Ohhh… commute time. How I loathe you. My current commute time is approximately 1 hr 15 min each way. This equals 2 ½ hours a day or 12 ½ hours per WEEK just sitting in my car. UGH!

Well, I’m not really just sitting in my car. I do many things during my commute time, as many moms do. How can we not?! This is prime time to “get shit done”!

Each day I get in my car, right before 7am. I take out my phone and check Sigalert. This helps to determine the route I will take the work. I say “help” because frankly, I turn right out of my neighborhood, which takes me down a scenic route, which I love. (You see, we moved to my small town from Los Angeles about 1 ½ years ago and I am still in love with the land and horses and cows that I drive by during this commute, rather than the buildings and traffic and smog from before. PS- I don’t live in the middle of nowhere, I simply have some parts of my drive that are really nice).

Anyway… I start down the 86 and call Toots (my amazingly beautiful daughter). I love our talks in the morning and on the days we can’t talk, I’m awfully lonely. I always stop at Starbucks and order a Venti Decaf Americano with a splash of cream. If it’s cold outside, I get a hot one. If it’s warm, I get an iced one. Sometimes I even get two! Seriously. I wonder if the Starbucks people know both are for me. I know. I know. Your mouth dropped at the horror of my drink being decaf. BUT— ask Toots what I’m like on caffeine. I think I scarred her for life. I accidentally didn’t order decaf a few weeks back, and now my colleagues are scarred too. It’s not a pretty sight!

Ok- so after safely merging back into traffic, I attempt to call someone else if I’m not talking to Toots. Usually my mom. She doesn’t usually answer. Not sure why she’s not up at 6am her time, but whatever… 😉 Then I call my husband. There is no real reason for this call usually. I just like to bother him. He doesn’t often respond when I say something, so I feel like I’m talking to no one, but the fact that the phone is actually connected to a live human being, makes me feel better.

By this time, I am debating whether I should get on the toll freeway or take the side streets until the regular freeway. I don’t actually debate at all. I usually take the toll freeway. I love the drive better. Again, more land and horses and cows. And some really huge funky golf ball looking things by the military bases.

I get off the freeway and start down the last stretch and this is when I have to get my butt in gear. Which means… make up time! I put on my powder, mascara and lip gloss. That’s it. I’m a natural type of girl, but not so natural that I would dare enter my office without makeup at all.

I might have a few moments to daydream in my spare time during my commute. I daydream about winning the lotto. I daydream about things I want to tell people, but would never dare. I daydream about working from home. Mostly, I daydream about not commuting anymore.