Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Beep Beep, Bang Clang

The City of San Francisco really cares about the environment. And I'm lucky for that.

I’m lucky that the city trash collectors collect trash (and recyclables...) in my neighborhood every day. And I’m really lucky that I have a trash chute at my backdoor. Because the trash collectors back their truck down the alley next to my apartment pick up trash in the back, I never have to walk trash out to the curb. And I never have to walk the garbage can back to the house from the curb. As my former roommates can attest, I HATE this chore. And I'm so lucky I never have to do it!

Oh, but that's not all. Because I’m also very lucky that the city trash collectors make so much effing noise during this whole, "Back into the alley-Slam the trash into the truck-Drive out of the alley" process. (All under Nic's bedroom window...) Because it happens - EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING - between 5:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.


Eh? Didn't I tell you? So tremendously lucky!

Here's the thing: I actually WANT to wake up somewhere within this half hour time span. You know, the night before I have to wake up, I mean. When I get ready to go to bed, I look at the clock and say, "I will rise at 5!" However when 5 rolls around I'm not normally as keen on waking up as I was the night before. I tend to wake up and contemplate re-setting my alarm for two hours later. (I do NOT snooze!)

Luckily, I have this whole city trash initiative. Thanks to the City of San Francisco, every morning, whether I like it or not, glorious cacophony catapults me from my bed. Without thinking I apply the BodyGlide and leap into my shorts, T-shirt, and running shoes. I am so eager to get away from the noise that I quickly forget I am OFF on my run. And by the time I REALLY wake up, I have logged the day's running mileage.

No wonder I haven't missed a single run in this year's first Training Schedule.


6 comments:

running42k said...

Your trash gets picked up every day? We get it ever picked up every six working days, so over Christmas with the stat holidays it stretched out to almost two weeks.

There is nothing better then running that early when it is quiet. What is Body Glide?

walchka said...

I think I need to find a place like yours. I have to set 2 alarm clocks and usually hit the snooze a couple of times before I can drag myself out of bed. I'd like to be a morning person, but it's still a work in progress.

Thanks for adding me to your blog roll...

pookalu said...

reminds me of when i'm on the phone with a telemarketer or a non-city person, and they ask me how i can live with "all that traffic" noise...

over the summer i was waking up to sounds of construction workers blasting salsa music at 5:00 in the morning....but definitely not a daily noise pollution thing like you're experiencing!

Spikey1 said...

We get trash picked up every Friday as well as blue box. I dont know what time they come because we are out of the house by 730am!

Body Glide is like Vaseline 42k to prevent chafing. We have it here.

Anonymous said...

Are you bothered that your tax dollars are used so inefficiently? ;-)

I need that. I set my alarm for 5:45 this morning and reset for 7:15. I too do NOT snooze! I knew there was a reason we get along so well.

Jay said...

I wear underarmour instead of bodyglide. There's less mess that way.