Public Transportation

I'm lucky that I not only have a lifestyle that includes public transportation but that the parts I take are quite enjoyable. Just now I was thinking about all my friends and family and I can count on one hand those who regularly take public transportation. Most live in suburbia or smaller towns which explains why. Strange - just noticed that. 

But that's not why I'm posting. I'm on way into work and as the bus I'm on pulls up to the subway station (end of the line), the bus driver bellows out,

"Have a good weekend. Stay warm."

Isn't that a great way to start the day?  I'm glad I started getting into the habit of saying 'good morning' or 'hello' to the bus driver when I board. I forget how it came about, I think I was just being friendly, or was taking after my mom. Anyways it inadvertently paid off a few months later. I was heading to the bus stop and when I was still a block along comes the bus. I started running for the stop but it was too far away to catch the bus. My only hope was that there would be a bunch of people at the stop that would take some time boarding allowing me to catch up. 

I glance at the stop and I was doomed - it was empty. No one there which means the bus just cruises by. If I was a little closer some drivers might stop but not all. I hear the bus right behind me as I'm sprinting, knowing it's a failed attempt but at least getting some cardio in. 

Next thing I know the bus has 'cut me off'. It has pulled over to the sidewalk mid-block, far from the bus stop. Just for me to board. I'd never seen this before and was surprised. 

I board and breathlessly thank the driver. He was all smiles and said good morning as we pull back into traffic. A moment later as I was in my seat catching my breath it all clicks into place. I see many different bus drivers and I have to admit they all blur together but I did vaguely recognize this guy. I must have been saying good morning for weeks to him. 

Anyways, conclusion is that I like my public transportation - every now and then I'm pleasantly surprised on my routine commute. And an added benefit is it gives me time to do other things like blog posts!

Weekend Round Ups

I realize that I write these posts now almost exclusively on my phone on my way home. A few years back at the previous job I had so much spare time (bored) that I could crank them out at work. At lunch of course.  Here goes another round of typing on a small keyboard with one finger. 

The last two weekends I was "away". One weekend down in CT visiting my cousins and celebrating my birthday along with dad and Nick who came down too. Nick sweetly came for just the day since he had a conference on Sunday he was part of. He almost didn't make it since after a super delicious dinner of salmon, salad and quinoa stuffed squash followed by cake (red devil made au natural which translates to no food dye - beet juice was used instead - and yes it was delicious!) and presents (actually I think we opened presents in the afternoon over tea after a few rounds of Rummy 500) we quickly cautiously drove to the train station in a snow storm that had been developing all afternoon.  I just remember fluctuating from 'we're totally going to make it' to 'I hope the train is running late'.  In the end we totally made it and the train was late. And the ride back was super easy. What a difference a plowed highway can make.   We did see a few minor casualties of vehicles that were off the road. But nothing major thankfully. I've definitely lost track of how many snow storms there have been. There have been so many. It's been a cold winter but a beautiful one too. 

The other weekend found me hanging with Cece, Cam and Maggie, while Aaron was away. I got to try out the new Murphy bed Aaron built. And had fun Sunday morning pretending I was still asleep when Cam came in to see if I was awake yet and scaring him. He's at that age where he loves that kind of thing. And soon Maggie was up and joining us. We had a fun weekend of playing during the day and in the evening Cece and I had adult time to catch up and play Rummy 500 (see a pattern - I love my card games!).

 It's been just long enough from my last visit before the holidays that I was startled to see how the kids had kept growing - not just physically but more in their personalities and mannerisms. In the photo I was trying to capture Maggie when we were at breakfast and she was discussing something very earnestly and with hand gestures. 

Cameron and I went off to the Ecotarium Sunday afternoon while Maggie and Cece went to a birthday party. He's gotten to the age where he enjoys a good story. As some of you know, I'm known for my storytelling with kids.  It's not very eloquent, clever, or innovative and yet kids love it. On the way there I missed a turn because I was so caught up in the story. And on the way back every time I finished a story of "little monster" (the stuffed animal he had with him) I heard "one more please" as I worked in a cast of characters from the Reptiles and Amphibians event we had just seen at the museum.  

I think I've said it before but will say it again - I have it good. I have all the benefits of a single independent lifestyle but get to enjoy the joys of children. I get to pop in and hang out/borrow my god kids that their parents so generously share. I was noticing at the last visit how I was able to reap all the benefits of good mannered, well behaved children without having to put in any of the hard work instilling that behavior into them.   Ain't life grand?!

All in all a great month and I couldn't help notice two patterns in my birthday gifts - kitchen themed (a bunch of the items from mom, any guess on the yellow gift, that I had out on display the week leading up to my birthday - and I succumbed to opening a gift a day prior to my big day) and toys. I got some iPad speakers from mom, Tesla matchbox car from dad and Lego (architectural series - Big Ben) from Nick. Still a kid!

Doh!

I'm on my way home and I was going through emails, playing catch up, and every now and then I'd glance up. Each time I would see the addition of another young couple sitting across from me on the train. I didn't really think much of it until I went to exit and saw yet another young couple waiting to board. Internally I'm thinking "what the devil is going on", since there were so many couples, way more than usual and barely anything else. And then it dawned on me - it's Valentines day!  Doh!  It all makes sense now. 

And now I'm on the bus and it's back to normal. The regular mix of old and young, families, single riders, pairs and groups of friends.  I never noticed how much variety there was until just now. 

The other thing I didn't notice until the end of the day, after everyone was gone so couldn't even point it out, was the date. When I save files and include a date, I write it year (4), month (2), day (2). So today is 20140214. It's almost the same thing repeated. Kind of cool. 

Cold weather = Good manners

I've noticed this a few times now - people cueing (or is it queuing?) for the bus. Before we'd just all mill around and when the bus arrived we'd all swarm it. Now, with the cold weather, I'm seeing all these lines form before the bus even arrives. It's all become more civilized and European. 

Either I missed the memo this year or it's the cold weather. The really really cold weather. 

Public transportation.

Normally I'm a big fan but I've been waiting for my train (subway) forever and for the last ten minutes the PA keeps saying it's approaching. And there's nothing. There must have been a dozen "ghost" trains that have come through. 

I started writing this post to complain and that did the trick - the train just arrived. Fingers crossed the bus is waiting for me and no long waits. I just want to be home!  Ugh. 

Stars

I thought I saw the Big Dipper this morning while waiting for the bus. Or maybe the Little Dipper. I never can find it and there it was. I was so excited since it always seems like one of the constellations that everyone can find and I never do. My go to constellation is Orion. I see it most nights, weather permitting, and it is, frankly, the only constellation I know. I wish I knew more and I've read books and studied the stars but nothing sticks for very long other than Orion. I even used to know some of the names of the stars (and planet?) that made up the constellation. But now only remember Beetleguise (I think - something like that). 

So I was happy to finally recognize something else this morning. I remembered I had a star gazing app, just as the bus was pulling up. It still worked even though I was no longer pointing it at the sky but at the ceiling of the bus in approximately the same direction. I wanted to figure out if it was the big or little dipper. Turns out it is neither. It's Pegasus. I think. Oh well, back to my trusty Orion that never fails me. 

Emails

Has anyone else noticed a marked uptick in the amount of daily emails received in the past year?  I don't know if it's due to the change in my position but at the end of last year I finally hit the mark where I couldn't read all my email. Now some email isn't important - mass emailings, or being copied on stuff that doesn't really affect you. I've had that for awhile, I'm sure all have, and that's not the issue. It's the amount of email specifically for you. Combined with the other stuff my heart just sinks when I see my inbox number jump from zero to three digits in hours. It's just daunting to sift through it all. And I'm finding more and more important emails are dropping through the cracks. 

I've been asking people how they handle the issue and the prevailing answer is just  reading through the email 24/7. Besides not wanting to read email on off hours, or being that annoying person that won't put down the phone when you're in meetings or hanging out, I find I just don't have the hours in the day with everything else. 

I came up with a two step plan - one is long term - find a good right hand person (or two) who can start taking on some of my responsibilities (and associated emails). The other one I just started this year - no mass emails. I'm unsubscribing from everything I can. Even the good newsletters I like but never have time to read. It's all getting cleared out. Both on my work and private emails. 

I live that I don't get junk mail at home - no catalogs, nothing except the stuff I can't get out of (dear resident stuff). I get something like 10 pieces of mail a week. Sometimes less. I should be doing this with my emails!  Fingers crossed it makes a dent.