Morning uppers

I am a morning person. Correction: I am a morning person if I have gotten at least 8 hours of sleep before waking up. Still, in the winter in Minnesota it can be hard to be upbeat on the way into work at 7:30. Must be something having to do with the below zero windchills, icy roads, bleak trees and grey skies. There are, however, a few things that can perk me right up first thing in the AM.
1) When the streetlights turn off from their nighttime vigil I always think that maybe there are little gremlins under the road who get to decide when it is time for the lights to sleep. I love getting to see them go dark while I'm driving; it feels like a signal that it is officially time for the day to begin.
2) Everyone likes to be validated before getting to the office but when you live alone there isn't anyone around to tell you that you look nice or that they hope you have a great day at work. Instead, I get my validation from the card reader in my parking ramp. Every day, never fail, it says "Good morning" and after I swipe my pass it says, "C Conney: Valid." It makes me feel like nodding and saying, "Yes, thank you very much, I am valid and good morning to you too!" That thing is more reliable than any roommate I've ever had.
3) Seeing a toilet seat up first thing in the morning is usually a good thing but when it is at the office, it is a good thing. Why? Because it means the cleaning crew was in the night before and I get to be the very first person to use the bathroom. So clean, so great.