5/16/12 - wednesday

5/16/12 - wednesday

 I feel like I'm starting to learn how to manage things, starting to clear things up. I've made a list of things to do before I leave, a short list of things I need to do on the way (get money put of the bank and make a deposit for jamboree) and a list of things to do at work. That's nothing new. I always have lists. This morning though I caught myself trying to regulate what I put on the list, limiting it to an amount that's possible. I think that's new. While it's just a small thing, I think it could be huge! I'm happy! Hah! I just caught myself starting to clean something that wasn't on the list. I reminded that time is a premium and take the garbage out. That is on the list! It's so nice to have most of the morning home ( I don't have to leave until 11:25), especially after having most of the day home yesterday It feels like I'm actually accomplishing some things! Oops! I totally forgot to check my car! I (hopefully) left the battery trickle charging last night. I go check it. The battery didn't charge and it doesn't look like the charger is working, though it's hot. I hope I didn't kill my battery, or my battery charger!

All of a sudden it's 11:10!  I need to get dressed for work and out to the bus!  When I looked up the route to take I found out there is a route I can take from here that takes bus number 1 for a ways.  I love riding bus 1 and watching the coast.  I can't take it today, I need to take my "regular" route so I can make a deposit for Jamboree.  If I get off one stop earlier than normal there is a US bank and a Chase bank (my bank) right there and it's still close enough to scooter to Avalon!

I'm at the bus stop for the 128 (the local connector bus.)  It feels decadent to ride a bus the mile and a half to the next bus stop, rather than scootering.  I hope I'm not getting lazy (or fat!)  I feel like I haven't ridden the scooter much lately.  I'm just barely on-time for the bus.  I hope it wasn't early.  I look down to check the time and then look up and there is the bus!  It's funny, when I first saw it, I thought it was a school bus, because it was all orange.  I awkwardly grab my stuff and climb onto the bus.  At least I made it!  Yay!  Smooth sailing from here on!

I'm getting on the 460.  The bus driver looks twice at my OCTA pass.   He kind of sneered too.  I think he didn't want to let me on!  I'm on anyway!  It is the most crowded I've ever seen this bus.  No wonder he didn't want to let me on!  It's standing room only with a lot of people already standing!  I'm standing, holding onto the bar with one hand and my scooter with the other and wishing I'd fastened the waist band on the backpack.  I normally just sling it over my shoulders to get on the bus so I can take it off easier when I go to sit down.  This time, that habit has bitten me.  I don't have a free hand to fasten it with.  So, just keep taking the weight on my shoulders, rather than having it distributed correctly.

No one gets off for several stops.  Then, one of the gentlemen sitting on the front bench starts to get ready to get off.  There is a mid-twentish guy standing on the other side of the bench eyeing that space.  I'm eyeing it too.  He's been on the bus longer than I have, but he also has a place to lean while riding, which I don't.  I decide it's ok for me to try and take the seat.

The man on the seat is pulling something out from under the seat.  I think it's a black bag.  No!  It's not a bag!  It's a dog!  A big black lab!  A guide dog!  The dog doesn't want to come out!  We must be a very scary thing for him...  all these people on this bus!  How funny!  I never knew there was a dog under the seat!

After the gentleman and his dog leave, I take the seat.  There is a cute couple sitting opposite me.  They both are probably early 20s, though he looks younger than she does.  He has the whole white-boy beach surfer look.  Short-ish curly sandy colored hair, blue and white flowered board shorts, a blue top with a picture of someone surfing on it.  Even sandals with the nike swish.  He doesn't have the tan though.  She looks more "business-y."  Perhaps that's why she looks older.  She almost has a goth look.  Her hair is black, not quite the jet black of a goth, her skin isn't quite white enough for goth either.  She has these little rectangle glasses.  They are listening to music together, from her iphone.  She has the right earbud in her ear and he has the left one in his.  It's cute watching them together.  She has a bit of the mooney eyes when looking at him.  He doesn't seem as star-crossed, but definitely likes interacting with her and smiles a lot.

This loud laugh just came from a few seats back.  There is a 40/50-ish black gentleman on the phone.  Something someone said made him laugh.  Next to him is a 50-ish Korean lady, also on the phone.  It's interesting what pairings happen on a bus.

There are lots of kid sounds from the back.  It sounds like they might be doing a sing-along, though I'm not getting enough of it to know the tune.  That must be why the bus was so full.  Lots of people going to Disneyland.

The poor bus driver keeps getting asked by different people if the bus is going to Disneyland and what time it gets there.  To his credit, he answers each one nicely, even though he's just answered the same question 5 minutes before.

When the bus is in view of Disneyland all kinds of kid shouts happen from the back!  It's a joyous day!

At Avalon, after I've done the things I need to do, I start looking at backpacks on eBay.  I don't really want to buy a backpack sight-unseen, but I don't run into backpack stores in my normal routine either.  Charles originally loaned me his backpack until Summer.  Summer is coming.  I want to honor his faith in me and make sure I get the backpack back to him.  There are some backpacks on eBay that look similar to this one.  I really like this style.  So, picking up one sight-unseen, I'm planning on going for what I know.  I want to talk to Charles about it first though.  He might prefer me to buy him something totally different and have me just keep this one.  I'll have to check.  I have broken the belt fastener, it still works, but it's broken.  I'm going to try and find a replacement buckle / clip for it.

I'm on the 43 bus going home now.  This late 40s/ 50s black gentleman gets on the bus.  He's well dressed. His clothes are pressed, he has a suit on.  He's looking good.  He's also got two fish, each in their own container.  He sits down on the cross seat, where I can easily see him.  He keeps looking at and talking to (lifting the container up and whispering into it) his fish.  Most of the time, his face doesn't show much emotion, maybe tension.  He looks like a normal transit rider, a normal white collar worker.  When he's talking to or looking at his fish though, he gets this huge beam on his face.  It totally transforms him.  He's radiant!

The bus is on-time and there seems to be no traffic.  No worries about catching the 460 today!  I decide to get off at Katella and Harbor anyway and go to the alternate bus stop.  I think I'll make it my regular stop from now on, unless it's raining or something.  It doesn't have a bench or a cover, and it does require me scootering a block, but the 460 leaves there a minute or two later and I don't have to cross a street (wait for a stop light) to get to it.  So, it's the better option.

At the bus stop there are these two tall black youth.  The one could definitely, in other circumstances look threatening.  He has the short-cut, orange dyed hair and the attitude that is semi threatening.  Today, however, he's standing there in a hat with mickey ears on it, and complaining to his friend about his girlfriend.  Not threatening at all!

I get off at the first stop, taking the longer way home.  i wonder which way is faster.  It seems like this way should get me home faster, I don't truly know though.  I'll have to start watching.

I'm home.  It took me around 20 minutes to get from the bus stop to home.  I'll have to go the other way some time to time that...  and then factor in the difference in bus times and see which one would truly get me home faster!