Self Portrait Tuesday: Time to drive

spt 3.7.2006, originally uploaded by roxydynamite.

When I first read Time was the March theme for Self Portrait Tuesday, I had no idea what I was to do. I looked at the sites Kath suggested for inspiration. I wasn't inspired. Alot of them were of men who take a daily photo of themselves. It just seems so narcissistic. So I kept thinking.
I read a bunch of blogs every week. Lots of amazing, talented women who seem to have an endless supply of time on their hands to accomplish everything. I feel like I have no time to myself. In the morning, I have one hour alone after Sweets leaves before I embark on my hour commute. Then I work for 8 or 9 hours and commute again.
I drive 100 miles a day round trip. I'll spend about 500 hours a year commuting. Seems like time wasted.
This week I started to really keep track.
Every three rows in this grid equal one day's commute and includes at least one shot of me.
Day 1: Wed. March 1st
Row 1: My keys. Volkswagen Golf had 19K when I bought it in August 2005. It's a tad over 32K this week. Start time 12:05 pm at 32,152k. My street sign through the sun roof. Coffee stop. I chose English Toffee.
Row 2: Trying to take photos at 80 mph is harder than I thought. Sometimes I get in a funeral line by mistake this time I was along side one. I listened to the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC 93.9 FM. The segment was on a new book about getting fired. I laughed. There's my lead foot. Exit sign. I take Route 21 now.
Row 3: Buzzing into the parking deck with my id card. That's my office across the street (self portrait in the window). Self portrait before driving home. I look tired. I usually call home to let Sweets know I'm leaving and we chat while I drive. Driving at night.
Day 2: March 2nd
Row 4: Forecast said snow. More like frozen rain. Droplets on the sunroof. Bagel for breakfast on the go and lunch for the office later. My sophisticated ipod holder(listening to Rhett Miller). The speed limit I never adhere to.
Row 5: Self Portrait. Visibility very low so this is the only shot from the drive. View from the parking deck at night. Books I picked up from our intellectual recycling bin. Gas stop. It's full service in NJ which is good because I hate the way gas smells. I usually have to fill up twice a week. Costs about $50 total these days.
Row 6: My favorite shot of the series is of a exit sign and car lights. Pit stop at the grocery store. I was craving ice cream and chose mint chocolate chip to snack on while I put together my Color-iffic Swap-o-rama package. Arrival time at home 11:00 pm. My dogs are the first thing I see when I get home. They are more interested in the ice cream than me here.
Day 3: March 3rd
Row 7: Once in a blue moon we leave at the same time, so here's our farewell smooch. My laptop bag and Color-iffic Swap-o-rama package in the back seat. I stopped at the post office before heading to work. My favorite coffee mug. I bought it in 2002 at a giftshop on the Olympic Penninsula. I love to think about Washington State. That's me in the rear view mirror. Excellent clouds.
Row 8: I'm a lefty. For six years I've driven by this park and wondered about it. Today, I took a detour and found the entrance. I said hello to the swans. Left my footprint in the snow. Wiggles is a go-go place. The name amuses me.
Row 9: A nice church in town. Notice I am overdue for my oil change in the sticker. Damn! A cool old building. Stopped at a light, I glanced out the window and saw this baby carriage sitting there. In the parking garage. The paper I worked on the night before. It's my job to choose the photos on the front page.

This SPT turned out to be more challenging than I anticipated. Photographing while driving was hard and yes, possibly dangerous. Making thoughtfully composed shots was out of the question and some of the accidents were delightful.
I started to pay more attention to what was around me. Noticing the stripes in my pants vs the checks of my coat, the clouds, the scenery. I chose to mix things up and take different routes. Best of all the detour to the park. I was only there for a minutes but breaking the monotony of my routine was priceless.

Idle away some of your time with the rest of the SPT crew at Self Portrait Tuesday or the Flicker group.