Zorak - I envy your escape from my nightmare commute (been doing it since 83 - am I that old?).
There ain't no windows of opportunity to miss the traffic anymore, it's 24 & 7.
I do Massaponax to Lorton and my record is 7 hrs 45 min to go 45 miles (but that was the day after 9-11).
I asked my wife the other day if we could move half way between her job and mine ... she just laughed.