Monday Routine
Originally Posted @ 8/13/2005 7:09 PM
Routine is so comforting even when you loath the routine itself. I’ve been traveling to Philadelphia on a project for what seems like years (probably more like months). The thing is, if I can’t go through my same morning routine, it’s very unsettling. My Monday morning routine goes something like this (if you aren’t interested in the details, you should probably find something else to read):
1. Leave the house early to fight the miserable traffic. The up side is I get at least an hour in the car where no one is asking me anything!
2. Find the perfect parking spot in the O’Hare parking garage. The perfect spot involves being exactly half way between the entrance and the exit so that going home takes exactly the same amount of time as getting there did.
3. Get my ticket from the automated ticket machine. I really like this step because I can accomplish something without having to deal with any people at all.
4. Make my way through airport security. This normally involves unpacking my bag, removing random articles of clothing and hopping on one foot all while keeping my boarding pass visible at all times. I have to give it up to the TSA folks; they manage to be impolite, slow, and angry looking. Not an easy combination to pull off so early in the morning.
5. Find my gate and sit down for approximately five seconds. This is necessary to make sure the gate hasn’t disappeared into another dimension or been destroyed in some sort of bizarre accident.
6. Get up, leave the gate, and go to the Star Bucks and get my Venti Skim Latte. I never imagined I’d pay $4.50 for a cup of coffee but I am on an expense account after all.
7. Return to the gate hoping no one has taken the seat I had previously occupied.
8. Wait (I seem to spend a lot of time doing this). The airlines seem to have mastered making you wait. I like to imagine they have a VP of Waiting at corporate who thinks up ways to make people wait even longer.
9. Board the plane nervously hoping that there will be room in the overhead for my carry-on. There always is but you’ve got to have something to worry about.
10. Sit in my seat nervously waiting to see who I’m going to have to sit next to. I’ve sat next to some very nice people but, I’ll let your imagination conjure up the possibilities for some of the more uncomfortable flights. If I had to sit next to a yak, that wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. Especially if the yak kept his shoes on.
11. Sleep (or if my boss if reading this, work)
12. Upon landing, exit the plane as quickly as possible because I have the effects of that Venti Skim Latte to deal with. I don’t like the airplane bathrooms.
13. Find a cab and make my way to the client.
14. Arrive invigorated and ready for a day of record setting productivity.
So there you have it, the excitement that is my Monday morning routine. I’d much rather stay home but then I’d miss all the excitement. Some day I’ll tell you all about my coming home routine.
Routine is so comforting even when you loath the routine itself. I’ve been traveling to Philadelphia on a project for what seems like years (probably more like months). The thing is, if I can’t go through my same morning routine, it’s very unsettling. My Monday morning routine goes something like this (if you aren’t interested in the details, you should probably find something else to read):
1. Leave the house early to fight the miserable traffic. The up side is I get at least an hour in the car where no one is asking me anything!
2. Find the perfect parking spot in the O’Hare parking garage. The perfect spot involves being exactly half way between the entrance and the exit so that going home takes exactly the same amount of time as getting there did.
3. Get my ticket from the automated ticket machine. I really like this step because I can accomplish something without having to deal with any people at all.
4. Make my way through airport security. This normally involves unpacking my bag, removing random articles of clothing and hopping on one foot all while keeping my boarding pass visible at all times. I have to give it up to the TSA folks; they manage to be impolite, slow, and angry looking. Not an easy combination to pull off so early in the morning.
5. Find my gate and sit down for approximately five seconds. This is necessary to make sure the gate hasn’t disappeared into another dimension or been destroyed in some sort of bizarre accident.
6. Get up, leave the gate, and go to the Star Bucks and get my Venti Skim Latte. I never imagined I’d pay $4.50 for a cup of coffee but I am on an expense account after all.
7. Return to the gate hoping no one has taken the seat I had previously occupied.
8. Wait (I seem to spend a lot of time doing this). The airlines seem to have mastered making you wait. I like to imagine they have a VP of Waiting at corporate who thinks up ways to make people wait even longer.
9. Board the plane nervously hoping that there will be room in the overhead for my carry-on. There always is but you’ve got to have something to worry about.
10. Sit in my seat nervously waiting to see who I’m going to have to sit next to. I’ve sat next to some very nice people but, I’ll let your imagination conjure up the possibilities for some of the more uncomfortable flights. If I had to sit next to a yak, that wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. Especially if the yak kept his shoes on.
11. Sleep (or if my boss if reading this, work)
12. Upon landing, exit the plane as quickly as possible because I have the effects of that Venti Skim Latte to deal with. I don’t like the airplane bathrooms.
13. Find a cab and make my way to the client.
14. Arrive invigorated and ready for a day of record setting productivity.
So there you have it, the excitement that is my Monday morning routine. I’d much rather stay home but then I’d miss all the excitement. Some day I’ll tell you all about my coming home routine.
posted by Steve at
12:37 PM
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