My friends and co-workers think I'm crazy for doing some of the things I do. And this is certainly no exception:
Where do I start? Let me preface a little... as many of you may know, I work in the apartment industry. It's has it's benefits, annoyances, challenges, and perks... just like any job. Living at the same property you work at is certainly one of the best perks, as it offers the best commute to work in the entire world: none.
Now... my best friend Jesse's boss, Becky, has two incredibly awesome dogs that I sit for on a regular basis (usually about two weeks a month). In addition to being a nice escape from work, her house is AAAAAAALLLLLLL the fucking way up north. About 20 miles from where I live. I know what you're all thinking:
"This fag is totally crazy. He drives 40 miles every day, two weeks per month, to sit for some dogs when he's got the option to walk to work every single day? Not only is that stupid, it's not earth friendly! Ugh!"
Now, now, now pumpkins. CHILL! Besides sitting for the most wonderful dogs in the world, there is another specific reason I enjoy doing this so much. And, believe it or not, it's my drive back home at 5.45 every morning. OMG! Totally crazy sounding, right?
Let me explain this to you in a little more detail. You see, when I started dog sitting for Becky, I would get ready for work at her house and then make the long grueling drive back home. In the bright sunshine. And grid-locked streets. Full of psycho drivers. And soccer moms.
Then... I had a revelation. I thought "Hey! What if I take care of the dogs in the morning and then drive back down south and get ready at home! Then I don't have to lug all my shit up north, live out of a suitcase, use all of Becky's fabulous shower products (including a seaweed face-scrub AND Paul Mitchell Volumizing Conditioner!), or drive to work with all the other assholes in Denver!" And then I thought, after coming up with that idea, "Hey! What if I get up earlier than I usually do to take care of the pups and then drive home while sipping on a hot cup of Becky's fantastic coffee while listening to my favorite tunes for a nice, relaxing drive!?"\
My own personal mobile coffee house was born.
Before, my drive to work from Becky's consisted of driving down Sheridan Blvd, in the excruciatingly bright sunshine, in grid-locked traffic, with a bunch of psychotic soccer moms, driving Expeditions, rushing to get their kids to school on time, a slew of cougars rushing off to Jazzercize, an occasional hick driving a duely that he successfully manages to not keep in his lane, and the speed racer in a 1984 Honda Accord weaving in and out of traffic, all while hitting every single fucking stop light known to man.
Now, my drive back home from Becky's consists of me slowly backing my car out of her garage into the chilly, dark morning air. The blue and red glow of my GTI dashboard illuminates the interior of my car as I prepare for a drive back home in the dark of night. After throwing some Jem, Tori, or Coldplay on the stereo, I pull out on to Sheridan Blvd and share the road with one or two other drivers who, just like me, are sipping on a perfectly prepared thermos of coffee and are not rushing to make it anywhere. We all sort of drive as a brigade. We drive together. It's almost like we have this undisclosed understanding with one another. That we're all in this completely dark, relaxing, coffee-filled journey together and, when we have the opportunity to make eye contact, we do it with a sort of "Don't you fuck this up for me" kind of attitude.
It is the most relaxing drive, EVER. And it starts my day off completely perfect. I seriously look forward to getting up at 5.15 every morning just to make sure I can make it on the road before six, and ahead of everyone else. Because, as if this sort of drive doesn't make it worth it, arriving home to a dark, quiet apartment with the sound of it's furnace gently humming in the background totally does.
