Okay, so here's the deal

My schedule has me working a 35 hour week, Monday - Friday, 9-5 with an hour lunch. I have a long commute (1.5-2 hours each way) and I take public transportation. Coupled with the fact that I am NOT a morning person, it's pretty hard for me to get to work on time. As it is, this SHOULD be my schedule:

Wake up between 6:30 and 7:00, leave the house (with caffeinated tea in hand) by 7:10. That gives me 22 minutes to walk the 3/4 of a mile to the commuter rail station. (I am a slow walker when I am awake, so imagine me just waking up!)

This train is supposed to come at 7:32 and arrive in Boston at 8:16. The Red Line is supposed to run every 6-9 minutes. It is supposed to take 15 minutes for the Red Line to get to my stop. It's supposed to take 20 minutes to walk from the T stop to my office building (or, when I am lazy the bus should get me there in 15 minutes, allowing time to wait for the bus). All told, there is no reason why I cannot make it into work at 9:00 every day. Except that nothing ever really works like it is supposed to (for the sake of... reality... I will not call anything less than 15 minutes "late").

So, a great alternative would be for me to take the train that leaves a little earlier, that way if I run into a snag I am not stressed out - departing 40 minutes earlier should get me to work by 8:30. I can't seem to get myself out of the house by 6:30 though, and the days when I can't get out of the house by 7:10, I catch the 8:00 train and get to work around 9:30.

These are the things that can, and often do, derail my plans on getting on schedule and sticking to it:

• I am an insomniac. If I can't fall asleep and get enough sleep, I can't peel myself out of bed.
• I counteract this by taking an extended release Xanax each night

• Taking my 10-hour Xanax too late. Then, I'm all groggy and can't peel myself out of bed
• My cats are being cute and want to snuggle in the morning (read: daily problem)
• My husband is awake, or we have the kids, meaning I have to stay out of people's ways or help someone get ready
• I can't find something. Usually my train pass. It's usually in my pocket.
• this includes, but is not limited to: cell phone, wallet, comb, brush, toothbrush, shoes, keys, cat food, breakfast, something to pack for lunch
• I counteract THIS by trying to do everything the night before. So, my bag is packed, the Splenda is in the travel mug with the tea bag, the tea pot is on the stove, my shoes are somewhere I will trip over them, etc.
• I have to shower in the morning
• Again, the night before is a big help
• The train is late getting to me, or late getting to the train station
• The subway is sluggish
• People are stupid
• Need to run an errand in the morning and nothing actually OPENS until 9:0)
• Too lazy to walk, bus is late

A couple of years ago I started realizing that I have some zany things happen to me on public transportation, but almost always it's still my fault that I get to work late. I am going to chronicle my adventures and see where it is and isn't my fault, and what I can do about it.

For anyone that is curious, I get out at 5:00 and go like a bat out of hell to be back at the commuter rail station for the 5:40 train home. That usually arrives in Attleboro at 6:20 or so, and either I get a ride from there, or walk and get to my house around 6:45 each night. Door-to-door, my day is a 12 hour one, provided I don't have anything to do at night. Which, I usually do.