The Bus

The new and interesting experience this semester is the bus. You know how it's so annoying to ride behind a bus and they just push their way into your lane, etc.? Well, it's also scary to ride ON the bus when they do that. Especially if they're late. 'Everyone hold on to your butts because we're going to pretend we're in a race car!' Woo hoo! I now make sure I always sit in a seat with a rail that I can hold onto.

Justin...
I told Justin that he has two choices to get home from school this year. 1. The bus I ride home goes right by Columbine and has a stop there and he can hop on and ride with me. This was met with bulging eyes, barfing noises, choking, sputtering and a big "ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" I told him that option 2 is to walk. I'm fine with either. He'd rather walk. Ok, sounds good to me. So, of course for the first two days of school he walked all the way (3 blocks) to his friend Trevor's house and stayed there until I picked him up because it was pouring rain by the time he had to come home. I reminded him this morning that walking home means all the way to our home and I'm not picking him up at Trevor's any more. Now's the real test - will he listen? Highly unlikely.

There are so many strange people that ride the bus...
The first two days at the bus stop there was a guy who just unloaded on me about how upset he was with his wife and all their problems (this was after he had been standing at the car yelling at her 10 feet away from me - you know, he felt he had to explain why he was making a scene. Thanks, I'd rather not know...) and I just didn't know what to say. I thought about making sure I have my ipod in and playing before I get to the stop but then I thought perhaps that would be rude since I listened to him for the previous two days so I didn't put the pod on. I was gearing up for it again the last two days but he wasn't there. Perhaps he took the earlier bus. Ok by me.

Then there was a lady whol got on the light rail and sat across from me yesterday. She apparently said something to me and I didn't hear because she started waving her hand in front of my face and, in an annoyed voice, said, "Helll-ooo!" Um, yeah? (continuing in annoyed voice) "Where'd you get your shoes?" "Payless" So I went back to my pod but I wanted to let her know that if I have my headphones on and I'm playing with the pod, clearly I'm not available and don't want to have a conversation. And I was looking down. All signs of one in their own world, not wanting to be disturbed. Then I realized that the stench of liquor I was smelling was coming from her. She was totally drunk at 1:45 in the afternoon. Clearly I was expecting too much of her when I thought she could read the unspoken signs that say 'leave me alone.'

And all that was in the first week - I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the year brings.