It’s a Good Day

As a young twenty-something, when I decided to move to a city it was important to me that said city had adequate public transportation. The Chevy Cavalier that had gotten me through high school and most of college was unexpectedly sold during my Junior Year (thanks Dad) leaving me carless. As I lived in a college town where a vehicle wasn’t really necessary it wasn’t a big deal.

Flash forward five years later and I’m still happily carless. If I can’t walk, metro, bus or cab there then I don’t go there. I love my carless lifestyle and I can feel a little bit smug about my size six carbon footprint. Okay, actually, my emissions are 8.1 CO2/year but I think that as a marketing ploy they should give you a shoe size and show a cute little foot icon – but that’s just me.

Anyway, the more dependable I become on the increasingly Orwellian Metro Transit System the more dependable I become on my iPod. I’ve had an iPod since 2004 and it’s the single most important object I own. If it breaks, I immediately purchase a new one and dread my iPod-less ride down to Pentagon City.

So as such, the music that plays on my iPod as I commute to work can drastically impact my day. As an iPod purest (and lazy person) I prefer to let my iPod randomly shuffle awesome songs. On the days when I start out with David Bowie or Lady GaGa, I’m usually pretty pumped and if I had a measure for such things I would venture to say my work output is significantly higher, or more erratic. Likewise, if the day starts with Dave Matthews Band or Jason Mraz I’m a little bit more laid back – just like in this awesome skit from SNL (foot five!)

Today, a random song I had no idea was on my iPod came on and despite the cold, the annoying people and my bad hair day I managed to walk into work happy and energized. That song was It’s a Good Day by Miss Peggy Lee and I highly encourage it entering your song rotation.

What music do you listen to on your way to work?

P.S. Just in case I wasn't clear, PLEASE watch this clip from SNL so my roommate and I can no longer be the only people to ever see it.