What the fog . . . ?!?!?!
In honor of being at my job for two years as of today, I decided I would try to be a somewhat better employee. Nothing drastic, mind you. But something subtle, yet valuable to my place in this organization.

So, I decided to make a better effort to arrive at work in a more timely manner, more consistently. I work my forty hours a week, mind you. But they don't necessarily always start at the same exact time every morning, more or less. I tend to use the prescribed start time as a guideline. Unintentionally, of course. I just need to be in a better habit.

Truthfully, there is a traffic issue. I have to drive through a major construction area everyday, and it is unpredictable on a daily basis as to how this will affect my time of travel to work on any given day. I've tried numerous other routes to work, all of which have resulted in making me arrive even later to work. I've tried leaving at different times, hoping to catch the construction pile up at better times. None of this has proven successful. So, I forge ahead through the construction, taking my chances and hoping my arrival can still be considered timely in some part of the universe.

My unfortunate solution to this situation is to accept that I need to get up earlier in the morning, and therefore leave earlier from my house. I have several issues with this. One, getting up earlier is painful and dreaded. It's already still dark outside when I am used to getting up. Arising even longer before the sun gets up is just wrong on so many levels. Plus, the earlier I am awake, the sleepier I will be come 3:00 in the afternoon.

Two, often getting up earlier and leaving earlier only results in me having to sit in my car longer on my way to work. Rarely has the 'earlier' business resulted in a shorter drive to work, or getting in to work significantly earlier than usual. I'm not sure why that is, since logically allowing more time to get there should put me there earlier, according to the laws of the known universe. Therefore, I am convinced my drive to work takes place in a parallel universe, over which I have no control.

Nevertheless, I decided to try again this week. Monday, I rose from slumber a bit earlier than usual. I made sure the night before to streamline my morning 'getting ready' routine as much as possible, so I could flawlessly move through the steps of preparing myself to leave the house for the day. I don't think or process anything very well before about ten a.m., so the less I'm forced to think as I go from task to task, the better. It's best to stick to the routine, which I usually perform in a semi-asleep mode of operation.

I managed to leave the house a bit earlier, only to be greeted by ridiculous amounts of traffic. I mean, it was insane. Everything was backed up. Cars were not moving. Yet, I never saw a wreck. People just seemed content to spend Monday morning loitering on the freeway, staring at each other. I, however, was not happy, nor content. I was trying to be a good employee! I must get to work on time! Abnormally difficult traffic was not part of my plan, and my plan was quickly falling apart.

I consequently arrived at work later than usual. This was discouraging, and alltogether disheartening. It was a complete backfire of my sincere efforts to be there earlier. I'd spent more time than usual in the Jeep, and even though I really like the Jeep, I don't particularly like to be trapped in it when I should be somewhere already.

Tuesday, I woke even earlier than I did on Monday. I was determined to arrive to work earlier. I left the house even earlier than Monday's departure . . . and was once again greeted by superfluously heinous traffic. What is the deal???

This time, there was a wreck. I try to have sympathy for these situations, so I remained calm in my Jeep. But, alas, I was sad to be stuck once again in horrific traffic. I did not discover the location of the wreck until I made it to my exit off of the freeway. The wreck was directly in front of my exit, which is why I'd been sitting on the freeway for an hour, in traffic backed up from the very spot I needed to be to continue on my journey to work. I nearly cried as I realized that fifteen minutes of that hour could have been spent back in my warm, cozy bed. But no, I'd sacrificed precious sleep to get to work on time.

And . . . I consequently arrived at work even later than I did on Monday. I was once again discouraged, disappointed, disheartened, and dangerously peeved. Clearly, the parallel universe did not want me to make it work on time, no matter how hard I try.

Today, I really needed to make it in to work earlier. For my own sense of pride, to commemorate another year at my job, and because I was in charge of a meeting this morning. I prayed last night that God would help me get to work on time. I figured that based on the previous two mornings, only a miracle from God would get me to work by the time I needed to be there. I woke up even earlier than the past two days, flew through my getting ready routine, and left the house ridiculously earlier than I'd begun my journey the past two days. By my calculations, I should have, in fact, arrived at work a half day early.

But, as I backed out of the garage, I noticed I couldn't see the end of my driveway. What the . . . ????

Fog.

Everywhere. Fog. Not just any fog. Thick, soupy fog. Disgusting fog.

I knew this would seriously hamper my ability to get to work any earlier than the days before, but I prayed again that the fog would not be a factor, and I forged ahead. . . into precariously insane traffic.

Good heavens, people! It's just a little fog!! Go!! It can't physically stop you or slow you down. It won't hurt you!! You've seen it before!! So quit fearing the fog, put your foot on the pedal on the right, and go!!!!!

With care, caution, and courtesy, of course. But nevertheless, go!!!!!!

Seriously, how could this be?? Of all the things I did not expect to be a factor in my morning commute, I woke to the thickest blanket of fog ever. I do not live in London or any other perpetually foggy place. We have fog here maybe two days out of the year. Why today??? The parallel universe was playing a very cruel joke on me for daring to try and be a better employee. For the love of Pete, I just want to get to work in a reasonably timely manner!!!

Pete is probably already there. And we don't even have a Pete!!

I fought my way through traffic that would flow for awhile, then just slow to a near stop. I never saw a wreck, and I couldn't figure out why people seemed to enjoy pausing for a moment to embrace the fog. I'm all for safety first, but even a slow, steady pace would have gotten me to work in less time than it actually took me to get there this morning. What was with the stopping to admire the fog???

It's just white floaty stuff. Get over it!!

I feared I would be too late for my meeting, but I arrived just in time to get things started. No one at the office knows of my commuting struggles this week, but I was embarrassed, nonetheless. I was honestly giving it a good effort to turn over a new leaf and be punctual. And no one would ever know that it really was the traffic.

There was one good thing about the fog. It gave me ample time to compose this blog entry almost in its entirety, in my head.

But other than that, no good can come from fog.

Or getting up earlier.

C.T.