. The feeling of powerlessness and isolation, coupled with the increasing frustration of being late, stop-and-go, not to mention the discomfort from sitting too long and the heat, etcetera. All these things added together are among the reasons that I hate traffic.

I also hate (this time that's probably not quite the right word, maybe abhor...) cd's that skip. Not just cd's that have one or two skips in a given song, but when a cd is cheap enough or has been treated poorly enough that it literally skips every three or four seconds, often losing it's place and pausing for a good ten seconds while trying to find it again.

Today in traffic I was listening to just such a cd.

It's made all the worse when it's a cd/song that you particularly enjoy, or one you're trying to learn. I'm singing along with my incredible Iron & Wine mix, almost, but not quite, forgiving the horrific traffic because the music just makes me so damn happy, and suddenly a skip!

"Calm down", I tell myself. "It's probably just a fluke or a bump in the road, you only burned this cd a week or so ago and-" but my inner monologue is interrupted by yet another skip! "It's ok, these are cheap cd's, but you've taken pretty good care of this one, it's probably just some dust and it won't happen again." but seconds after finishing my thought, another skip!

By now it's impossible to follow along with the song as it's skipping every few seconds, the temperature in the car is steadily rising due to the lack of breeze or movement and the unavoidable beating of the sun's bright rays, not to mention my own agitation bringing up my internal temperature.

Needless to say, I did not arrive home for lunch in the best of moods.

The drive back, I naturally decided in my infinite cleverness to take an alternate route home that, although traditionally would have taken longer, given the traffic on the normal route this new one would save me considerable time and spare me the stress of the cursed stop and go.

Of course, everyone else had the exact same brilliant idea at the same time.

So after lunch, I did not arrive back at work in the best of moods. Hence, spending my first half hour back typing this blog to complain about my drive, rather than getting to any actual work.

Thanks for reading, sorry for complaining.

later

-loren