Serving a Whine Before its Time

The new job is killing me.

Not that I’m not enjoying it – au contraire – there’s a bit of a learning curve, but today, I finally got the training I really needed and think I’ll be up to speed soon. (I keep kicking myself for not being fully fluent in the job after a whole two days.)

But here’s the thing. I live in Pacifica, I’m working in San Jose, and I’m doing a show in San Francisco.

The approximate range of my daily commute.

What this has meant this week was getting up at the crack of dawn, battling the 46 miles down the 280 (yes, the 280), leaving in the heart of rush hour to drive the 53 miles up to the city, doing the show until 10:30, then driving back home for a few hours of unwinding time – and getting the chance to see the DVR fill slowly like a water tank in a 40s movie serial.

Given my internal clock, I’m up until at least 1:00, if not 1:30 or later (it’s currently 1:20 am), then back up at 7:00 or 7:30 so I can get to the south bay to get to work early enough so I can leave in time to get to the show. (Fortunately, next week, I’m off to LA for the TCM Film Festival, then after one more week, my theatre-related commute switches to Palo Alto, so things will ease dramatically.)

 The commute I dream about.

Now, I’m not complaining. I’m lucky to be working at all, and sitting at a desk and looking at a spreadsheet all day ain’t digging ditches or helping humanity. I have a sense of perspective about it – and there’s nothing to prevent me from either going to bed sooner or deleting stuff off the DVR – but being the stubborn cuss I am, I’m not doing either.

My Facebook friends have already been witness to my complaining (me, complaining?) about the guy on the other side of the wall from me, who seems determined to talk loud enough to converse with everyone on campus simultaneously. (He was actually mostly quiet today.) I’d forgotten about life on a high-tech campus, though. Although unlike some places, while my current employer gives us free caffeinated beverages and soda (the former I indulge in, the latter I don’t), they don’t provide free food and snacks. Again, not a complaint. I know I’d end up grazing all day (rather than walking across the street to Whole Foods for overpriced produce), so it’s one less temptation.

Such a pleasant atmosphere in which to buy a banana.

The people I’m working with are really nice, funny – and patient – and the work is challenging without being baffling, and I’m having a good time so far.

But that commute is killing me.