I figured it out a week ago, then the blog post was stale, now it's fresh again.
Mondays are like tunnel traffic.
Living in Pittsburgh gives one a unique perspective on the concept of tunnels. Tunnels and bridges are a way of life here. There are something like 700 bridges and fewer tunnels, I've never counted. But I live with a view of the Squirrel Hill tunnel. It goes over 376, the main path from east to west through Pittsburgh. When I first moved here, 12 years ago, I didn't understand why people don't like to cross town for gatherings, shops, events. And then a few seasons of heavy construction on the bridges and tunnels showed me what it was.
Tunnel traffic.
There's nothing quite like the psychological effect tunnels have. Someone once told me that if the Squirrel Hill Tunnel was just 1 foot wider on each side, (East and Westbound each has it's own 2 lane tunnel), then the psychological effect of the tunnel would be lessened. People automatically slow down when entering the tunnel. There's a tendency for fender benders near and in it. Most are very minor, but they can stop both lanes for a couple minutes at a time. Stopping everyone else for 15-30 minutes. And that's just for minor problems.
Construction is just that much more fun. Removing lanes, putting up signs for slowdowns, rerouting exits (there's one right after the tunnel on either side). It's all fun.
And on a busy summer weekend day, you can lose a huge chunk of your free time by braving these hazards. Even I have started mentally assessing the construction situation before I commit to something across town.
My point, that I've gotten distracted from, is that Mondays are like my tunnels.
Weekends are a time when I get to participate in a lot of my artistic pursuits. I get to take classes, get together with friends, family, fellow artists, go shopping and hunting for materials in other ways. I get to recharge.
I also get to spend free time with my family, I get more rest. I'm generally reenergized when Monday morning comes.
I wake up and I feel like I could do anything. Get through the school day, take on 2 new projects as well as finish all the old ones. Clean up the house. Have a great time.
By noon, I realize that it's just like every other weekday. School is hard work and it's using up all my energy. Jewelry and household projects are going to need more than I have left at the end of the day. And every day things like cooking, cleaning up after ourselves and keeping myself fit and healthy are going to take up even more of that energy. The rest of the day is spent in that weirdly lighted, tightly enclosed space where if anything happened, I wouldn't be able to back out and I'd be stuck there forever.
Every week.
I need some kind of alternate route through Monday.
Any ideas?
-Simbelmynë
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