On Driving (and other things)

So, driving to work is fun. I have a pretty short route (13.6 miles), much of which is 50mph or higher. It's a good route, because I'm heading the opposite direction of much of the traffic both ways I go, so it's a fast route. It's even better this week, as it's a holiday week and there's little traffic on the roads at all, and the traffic that is there is going much faster than normal (case in point: M59 East this morning from Crooks Rd. to Mound averaged 85mph in the right lane).

However, it can be an annoying route, too, as Mound tends to be a bit congested heading north after work, especially around 16:15-16:45. There are always the weird drivers on M59 (example: following a guy going 45 on M59, go to pass him and he floors it to around 85. I drop back behind and he panic-brakes to 45 again. Rinse and repeat from Mound to Crooks...), and the turn from M59 to Crooks is almost invariably bad. Best yet, the turn from Crooks onto Avon and then onto Lynndale is exciting, because I need to get into the center turn lane fairly quickly past the intersection, but there's almost always some idiot (and always in a big SUV or truck) who decides to get into the turn lane a block down the street and drive in it until the intersection of Crooks and Avon. I'm sorry, but there is no way in hell that I'm gonna play chicken with someone whose vehicle outmasses mine by a factor of two or more...so I kinda straddle the line and just try not to get clipped.

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Anyway, so, it's always fun to walk into work and be greeted, as you're coming up the stairs to your area, by your boss, who says, "Hey, so, there's a couple new guys coming in, and I'd like you to bring them up to speed on Scorpion by the end of today. Oh, and, by the way, I'm not entirely sure that one guy is coming, but you should wait around and be ready to start any time now, between now and 09:00." Good thing I've still got the tutorial files and such, and the knowledge of two weeks' fiddling with and cursing at said software package.

Oh, and, I just found the most bad-ass picture of Susan (character from EGS) ever: Bad-ass Susan!
Yes, I suppose the hair might be a little excessive, but...if I were able to grow my hair that long, I'd totally do it. Alas, mine has stopped halfway down my back, and there it sits.

Ooh! I just got news that I can, in fact, take off the 17th and 18th of July! Berserker, here we come!

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Thoughts on day one of solo living:

• Having leftovers is wonderful, both for lunches and for dinner.

• Having a deck is really nice--sitting out on the deck, with me lappy in hand, was glorious.

• Catnip is fun.

• Things aren't so lonely when one has parents and then an aunt from CA calling in to say hi.

Thoughts on day two of solo living:

• Not having a rearview mirror on one's car kinda sucks.

• Paying $50.06 for 11.809 gallons of gas really sucks.

• Having eaten all the leftovers means that one cannot be über-lazy, and thus the Ramen goddess descends.

• Balls of yarn are fun.

So, yeah. Fun stuffs, and a flight home tomorrow! ::bats at a ball of yarn contentedly, curls up, and sleeps::

Edit (July 02, 2008, 19:05): And, I just got salmoned again, this time with the starter "This is the coolest, most awesome LiveJournal user ever: http://twixttwoworlds.livejournal.com/profile", but my opposite never replied. ::sad kitty::

Must be weird having your LJ be swarmed like that. Craziness.