Some things I noticed on my drive to work today:

-The extreme creepiness of abandoned cars on the side of the road. Where are the owners of these cars? Are these cars broken-down, their owners walking down the side of the highway to find the nearest gas station? Or are they just for sale? If this is a selling technique, who really whips out a pen and paper or their phone hoping to buy a car while whipping by at 70 mph? Especially when you think that in order to be seeing this car on the side of the highway, they have to be in a car themselves driving by. Curious.

-The prevalence of ads on cars lately. Not vans or semis, but entirely normal, seemingly innocuous SUVs and four-door sedans. Has anyone else noticed this, or  is this special to the Happy Valley area? Most of these ads are websites for florists or party hosts, my guess the owner of said start-up is the ambitious gal behind the steering wheel who just cut me off before running that red light (In this case, is this really the best association to make with your brand- that you’re rude and a bad driver?)

-There sure are a lot of jalopies out there. Is this a sign? Are there recessionomics at play here? Because people seem to not be taking care of their cars as well, driving them longer, and in general opting to ride out the economic crisis (haha) before investing in an upgrade. Judging from my car, Big Blue, you’d think this recession began in 2003.

-And finally, a word problem:

Erin drives her car to and from work everyday. The drive takes 25 minutes, and it takes about $30 to fill up her gas tank, which she does every 2 weeks.

If Erin were to ride the MAX to work, it would take about an hour, cost $86 for an all-zone pass, and still require her to drive to the nearest park and ride.

What are the pros and cons of driving versus riding Max? (and yes, I know what is more environmentally friendly. I’m looking more for the hard numbers, and need your help.  I never was too good at math…)

In other news, Amber and I have a new blog in the works- name and specific content to come soon. We’re forming focus groups, drafting logos and in general having flurries of brainstorming sessions. Expect big things!

Hi Jordan!