Driving in the Winter

Welp, it is that time again where IL likes to be cold and snowy. Thankfully I don't need to drive full-time anymore, but I still need to drive for some of my moneys. I told myself I wouldn't drive in the snow unless I really had to, but if it's too stormy, I don't drive. If it's mildly snowing, I would risk it unless the roads were bad (not plowed/salted).

I did my first driving venture in the winter season/ever and it actually wasn't too bad. I received plenty of rides, but most of them were short. I wanted to make sure to avoid the inner city as much as possible because I don't want to drive in traffic and snow simultaneously, but if I had to I had to (which I did not thankfully). The expressway I'd rather avoid in the snow due to too many people, which I was mostly able to avoid. I drove for Uber and Lyft and both gave me short rides for the majority of them; I'm sure it's because people didn't want to walk anywhere anymore. I made as much money thankfully as I would have on a normal day thanks to surge prices, but at least I got to hear my fair share of info about being a professional private chef in a niche market in the one not 10 minute or less ride I had. Sorry for talking your face off, lady! Off to more driving ventures for me. I will continue to be safe and transport all you lovely people safely to your destinations!

Uber and Lyft Chronicles: My Vlogs

What I do in Vlog form :)

Lyft - Vlog 1

Lyft Halloween - Vlog 2

Vlog 3: I Need Money

Random Haiku Poems About Driving and Money

Stuff goes here to write
I need to drive oh so bad
Help me make money!

My wallet cries hard
Driving will at least fill it,
But it hurts my knees...

Oh Uber driving
You are so evil sometimes,
And give me money!

Oh driving in snow
I had to drive for money
Otherwise I wouldn't have drove!

Adventures happen
Driving takes me everywhere
What will I see next?

You hear about life
Passengers share their stories
For life perspective

Cool Rideshare Drivers I've Had

1. I was going to an interview and ended up getting a ride from a nice man who was 57 years old and retired named Harold. I was going to a destination about 20-30 minutes away because I was running too far behind to take the train. Oops. I was super stressed from running around all day driving for Uber myself to get some money to pay off my student loan bill for school (eeeeewwww) and I had a phone interview right before I had to go into the city for an in person interview. He said I had a good attitude when I walked in the car and I thought he was being sarcastic because my stress levels were high; I was wrong because he was happy I had a positive attitude to try getting new jobs... though I did tell him I was stressed. He told me about his life ventures of owning businesses and his lady passing away of cancer :( Some major advice this man gave me was how life happens in baby steps and how taking all necessary steps to accomplish your goals won't happen overnight. I sometimes look at things from the big picture instead of smaller goals and he has helped wake me up to realizing that small wins are still integral to winning, as well as they are wins too! He kept giving me credit and telling me how well I was doing, which was much appreciated. I ended up doing well in the interview, but still no dice in job land. Oh well, it's the effort that counts! I wish I could have given him a nice tip, but I had no cash on me. Oops! He wanted to even make sure I was temperature wise comfortable in the car too. His friends told him he should do Uber because he likes talking to people. That's what makes a good Uber driver, right? But Uber should let me tip in the app! Not just for me receiving tips, but for men like him who I wanted to throw a couple dollars to! Lol!

More coming soon :)

Distant Realizations in the Uber Driver Ventures -- Uber Driving Ventures of 8-26-16

The week before, I had attended a camping trip where I began feeling a restored faith in humanity. It took me awhile to finally write this story and I came back from an additional camping trip yesterday.

With the state of the world being where it is, with hatred and a history of people not being very nice to me, the exact opposite has been occurring lately. At my camping trip, at 4:30am on the last night of partying, I was hanging out at one of the campsites far away from mine and everyone wanted to go to sleep. Everyone except for me hanging out at that time was staying at the area we were at. One of the people I was hanging out with was kind enough to walk me back to my camp without any expectations besides being a kind soul.

Tips while driving for Uber and even Lyft where you can tip in the app are rare and this night I was lucky enough to receive a pretty penny in tips. I will never take this day for granted.

It was about 1am or so on a Saturday night and I was doing my usual weekend driving rounds. I ended up in Lincoln Park on somewhere around Halsted and Ashland picking people up from the Alinea restaurant (an expensive place with Michelin stars aka it's very very good). These people (a couple, 1 man, 1 woman) had spent $1750 dollars for the pair of them. If I ever spent that much money on food and was able to afford it, I'd melt! Their ride request ended up being all the way to Johnsburg, IL, which is in Mchenry County aka about an hour and 15 minutes of a drive. At least I knew I would get a hefty penny because there was 1.5 surge. I needed it that day too.

During my driving ventures to the land of far away, I was mostly having a talk with the woman because after a short while, the man probably had a food baby and lavish drinks and fell asleep (only excuse for passing out in my back seat because I'm used to passing out in my friend's cars). We were talking about careers. Her husband had owned the family car dealership in McHenry County and she was an account manager who worked from home. They had been married for a little bit and were in the process of bettering their lives... and taking a spontaneous trip to an expensive restaurant. It eventually got on the topic of relationships and dating, especially with a female. I mentioned how I would cry rainbow tears and kiss the floor if a man took me to TGI Fridays and treated me (using this place as an example) since I've been treated poorly by many, especially men and boyfriends. My luck is so bad I doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize the shit luck I have, hence why I've abstained from dating for the past 15 months. After I dropped the couple off in their nice home, they gave me a 20 dollar tip (the ride was 75 dollars after surge and still my priciest ride to date). I've been pretty down on my monetary luck lately and people rarely tip with Uber or Lyft at all; I was ready to cry, but managed to hold myself together. I expressed my gratitude and was onto my next adventure in Johnsburg, Illinois, which is generally way out of Uber scope, especially at about 2:30am at that point.

After that ride, it was "peemergency" o'clock. I am very unfamiliar with that area and didn't know where the nearest 24 hour Jewel or Walmart was. I come prepared with accessories in case I have to pee and can't make it to the nearest bathroom facility. I drove a few blocks down the road and saw a giant open area of grass in a place where it was very dark. I pulled into the grass, turned my lights off, did my business discretely, and drove a few more blocks to chill out for a few minutes and text my friends to see if I would get any rides. I sent my first text message to my friend who was still awake and got a ride from Johnsburg to McHenry (about a 15 minute drive). I take this fellow from a bar to back home and we had a decent conversation. I then drive a few more blocks to pull over and sit on my phone for about 10-15 minutes to see if anyone would summon me. Surely enough, a few minutes later, I was summoned 25 minutes away to Crystal Lake. I normally don't accept rides that far away and also needed gas in my car. I figured because it was about after 3am and I was far away from Uber scope. I also didn't want to get canceled on and waste my time. Due to what time it was, I figured someone would be needing a ride to O'Hare airport and accepted the ride with a lot of reluctance. Several closed gas stations later, I eventually find one while praying the ride requester doesn't cancel on me. To top it off, the ride requester also dropped a pin, which means they didn't give me an exact address and I could be driving several blocks away from where the person actually is.

I eventually arrived at this approximate location about 30-35 minutes later, still not being canceled on, and called the person. It turns out the ride requester was actually requesting it for his friend down the street and I need to get ahold of her instead. I eventually end up getting a hold of her and finding her. I ended up taking her to Hoffman Estates, which was 35 minutes away from where I was and it was towards going back to Chicago. I end up having a conversation with this 19 year old girl who walked into my car and she seemed like someone I would be slightly interested in being friends with, though she had a very troubled past (ex lots of miscarriages and her dad recently passed away). The 35 minute ride ends up finishing and it's now almost 4am. I get this young lady to her friend's house and he also gives me a 20 dollar tip. I was ready to hypothetically piss myself because I've never received more than like 17 18 dollars in tips in a night if I'm lucky. So I made 40 dollars in tips that night. Her friend whose house I was dropping her off at, a 42 year old gay male (aka way older than someone I'd comfortably hang out with) asked me if I wanted to stay and chill awhile. My unsafe senses weren't tingling and I had been lacking social interaction due to working so much and not having seen my friends for awhile. We chilled outside this dude's garage for about 3 hours until we were all exhausted and wanted to go to sleep. It wasn't an uncomfortable encounter, but it was slightly awkward... plus the young lady was dealing with drama with one of her ex boyfriends, which I didn't want to listen to. At about 7am, I end up going home and passing the fuck out (on my bed).

Even when you're down on your luck, if you're kind to others on a regular basis, kindness will spontaneously be returned to you. There's always faith to be held onto in humanity, even in this ridiculousness. Thank you kind tippers out there! Kindness will always be appreciated and I will continue to pay it forward!

Uber Vs. Lyft, 10-2-16 -- Not Fruitful Adventures Today in Lyft Land in Chicago

The title says it all! All of the information I am about to disclose is 100% true and actually JUST happened to me.

Today, a Sunday evening I drove from about 7pm to about 12:30am and took 1 bathroom break that lasted about 30 minutes (from driving to the place and doing my business). I also stopped for gas once, which didn't take too long.

I wanted to see which rideshare app would pay me more money... Uber or Lyft. I was also curious if I'd totally make bank because you can tip within the Lyft app on your credit card vs having to tip in cash only with Uber.

Unfortunately, I feel like this was probably the lowest grossing day of rideshare driving I've ever had or at least very close!

Sunday nights at anytime are generally pretty steady. There isn't much surge going on, but getting rides usually isn't a problem... except for today. I also feel like Uber has a higher chance of landing surge prices than Lyft, as well as Uber's fares are higher. Rides are also more frequent with Uber, but seem less likely to get canceled with Lyft at least from my experience.

I have noticed the quality of Lyft passengers are higher and I don't get rides under 10 minutes with Lyft (with Uber I do quite frequently). At 7pm when I turned my Lyft app on, it took me about 5-10 minutes to land my first ride. Until about 10pm, rides were pretty steady. Then, duty called and it was bathroom o'clock. I didn't want a slight feeling of having to pee to turn into a "peemergency"; I decided to take care of it right away. Since most places are closed at 10pm on Sundays, I needed to find a 24 hour Jewel. Thankfully, I only had to drive 5 minutes to get to it. I also walked around, stretched, checked my phone, etc. Once I was done in bathroom land, it took me FOURTY minutes to land my next ride. I really needed to do an instant pay because rent is due soon. With Lyft, you need $50 dollars to cash out right away and with Uber, you can cash out with any amount greater than 0. It was also almost midnight and I didn't want the new week to start and be unable to cash out. I was so desperate for a ride I even drove into the areas I purposely avoid driving in just for someone to call me. I drove a couple laps around the area and ended up parking in a gas station to chill out and wait a bit. As I was about to text my friend how upset I was, I landed a Lyft Plus ride (same as Uber XL). Thank goodness because Lyft Plus has a higher fare rate. It was about a 5 mile, 15 minute ride. I finish the ride. Lalalala, I continue to drive some more. Another 10-15 minutes had elapsed and I was rideless. I end up receiving another Lyft Plus ride. It was about a 12 minute ride, $10 dollar fare. Ok, I'll take it. At this time, it was about 11:45pm. I was finally able to cash out and took care of it. At that point, I turned my Uber app on simultaneously with my Lyft app (11:45pm). Since I'm desperate for money right now, I was going to keep driving; I also have an interview tomorrow and need to get some rest to be on my best game. I cashed out at 11:59pm and was still waiting for a ride once again.

For Chicago people, I was on Ridge Street and Damen. I took Ridge all the way to Broadway Street, passed the Green Mill, passed the Target, passed the Jewel, passed the Holiday Club and turned right on Irving Park Road at Sheridan (I was close to Lake Shore Drive) to head back towards my apartment, as I was fed up with not getting rides. I told myself, "if I can drive all the way home down Irving Park Road and not get a ride with either app, I'm calling it quits." Driving from Sheridan/Irving Park to Elston/Irving Park is about a 15 minute drive without traffic. At 12:20pm, without a ride, I parked my car. Fuck that noise. I don't need to drive around, spending my gas, not making any money due to not getting any rides. I went home to post some items on Craigslist and hope my friends who don't have the Lyft app installed would download it and use my referral code in order for me to attain $20 dollars a pop. I need it! Bad!

Now that story time is over, despite all my riders being cool and talkative, here is how the moneys break down. Again, I am being fully honest, but people need to be aware of what a "bad" day in rideshare driving land looks like. It is a reality!

I was out for approximately 5 hours in the driving lands. I will consider myself "at work" during this time period. I had 1 40 minute period and 1 30 minute period where I was rideless (2 total). During the second bout of no rides, both apps were turned on simultaneously. During the first bout, only Lyft was on.

*Before deductions and overhead expenses (gas/caffeine to stay awake), I made about $73 dollars (rounded to the nearest dollar) in total fares. Only THREE of those dollars were from tips, thus, even with a tip option, I still don't get tipped extra. In addition, on a Friday/Saturday night of driving, I only made $7 in tips on a very long day/night of driving. LAME!!! I guess people still don't like tipping, though when I do receive tips, I am very thankful. On another note, the most I have received in 1 night of driving in tips was 2 people giving me $20 dollar tips for doing far drives. No matter the app, tips are still rare!

*Legal minimum wage in Chicago for a worker is $10.50

*Lyft takes out 25% of your fares for their commission fee (Uber does the same percent). It also costs 50 cents on both apps to use the instant pay function!

*After the commission deduction, I took home about $57 dollars (rounded to the nearest dollar). That's a bit more than 11 dollars an hour, just barely over minimum wage. Do you think a single independent person putting wear and tear on their car (and body) can LIVE off of that? But WAIT!

*I also had to stop for gas during this trip. I feel like on average of my gas expenses of hitting the least expensive gas station I can find, especially having an SUV, I spend about $60 or so dollars (up to about $80) on average on gas per $200 dollars I make. Sometimes, I spend less, but it depends on the rides. That's about 30 percent of my take home fares being spent on gas...

*Out of the 57 dollars I made today, I spent 20 on gas and 2 dollars on caffeine (22 dollars). So after my daily overhead, I took home a whopping 35 dollars! Don't even get me started on needing to set aside 1/3 of your pay for end of the year taxes...

*All in all after overhead, removed commission, etc, after being at "work" for 5 hours, I made about 7 dollars an hour. I live on my own too and pay for everything myself and do this mainly full time. Can anyone live off of that?

*I am also injuring my knee and hurting my poor 2004 car with 180,000 miles, driving on weekends because they are the most lucrative times to drive, and I drive 40-55 hours a week, which feels endless, especially because I am also looking for jobs and playing the hustle game on top of driving for my main source of money. Since my car is older, I am also throwing myself in the hole with lots and lots of repair bills! Before overhead on a normal week, I average $500-$650 a week before overhead (after commission deduction) and on my best week I made about $800. However people make greater than $1000 dollars a week, unless it was when the "guaranteed fare rates" existed, I have zero idea how it's possible to do that anymore... :(

*This is a more lucrative "extra money" side job, but a decent placeholder job on most days. Today was just el sucko and I want to show people what a bad day in rideshare driving land looks like. I am also super stressed out because my bills are mainly at the first half of the month and I am surely surviving while riding the super struggle bus! The head honchos don't care if you make shit money, because they get money while you're driving anyway!





***In the meantime, I will always post updates on rebsuberdriver.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/rebsuberdriver to share my quirkiness, mischief, and mayhem. Please like and follow my pages :) ***

************If you don't have the LYFT app installed and you use the code REBECCA569169 you can get 20 bucks in free ride credit.***** You will also help a Rebs get 20 dollars who imperatively needs the money. Using this code for the driver side will also get you a bonus if you complete the allotted number of rides. Please share around. Much love <3 It will only take you a minute or two to do this and it would mean the world to me, especially because I feel like rideshare companies are finding ways to screw over drivers and I barely made rent this month (I also have a relatively low rent in general and for Chicago)************


************Also, Uber is having a promotion where if you sign up as a driver (even if you never do it again), it's 75 rides for $750 dollars. That's a lotta money and the only time I've seen the promotion that high!!!!! :D ************

One of my Least Favorite Rides for Uber 10-1-16

Reasons I don't trust people confirmed. Dude wants to "hang out" with me after an Uber ride. We exchange numbers and he invites me back over. He also buys me tamales, a red bull, and gives me a beer. Mind you, it's 8am on a Saturday morning and I have money on my mind. This dude was still in party mode. There's a time and a place where I'm in party mode at that time and it wasn't today. I tell him, "I need to give my roommate a ride to work" and after awhile of purposeful awkwardness, he tells me to come back later and finally leaves my car. I ask to bring a male friend when I "come back" since most of my friends are male and I don't wish to encounter questionable strangers alone. He said no. Immediate red flag. The last time that happened a dude crossed the line and I was traumatized from it. I don't need free money or anything else. I just want my dignity and to be responsible... and not hang out with people in gang banger land who's a coke addict. No thanks!

Reasons I'm Meant to be Famous and Self Employed

For comedic purposes only! But really, who doesn't want to be famous?

Reasons why Rebs doesn't get jobs and is meant to be famous and self-employed:

1. "Not enough experience". I've been writing for 10 years now. Is that still not enough?

2. Being so tired and burned out from everything (only 1 allnighter since labor day) that I start having narcolepsy-like symptoms on the train, before, during, and after the interview. There was no complimentary coffee in the holding room and I downed my bottle of water. I almost had to call my friend to pick me up from the train on the way home. In fact I did, but he was in the shower and me and my large pumpkin spice latte mustered up the energy to walk 10 minutes home and proceed to take a 4 hour nap once I hit my bed!

3. My skill set is way too diverse and I am multi talented, which is bad for a "job". I can drive a car; I can do many things very well, but my rational brain doesn't tell me it's wrong to be a jack of many trades. My heart concurs.

4. I'm way too eccentric and extroverted. I want to go to work wearing a cute top, jeans, and brightly colored eye makeup, topped with pink sparkly mascara and happily show my piercings and ink. Hey, I can still be professional. It's all about the attitude. I will give you a genuine smile and have an intelligent conversation with you any day of the week. It's not like I have 500 facial piercings and a spider web tattoo on my face...

5. I am very free spirited. I need to create and make a difference. Sitting in a cube alone will cause me to be dead weight to you. I'll still take your money though as long as I can ;)

Where is Success When You Can't See It? Life as a Twenty Something

Ranting, the verbal activity I seem to do the best at… but it sometimes annoys my friends, so I generally keep it to myself.

A common theme that comes up in my life is how to find yourself as a twenty something and function as an “independent” adult. Something you unfortunately need to do as an adult is pay bills. I left college with almost zero knowledge of money management, a skill I wish was taught in a remedial college course.

When I graduated from college, I thought I wanted to be a Web Developer, get a job, stay there forever, move up in the ladder, and go from there. Not so long after I started my job, I was certain I was a bit too free spirited for Corporate America and needed to be in a place where I’m able to create. I did everything in my power to keep the job alive, but my will caved and I decided to jump out the window, with my parachute in tact, thankfully knowing where the ground was. I knew I was going to get screwed over at my job and marked on my calendar the day I knew would be the end of the road. Leading up to that day, I did everything in my power to get a new job. With no luck, one of my dear friends I live with told me my car would pass an Uber inspection and criteria and should become a driver. As reluctant as I was to do so, I did my research, gave it a test run, and felt decent. A few days before my “doomsday”, I knew being a driver and a free bird were in my fate, and handed my manager a 2 weeks notice letter.

Fast forward 8 months of being an Uber Driver and I am officially ready to throw stones and look for something else. The first thing is I feel like is slavery still exists. I don’t mean the stuff you saw 100 years ago; it’s more under the table. People are so damn greedy; the head honchos only want money and productivity. If you’re not wringing everything out of yourself and not making enough money, you’re not doing well enough, was a major theme of my last job, and even ridesharing. For starters, I have to pay for my own gas and repairs, as well as they take 25% of my fares right off the bat as a “commission” to them for using their service. Lately, I’ve had days where I’ve made as little as $7.50 per hour, which is less than the legal Chicago minimum wage. Thankfully, that’s pretty rare, but I’d drive overnight, drive myself into not sleeping, drive myself into depression and isolation, and drive my knees and energy down the toilet. I’d be out as many as 29 hours at a time, just to make sure I “make it” to my next bill payment and have a little extra for groceries. I have to wear a knee brace while driving because with my car, you have to push harder on the gas pedal; lately, my other knee has been starting to give me trouble too. I have barely been able to see my friends lately, including the ones I live with (it’s been a bit more under control now though). Those I am close with, I would bombard them with texts of how tired I was, how shitty I felt, or some sort of stress or anxiety-related thing was bothering me. Thanks for bearing with me, guys! I’ve had to decrease my attendance at open mic nites, karate classes, my “nerd” group called, “Belegarth”, everything, just to pay my bills and get by. I even created an “emergency fund” when I knew I was forsure going to leave my job, which I recently exhausted all of it.

But here I am. I am still willing to search for a better opportunity for myself, still willing to drive and do what it takes to make money (and still paying all my bills on time), and I am even here today. For that, I am successful!

The Not So Glamorous Life of Being a Rideshare Driver

My apologies for not being able to post for awhile. I have recently had my entire savings wiped out (by me to pay bills) and have been so busy working I haven't been able to update. Fortunately, I still share my love to passengers by informing them of my blog, have my "advertisement" on my back window in pink chalk marker, have been sharing ridesharing stores in some of my latest storytelling performances, and I still am consistent about updating the Facebook page (click here to see and like the Facebook page)

A lot of the time when I'm driving, I am asked how much money I can make, if I drive full time or part time, and if I am able to make a sustainable living.

I am on month 8 of driving for most of my moneys and at this point, I average about 40-55 hours a week depending on my schedule and energy levels. A lot of people when describing what they do usually omit talking about what's "not so good", but honest Rebs is about to be honest. I have uncovered a variety of reasons why I'd like to throw stones at being a rideshare driver.

1. Driving between 10am and 2pm on a weekday (especially earlier in the week) is the worst time to drive. I feel like I get barely any rides during that time. An instance of such I'll share in another bullet, but yesterday (Monday, September 12, 2016), I made about 75 bucks from driving between 10am-5pm (had to stop at home because I finally sold a few things on craigslist). You don't always make that little money, I promise, but it happens sometimes.

2: Tuesdays are the worst day to drive, period, from my observations!

3: Now that there's no guaranteed fares, with this new "oh so lovely" formatting of "paying their drivers less money while still reaping 20-25% of your fares", if you don't get rides, you don't get paid.  If you're picking up someone and it's a 10 minute venture to them, you don't get paid for that 10 minutes, as well as the time you wait for the passenger. As someone who likes sharing optimal customer service, I'm more generous than the average driver with waiting for someone in most situations. If you get canceled on, you don't get paid either.

4: I just had another episode of no rides for an extended time of 40 minutes this morning (Tuesday, September 13, 2016) before I said "fuck it" and went home. After about 25 of those minutes of waiting around with no rides incoming, I told myself if I can drive to Dunkin Donuts (about a 6 minute drive from where I was) and get coffee in the drive through and come back without receiving a ride, I'm calling it quits until after my doctor appointment. Surely enough, me and my "deeeenken deeeenets", as I'd call it in my made up lingo, parked my car next to my apartment, without a ride, turned my app off, and went inside. At least I'm not in money emergency mode right now!

5: Fact -- you can still make a living with Uber (and not live with parental units), depending on your situation and how many (outstanding) expenses you have. You have to be strategic though and go at ideal times (morning rush hour and weekends all day/night are the most lucrative times from what I've found). You also have to be willing to put in the time!

6: Other fact -- you have to be willing to accept there's going to be bad days where you make shit for money or "slave wages" as I'd call it (less than $15 dollars an hour, or even sometimes less than the legal minimum wage). I had a day last week where I ended up making equivalent to about $6.50-$7something an hour before overhead expenses. It was probably a Tuesday. I don't know how people said they've made $1000 dollars a week driving full time, because my biggest haul has been > $750 and I was probably out 40-55 hours. I have seen (real) screenshots of people who have made between $1600 and $1950 IN A WEEK driving for Uber full time. It may have been when there were the "guaranteed fares", because I'd want to see how much I would end up making if that policy was still in existence. I've never worked this many hours in my life, but I'm thankful to still be standing and affording rent!

Happy Driving, Y'all! Here is a picture of my distaste face with a pumpkin macchiato from Dunkin Donuts!

Pros and Cons of Being a Rideshare Driver

Have you considered being a rideshare driver? I have come up with a list of some pros and cons I've discovered while being a rideshare driver:


Pros

*Setting your own hours
*Learning about many different walks of life
*Can come up with a creative blog idea and share my musings on this platform!
*Freedom to drive as much or as little as you want
*I can still pay my bills
*Can get extra side money while having a full time job to pay off your debts or bank extra money
*Passengers can give you cash (or humorous) tips


Cons

*Wear and tear on YOUR car
*You have to pay ALL overhead (gas, repairs, maintenance, etc.)
*Many insurance companies reject you because you have to get extra rideshare insurance, which costs more anyway
*You have to pay for your own tickets (while on duty)
*You have to pay for your own (health) insurance
*You have to pay for the extra employment tax percent (also part of overhead)
*A large percent (25 for me) gets taken from your check and goes straight to Uber/Lyft
*Possibility to have someone puke in your car


Is it worth it in the end? As long as you're happy with the extra money you're receiving and are able to pay your bills, keep doing what you're doing!

The Skeptic of the Rideshare Model: Can Full Time Drivers Make a Real Profit, Especially on the New Uber System?

That moment when your skeptic has been showing about whether or not you can make a profit driving for Uber (and Lyft)... until your friend shows you a $1600+ dollar earnings week and a passenger shows you a $1900+ dollar earnings week. I think both of these people drove 50-60 hours (of being signed into the app) though. 

I've been asked by plenty of people if you can really make money by driving for a rideshare company. I tell people they can make money if they "actually drive" and get out there; I also tell people I sometimes fear the cost of repairs, gas, and other overhead may feel like it's exceeding my profits. I also have various other passions and gigs I'm trying to pursue, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle I neglected in college. 

I started driving for Uber and Lyft at the end of January, 2016 and one of my friends who I live with started driving in August, 2015. We both live in Chicago. For a few months this year, Uber was doing this promotion of "guaranteed hour rates", where you're guaranteed a certain amount of money (ex $35 dollars per hour) if you get at least 1.5 rides per hour, accept at least 80% of the rides, and stay online for the majority of the guarantee period. This is handy for days when it is very "dead", no surge, you just get a number of 10 minute or less rides, or you have to wait for your passengers for awhile. 

Now, this rate is gone and your "guaranteed hours" is now somewhere between 1.3 and 1.5 surge rate (most of the time) in a giant bubble within the central part of the city. I've also noticed that during rush hour periods (early weekday mornings 5-9am and after 4pm to about 8pm on weekdays) is less crowded and not surged anymore. What happened?

Are people becoming "slaves" to the system? Where you as a "contractor" drive and drive and drive until your car goes into the ground, but they don't care. They're taking their giant royal fee of 20-25 percent out of your check, reducing the amount of fare drivers can make behind your back, and not caring about you. Although you can write off some of your overhead at tax time, I feel like there's a giant overhead cost to driving, excluding time of waiting for passengers. For instance, if I make $200 dollars net in a day driving, I'd generally have to fill up my tank twice; that's $80 dollars straight into the gas tank. The corporate honchos don't care. They're making money! Without these guarantees, I feel like I sometimes make $15 or less an hour while wearing out my expensive car and needing more frequent maintenance. Plus, I think I have "driver's knee" now and fear causing injury to myself from driving. 

Why do you think rideshare companies keep recruiting drivers and not passengers? It's where the corporations make the brunt of their money. Don't forget about the wear and tear in your car. Chicago is notorious for lots of potholes, which destroys the suspension. What about that passenger who opens your door into a pole and scratches it? That person who spills something in your back seat? The parts you need fixed? That random ticket you acquired from a red light camera? It seems to be your losses and everyone else's gain. The vicious cycle continues.

I also drive an older car (2004 Toyota Highlander). Since my car is larger and older, my car requires even more maintenance and costs than your average 4 door sedan that's newer. I also have an independent insurance policy where it costs more to have it solo, as well as rideshare insurance costing more. I am over 25 now and have no accidents on my record (*knock on wood*), but I still feel like I pay a ton. A lot of companies reject rideshare drivers, but luckily the insurance I was on already was the only place that didn't reject me. 

It's like a facade of making a profit, but actually digging yourself into a hole of further debt. The head honchos get all the money and the drivers are the little peons to the people on their thrones.

Is the ridesharing model "really" lucrative for full time drivers? Some people make lots of money full time, but part time drivers can make an extra $200 or so dollars per week and not put as much wear and tear into your car or have to deal with as much overhead. You could do it full time, but as for me, I'm going to transition to part time!

Best Times to Drive for Uber and Lyft (in Chicago)

Weekday Morning Rush (Monday-Friday) (6am-10am) -- A lot of people like to go to the loop with a side dose of going to Hyde Park. People are generally either tired, not super social, or a bit impatient. Sometimes, you even get "that person" on a conference call in the morning or to their meeting they're running late for while I'm stuck in traffic. When that happens, I sometimes get canceled on. The GPS enjoys having spaz attacks in the loop, so make sure to ask the rider for directions. If they don't have any idea where to go, use your best directional judgement. Surge during this time is seldom for me. Going outside of Chicago limits hasn't happened for me, but has happened for one of my roommates several times.

Weekday Morning/Afternoons (Monday-Friday) (10am-3pm) -- This time is more like "dead o'clock". Rides are a lot of the time pretty spread out and sometimes scarce. Sometimes, I'd even end up as far away as 83rd and Stony Island. Many rides are often 10 minutes or less, which especially during surge, can prevent you from making more money. Driving during this time can sometimes be lucky, but not usually. Going to the suburbs at this time is very unlikely.

Weekday Afternoon Rush Hour (Monday-Friday) (3pm-7pm) -- People are getting off work and traffic is backed up. I actually feel like I sometimes have a large gap in between getting rides and if I'm stuck in traffic, I get canceled on. I feel like I fare better in morning rush hour than afternoon rush hour (unless I get lots of surge) because EVERYONE wants to drive at this time, especially because it's ideal. Rides are lengthier and surge is pretty common for me. People generally don't feel rushy and are more social because they're glad to be off work and probably not super tired. I have had to go to the suburbs a few times, but the farthest I've had to go up to this point is Elmhurst (not super far).

Weekday Evening Hours (Monday-Thursday) (7pm-2am) -- Surge still may be lingering, especially if there's a sports game. I seem to get pretty steady rides around this time with easy going passengers. Some people may be going to work still, but people like to talk. Going to the suburbs is a possibility, but I generally don't end up going past Elmwood Park, Villa Park, Schiller Park, or something like that. Sometimes I do though. You could also end up with some drunk people at this time. If I end up receiving tips, it happens during this time. Unfortunately, since a lot of people like to drive at this time, you may not receive as many ride requests as you'd like...

Weekday Night Owl Hours (Monday-Thursday) (2am-6am) -- This consists of the late night studiers, the late night get-off-workers or early morning workers, and several trips to the airport. I mainly get trips to O'Hare, but sometimes Midway. Surge is rare, until it hits about 5am and trips are longer distances. People who are going to the airport and work are more social, as are drunk people. People who are drunk generally aren't sloppy, especially because they may have work the next day. Rides are generally pretty frequent, but sometimes I may need to switch apps if one of them ends up being kind of dead. Weekend night owl hours generally come out way better for the money.

Saturday Morning/Afternoon (7am-5pm) -- It's festival time in the summer and sport time all the time. Sometimes the roads will be closed to the point where I'll drive through one by accident and get yelled at by security guards directing traffic. Oops! Traffic is eminent if there's a festival or parade. Drunk people bar crawls and concert fests can happen at this time too. Avoid Michigan Avenue and the loop at all costs if possible. Museum campus is also a hot mess. However, surge pricing is common. Stay safe drivers. People drive like crazy and cancel if they're impatient while I'm stuck in traffic or my GPS is spazzing out by saying I'm farther away than I really am! I've also been hit up to go to the south side more than other times. Thankfully, since a lot of people like to enjoy their weekends, this is a good time to drive!

Friday/Saturday Night: (5pm-2am) -- People are going to their dinners, shows, just getting off of work, or various other events. People like to party. Wrigleyville is a hot mess during that time. Surge possibilities are high, as well as a small dose of sloppy people. Driving to the suburbs is possible. At least people like to talk, especially if they're drinking. Be wary of River North as well for high traffic areas and awful drivers. I definitely have some adventures that's forsure!

Weekend (Friday/Saturday) Night Owl/Drunk People O'Clock (2am-6am) -- People are drunk (or getting off work) and ready to go home. Sometimes when it's later they go to the airport. You may have to deal with sloppy people who hopefully can contain themselves and their cookies. If you see someone you can tell is sloppy and your passenger, be sure to drive away and cancel without charging. Belligerent passengers are unlikely. You may even get tips, suburb adventures, or free food when the drunk people want their noms. I've snagged a gyro and Indian food before. Both are lucrative, but I guess people like to stay out later and go out more on Saturdays...

Sunday Morning/Afternoon (7am-5pm) -- Airport and short rides are possible during this time, as well as some surge. The suburbs aren't super likely. People are generally behaved, but could be tired in the morning. Lots of people are going to brunch and meeting with friends with some who are working. Traffic isn't too bad, but there's some. Not as many "epic adventures", but definitely a more laid back time to drive... unless traffic is mean! People generally aren't in a hurry at this time at least unless they're late for a flight. Going to Midway can throw you off unfortunately because you have to drive all the way back when I55 and its construction-filled merges can cause a backup!

Sunday Night (5pm-2am) -- This has a similar feel to weekday evenings. Surge isn't super likely and traffic isn't super bad, but some people also like to go out on Sunday night. Sloppy people are unlikely to appear. If the people are drunk, they're generally in fun mode. Some people may have even been doing last minute work before the week. Rides are generally steady, but like weekday evenings, can sometimes be a tad slow.

Sunday Night Owl Hours going into Monday (2am-6am) -- It is airport and driving people to work super early o'clock. Airports are most common during this time since it's time for people to start their weeks. Sometimes the suburbs as well. Rides are pretty steady. Surge isn't super common, but at least people are talkative. However, the roads are very quiet. No sloppy people, but they may be tired!

In short, weekend afternoons and weekend evenings and night owl hours are the most lucrative times to drive... mostly weekend evening night owl hours (Saturdays)! If you don't want to deal with sloppy drunk people, stop driving around 11pm-12am at the very latest! Driving between 10am and 2pm (and even up to 4pm) weekdays is no bueno. Enjoy your adventures!

Father's Day Airport Ventures to Lesson Land

It was Father's Day 2016 and I've been contemplating the meaning of forgiveness for quite some time. I also needed to do some Uber driving due to needing money as usual. This day had caused me a large amount of anxiety due to being apprehensive about seeing my parents. A few hours before dinner time, I was still stuck in an indecision about how to spend my father’s day.

At about 3pm, after a long and traffic-filled adventure to O'Hare Airport, I was curious about picking up passengers from the airport (as opposed to just transporting them there) since the queue line didn't seem to be a ridiculous wait this time. I texted my friend who also drives for Uber to ask him about what you're supposed to do procedure-wise to pick people up from the airport. Before I could finish my text, I received a ride request. Of course, I had already passed the "pick up area" and just tried to chill with my flashers on while avoiding getting shooed away by security. Most of my passengers I seem to drive are in their 20s or 30s, but the man who walked into my car was a bit older (50s). I had no idea what to expect besides a trip to the suburbs. Meanwhile, I’m still contemplating whether or not I want to stop at my parental unit’s house or go to my sword fighting practice.

I began a normal conversation with this man and asked him if he’s celebrating father’s day since he looked like he was old enough to have kids. The response I received was rather shocking and eye opening. He told me he hasn’t been able to have a good relationship with his 2 teenage daughters due to a divorce where the wife brainwashes the kids. I was able to relate because the same thing happened to my uncle. He also mentioned his daughters hadn’t wished him a happy father’s day; shortly after the ride began, his older daughter texted him. 

After some further conversation asking about his kids, he begins to tell me how his relationship with his parents was pretty rocky and how his dad passed away at age 62. He mentioned xyz crappy thing his parents did to him, but he was still somehow able to let go of ALL of it and forgive his parents. In my quest to find forgiveness towards my parents, I felt like there was a “certain mind  needed to do” involving a mind process in order to “adequately forgive someone”. He indicated to me how you need to put the past behind you and shared a few bible verses (not in a religious manner). I even almost cried twice. In order to properly put the past in storage, you need to tell yourself, “hey, so this, this, and this happened, it was pretty awful, will probably never happen again, have accepted these events occurring, and am ready to move on now”. Doing so properly feels like you’re removing a giant burden from yourself.

Once the lightbulbs in my head went off and I dropped the man off at his house, I did another quick ride and turned my Uber app off. I figured at that point, I was closer to my parent’s house than I was my own apartment and didn’t have my sword fighting gear on me. The spirit guides told me to go to my parent’s house; I stopped at the nearest Walgreens to buy a card and drove 30 minutes from where I was to my parent’s house. The last time I waited to rekindle an important relationship with a friend, he ended up passing away suddenly before I got the chance to do so. I would not like to make the same mistake again.

Please Save Uber and Lyft in Chicago

To whom it may concern,

A little birdie told me there's a possibility of removing ridesharing from Chicago. Here is why I feel like ridesharing is a necessary feat. Even though you can't hail an Uber or Lyft driver, we are all just people wanting to provide a quality service to those in need of a ride home. What if someone was intoxicated and needed a ride and didn't know where in their wallet their money was? Well, not a problem because everything is done on an online system that takes care of the money transactions for you. That way, you don't have anyone being like "oops I can't pay sorry byeeeeee" and not paying the fare at all. The online system avoids those types discrepancies, as well as fumbling and possibly dropping your money; it also makes the transaction faster. It also avoids the possibility of a whacko person trying to steal your money. I have heard some stories about taxi drivers being nasty to passengers and driving like jerk faces. One time, a girl in high school who didn't own a debit card told me she once handed a taxi driver a 20 dollar bill and needed change and the driver told her to "get out of the car or he'd beat the shit out of her". Thanks to ridesharing, the number of drunk/intoxicated drivers has decreased as well. Us rideshare drivers need to keep the road safe too!

Also, Uber and Lyft are very handy for those needing more flexible schedules. This is applicable for people such as performers and parents who may never have a static schedule. This is also helpful for people like me who are in between careers and trying to make more than minimum wage (aka a liveable wage). Someone I was driving around once told me that Uber and Lyft are the next generation waiters and waitresses for artists needing to make a living. I myself am an artist and this service has not left me fearing paying my bills. If this service were gone, some people would be running around in circles with their arms up freaking out about how to earn money, especially because all "regular jobs" are very competitive and sometimes very difficult to attain. What if a mentally disabled veteran needed something to do and couldn't hold a regular job? I also am a blogger and am using my experiences of driving to enhance my career.

Another thing I might add is how there may be "horror stories" of Uber and Lyft drivers doing things as extreme as killing another person (while not on duty). No matter what job and industry you are in, there are bad eggs. There are also murderers. An Uber or Lyft driver is not a murderer; a murderer is a murderer.

There is also a petition to sign for saving Uber at least: https://action.uber.org/illinois/ - PLEASE SIGN IT! And share this post to show why Uber and Lyft are necessary feats in Chicago!

Thank you very much!

Signed, Your Friendly Neighborhood Uber Driver!

Random Uber And Lyft Acrostic Poems

Random poems that spell out "Uber and Lyft" just for fun!

U
Better
Expect
Ridiculousness

Let
Your
Fearlessness
Triumph

Safety as a Rideshare Driver for Uber and Lyft

Is it safe to be a rideshare driver? Is it safe to drive in Chicago?

Overall, I haven't experienced any major safety concerns, except for taxi drivers being jerk faces and feeling like traffic is going to kill me sometimes. The more you drive, the more you risk being in a car accident and the more you have to deal with idiot drivers. You just need to have patience.

I often get asked if I've been creeped on by men or had people "toss their cookies" in my car. The answer to being creeped on is no, SOMEHOW. I am usually the prime target to get creeped on, but I feel like people are more interested in talking to me. I just try to avoid the stupid drunks. I've had a few people tell me I'm cute or something, but nothing to elicit me being uncomfortable. I suggest carrying a mace and/or pepper spray just in case. I also have my keys to use as a weapon, and my martial arts skills. It's always handy to know self-defense. In terms of people being sick in my car, I now drive away from and cancel on people who look to be "sloppy" and now am going to avoid driving for major drunk events. It may be extra money, but I had a near-tragic incident on St. Patrick's day. Never again. No one has stolen from me or tried to commit a crime, but I feel like people don't really have regard for the condition of my car. Chicago also has a lot of pot holes and stupid cameras that give you tickets.

Another thing that happens sometimes is having to go to rather uncomfortable parts of the south side... sometimes at night. I do have a fear of getting shot in the south side more than I do getting robbed/hurt/sexually assaulted while driving. I once had to go to Englewood at 1:30am (on a Friday Night/Saturday Morning) and I was scared when I saw a herd of people and hoped it wasn't a gang on the streets (it wasn't thankfully). There were TONS of cops and I feel like there's worse looking areas than Englewood. I don't think Englewood forsure is under patrolled at night because I felt like I saw a cop on every corner or every other corner. Thanks for trying your best down there, cops!

Either way, I feel pretty safe, so no worries, especially for a female. None of my friends who drive have had anything happen to them either!

Humans of Rideshare Drivers

Me:

I sometimes feel insecure when telling people I do Uber (and Lyft) driving full time vs. my shiny "professional" desk job. I had a job as a Web Developer which I landed right out of college. It ended up not working out and I decided I ultimately want to be a writer and performer. I couldn't find another job in time and was basically left to either quit or get fired. I chose to quit because I wanted to leave on my terms and not have my morale be crushed. One of my friends who I live with suggested rideshare driving to me because I already had a car. I had always wanted to be self-employed, but ended up having to do so sooner than planned. Anything you do, you have to act professional no matter what, but I shouldn't feel ashamed because I'm setting out to make something for myself; at least doing something to make me money. Plus I have this blog to share my stories. Web Developer and Uber driver are just titles. I need to keep telling myself this!

Uber Vs. Lyft

*Uber gets more quantity of rides and Lyft gets more quality of rides, plus you're able to give tips through the Lyft app (lately they've been about even in terms of ride quantity, but usually Uber gives more rides)

*Uber you can instant pay at any dollar amount and Lyft you need $50 dollars

*Uber and Lyft's fares are very similar (in Chicago)

*In driver mode, on the map showing where you are, Lyft gives you an arrow of which way you're going and Uber uses a small dot on the map

*Lyft now has a color changing activator to show when you're picking up passengers and Uber does not

*Lyft rates you on your last 100 rides and Uber rates you on your last 500

*Lyft has a picture of what the passenger looks like when you're picking them up and Uber does not

*Lyft has a feature where you can push a button when you arrive instead of Uber where it automatically notifies the passenger

*Lyft has a 5 minute countdown (for a regular Lyft) for the passenger's arrival time and it counts in your fare and Uber doesn't have that

*Uber you can text your passenger as well as call them and with Lyft you can only call them

Why I'm Never Driving During a Drunk Holiday EVER Again

Well, I'm sure many of you are wondering how it was driving for St. Patrick's Day (weekend); and the answer to that question is money and drunk people riffic. I did not drive the exact day of St. Patrick's Day; I drove the weekend Chicago turned the river green... and probably never doing it again. At least that's what I tell myself right now.

It all started when the bars opened as early as 7 or 8am for people's day drinking muses. If I remember correctly, *every single one* of my passengers was intoxicated. I probably started around 11 am because I wanted super extra heavy duty money and surge was very high. It all started when I got stuck driving down Michigan Avenue and was moving about 2 inches every 5 minutes. I was lucky to not get canceled on though. Now, I wonder how bartenders consistently deal with drunk people and even belligerent people. I can deal with a couple of drunk people a night, but it gets to a point where I even become worn out from talking to and dealing with these people.

Most people were well behaved, but I don't want anyone to throw up in my car. Plus I sometimes wonder how bartenders deal with drunk people on a daily basis. Then I end up doing it myself plenty of the time. It builds character, that's forsure. I also feel like there's a larger likelihood of having to drive to the suburbs. I did almost have a casualty, but was able to pull over in time to avoid grossness going in my car. 

Traffic was awful all day. I even saw a taxi hit an Uber driver, but at least the accident was small. I ended up driving a few more sloppy people subsequently after that and eventually threw in the towel when I had enough of dealing with people for one day. This misadventure made the #1 for the most sloppy passenger I had to deal with. Next time, I'll just find other days to go out and go out and have fun while I'm young, single, and can! At least I made 300 dollars that weekend! No regrets, but never again! Nopity Nopity Nopity NOPE!

Least Favorite Passengers to Transport for Uber and Lyft

In no particular order with more being added as I see them:

*People who make annoying noises or chew (gum) very loudly: I literally want to cringe, especially because I am sensitive to certain sounds. It makes my ear feel like something is grinding in it. I pray the ride is over asap!

*People who smell bad: Please go take a shower. Sometimes, you may have just gotten off of work and be all smelly, but eeeeewwww. At least I can frantically Febreeze my car afterward!

*People who are in groups of more than 4 people and request a regular Uber: Hey there now, it may cost a couple extra dollars to get you an Uber XL or Lyft Plus, but how do you know I have a third row back seat? The car you get assigned to ride in is random!

*People who request for a ride that's less than a 10 minute drive and make me wait for a long time: You only get paid when you're driving. I know I'm sometimes slow at getting ready, but it matters a little more when time is *actually* money. Plus, short rides don't generate much fare and a 5 minute drive that takes 20 minutes to complete after a round of getting lost and traffic, I lose several dollars for that hour. If it's freezing, awful weather, or you actually can't walk, you're excused though!

*People who drop a pin for an address instead of giving me an actual destination: I'm still learning directions here, and giving me an address of "Monroe Harbor" with your pin being in the water isn't going to help me much. You then tell me you're at Navy Pier. I start heading in your direction and you tell me I'm going the wrong way. If I were to go the other way, I'd be heading towards the museum campus. You then tell me you're at the Navy Pier bus terminal. At least I know where that is due to misadventures of ending up there when running infinitely late for work one day. You then tell me you're by a boat dock, which ends up being all the way in the back of Navy Pier. At least I find you, but thanks for bringing a crying baby in my car...

*People who talk on the phone very loudly in my back seat: That just makes me feel awkward, so I'll blast music and think in space while driving you to your destination

*Couples who argue in my back seat. No thanks! My last relationship existed of my boyfriend trying to pick arguments with me and I don't feel like seeing anymore of that now that I'm free of his stinking leash!

*People who use my car as a furniture moving service: I'm a rideshare driver, not a UHaul truck. A few of my first days as a rideshare driver, someone wanted me to move a recliner couch that didn't fit in their car and another person wanted me to move a 65 inch TV and took their 9 year old with them. My car may be big and be able to transport things, but I guess, "we shall never deny a guest, even the most ridiculous request"... At least someone who had me move a piano gave me a tip!

*Ones who ask for me to go to the burbs: Well, those aren't too bad, but sometimes annoying when you have to drive far away from surge pricing/most riders and drive all the way back once you're done. It is a nice fair, but it was pretty funny when my very first ride was from the King Bowl in Lincoln Park to Inverness. I had 1/4 tank of gas in my car thinking I'd be ok for a bit. I awkwardly had to go to the gas station and eventually took them home. I still think that's the longest distance drive I've had to this day (almost 4 months later).

*People who request me to drop them off in a neighborhood I'd feel wary of going to: I don't want to get shot, please and thank you!

*People who spill things in my back seat or ask to have a beer while I'm driving. No thanks! Cleaning my car is expensive

*Drunkards who are SO loud where it feels like 6 people are having 5 conversations within my car. Either that, or people who begin asking me weird questions (such as preferring to smell a bag of poop or have someone unleash a smelly fart and hotbox me). Those were the types of questions my high school bullies asked me and I'm NOT down for that!

*People with whiny children...

Most Epic/Memorable Passengers and Adventures Not Involving Sloppy Drunk People

(Chicago) Passengers of Uber and Lyft (kind of like "Humans of New York") and various other memorable adventures and lessons:

*It was about 5am on Saturday night (Sunday morning) and I picked up a 35 year old man from a wedding in the suburbs since I was summoned to go there earlier and was still snagging some rides. He had a few drinks, but I knew he wouldn't cause a problem. We begin talking and he tells me he's from Oak Brook, but lives in LA right now to "pursue his dream as some kind of artist". He then tells me he is addicted to coke and got 4 DUIs :( His friends also knew he was unhappy and the poor guy seemed like a downer (probably out of depression). I suggested therapy and he said "Nirvana was his therapy", which meant he wasn't really ready for help. My heart breaks for him and I hope he finds his smile soon!

*I was driving a medical student around to her friend's house during a storm and another man walked in my car who I picked up in the same trip for a pool smelling very much like weed. After his 10 minute ride, he exited my car and the other passenger said he smelled like weed. I didn't want to point anything out, but it was funny she saw!

*It seems like every time I want to do "1 quick ride before I go home", my last ride always becomes extra lengthy. For example, on Sunday morning May 1 I wanted to do a quick one before going home on my post staying up all night driving binge (it was 8am and I had to be somewhere 40 minutes away at 10am). I was on Michigan Avenue and received a pool request... surely enough that guy would need to go to Midway Airport aka the complete wrong way of where I needed to go. I received a second request within the pool who needed to go to the south loop. Of course, my gps was spazzing out and none of the passengers were from in town. I used my best judgement to get to the south loop because I worked nearby and headed that way until the gps behaved. I then flew to Midway, rocketed home, and was 20 minutes late to where I needed to be. Oops! The proceeding Tuesday (slash Wednesday morning) it was about 12:30am and I was crashing pretty hard. I had been summoned to the burbs and stayed in the burbs until I decided it would be best to head back towards my apartment and back to the city. I left my app on and didn't get any requests until I was like 2 minutes from my place. I wanted to break 100 dollars that night and wanted a quick ride before calling it. Surely enough that person would need to go to Blue Island (like 135th and Broadway). That was a 40 minute drive and I was hoping to stay awake. My amino drink woke me up and I was able to complete the drive. I drove home after that and told myself, "no more 1 more quickie before home because that usually turns into an extra long ride".

*So here I am driving on a Friday night and my second ride of the night I get these two male passengers who are a couple years older than me in my car. They're both drunk. I'm playing Tipper (electronic music artist) in the background as I'm driving and these two people are talking about basketball and they ask me what I like to do. A few minutes later they compliment me on my music and start spitting improv rap lines. Once the ride ends one of the passengers proceeds based on my looks and music taste to ask me out. I'm extremely reluctant to date right now (moreso scared than closed off from it) and he asked for my number. I decided to give him my real number instead of a fake one to face my fears. I turn around and the dude is decent looking. Hmmmmm. Let's see what happens! But not the getting asked out by an Uber passenger. I hope this dude wasn't just desperate... lol!

The Super Sloppy Drunk People Misadventures

At this point in my uber and lyft ventures, here are my top 3 misadventures with super sloppy drunk passengers... which like to happen in River North or Wrigleyville most of the time.

1. I was driving as usual at night owl o'clock on a Saturday night and I ended up picking up a drunk older man who appeared to be between 40 and 50 years old in an Uber pool at around 3:30am in the oh so lovely River North. He got into my car and looked super sloppy drunk, enough to where I thought someone his age should have his shit together more than he did. He told me his address and I proceeded to tell him I had another passenger to pick up because he requested a pool. I arrived at the second person's destination and waited for a bit. The drunk man in my car was being impatient and I ended up contacting the person I was waiting for a couple times. They didn't answer and I ended up canceling on them. I don't like canceling on people, but as I was waiting for this passenger, he fell asleep in my back seat and was snoring rather loudly. The fact this person seemed like he had a "tude" and was snoring made me feel super uncomfortable. I turned up the volume to my music and fled to his house as fast as I can without attracting cops or risking my safety. About 10 minutes later, I see his address, blaring, bold, and purple outside of his building. "Hey, I think we're outside your place now", I exclaim to him loud enough not to startle him and point to his building on Adams Street. He thinks we're on Lake Street; I pull closer to the intersection to make sure I'm not mistaken and listen to his back seat driving. A minute or two later, he realizes he was wrong and gets out of my car. How awkward...

2. I had driven so far into the night owl hours it had already become daylight and apparently people were still drunkity drunk. It had already reached about 6:30 in the morning. I had just driven 2 people to the airport and figured all of the drunk people were home by now... I guess not. I anxiously arrived at the front of the Taco Burrito King on Harlem and Higgins by the expressway. Someone called me and told me they were in the back of the building. A few minutes later, 3 men who looked to be about my age (early/mid 20s) walked into my car and warned me they weren't sober. For some reason, I ended up driving towards the home of the person who requested the ride. I shortly after realized that was an awful idea, but I had already committed to this endeavor. I eventually arrived at the first person's place and dropped him off at his apartment. After that, the fun really began; I was driving towards the second person's place and realized he had been hiccuping the entire ride. My "I feel like this person may get sick in my car" senses began to tingle. The third person and me were keeping an eye on him, but at least I felt like I'd get notified if I had to pull over. Since the drive wasn't too long, I drove as fast as I can without being unsafe and eventually arrived at the second person's place. His feeling of nausea vanished and he handed me 5 dollars. As I'm on my way to the third person's place, which is less than 5 minutes away, the first person ended up canceling the ride. I end up notifying him his friend canceled. He wondered if that meant I would get screwed over and I told him it would. I arrived at his place and he pulls out 21 dollars and tells me it's all he has in his wallet and he hopes it's enough to cover the fare. I told him he was good to go while I thought to myself at least I got my money's worth and then some!

3. Oh boy, driving St. Patrick's Day weekend (the weekend Chicago dyed the river, not the actual day of St. Patrick's Day) on that Saturday. What a great idea, even though I wanted to make some money. It was about 1:30am and I had just finished taking 2 people celebrating a 21st birthday to the Mad River bar in River North who could apparently handle their liquor than the next 2 people who would come in my car. I received another request from the Mad River bar. When the men who looked to be around my age (early/mid 20s) entered my car, the "I feel like this person may get sick in my car" senses were acting like fire alarms going off in my body. I knew those people were super sloppy double dare drunk, enough to know next time to never let people that wasted in my car ever again. And instead of the usual 10 or 15 minute drive, they wanted to go from River North to Arlington Heights by Mitsuwa Marketplace. I had to get the hell out of there fast because I have a fear of people tossing their cookies in my car. I flew down the expressway as stealthy as if my car had rocket boosters. I also made sure to drive as close to the shoulder as possible so I can pull over if needed and kept my trash bag handy. A few miles down the highway, one of the passengers alarmed me I need to pull over; thankfully, I had just got my brakes replaced and froze from 80 to 0 in 4 seconds. He opened the door, tossed all of his cookies outside of my car, and we were back on the road a couple minutes later. The other passenger fell asleep. A half hour after that, I finally dropped both of the people off and called my friends to tell them what happened. Next time people look as schwaysted as these two gentleman were, I'm just going to drive off and cancel the ride.

Hopefully, I won't find another story to top any of these!

Nanowrimo Uber Haiku Poems

Some randomness I decide to come up with when I want to contribute to nanowrimo (National Writing Month) in the spirit of Uber driving. Enjoy the funnies!

I need to Uber;
There is money to be made.
Lots of adventures!

First we work careers.
Then we drive into the night.
Time to make money!

There's many stories

Some even influence me 

From all walks of life!

Adventures happen

While driving random strangers

But they are worth it!

You never know when

Someone brings along wisdom 

To influence you!

Shameless Advertising

If you see anyone on the Chicago roadway with this type of writing on the back, you know who your driver is ;) I have lots of stories to share! Thanks to everyone as well who has shared their stories with me! Be sure to like "Your Friendly Neighborhood Uber Driver" on Facebook too!

13 Experiences About Being An Uber Driver

In no particular order...

*You have to learn more “adult-isms”, such as how to file a 1099 vs a W2, how to look for insurance, how to manage money, your time, etc. You're on your own!

*You’re your own boss. There is no manager down your throat telling you about your shortcomings. However, in order to make money, you have to drive (especially during surge hours aka rush hour and drunk people o’clock).

*You have to use your own car. Unless you have a plan and your own car and are in a situation where you desperately need something and have no other viable options, don’t quit your job to drive for Uber. It works for now and is definitely a good side gig for those who already have a job!

*The GPS enjoys having an attitude of its own and likes to take you down alleys or in circles. Make sure you have a backup GPS if yours likes to have spaz attacks in the super downtown area where GPS signal is scarce!

*You have to deal with city rush hour traffic (stop and go, moving 2 feet in 10 minutes, etc.). Patience is definitely a virtue.

*You may have to venture to the suburbs, over 3 hours away, or even to unsafe areas in the South Side of Chicago at midnight or later. Stay safe everyone!

*There are lots of overhead fees associated with being a "contractor"; there's an extra employment tax you have to cover yourself and tips are seldom, but better than being super depressed due to fearing getting fired from the job you have already. Be careful about your ratings, though. If you drop below a 4, your driver account could get closed. If your rating is below a 4.5, people could even think you’re a “dirty foreigner”.

*You are also responsible for all repairs on your car! The time and money spent fixing *your* car is time when you’re not making money!

*Beware of the drunk people. These lovely fellows can range from acting like my high school bullies, to being fun social butterflies and telling me stories, to falling asleep, to sometimes failing at finding me while super drunk and proceeding to be rude to me over the phone.

*Beware of the people who have crossed the line of drunk and act sloppy, to a point of almost puking in my car. None of my other friends I know who drive for ridesharing have had someone almost puke in their car; my guess is it’s a lot more rare than one would think. I am however asked that question quite frequently.

*Driving on St. Patrick’s Day or any big “drinking fest” holiday can enable you to rake in some major cash if you don’t feel like going out to party. I drove about 20-25 hours during St. Patrick’s Day weekend and made a little over $500 dollars. Not too shabby!

*You can make a living from being a ridesharing driver. You just have to actually get out there and drive. You definitely learn a lot about life, especially when talking to other passengers and hearing their stories. It gives me a ton of stories to share, which are all posted on the "Your Friendly Neighborhood Uber Driver" (rebsuberdriver.blogspot.com) blog.

*Even though the money fairy from my corporate job has flown away, as long as you can pay your bills, find yourself, be happy, be motivated, and make time to have fun, that’s all that matters in the end! If you are still able to sustain yourself independently, you’re doing the right thing!

Here's me sharing how I feel about being a ridesharing driver at an Open Mic Nite (at the Heartland Cafe's In One Ear Open Mic series)!

3-5-16 Uber Ventures: 5 Stars Please?

Dearest people of the Uber lands, the GPS is no bueno. Please don't rate me poorly. I did not engineer the gps, though I think I'm just gonna ask other people to direct me from now on because I can't think of any other reason I'd be rated badly besides for other red face drivers being dumb and almost killing me, getting lost, or the gps taking me to an alley to pick up passengers. I'm unfortunately not a human map and still trying to learn directions 102. I've also only been rideshare driving since Mid January and only been doing it full time since Early February. I'm still a newbie and am trying to find ways to better myself as a driver. Thankfully I have my lovely friend at home to give me pointers because he's been driving full time for 8 months. I hope my gender doesn't affect my ratings. I have had some people be surprised when they saw a "25 year old white girl" driving their Uber. I've been in a couple Ubers and several taxis and I think all of my drivers were of minority status (and 2 females) for my Ubers and I've had all foreign taxi drivers except 1 male who looked to be in his 30s who wanted some extra money, a man in his 40s or 50s when I went to see Muse in January, and someone know in Belegarth (another Caucasian male) who just started taxi driving too. I wonder if there are any other common folk females like me who drive for Uber or Lyft. Wherever you are, come find me!

I was giving someone a ride last night and he was surprised when his driver was an average Joe Caucasian woman. I told him I've sometimes had to drive in circles in the loop due to getting lost/gps spaz attacks. I keep my Garmin on hand if needed, but he thought I could have been a "dirty foreigner" because of my ratings. Nope. This person ended up giving me a friendly neighborhood tip for my customer service. Maybe I'll just stay in the burbs or city outskirts for awhile. It seems like there's a different attitude suburban people carry vs city folk. The suburban people seem more easy going/laid back. I also received 3 tips last night and all 3 of them were on trips starting from picking someone up in the burbs. I don't care too much about ratings, but I'm self conscious about it. 

Someone else noticing also made me feel kind of wonky. But it's not a big deal. When people talk to me they'll see my personality shine through! I feel like some people also get thrown off when I have to pick up another rider in the middle of the route for a "pool". The people from Uber definitely had more adverse reactions than Lyft. They'd wonder where I'm going and think I'm lost. I end up ditching the additional passenger most of the time, but I think I should clearly explain the Uber Pool to people to avoid them being thrown off guard and thinking I'm being a clueless mc driver.

I had some directional difficulty getting from Grand/Franklin to 290 no thanks to the gps and ended up in Forest Park. Thankfully I'm familiar with the area over there and ended up getting flagged down for several rides all across the western burbs (Forest Park, Elmwood Park, Villa Park, Elmhurst, and even Schiller Park). I feel like the riders from the burbs are more friendly. Plus the gps doesn't act like a turd in the burbs or take me down alleys. 

One other thing not to talk in my car: about your stomach flu misventures, drinking too much/getting sick misadventures, and how you're a bad "thrower upper". These people were forsure drunkity drunk, but I was amused and lucky I'm not extremely squeamish. Another lady I drove earlier needed an advil because she had never had period cramps before. Lucky you I carry that stuff on me because of my hormones and random outbreaks of cramps. I hope you feel better! I also hope you, Mr. Chef man I talked to, go enter a cooking contest. You'd definitely feel the positive sensation of taking a risk that's forsure. Not only that, but I also drove this couple to the Subterranean and they were mentioning about the 2 types of "red face men": slobbering dogs or snakes in the grass. My last boyfriend was definitely a snake in the grass! I even found out a tip for my casino bad luck. If someone sat on the slot machine seat for awhile and didn't win any money, the odds of winning are in your favor. If the seat is cold they aren't in your favor because you'll be putting the money in for the next person or so to win.

I also ended up picking up middle school kids from Elmhurst. I also picked up a bunch of high school students from Elmwood Park who were amused by my laugh and snapchatted it to their friends. It made me want to lol! I would also like to give thanks for all of my passengers who gave me recommends for food and places to go in Wicker Park. I also had random experiences driving an Air Force vet to a hotel, some rich bitchy business people talking about their millions of dollars in sand and foreign clients, some people telling me about the NYC atmosphere vs here in Chicago, and an English couple who was telling me about English food and living in Atlanta vs the "conservative south" and here in Chicago. Apparently you can get cheap deals on flights if you're going on a weekend venture to another state? I want to visit all the states someday. I had a blasty blast at my birthday shenanigans! Driving so much sometimes makes me realize I need to go out and have fun sometimes. Except after I post this blog, I'm going to go drive some more until practice. Happy weekend everyone I hope you've had some fun! Here's to spring coming soon!

3-2-16 Uber Ventures: Post Leap Day Lessons

What an adventure it’s been! I’ve been doing lots of driving either in the afternoon or night owl/drunk people o’clock. At least I’ve been getting more consistent with “going out to drive period”, but I still need to set a schedule like I had for my 9-5 job (even though I didn’t really follow a schedule for that either). I need to unlearn all of these poor habits and reverse my once broken professional confidence (due to almost 3 years of complete professional failure and almost zero success). I ended up at a gloving event Saturday, which helped my gloving level up, but further threw my schedule off. By the time I got back to Chicago, it was past 11pm and I was exhausted from driving from Chicago to Aurora while trying to Uber after. I am ready to conquer the world, but need to take my time and keep moving forward!

I have also been gradually coming to terms with the fact that there is no more money fairy spilling money into my wallet anymore just for “sitting there looking pretty” and doing a few things here and there. I was making more money than my parents and now I have no more automatic salary. The good news is I still have my tax return to gather and I got some birthday money and my Lyft 50 ride bonus. I am a quarter of a century old and got to stuff my face with Hibachi Grill food. RIP diet! Not only is there no more money fairy, but when I took my car in to get its oil change a couple weeks ago, I found out my car needed to be fixed. I was given a 3500 dollar estimate and thought they were trying to make money off of me. About 2 weeks after this, I noticed my front brakes were acting funny. A few more days later, I feel like I’m tugging on a rubber band when hitting my brakes. I’ve had brake lines snap on me before (I was 18 years old… not fun, but at least I was safe that time) and feared it happening again. As soon as it started to snow, as much as I wanted money, I was afraid it was going to snow very badly and felt nervous taking my car on the express way. I immediately stopped Ubering and took my car to Sears Auto (in Portage Park Six Corners). There ended up being a lot less problems than on the first estimate with my car, but I definitely needed new front brakes. At the end of the day, I walked away with my car about 5 hours after I asked for an estimate and was still able to make it to my karate class at night, only having to pay less than 1050 dollars. Phew! RIP money, but at least it’s not a super detrimental blow.

A lot of people seem to like to travel. Even though most of my travel ventures have consisted of Belegarth and amusement parks lately, My time will come soon! I haven’t exactly had the most social crowd talk to me, but I’d sometimes talk about family (as in ask how theirs is), one kind lady was talking to me about following dreams, and when I took an Uber to pick up my car, this adult Asian man was very professional and kind and I told him I had to get my car before my karate class. I think he was impressed when I told him I was a black belt, but he also had martial arts experience. Doing these types of things will make me rate you 5 stars. I also feel bad whenever I end up pulling in the alley and I have no idea where to pick up the person. I also feel bad whenever oncoming traffic is evil and I feel like people are going to kill me. I know I need to work on not vocalizing my fear when I’ve had moments of “almost dying”. I want my own 5 star ratings. In the meantime, here’s what NOT to do in my car:

*Open the front door and make my purse fall in the mud (and not act remorseful about it… accidents happen and my purse is easily washable)… I guess I should keep my crap off the front seat and take my back seat down for making trunk space. I leave my karate bag in my trunk to ensure I don’t forget it before class, but it is definitely awkward watching people open my trunk and see all my stuff. Oops! I guess I should also take my stuff out of my car too!

*Keep the drama llama OUT of my car! Worsely, no couples arguing in my car allowed. I've been through that way too much and I felt like I heard a slapping noise somewhere but wasn't sure if it was hitting a leg or hitting someone else, but either way, keep your drama out of my car please!

*Be a belligerent drunk person: I was waiting outside for someone at a bar called "Parliament" in River North. I chilled outside by the herd of taxis for awhile. No one showed up. Since there was no sign at the bar, I was worried I passed it. I turn the corner and go to the street corner by the crosswalk (since the bar was at the end of the street) and sat openly with my flashers on. No one showed up. Then I turned around and went on the opposite side of the street, wanting to avoid the taxi herd and I had no idea where this bar was. The Uber GPS isn't great either and I'm still learning to navigate through Chicago. I’ve had to pull into alleys before and I hope that doesn’t adversely affect my ratings. Anyways, I was about to contact the passenger and this man, very rudely, calls me twice and starts yelling at me. He was probably drunk too. Since I don't tolerate yelling, I was about to cancel him until 2 young ladies walked into my car. What a relief. The ladies apologized to me for his behavior and told me he looked like he was about to start a bar fight somewhere X.X Moral of the story is, if you're rude to me before you get into my car, your ass is getting canceled!

With that, I am off to go take my business and life lessons to my yoga class, keep improving my customer service skills, and go on more driving ventures! Have a smiley faced day!

Note: I snapped this photo on Ashland and Foster while at a red light hunting for passengers. We should all recognize how beautiful we are instead of dwelling on life's negativity! I've seen several of these signs all over Chicago. Where else have you seen these?

2-26-16 Lyft Ventures: I FINALLY Hit 50 Rides

Well, that took forever, but after some hard work and determination, I finally attained my 50 rides. During the cold, passengers weren't as talkative as I would have expected. A lot of people seemed to be going home from band practice. One of these people going home from band practice was in a Japanese Taiko Drumming group. I feel it's ironic because I did a project during my sophomore year of college in a general education music class where we had to do a presentation on a cultural music concept. The other person I had to drive from Roscoe Village/Logan Square area to 87th and S. Chicago Street. I made a lot of money from that trip, but feared my safety. It definitely didn't look as bad as Englewood, but I'd rather not be that far not the south side of Chicago. Also, when I'm super tired and am reaching a point where I'm questioning going to sleep, I should probably listen to that instinct, especially when I drink too many energy drinks for my own good. Energy drinks are naughty; try to avoid them if possible!

Another nuance about driving for Lyft or Uber is that you have to be ok with using public bathrooms while "pretending" to be a paying customer. You also need to not have anything on your front seat because some passengers think it's "customary" to sit in the front seat. My purse and bottle of air freshener tumbled into the mud. This particular lady proceeded to tell me about her travel experiences; it made me yearn travel ventures since the farthest west I've been to recently is St. Louis, Missouri.

On another note, I am a RIDESHARING service, NOT a furniture moving service. First a small couch, then a 65 inch TV. At least I made decent money from those trips, but I feel it's absurd to ask for such a thing. I felt like Squidward in the "Spongebob Hotel" episode when there was a plaque saying "we shall never deny a guest, even the most ridiculous request". I told myself, "not the customer service", as I took the furniture into my car with a smile. During the "blizzard-pocalypse" of 2016, I actually continued to reinforce the belief of attaining more passengers past 8pm than during rush hour. The good news is, thanks to the cold and lazy people who requested for my Lyft services, I was able to tell them about my blog and nab the 50 rides I needed for attaining my bonus. Now my roommates can have money to pay for their cat's surgery...

In the meantime, I plan on never going down Michigan and Chicago Ave. again during rush hour traffic. I feel sorry for the poor lady who was in the car with me when I feared other cars were going to crash into me. It's very difficult to contain your outward expressions when you fear for your life. I'm also sorry to all of the people I drove right past in the Loop or River North. If someone tells me they're "flagging me down" while I'm trying not to get into an accident, I feel like I'm playing Where's Waldo while playing drunk Mario Kart at the same time. However, it's quite nice to pass an Ugg boot store, an Aston Martin car dealership, and a Rolls Royce car dealership. Oh the loveliness you pass through your drive. I definitely feel a lot more of Chicago now that I'm driving all over the city. More city ventures shall be happening on my journey to chasing paper and making it big. I'll see if Uber can make me some more money than Lyft. After 70 rides combined Uber and Lyft, the very last ride I did before wanting to go home to hanging with my roommates was a lady who worked in Bottle Service at the Mid. I am not too knowledgeable about the nightlife industry and most people would assume the worst about these types of people. This lady had lived in Vegas and attended major EDM festivals, works for React Presents, attended Burning Man, met major artists, and is studying Biomedical Engineering in a PHD program. Smart people be smart! Happy Weekend! Stay safe and have tons of fun!

2-23-16 Lyft Ventures: I NEED To Drive... How Do You Maximize Income With Ride Sharing?

One of my roommates also drives for Lyft/Uber full time. Which one is better/could we probably maximize our income with? In the meantime, he had a conversation with someone who claimed they take home around 9-1100 dollars per paycheck (which is more than I made at my "desk job where I thought I made a ton of money") and he wondered how the heck that was possible. This man claimed to go at 3am, areas that weren't directly in the surge area and still popular, and apparently didn't work weekends either. Working at 3am seems a bit odd and would likely throw me off way too much, but I do need money. I eventually want ubering and lyfting to turn into a side gig, but maximizing income is always the best way to go. I've never been one to go out too much (unless I designate a specific time, such as my camping trips for Belegarth to party). I feel like you need to just go out "a lot"... except not from around 10am-12pm or so because it's completely dead. I will DEFINITELY go driving tomorrow (well.., today because it's almost 1am Chicago time) and not let life "totally" get in the way this time. The transition and struggle of actually having to manage and monitor time is real!

2-22-16 Lyft Ventures: Too Many Adventures, Not Enough Driving

Oh the joys of adjusting to actually having to do something besides showing up to a place to make money. I've visited with 2 friends from out of state this month, which is nice, but I need to make money or else. Waking up to drive for morning rush hour has proved very difficult since the earliest I'm used to waking up is at 7 something. In order to drive in the morning, I'd have to get up at about 5 or so in the morning to get myself ready and awake enough to drive for awhile. It's also difficult to drive when a lot of your friends don't understand what it's like to be fully independent and have to be the sole breadwinner for myself. Taxes for self-employment I'm sure are going to be absurd and without a steady paycheck, I need to bust my ass or else. Now that there are no more planned ventures, visits, major Belegarth events, etc. until the end of April, I need to focus on busting my ass to gather as much money as possible so I can enjoy my summer. At least when I drive, I get to talk to people most of the time, even though it's a lot of high level conversation. I'm on a quest to become closer to the people I have in my life now, but a lot of my friends I feel most comfortable around live out of state and I need to work and make money. I at least have my roommates; otherwise, I don't know what I'd do.

On one of my latest driving ventures, my big car and I were driving around Logan Square and received an invoice for a ride. A random California area code calls me and I answer. He mutters a few words and some vague directions to me. I eventually find him and he shows me what he needed; I thought he would have needed help carrying his groceries and wanted me to drive him and his groceries home. But nope, I end up looking like a deer in headlights at seeing a small couch. I fold my back seats down and he places his couch in my car. A few circles later because he didn't even wait for me to follow him, I eventually arrive with his couch. He thanks me and I drive off on my merry way. I'm not one to expect tips from people, but I am a Lyft driver, not a furniture shipping service. I ended up receiving a tip from someone else at one point or another, but in one of those instances, I felt like it would have been neat if I did get a tip. It's not a big deal, but I feel like these experiences help me understand the value of tipping and how it feels to be a low wage worker who mainly relies on tips for their income. I don't want to carry around the "people suck" mentality, but from a realist perspective, they can sometimes.

I also received my first "Lyft Line" ride for 2 people who had to be dropped off on the same street. I think it's pretty interesting and definitely saves gas. I have noticed as well that driving for Uber or Lyft can be a prime networking opportunity. One of my friends told me he hands out flyers for the Chicago SLAMWorks house ensemble shows to the people who drive him around. I've been able to share and gather more information about open mic nites I either currently attend or plan on attending. Meanwhile, I'm 13 rides away from getting my roommates and I $250 dollars, but keep getting held up by doctor's appointments, insurance issues, trying to go the gym, and life happening. For now, here's to working super hard and maintaining a healthy lifestyle!