Tammy-less, day 3. Supplies are low. Now eat meals compiled from a single main dish … no … time … for side dishes. Ugh. Martini olive rationing has set in.
Having my wife out of town is starting to wear on me. By the time she gets in tomorrow I'll simply be sitting in a corner trying to mediate a conversation my elbows are having on the effects of hand cream on nuclear proliferation (Left, oddly enough favors a strong offense and would like to see deficit spending increased 40% to create missiles powered by Pop Rock candy). When I woke up this morning the room didn't feel right. It was misshapen, and my vision was blurred. I was seeing doubles, 2 beds, and 2 sinks. The furniture no longer looked familiar to me. Not having Tammy around is making me bonkers, well that, or the fact that I stayed in a hotel room in Redmond last night to take a break from the commute.
This reduced my drive to a whopping 7 minutes this morning. It was a nice break. My car barely got up to temperature by the time I pulled into the garage. The experience has me thinking though. The distance between where we live and where we work is more than just a physical space. I slept late yesterday morning and toddled into to work about 9:30. I got a good day's work in then met some friends for dinner at P.F. Chang's in Bellevue Square. Afterward we saw Alice in Wonderland. It was my first time at P.F. Chang's. The food was ok though I have to say I'm not sure what everybody raves about. The movie was a lot of fun but the 3D thing doesn't really flip my lid. The real joy was spending a night out with the guys. One of the few things I miss about living closer to town are nights like that.
I didn't sleep great, ok, but not great. The bed was a little goofy and a bedroom always seems hallow without Tammy in it. Don't get me wrong though, it was a nice room. The internet access was complimentary, something you rarely see these days, the staff was friendly and the hotel was clean. I got in today about 8:00. As I walked into the building, even with the seemly relaxed schedule, I still felt weary. I shouldn't have, but I did.
I'm not sure how or if you experience this, but my brain makes very noticeable changes into different modes. When I'm working, my brain 'clicks' into that mode. I have a mode for home, yet another for vacation, for church, etc. I'm the kind who tends to focus on one major thing at a time so I guess this pattern fits me. I rely on changes in my environment to shift my brain into the next mode. The older I get the more I realize that life is a marathon not a sprint and the more deliberate I am about altering my environment to make the division between modes more pronounced. For instance, when I'm done working for the day I close my work email and do my best to keep it closed until it's time to get back into work mode. Not blurring the line between modes keeps my brain fresh and helps me keep a sustainable pace.
So, as I made the short drive into the office today it was the first time I realized how big an impact being a "country mouse" is having on me. The difference in pace is noticeable and it seems I've incorporated that change into my survival skills. The pace of where I live might actually be working its way into who I am and that surprises me.
I guess I've gone native. I probably won't take up hunting and gathering vegetables still means a trip to Albertsons but apparently the experience runs deeper than that. Go figure.
Don't drive angry! Drive weird!
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