Another day gone... Today was interesting at least, somewhat... Prepare yourself for i am about to go through a detailed explanation of a normal workday. Upon waking in a daze because i set my alarm clock 30 minutes before i usually do, i stumbled to the shower to assess my existence. I asked myself a question into the mirror, "Who would care if you didn't show up today?" And the answer is always the same, but the answer has little to do with anything. I always go. So, into the shower. I spend a little longer than usual knowing i woke a bit earlier. I'm not sure if i'm the only one who does this: turn the temperature of the water up just a little and stand under the shower head letting the water fall to my neck and over both shoulders feeling the warmth consume me like being wrapped in a blanket. It's calming, sort of takes you away for a minute or two. Skipping forward a little i sit down at my computer and hopelessly check who recently stalked me on a free online dating service. Pitiful, but mildly entertaining for a couple seconds every morning even though everyone on there is just as fucked as i am, making it impossible to meet someone.
And really, who would want to meet an online friend anyway? Takes all of the charm out of a first encounter. The nervousness, the boldness, the adrenaline pushing you to do and say things you normally wouldn't merely to show that you're better than any other guy in the immediate vicinity. That sounds primal because i think it is. I love the hunt, but it's much more enjoyable to be hunted, and i'll be waiting for that girl for quite some time.
Tangents aside i hop into my sweet ride, turn the volume up on my sweet system, which is currently playing Dig Up Her Bones by The Misfits. (amazing song to get your day started) and off i go. Now as i woke up a half hour early i am faced with a different sort of traffic than usual. I've decided that there are types of people the go to work at certain times: 1) The early type: those who are awake hours before their scheduled work time either to miss traffic or look like a kiss ass. These people are good drivers for the most part because they've had their coffee and are ready to do something important with their day, very driven, focused people. By definition they make me sick, but that's just because it differs from my own perpective. 2) The just on time type: These people show up right when they're supposed to within a minute. These are the people who hit snooze on the alarm clock twice or more before waking and leave little time for a healthy breakfast. (maybe a cup of coffee, but these people need more than a cup to get their ass is gear) These people are the worst drivers. It could be because there's just more of them, and we all know a crowd of people is only as efficient as the least efficient person in the crowd, so statistically, the driving sucks. People merge into your lane when you're right there, people forget how to use on-ramps and off-ramps, people drive slow as hell in the fast lane. (this one i just don't understand) 3) The show up when we god damn please group: This is the group where i currently reside, not because i'm irresponsible, but because i have flex time so i can literally show up when i god damn please. But for the people that aren't so lucky, this group comprises of the most honest people i think. They make they're own rules and i think for the most part they are the most skilled. They drive fast, not because they want to get anywhere, but because they are in a constant state of rebellion against the man and the local highway police is just as much an embodiment of the man as any. I have a very compatible driving style with these people, watching us move would be like watching salmon in a fast moving river. Graceful, yet determined, and aware that we're all in this shit show together.
Needless to say this is the time i usually go, later than the "mass commute." But, this morning i was early and fell into the second type. Needless to say, it was more stressful than what i'm used to and taught me that my normal departure time is quite good the way it is.
Now, when i get to the office i'm faced with people like me, people who come in every day, so naturally we should have something in common, grounds to even speak to each other when in close proximity. This is apparently not the case. I am apparently hated in my office by everyone but three people. The first Ruth, is in the neighboring cube to mine. She greets me every morning with "Hey Jim! How's it goin?" to which i reply, "not bad Ruth, how bout yourself?" and then she says in a sarcastic but playful tone "really for another exciting day!" and i respond with a "yeah..." This happens every morning with those exact exchanges. It's kind of odd, but she is a nice woman and i should really spice it up sometime. The second, Daryl, who sits another cube over, is the "man in charge." At least that's what he likes to give as a first impression. During one of our first conversations he said to me "You know i'm going to have to retire at some point and when i do, all of this could be yours." I can't remember what i replied with but i don't think it was the excited response he may have been looking for. He is also a really nice dude, and i can tell that if i ran into problems he would readily be there to assist. The third, my sort of manager, Mike, who is not my manager anymore after a re-org, but he still plays the role in getting me up to speed during my training period which should last a couple more months at least. Mike is a great guy; he's the type that would literally stand in front of a bullet for you, and i appreciate his guidance every moment he gives it to me.
So following the polite exchange with Ruth, i set up my laptop and check my email. After i feel like i've addressed all urgent messages, i get up and and hit the cafeteria for some breakfast. They always have this sausage egg and cheese on a muffin, which is the most delicious thing i've had in years. My mouth waters just thinking about it and i usually have one every morning. Probably not the healthiest thing but damn are they good. Any time i venture in and out of my cube it's the same though. People dread seeing me, of course i don't know if it's just me or anyone, but they will do anything in they're power not to say high in most cases. So by the time i get back i'm usually shrouded in a thick sense of awkwardness from the eye-averts and attempted smiles.
For the next 7-8 hours i sit in my cube taking small breaks just to walk around and to grab lunch when i feel hungry enough. The cube life is a dull life. I usually start off strong knocking a couple of online classes out of the way, but there's a certain point where you take so many notes that you're hand just can't take it anymore. At these times i take breaks just to read the news, listen to some music on pandora.com, or shop around for things i should buy for my apartment. I do about 4 hours of solid work a day.
Coming home i am not thinking about groups of traffic, trying to analyze what they're motivations are or thinking about what they might do. I do not give a shit about anything except walking into my apartment, so i make haste in getting home. And here it's the same routine as well. Sometimes i'll watch a movie, sometimes read a book, sometimes spend hours surfing the web wasting terrible amounts of time out of mere boredom. But always i will either go for a run or go to the gym. Today was a wonderful day for a run too. It was raining so it was cooling and i had taken a couple days rest so i was able to keep a very good pace. After a shower though it's still the same old filling the hours routine. I'm planning on buying some things to help, like a tv for some movies although i refuse to get cable and a new amp for the guitar so i can piss my neighbor off even more than i already do... and because i'm a junky for making new sounds come out of the instrument.
But, right now all i care about is making some money so i can turn this place into home, and looking damn sexy, which is another thing i'd like to explain but for another night.
After all that i actually started the post saying it was interesting and then continued with a more general description of a normal day. It was interesting simply because i got to run in the rain. It hasn't rained here for quite some time, and it was nice, cool, and calming. Something that small can really turn my day around sometimes.