Friday (1/20/12)
My first day trying out taking the bus. So, much rides on this day. If the trip to the bus stop isn't doable or any part of the trip is "scary" or... then, my whole plan for waiting to fix the car becomes questionable.
I think I only slept 2 hours last night.... trying to make sure I was prepared with everything I would need for the trip to the bus and the day away from home; for work and teaching Yoga, and of course, the trip home.
Once started, my handlebars keep trying to fold up, collapsing from the base. Somehow they hadn't locked in. It's so funny! I can still ride, but it feels like I'm in an old western, pumping one of those hand pump railroad cars. I finally got it locked in and working right. Now on to the bus stop!
Going to the bus stop, riding my scooter in the morning, no one is out. The whole city is quiet and dark. I had been really worried about being cold. I have on a silk layer of insulated clothing and then a cotton layer of insulated clothing and then my regular clothes as well as my tan jacket, insulated socks, regular gloves, a black winter hat with mickey mouse on it, and a purple scarf. I'm definitely not cold! I was sweating for part of the trip! I can't imagine what I look like with all that and the heavy black back pack, riding the scooter down the sidewalk. I wish someone would have gotten a picture!
I'm not sure about taking the large changes in sidewalk level with the scooter. So, for those, and to cross the asphalt streets (which are bumpier), I stop the scooter and walk. I missed one spot, next to a light post and went crashing on my bottom. That hurt! Thanks to all the layers of clothes I have on nothing got scraped up though. Yay! I may have broken my tailbone. I at least bruised it. Ouch! Standing back up again with the pack on my back is interesting, and hard! I could just take the pack off, but that is more time, and I'm worried about time. I put my legs over the curb and used the difference in levels to help stand up. Yes, next time I am packing lighter! ;-)
No one is at the bus stop. I have this whole mental thing going on, wondering if the bus had come early or if I am truly at the right place, etc... Finally someone else came and we waited for the bus together. The whole trip down is good. I transferred at Disneyland and then down to Costa Mesa, then one more transfer, where it is freezing, and then finally I am at my destination, the yoga center where I teach. I isn't only doable, I did it! I got to class early enough. It can work!
Normally, I hang out at the yoga center after my classes and I know that the bus trip from there to work only takes 1/2 hour. I totally forgot to be pro-active and look for when I need to leave. When I finally look at the schedule, it is too late. I grab everything and run out the door. The bus that I need comes while I'm waiting for the stop light to turn color so that I can cross the street.
The next stop isn't far away. So, I get back on my scooter and head out. I'm at the transfer point a few minutes late. They have sign that says you can text them to know the next three buses to this stop. I did that and they gave me the next three buses, after mine. I assumed that meant mine had passed. Rather than wait on the next bus, which would make me 10 minutes late to work, I headed to work, which is not that far away. On my way, I am enjoying the trip, it's a beautiful sunny day, though my legs are starting to tell me that I haven't been riding scooters long. Then, the bus I had been trying for, passes me! It turns out the text you get will only tell you what buses are scheduled to come next, and won't actually let you know if the bus you want has already passed or is running late. Ok, one more thing I learned.
I arrived at work in plenty of time, happy to be there, also happy that there is a bus stop right outside my work. It turns out that I can't use that bus stop to get home. I have to go approximately a mile to get on a bus to go home. I keep trying different ways to bring up different bus schedules, until I am late to leave... and you guessed it... arrived right at the bus stop just as the bus was pulling away.
I had a nice African American lady give me a long lecture about the fact that I should have yelled to her to hold the bus. I hadn't even thought about it. Now that I've had the lecture I will next time though! Twenty minutes later the next bus comes and I head home. I'm all worried about missing my final stop, I'm not used to coming up on that area from that direction and you have to tell the driver to stop by pulling a cord. I thought I heard my stop announced and pulled the cord early and the driver got slightly upset at me. He must have had a hard day. All of my other bus drivers have been wonderful and helpful.
Home is nice and warm.
I'm proud of myself for doing it.
I think it will work.
It's long, but it's doable and I'm sure there are many blessings waiting for me down this road.
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