A Calculating Facade

Each day it seems as if I hit the snooze button an extra time. Initially my wake up call rang in about 7 am, after about a week that slowly (quickly) dissolved into 7:30 am. These days I roll out of bed at 7:50, check the emails and reflect upon why it is I wake up at this godforsaken hour to work...oh because I kind of love my job/office. Whatever, I stumbled over to my closet, pick a winner, paint my face, and I'm out the door. Breakfast is for champions is a cliche and for fat people...?

As I told you last week, one of my favorite pastimes is people watching, on the Metro (for those of you who don't know, the Metro is DC's public transportation, and it's awesome). But anyways, back to me, your Metro experience is dictated upon which line you take, what time of day you are taking it, and obviously if you're taking the bus (it's not sketchy like LA, don't worry). The morning commute is my favorite, serendipitous collisions with the blue and white collared, welcome to the melting pot that is the Metro. Stolen glances, shared smiles, shuffling feet, mysterious neighbors, creepy old men, its the perfect cup of awkward you need to collect yourself and take the "rise and grind" plunge. As we make our way to our destinations our chance encounters intertwine our lives for those 10-20 minute rides. Embrace it.

Words of advice from a wise sagest:

• Buy a smarttrip. 
• Know how to work your smarttrip, nothing is more irritating than having to wait for the rookie swiper when you're racing the clock to sneak into work on time, this is a "don't be that guy moment." 
• Bring tunes, this is an opportune moment to bust out those Dr. Dre Beats, because no one else wants to jam with you, so be courteous and keep it to yourself. This is DC, not NYC no one wants to mingle during the morning commute. My current obsession is the "Hipster International" mix I downloaded from spotify, its fabulous the haunting reverberations of those epic beats allow me to drift away into my morning musings.
• Bring reading material, if you're sitting. You look silly trying to balance yourself and read Anna Karenina. You are not fooling anyone, nothing is being accomplished.
• One of my favorite aspects of this city is dressing up, likeitsmyjob. I love discreetly peaking out from under my bangs to ogle at the daily getups. Everyone looks so put together until you see whats under that peacoat.
• Ladies, its winter wear tights. I'm from California and I know this. Midwest people just because it's not negative degrees outside doesn't mean you should bare your pasty white legs, pull it together.
• Gentleman, generally in California if you look like you fell out of the Matrix series I would keep my distance. But on the East Coast its pretty normal, put a guy in a long coat, allow him the poor judgement that is his small sunglasses and you are walking in the 1999 scifi thriller...tragically its all to common, surprisingly I'm getting used to it.

As I depart from my underground traverse and make my way into the sunlight, my cynical 15 minute ride has allowed me to collect myself and my thoughts. Now onto the fun part, lobbying.