Getting There

Vallejo 6:40 a.m.

It was dark as night when I climbed into my SUV ride this morning, a Toyota hulk of some nature. As I wait in line for my ride I hear a rooster not too far away crowing his wake up song. On and on he goes with his timeless tune. Inside the van his song is replaced with a jazz tape which plays throughout our ride (I get the full benefit (or not) of the music sitting in front of the rear speaker).

I’m keeping to my earlier schedule, determined to get a gym session in before work as many mornings as I’m able. I am very sore. A big shaved-head guy is the driver; a lady in a cozy looking black and white checkered coat is in the front seat. All lanes of traffic are heavy but moving this morning – we’re an army of commuters about to storm the City and wake up the offices and shops and cafes and begin the work day.

I did a little research on rooster-crowing (why do they do it in the morning?). Actually, roosters crow all the time; we’re just more aware of them in the pre-dawn quiet. Their crowing, like all birds, is an announcement of territory. They’ve also been known to crow when a hen lays an egg. There may be more crowing going on in the morning hours because that’s when chickens and other birds are most active. But I still like to think of the friendly rooster’s trumpeting as a wake up for us humans and the rest of the world.

The sky begins to lighten as we pass Berkeley, but it’s still very dark in this back seat with tinted windows. I peer out at the view across the bay trying to make out activity in the water. Freighters are delivering two giant cranes to Oakland this morning and will be bringing them in under both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. Early morning news says they are super huge and the CHP (California Highway Patrol) will be pausing traffic on both bridges as they pass under them. But it’s still too early and too dark for me to see much out there.

Once on the bridge the light brightens and the City softly starts to come alive, the sun comes out like a golden opening night spotlight, touching the windows on the downtown highrises as it moves from building to building. Time to wake up!

Filed under: Casual Carpooling, commute, casual car pool, Today's Commute, Tolls for car pools |