Friday - 3/9/12
Today I'm playing hookey. I love teaching yoga. I don't like to miss it. Once a year though, my friend Rose takes me to the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim. I have a blast there! I love seeing and hearing about all the products! Getting to taste all the vegan food samples is, of course, great too! (I love food!)
It's this weekend. Today, my friend Radha is teaching class for me and the Avalon office is closed. I have a total day off! I'm supposed to meet Rose at her place by 8:15. That should be easy, since I'm normally going down there earlier than that. It's not easy though. For some reason I'm having trouble getting ready. Oh! There my phone is, not sitting on the charger! I plug it in, knowing there isn't any way it will be charged by the time I need to leave.
Finally, I've found clothes I can wear over my long johns (it's still cold outside,) that will look good for the expo once I take the long johns off. Leaving the apartment I know there's a possibility I'm late. I defintiely had trouble getting myself out the door. I push myself all the way to the bus stop, hoping to make it. There's the north bound bus going by, just as I'm getting to the stop. Normally, that bus comes by before mine. Relieved, I sit to wait.
Ten minutes later, I'm sure I missed the bus. I'm trying to use google maps on my phone to see if there's a better way to get there than waiting for the next 460 bus. Google Maps still isn't working. I think the update I did on the phone might have messed up the app, but I haven't had time to look at it.
I finally got something from Google Maps. It says the next 460 bus will come in 5 minutes (that's what happens when you spend 15 minutes getting the app to work!) Now, it's right to wait for it. It even says I can still make it to Rose's on time! Just barely, but on time. That's great!
The connector bus, the 43, was late, and it's getting more and more packed as we go down Harbor Blvd. I had't thought about it. It's rush hour. Apparently buses have rush hour too! Our bus (which is a double one,) is so packed the driver just refused to let more people on! I'm glad they have a limit, and we couldn't have gotten more people on, but I can't help wondering how many of the people left behind had a schedule they needed to make. I think I saw the bus driver offer to let the person with a monthly pass on. So, there may be some side benifits to having a monthly pass.
I'm definitely late now, and I need to stop at Avalon on the way. I brought some things down sunday night, when I had the truck, to use for today. I'm debating not picking that stuff up and going straight to Rose's, but I do want the things and I don't think it will buy me much time to skip Avalon. So, I'm going forward with my original plans.
Google wanted me to take a third bus. I'm time pressured. So, I'm not going to. I'll use the scooter for the last part of the way. That's a debate too. If the third bus is on time, it could get me there faster. I just don't trust that I would be able to catch it with this bus being as late as it is.
All the time I'm scootering down Newport blvd I'm watching for that bus. If it passes me, then I made the wrong choice.
I made it to Avalon without the bus passing me. I made the right choice. I'll have to look when I come out to see if the bus is coming. If it is, I could use it to get closer to Rose's and cut some travel time off that trip. I grab my things and take off, taking a moment to text her, telling her I'm late. I know she won't be happy about that, but there isn't anything else I can do right now.
I totally forgot to look for the bus! It passes me soon after I pass the bus stop. How silly! Oh well, no bothering with that now. Fortunately, Rose's place is close by. When she sees me I'm in all my travel gear (insulated layers of clothing, backpack, hat, etc..) She says I look like a street person. She's probably right. I go to change.
We made it to the expo in time for a good parking space. Rose has forgiven me for being late. My phone is dying. The few minutes I charged it this morning didn't do much . It's constantly showing some error that I haven't had a chance to fix. I think that could be making it lose power faster. Mary and I are supposed to meet after the expo. I send her a message that I may not be able to contact her until I get back to Avalon. I also make sure Rose knows my phone is dying so we try not to get sepperated. No texting today!
The expo was wonderful! We both had a great time! My phone battery is dead. No contacting Mary until I get to Avalon. Rose is going to drop me off at Avalon and then I'll call Mary and wait for her, while I catch up on anything that needs taken care of.
I'm not sure why Mary offered to drive me home. Maybe she wants to show me the house she's put an offer on.
It turns out, she just wants company. That's cool. She needed to do some shopping too. So, I'm picking up my harder to carry items, while I have a ride! We go to Trader Joe's and then to Container's Etc., and then on to the Santa Ana Mother's Market (my favorite grocery store!) I picked up a little bit of something everywhere except for the container store. Nice to do shopping before it's absolutely needed! Nice also not to have to try and stuff it all into a backpack!
Mary is hanging out with me for a bit now that we're back at my place. It's nice. A nice end to a wonderful day!
No comments:
Post a Comment