A Day in the City - Getting There, and Catching Something Awful

The alarm went off at 4.45 am, it was pitch black outside and cold as charity. Even the kookaburras were still asleep. I turned the lamp onto its lowest setting to save my eyes from the shock of the sudden illumination and listened to the radio for a couple of songs then, gritting my teeth, threw the covers back and raced for the shower. It was the start of one of my two workday mornings each week and at 5.55 am, after my shower and face painting by numbers, I tossed my backpack in the car and took off down the drive.

Now at that hour of the morning there are heaps of cars, vans, motorcyclists and other miscellaneous vehicles on the road and believe or not, some of them are asleep at the wheel. Bear in mind, it's the middle of winter, just past the shortest day of the year so at six in the morning, the sun is nowhere to be seen. However that does not stop some idiots from driving without their lights on. Yep, that's right. Crazy, hey? One morning, I almost collected a cyclist on the roundabout at the end of my road. Why? He was dressed in dark clothing with only reflector tape as illumination. Gave me a hell of a fright he did, mind you I think I returned the compliment when he almost ended up as a bonnet ornament on my car.

So that is the first kilometre or two. On the way to the rail station, which is about 30 minutes' drive away, I have to negotiate the Springfield Speedway Strip. It's an arterial route to the main highway and about 10 kilometres long. There are a couple of hills, some twists and turns and double solid lines here and there with a maximum speed of 80 kph. Oh, and roughly in the middle there is a 60 kph area, called a wildlife corridor. Ok? Believe me, the whole route is fraught!

Let me give you a few examples...I'm driving along doing the legal speed limit. Three vehicles will pass me, probably doing 120 kph. One morning, going up a hill - you know, double solid lines - and in my side mirror I saw some lights coming up rapidly - an overtaker. When he reached alongside me, guess what? Over the hill comes a car. I'm out of there! I thought, if he's going to smash into someone, it's not going to be me. I planted my foot and took off, probably doing 120 myself. I looked in the rear view mirror and the idiot had shot off the road onto a wide grassy area that he was fortunate to have on that side of the road, thereby averting awful carnage, but certainly not through his careful driving.

Another morning, a car is coming towards me from the opposite direction and a dickhead overtakes me and goes between the two of us. The oncoming car and I both headed for the hills on our respective sides of the road.

So, by the time I reach the station, I feel I have had all the stress of a busy day at the office and it is only 6.30 am!

This morning, I'm sitting on the train reading as usual and oblivious to everything going on around me. However, about two/thirds of the journey in, I found I couldn't concentrate and looked up from my book and gazed out the window wondering what was wrong. I finally figured out I had a headache, which wasn't there when I got on the train. We stopped at a couple of stations, getting closer to the city, and I was feeling decidedly odd, light-headed and quite woozy. Funny, I thought, what is going on? Is this a harbinger of something awful or just the normal allergy to work, albeit worse than usual?

It was Something Awful. Usually the workitis disappears once I have a shot of caffeine. but it didn't work this morning. To cut a long story short, I stuck it out to three o'clock then came home and now I'm sitting here writing this and feeling woeful. To add to my angst, the Furball is meowing pathetically for his dinner. At least he has some. I haven't, because I forgot to get something out of the freezer. I wonder how cheese on toast and a glass of wine would go? Pass on the wine, I think. Dear me, I must be feeling rotten, I never pass on a glass of wine. I wonder if I will survive? Of course I will...all I have to do is tell myself to get over it and fossick around in the freezer for the container of soup I know is in there somewhere. Thank God for microwaves. Soup here I come and Oscar, just hold your horses, I will feed you in a minute.

Until, next time...be nice to yourselves and I'm off to take some paracetamol.