This morning....

I'm the kind of girl that leaves early for work... you know, the kind of girl that makes sure she's walking out the door with 10 extra minutes of leeway.  I like to get to work early.  I hate being rushed.  I don't like having to drive overly-defensively ("defense-full" if you ask Joyce).  I like to lollygag on the way to work...look at the trees, listen to Godly music, pray, the list could go on and on...oh - sometimes talk to myself.  (Insert laughter!)  Soooo this morning, I left early...my usual.  7:30 a.m. 

My commute was pleasant.  I got off the Bypass at 11th Street.  Turned left on Sandy Hollow, drove across the tracks, and was 4th in line at the Kishwaukee intersection.  I looked at the clock, 7:46.  14 minutes 'til I have to punch in.

They are working on the roads at this intersection.  The traffic control gal has the sign facing "STOP" so I assume, okay -- a couple minutes and then we will get to go.  I turned up the radio (channel 88.3 -- which I totally love!) and listened to the lyrics of what was playing.  I remember it was about God's goodness.

I notice that the sun is out and the birds are singing and the leaves are beginning to change.

7:50.  Four minutes of sitting.  The light has changed for the people heading in either direction on Kishwaukee and they are breezing through the intersection while we sit at a complete stop.  Still no worries -- I've got 10 minutes.

I can literally see my place of employment from where I am stopped.  I offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for God's watch-care and the safety He has provided me...and so on and so forth.

Time still ticks and I am still waiting to go...

7:58.  I'm starting to get a little nervous.  You see, we have a set amount of tardies that we can accrue per quarter.  Now - because I am obsessive and tend to get to work early, I don't have any thus far (knock on wood). 

8:00 -- still sitting at the light.  4th in line.  No one is moving.  The driver in the van infront of Rosie rolls down her window and yells at the traffic control gal.  I turned up the music and prayed even harder.  At this point, I am distinctly remembering a conversation that I had with a co-worker, "Wouldn't it be nice if cars came with different levels of horns?  Like a beep-beep, for 'Hey there!' Or a louder one to say, 'Please move!'  A scary, villian-ish sound for 'You shouldn't be texting and driving!' and lastly a louder more confrontational horn that (especially today) says, 'For the love of smooth peanut butter & milk chocolate -- please flip the sign over to read SLOW!!!!'

8:02...panic sets in.  I need to call work.  Left this message, Hi.  I'm sitting at the light at Kishwaukee and Sandy Hollow.  They are not allowing us to move.  I can literally see the building and am wondering if I should put Rosie in park and walk to work and punch in.  I'm soooo close, yet soooo far away.

8:06 - The sign is flipped to the other side, "SLOW."  Alas, we are free to accelerate and get through the intersection. 

8:08 - Fun Angie punches in. 
8:09 - Fun Angie hears the door open again and notice it's some other innocent victim of the poor traffic control.  And shortly after Victim A enters Stage Right, the Top Dog enters Stage Right also.  

What a way to start the day!!!  Soooo first thing first -- I filled up my coffee mug...and not just any old mug, I used the big guy!  And I laughed all the way back to my desk.

Thankfully tomorrow is Tuesday and I am now aware that I should leave an hour early.  Tragic - yes!  But my mother and father did not raise a fool!