Wednesday - 2/8/12
I leave the house later on Wednesdays. I'm used to leaving early afternoon. Heck, I was never good at leaving at the right time for work even then. I'm lounging around, moving slowly, wearing my comfy red PJs. Then, I catch a glimpse of the time! I'm not sure, but I might need to leave for the bus soon! I look it up on Google Maps and I need to leave in a half hour, which is very soon!
I rushed to get myself together and rushed out the door, just in time. At least I got to pack lighter today. I don't need to have much in my backpack since I'm just going down to Costa Mesa for work and not spending more time there.
I don't remember what time the bus is supposed to come. So I'm relieved to see a nice Hispanic lady sitting at the bus stop. Nice to know that I haven't missed the bus! I told her that, but she responded saying she doesn't speak English. We smile at each other while I rearrange my things and fold up the scooter.
The bus comes and picks me up and she stays sitting on the bench! It turns out she wasn't waiting for this bus! I guess it's good I didn't know that!
On the bus, there is a middle-aged Asian woman with her two teen daughters. She had shortish curled hair. They both had long straight hair. The younger girl is sitting with her mother on one bench. She is dozing with her head on Mom's shoulder. The older girl is sitting on the seat in front of them. That seat sits parallel to the bus. So, they can all see each other and interact. Both the Mother and the older daughter are wearing the cheap surgical type face masks. I keep wondering why it is just those two who are wearing the masks, why not the younger girl too? Is she sick and they are protecting themselves from her? Are they sick and protecting her and us from them? Is it wrong in their culture for people of a certain age and older to show their faces? My brain can make up a lot of reasons for things!
The other parallel bench seat opens up and they all move over there so they can sit together. Now Mother is sitting in the middle with one girl on each side. Both girls spend the rest of the trip, each having her head laying on one of Mom's shoulders. We are almost to the end of the route, Disneyland. I realize they must be going to Disneyland. Though, they don't have the excitement I would expect from that. Maybe they had to travel a long way. They were already on the bus when I got on.
There are two stops I can get off at to go to work. I've been taking the one because it makes the most sense in my mind. It's the first stop and should be the closest to my destination. Google maps always directs me to the other one though. So, I decided to try it today, to see if it is shorter. This way isn't as "comfortable." It has more traffic along the road. Google maps may be right though. It does seem like it could be shorter from the bus stop to work. I'm not ready to declare it yet. Part of the scooter time I've been coasting. That means there is a small hill and coming back this way might be more work than I want to put out.
Here I am taking the same "new" way back. I passed my oldest tenant on the way. I think I'm boggling his mind by riding the scooter and taking the bus. I almost went across the street to the wrong bus stop! I've been at that stop before, so I guess it's an easy mistake to make. I'm glad I caught myself in time! I would have been going the wrong direction!
This is SO funny! The same Asian woman and her two daughters are waiting to get on the bus at Disneyland. What are the chances of us all going back at the same time, on the same bus?! Neither daughter has a mask on now, but the Mother does. They don't look like they spent the day at Disneyland. No trinkets of any kind. Maybe they did something else in the area? Maybe they have learned to do the day without getting any trinkets. After they get on the bus, the older daughter puts her mask on. I'm tempted to ask them about the masks, but I hold back and don't ask.
We haven't been on the bus for long when the bus driver announces that there is NO eating on the bus. I hadn't known that you couldn't eat on the bus and had some bread on the morning trip. I'm feeling grateful that no one got mad at me for it! I glance back and notice the woman in the seat behind me scarfing down some kind of food. His announcement didn't phase her at all and now the bus smells like oranges. He makes the announcement again, this time louder, and adding in the fact that you would be arrested and that there is a fine and community service that would need to be done. I don't turn around, but I don't think she has stopped eating. Finally the bus driver stops the bus, walks down the aisle and tells her that when he says NO ONE can eat on the bus he means her. She throws the last bit of a sandwich into a bag and then sits there without answering. No more eating for this trip!
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