Two words, bad drivers. It may not be my only pet peeve but it is the one that stands out. If I do have other pet peeves, this one over shadows them all.

A prime example, the short but very long drive home from work on any given Friday.

It has been one of those weeks that feels like a month in passing. it seems everyone in the office has had a problem that only I could fix. Troubleshooting comes easy for me so I can honestly say that I truly love my job. I do, however, like every other working American, look forward to the end of the week. Somehow I have managed to trouble shoot every problem throughout the week with no over time involved, and lo and behold, it’s finally Friday! …although it’s not official until I’ve made that l-o-n-g thirty mile drive home. It sounds easy enough really, doesn’t it?

 I am certain that nearly every American has heard the old saying that everything is either easier, or harder than it first appears to be. A good for instance would be the fact that not only I, but every other employee in the building is now heading for the exit doors, car keys in hand and prepared. All are walking at race-pace, secretly watching our running mates from the corners of our eyes, trying to keep a quicker pace without appearing as if we were, in fact, racing. Fifty employees all fast-walking in this silent Friday marathon. We are each and every one desperate to be one of the first cars in line attempting the merge into six lanes of traffic. It seems more so on Fridays, that every other working person in this city is getting off work at the same time and is using this route to get home. This makes the merge take almost as long as CEO’s lunch hours. The unlucky losers of the silent marathon get to wait longer than a CEO takes for lunch in a long line of cars that snakes all around the the office parking lot. I, heavy sigh, am one of said losers today and the sun reflecting off the long line of cars in front of me brings a giant sparkling charm bracelet to mind. It also reminds me to don my shades. The windshield factor must be 150 degrees today and the heat feels damp and suffocating an feels like it is coming at me in waves off the dashboard. I turn on the air conditioner for relief, only to get a blast of very warm and moist air accompanied with an odor I cannot describe. “Wonderful!” I think aloud. No worries about what to do this weekend. Another heavy sigh escapes me. Thank God it’s Friday, I can at least revel in that thought.