Because It's the Best Day of the Week

In one of our various discussions on our budget* my sweet and loving husband** and I talked about the prospect of carpooling to work. We drive 30-45 minutes to work each day, so the prospect of saving on gas and wear and tear on the vehicles was attractive. Unfortunately, Mr. B tends to stay late at work while I am obliged to leave between 5 and 5:30 so that I am not accidentally locked into the building. This led to a compromise--we would carpool one day a week, on Friday. We could economize slightly and spend some quality time together. And by quality time, I mean hilarious time. Thus, Carpool Friday was born.

 

On your typical Friday morning, we both get out of bed way too late, rush to get cleaned up, dressed, and feed the animals, and then we head out to the car. He drives and drops me off first. In between leaving the driveway and dropping me off, we amuse ourselves with anecdotes we had neglected to share throughout the week, signs we see along the road, and news stories on NPR. And we talk. Well, after about the first five minutes in the car we talk. We aren't morning people.

 

Conversation ranges from the latest news stories to plans for the upcoming weekend to random things we've observed. We ask each other questions like, "What do they sell at an Easter sale?" in response to an odd sign in the median. We fantasize about the things our Foundation would fund when we hit the jackpot in MegaMillions. We discuss the latest political buffoonery. And we laugh with each other.

 

This morning, near the end of our drive together and in the midst of an NPR story on mudslinging political ads in Wisconsin, Mr. B turns to me and asks, "How much money do you think it would take to pass legislation to make same-sex marriage legal . . . in Oklahoma?" This question came as we were listening to the power of ads and the money it takes to fund them. There was then talk of what our Foundation would fund once we had won the lottery. These are the discussions. Many do not have the social relevance of this particular discussion, but they all amuse and entertain us, and force us (read: me) to express my own opinions, something I rarely do. From these discussions come the quotes, which I have learned are anxiously awaited by some on Facebook. And for the record, the Foundation would, among other things, fund scholarships for our Greek organizations at our respective universities, mostly because I want the "Team Bass Scholarship" read off every August at Parent/Alumnae Night so that I can giggle.

 

I look forward to Carpool Friday every week. In a rare week when we can't carpool on Friday, I feel slightly cheated by the situation. Of course, if I were in the car right now, someone would say, "I didn't know you knew the guys from The Jersey Shore!"

 

 

 

*PSA: Talk frankly with your spouse about money. It not only helps you formulate your goals for saving and spending, but it also opens up an avenue of communication. Communication is key. *sings "The More You Know"*

**Who shall henceforth be known as Mr. B