I stayed home from work yesterday, ’cause I was sick. It’s a rare turn of events, my friends. I almost never call off, but did yesterday. Tuesday night I didn’t feel great, and yesterday I felt even worse. The moment I opened my eyes I knew I was in for a challenging day. And it was blecch. But, I went to bed at 8:30 last night and slept until 7:30 this morning, and feel a lot better. Not perfect, but better.
But, even though I was in the throes of illness, I recorded the Thursday episode of the podcast. It’s slightly abbreviated, but I got ‘er done. The show must go on. Or something.
And speaking of calling off, what do you call it? I hear all manner of variations on that phrase. Mine, of course, is the correct one. But what do they call it in your neck of the woods? Calling in, calling out, calling up, calling all cars? What?
I’m off again tomorrow, but it’s scheduled. It’s Toney’s and the younger youngling’s birthdays. And we always go out to dinner. Seafood, generally. I’m not a fan, but I don’t really have a say in it. Hopefully, they’ll have something barely seafood, like fish ‘n’ chips. We’ll see. I think we’re going to Cooper’s. Fun place, but I don’t really enjoy grazing off the ocean floor, etc. Maybe I’ll have the blowfish cutlets or the stingray casserole? Perhaps a large basket of popcorn seahorse? I’m sure I can find something.
And I was just thinking… Even though I have what many (including myself) would consider a long commute to work, it’s one of my shorter ones. In both distance and travel time.
In Atlanta we foolishly moved outside the perimeter — which is interstate 285 — and our ride to work was instantly horrendous. I mean… it took forty minutes to even get to the highway. Then it was another half-hour from there. It sucked all the ass. Atlanta had the worst traffic of anyplace I’ve lived, and that includes Los Angeles. (Over an hour)
In L.A. we had to buy way out in the desert, to be able to afford a house. The house and the neighborhood were fine. but the commute was unpredictable. Some days I could just cruise on in, and others I’d be left sitting with my car in park while listening to Cheap Trick and shouting “C’mon, you fuckers!” over and over again. (about an hour)
Here, I was originally working in Olyphant, which isn’t too far away. But now I work south of Wilkes-Barre, which is. It’s roughly 36 miles each way, mostly on the Devil’s Parkway, interstate 81. That highway is ridiculous. There’s construction 365 days per year… a metric shitload of tractor trailers traveling wildly different speeds… and “heavy loads” that frequently include houses, helicopters, carnival rides, massive windmill propellors, airplanes, ten thousand tightly-compacted chickens, military equipment, and did I mention houses? goddamn houses??…. (about 40 minutes)
The best commutes were a thousand years ago. When I worked at Fas-Chek, a grocery store in WV. I just walked over there; you could see it from our kitchen window. And when I was at Peaches Records in Greensboro, I lived in an apartment about a half-mile from work. This is very old, but you can see some of the places I’ve lived. Not sure why the Google Street View was so washed-out and shitty back then, but whatever.
What’s your commute like? Toney works from home, so she just walks down the hall. Mine is lengthy, as usual. The thing is, though… I don’t really mind it. As long as I’m moving, I find it relaxing. I like to listen music or the radio, and just spend some rare time alone.
What do you have on this one? What was your longest commute, and your shortest? Or… best or worst for some other reason? Use the comments link to bring us up to date on it.
And I’m calling it a day, my friends.
Have a great weekend!|
I’ll be back on Monday.
Now playing in the bunker
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I have not taken a sick day in almost 4 years. I work with people who sometimes call off every Monday. I don’t think anyone cares anymore. I walk to work. It takes about 15 minutes. I almost got ran over trying to cross High St. the other day. Alert The Media.
I voluntarily (!) decided to build my eventual retirement home nearly an hour from work. But now I’m on the old-man schedule, where I get in before the traffic hits. So it’s a fairly serene and pleasant commute.
But back in the day, I commuted to college from the way-out Jersey suburbs to Hoboken-on-Hudson. It was a 20-minute drive to a 10-minute walk to a 45-minute train to a 20-minute walk. Each way, every day. I walked the hellish Frank Sinatra Drive along the Hudson river; a corridor which forms the perfect natural wind tunnel. So now, an hour commute is nothing for me.
My worst commute was so bad I decided one morning to go into the office and give two weeks notice, move away from the NC Triangle region, and start a new life. Best decision I ever made. I have had a mere 15-20 minute commute for the last 9 years or so. My office is moving in January, and I’ll probably switch to commuting the 3 miles by bike into work during the warm months and taking a bus when it’s too cold out. I say “calling in sick”, is that incorrect?
You “call in” sick. What’s “off” have to do with anything? How is that a phone term? You call IN to work and tell them you are taking the day OFF. That makes sense. The phone call has nothing to do with time off. What other circumstance would you use the word “off” in relation to phone calls? “Calling off” sounds like something you do in bed by yourself with the door locked. “I’m so embarrassed. My mom caught me calling off last night.”
My commute is a 5 min drive or 10 min walk. Or take a scooter if one is handy.
I say “call out sick”, because you’re calling to say you’ll be out sick. But if your goal is to make logical sense of the expressions people use, forget it. Around here, people say “he took a heart attack”. And what about “taking a shit”? If that were meant literally, it would be pretty disgusting. It should be “leaving a shit”, but nobody says that.
I have a Dutch friend that I worked with in our German office, and if you said “I’m going to go take a piss”, he’d say “why don’t you leave one instead”. Made me laugh. One time when he was in the States for awhile, he had a rental car that talked, and spent the better part of one day walking around saying “the door is a jar”, trying to figure it out.
Worst – Pleasanton, CA to San Jose which about 25 miles and often took over 2 hours
Best – 2 flights of stairs today
Most fun – 30 minutes of traffic free country backroads through rolling hills in a fast car
My best and worst commutes were the same job I currently have. My first house was 20 minutes away from my job… in fact, it was 20 minutes away from anything. I got so tired of always having to drive into town that I bought a new house that is 1 stop light down the road from my office. If I hit the red light it takes me 3 minutes. If I luck out and have a green light it takes 2 minutes.
It’s also great being able to run home to see the dogs, yell at a contractor, or meet someone at the house for something at a moments notice. Downside was I had 2 mortgages for 3 years while I was trying to sell the house in the boonies.
I once lived so close to my job that I often would leave work at 7:57am and arrive at work at 7:56am (the clocks were a little off)
when anyone actually calls we say “called in” sick, but we mainly text someone & make them tell the boss. it’s a wonderful, laid back company.
worst commute = MANY years ago (in my late teens/early 20’s) I worked at a Wings Surf & Sport in Kitty Hawk, NC. I lived about 15 miles away but summer traffic was so bad I usually couldn’t even get there on the weekends when I worked the afternoon shift. I guess depending on how you look at it, that could have been the best commute since I couldn’t actually get to work. but I usually had to go a few miles before I hit the traffic & sit in the same spot for an hour before I said fuck it.
best commute = when I first started at the company I’m at now I lived in an apartment exactly 1 mile away. still took about 3-4 minutes (gotta love Cary/Apex traffic) to get here but it was great. I couldn’t even finish my morning cigarette before I got here. I’m 10 miles/a 20 minute drive away now but it’s not bad. I’m not in an apartment with asshole neighbors above, below and/or beside me so I’m not complaining about driving.
Worst (and longest) commute was for a job I just quit, driving from North Portland to Tualatin, OR. Distance wise it was only 20 miles, but it would take 45 minutes in the morning and around an hour and a half returning. I got used to listening to podcasts, including yours, Jeff. But I hope to never commute that long again, ever.
Best was from Flatbush, Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan; 30 minutes each way on the 5 train on most days, sometimes a bit longer if there was a delay. I miss having a functional public transit system…
I like to take a “safety hazard” day as in “if I don’t have a fucking day off I’m going to become dangerous”
Seriously, I “call in sick”
45 minute – 1 hour commute, depending on how many slow-ass gas well trucks I might get behind, all “back roads” but rediculously scenic
My longest commute was during grad school. It was 95 miles/ between and hour and 45 minutes to two hours 15 minutes each way through downtown Dallas. Luckily it was only four days a week for a few months. Pre-podcast/satellite radio days, so it was Howard Stern in the morning and “Guy-talk” radio (KTCK 1310) in the afternoon.
Best was 27 miles/ 35 minutes, never any “real” traffic to speak of. One stop sign, one stop light. It was best because it was just long enough to “wake up” on the way in and “wind down” on the way home.
Current is the shortest. 3.5 miles/ 7 minutes. I only have to buy gas once a month, so there’s that.
It’s “call in sick.”
Worst commute: right after college graduation. Moved back home for six weeks. Lived in Ocean County NJ, worked in NYC. 2 & 1/2 hrs door to door. Moved in with friends after six weeks. Moved an hour and a half closer, but was still an hour and a half door to door…
Have lived in Ocean County most of my life. Would never even consider the commute to NYC. You have my ultimate respect, lol.
“Call in sick” is the correct terminology.
Best: half a mile from work. As a card-carrying Lazy Shit, I always drove.
Worst: the current job. Each way it’s 25 miles on the DC Beltway and I-295. It takes 60 to 90 minutes each way.
If I were heading for dinner at Cooper’s, I’d go for a half (or maybe a whole) dozen raw oysters, then probably the sea scallops. I don’t care for the look of “The Dest Darn Mussels” or the “Guoiness Onion Soup.” But at least they seem to have a decent beer selection. Pro tip: Guinness goes great with oysters.
Call out sick and 60 miles of hell from Northern NJ to Stamford, CT. I need to leave 2.5 hours to get there most days. It sucks and it’s what I do most days….
In Oz we “chuck a sickie”. My commute is usually 15 minutes. Worst was 1 hour by train. I hate trains. I haven’t caught a train in about 25 years now! I don’t think I even know how now. Keep up the great content Jeff, its like the old days!
For first 18 years I walked for 12 minutes to work, the length of a full Archers podcast. Then the &€&*ers moves to a new building, so my commute for the last 4 years has been 18 minutes.
Next month the Agency and I are moving to the Netherlands where, with a bit of planning the door to door commute will be 18 minutes (8 minutes to station, 8 minute train journey (1 stop) and a 2 minute walk to the office.
Not too shabby eh?
I had always said “call in”, which made sense to me…I was calling in to work. But everyone around here seemed to prefer “call out” so I’ve since adapted to this phrase.
I’ve worked at the same job for 41 years and lived in about a dozen different places in that time and all seemed to be the same 30 minutes from work. Mostly highway though, so usually not overly aggravating.