Tweet
FacebookI’m completely upside down. If radio programming is any indication, most people prefer to listen to talk in the AM and music on the way home. Top-40 radio stations have whacky morning DJs, complete with schtick. Conversely, during the drive time talk formats are abandoned in lieu of a music-heavy format.
I’m the complete opposite. When I drive to work in the morning, I wanna hear hard music–something to wake me up and invigorate the start of my day. But when heading home, I am completely exhausted and drained. The last thing I wanna hear is hard, loud music that rattles my brain. I like talk radio because it’s easy on the ears and doesn’t take too much out of me…which appears to be the exact opposite of what any Top-40 station would play.
Either I’m a complete freak or everyone else is wrong–I’m leaning toward the latter.
As I’ve stated before, I don’t believe in carpooling. Not because I’m a cold-hearted Grinch–it’s just too much of a hassle for me. If carpooling was easy and I wouldn’t hafta stray from my routine, my opinion would be different.
I cite my life as a prime example why carpooling doesn’t work. The Wife and I have the same employer; we live in the same house. If we carpooled, no one would have to go out of their way or make unnecessary trips. Unfortunately for Mother Earth, she has to be in at eight while I arrive a good 60 minutes later. Carpooling isn’t practical because one of us will always have hang around for an hour. Even if I wanted to do the right thing, I’m certainly not gonna waste 5% of my day to do so.
About a month ago we caught a break and I had to be in at eight. In at eight means out at five…which just so happens to be the same hours The Wife works. So the plan was–drumroll please–we carpool to work…and somehow save a tree along the way.
Alas, fate did not agree with the plan. Either that or William Peffercorn hates Mother Earth. He called in sick and I had to cover for him–which meant me staying until seven. So not only did our carpool plans fail, it actually made things worse. The Wife wasn’t about to hang around work for two hours of unpaid doddling so during lunch we went back home to pick up her car. For those at home doing the math, that’s three round trips to work we made today. Instead of simply driving to work and coming home at night, we tripled our automotive use. We drove to work in the morning and came home at lunch. She picked up her car; I took mine, and we both headed back to work. She returned home at five and I did the same after seven. We left carbon footprints bigger than Sasquatch.
This is what happens when I try to do something nice. I was better off sitting at home using aerosol cans and burning plastic bags. Carpooling doesn’t work–and will never work–due to inconveniences like this. A hippie would tell you we all have to make sacrifices for the good of the planet; I’ll argue not at the expense of 60 minutes a day. What good is preserving the planet if it’s a pain in the ass to live on?