Tree...

Tonight was much like any other night riding the van home from work. All of us girls piled in, some to chat on the way home, others to take naps, read or listen to music. Some of us, especially me tonight, felt like we were roasting from the high heater setting. Normally this isn't a big deal. We simply ask the driver to turn down the heat (after a few polite inquiries about the comfort level of fellow riders). However, recently we've had problems with one rider being particularly objectionable about changes in settings. It doesn't matter if it's the heat, air, or music. She wants things her way and, even when there is a majority vote, contradicts and asks that the heat or air stay at a particular setting. If we change them despite her protests (after all, 16 people ride the van - there will be some kind of majority), she calls the vanpool program director and files complaints and generally causes trouble. So...we've finally had to resort to using a coded language to let the driver know what the general preferences are from the back seats. You guessed it..."tree" is code for "Turn the heat down before we strip." Despite what you may be thinking, we don't just yell out "tree" (well, if the objecting rider is absent, we do). Instead, today's code language came in the form of, "Hey Deb (the driver), did you see how beautiful the trees looked today with the ice melting?" A conversation will thus ensue regarding the artistic merit of the warming weather trend and its effect on nature. I put in my 6 or 10 cents worth and complained about how I had forgotten my camera and missed some really good shots of the setting sun falling across some old maples near our pick-up location. Ironically, I was annoyed that I had forgotten my camera since it was very pretty, but it was pretty sad that we had to make up a whole conversation just to ask the heat to be turned down. Of course, after our random comments about "trees", there was a moment of silence and I had to focus hard not to laugh. I knew if I turned and looked at Barb, I'd bust up laughing. When I felt I had some control, I started to turn toward her and I could hear her start to giggle too. This set me off and I stared forward at the passing scenery until I had control of myself.

So, if you run into me sometime and I'm muttering about trees, feel free to ask me to clarify myself since it's entirely possible I'm muttering about how hot it is. ;) LOL