The early worm catches the bird

As I start day 8 at my new job at Bose, I can't help but look back fondly on the days in San Diego when I would roll out of bed at around 8:45AM and still manage to make it to work by 9:15. My 1.2 mile commute was a dream and I could always make it home for lunch (or whenever else I wanted) to see Kristin, Bailey, Joey and Maggie. Ahh, life was so much simpler when all we had to worry about was uncontrollable wildfires and earthquakes.

Now I am out the door everyday at 6:30 AM just so I can make it to work in an hour and a half. The ride home is even worse -sometimes it can be well over two hours. Day after day I battle angry Bostonians for lane rights. I laugh at them as they give me dirty looks and mouth the word "a**hole" at me because I won't let them crush my little Honda with their giant Expedition - like we're in some kind of monster truck show and I'm an uncooperative hurdle. Five years ago I would have flipped them the bird, prentented to shoot them with my index finger and given them the universal sign for a good old-fashioned throat-slashing (you taught we well, Dad). Luckily for them (and me), San Diego softened me just enough to taper my severe road rage down to a major case of road aggravation.

So needless to say, I am excited about our new home in North Framingham. My commute will be much easier and the people out in Metro West Massachusetts usually use their turn signals before running me off the road and giving me the finger - which is actually quite courteous of them if you ask me. People in San Diego don't use turn signals. I don't know if it's all those damn lanes or their bitterness about their sports teams' utter lack of success - they just hate those gnarly blinkers and refuse to use them.

I really will miss living with my parents. They're amazing with Bailey and such a huge help to Kristin. It's so great to finally be close to my family. Free rent, free food and free babysitting - you can't ask for anything more.

But I'm 32-years old now and Kristin is pushing the big 3-0 (it's this Saturday, people) and we need to start our new life on our own. As much as my parents enjoy taking care of us, I can't help but feel like we're a couple of teenagers who got into trouble and had a baby way too early. It's like we're Darlene and David from Roseanne - or even worse, Bristol Palin and her high school hockey star boyfriend. I guess the only difference is that we're actually married and my Mom believes in dinosaurs and has some basic knowledge of the Bush Doctrine.