From Deseret News archives:

For reading, working or napping, TRAX is the thing

Published: Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008 12:19 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Do you ever start a work week feeling like you're already behind?

You must know how it is: Even before you darken the door of your office on the first day of the week, you feel you have no chance of completing all you need to do.

That's how I feel every time I come back from a three-day weekend. I love spending time at home with my family on days like Labor Day, but when I return to my cubicle, I need to do all of that Monday work and the Tuesday work.

It's like this: Last week, I was trying to figure out how to find time to write this column. I didn't want to do it on Monday and ruin my day off, but I wasn't sure how I could fit it in on Tuesday.

That's when a decision I made about four months ago paid off once again.

Until May, I commuted by car from my home in the central Salt Lake Valley to the Deseret News offices downtown. But, not having to go out on assignments like the reporters, I didn't have to drive. Since I became an editor at the newspaper, I've practically been chained to my desk.

Story continues below
However, every time I considered taking the bus or train to work, I talked myself out of it. I needed the flexibility to come and go as I pleased, I reasoned. If I took the train, it would make my work days longer, because I would be depending on someone else's schedule.

And besides, who wants to ride on a train or bus with all of those other commuters? I wanted to be free to sing along with old '80s rock tunes at the top of my lungs without fear of offending others.

Then gas prices skyrocketed, and I gave TRAX another look. Considering what I could save at the pump and on parking, I decided to give it a shot.

So, in May, I rode TRAX for a week, just to see if I could stand it.

Unless I have been scheduled for a late-night shift that doesn't match the train schedule, I haven't driven to work since, and riding the train has made a huge difference in my life.

I can relax on the way to or from work, catching a catnap between the stations. I can listen to my iPod. Or, best of all, I can read. It's been years since I've felt like I really have time to sit down and read a novel, and now I have about an hour a day to do just that.

The other thing I can do, if necessary, is try to get a little work done. Which is why I wrote this column on my laptop while riding on TRAX.

Recent comments

Dear Mr. Kratz,
Articles such as yours help keep our highways free...

Bob | Sept. 8, 2008 at 10:45 a.m.

Trax does have two tracks everywhere but on a bridge between the 78th...

Zadruga | Sept. 7, 2008 at 2:49 p.m.

Trax would be a much more viable option, had our planners and leaders...

Two Tracks, Not one | Sept. 7, 2008 at 11:56 a.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

I cannot wait for this Sunday. I have been waiting for 5 years to see my...

Man sentenced in child beating

Yes, he did it. But the natural mother was doing it before he did it....

2A: San Juan claims title

i thought since it was bad weather that would favor you guys now you are...

MWC expand? Get rid of deadweight

You failed to mention a couple of important facts in your comparison: Top...

Just 2 years ago the same stuff was being said regarding our coaches in...

"Think about the protestors of Tianamen Square. Were they Conservatives or...

I Call BS. The line "We have decades of history of women trying to engineer...

By the two rooks playing well the past few games, will not impact Sloan one...

President Obama believes that criticism makes him a better leader??? Wow...

1A and 2A sports is awesome! You have to be raised and have roots in these...

Advertisements
Advertisement