Friday on My Mind

Aaaahhh, The four-day work week. It somehow always disappoints. You get all excited about having only 80% of the week to contend with but then without fail, 100% of the aggravation and 4-alarm emergencies find their way to your door. And suddenly the cumulative effect of 4 days at work is more like 6, when mentally you had prepared for far fewer challenges. And a much smaller steaming plate of s***.

This day began with the usual traffic annoyances. The driver so engaged in conversation on her cell phone that she doesn't realize that she is going only 20 mph while the world would like to be going 40. The bonus prize is that she gets indignant and flips you the bird when you toot your horn to alert her to the fact that the light has changed from red to an appealing shade of green and green actually does mean go and she'd be advised to place her foot firmly on the pedal on the right - and make it snappy, sister.

And of course, there is Mr. I Am The Only One Driving This Morning who drifts aimlessly from lane to lane on a whim leaving most of us to slam on our brakes and spill our much needed coffee in his wake. And Mrs. Let Me Just Think A Minute who just stops in the middle of all the madness - and never at a natural place like a parking space or shoulder. Just wherever.

Today, the cherry on top of what had already been a hellacious commute was the motorist who made his way into my parking garage just moments ahead of me, for whom the 5 mph speed limit seemed just a little too reckless and who took to the ramps at a zippy 2 mph, moseying along in search of the secret elusive parking space that still might remain available on the lower levels. Infuriating.

We were off to a great start. Hopefully not an indication of things to come.

And then I heard it. On the radio. THE song. Or one of them.

There are two songs that will always and forever remind me of my Dad. And every time I hear one of them, it is as though he is tapping me on the shoulder. "I am here. Look for me."

This was going to be quite a week.