On the driving subject...

This morning's Sacramento Bee in the Metro "Back Seat Driver" column has a scary writeup about driving. Evidently, commuters are not as stressed out as they may seem. Writer Tony Bizjak has written about a new study by Jennifer Hughes from Atlanta about stress during the commute. By testing saliva, Ms. Huges was able to measure fluctuating cortisol levels in response to stress. Her research found that overall, cortisol levels do not rise, therefore commutes are not as stressful as people seem to believe.

That's not the scary part. The article states that " A lot of people multi-task," Hughes says. "They do things like listen to the radio or books on tape." She goes on to say that you can listen to books, chat on the phone and sip your Starbucks. "Many moms say it is the best part of the day."

Shouldn't we be driving when driving? Sure I often drink my coffee but I never listen to a book, talk on the phone and drink my coffee. I'm pretty sure my brain can only handle so much... and that seems like about two too many things. I can't believe some people read the newspaper, talk on the phone and drive at the same time... but I've seen it.

Moms, if the commute is the best part of your day, it's time to make some changes. Maybe a yoga class in the evenings, a nice hot bath and a magazine or that big hug you get at the end of the day from your kids.