Every weekday morning I have a very strict routine that I follow.
It begins with surfacing from sleep to the sounds of my alarm going off. It is not your typical alarm clock sound, but rather this cute little musical melody called “sweetest tone ever_39” that I found on Zedge. Oh, Zedge? An app where I find oodles of ring tones and notification tones for free. I have no idea what just possessed me to Google it, but low, and behold, here it is:
Sorry, hijacked myself, big shocker I know.
Anyway that sound lures me from dream land to the land of get-moving-it’s-time-to-get-ready-for-work land. It may be called the sweetest tone ever, but rest assured it draws zero enthusiasm from me. Usually a moan or “you’ve got to be kidding” or some such reaction. This usually causes the Knight, if he is still laying next to me, to laugh softly. I ‘slide’ the little yellow ‘X’ across the screen and drift back out for 10 more minutes before the increasingly annoying very sweet little tune plays again. It is my belief my beloved finds this so amusing because if he is still there, it is because he has already been up, showered, and is just grabbing a few more minutes of rest. He must be at work earlier than me but up later than me. However if he wants to get a shower before his Princess takes over the bathroom, he needs to do it before that god forsaken delightful alarm tone starts.
Once I have exhausted my 1 round with the snooze alarm (I only allow for once) I get up, do the parade of the walking dead (seriously have the hair and blank expression mastered) downstairs with the dog to let her send her first pee mail of the day. On the way back through the kitchen I turn on the coffee then make my way upstairs, usually stepping over one if not both of my cats.
I won’t bore you with the details of the shower and face painting…suffice to say that it never varies or I’m a mess the rest of the day. When I reach the kitchen again the bed has been made and I look simply dazzling, as always. Okay so that might be a slight over statement, but at least I won’t scare anyone I come in contact with the rest of the day.
At this point I gather up my laptop, purse, lunch, 68 ounce water bottle, my to-go cup of coffee and the attitude sporting Yorkie. Yes, that is a bit of a handful to carry, especially keeping one hand free, with the keys, in order to get into my locked car. Good thing I can juggle.
Once loaded into the car, with my puppy riding shotgun, I pull out one of my two phones and turn on my all time favorite navigation app, WAZE. Best GPS I have ever used. Not only is it right 99.9% of the time, it is interactive. To quote them, “Imagine 30 million drivers out on the roads, working together towards a common goal: to outsmart traffic and get everyone the best route to work and back, every day.” Yes, we all work together, sharing information. Now if only everyone would do that AND learn to share the road nicely, what a pleasant driving experience it could be. Maybe your favorite radio traffic chick or dude in the morning has said “per Wazers” and you have no idea who or what they mean…now you do.
See, with Waze, we all who use it, keep it updated as we go. Traffic hazard because of debris in the road, or a car stopped on the shoulder? You get a little caution symbol on the route and it pops up and tells you when you get near it because another Wazer put out the alert. Local popo sitting inconspicuously taking radar? No problem, you’ll know he or she is there because the cop symbol pops up on the screen where the squad car is sitting. If, when you pass by, the road hazard or nice police officer is no longer there, you can update with a touch of the screen. While driving along, the app senses if we are not going the speed limit and asks if there is heavy traffic, so others can be warned. And because it is updated constantly by the community of Waze users (Wazers) it is far more reliable than the local traffic reports that are out dated or only available every 10 or more minutes (if you are lucky).
So, while my commute is made difficult by occasional numbnuts who cannot manage to drive without hitting the median wall or another car, (60+ minutes on the road this morning when it normally takes 35-40), at least I know what is up ahead should I decide to bail and find an alternate route through rush hour hell.
If you are not using Waze, you should be. It will not only help you get to your destination, informed of all manner of obstacles in your path, you will be helping other Wazers (you can see them on the map with you it is so cool) simply by being on the app as you drive.
NOTE: it does seem to use more battery than many apps, so be sure to have a charger handy.
Marti Gardner 