A buscapade character reunion, a precise post office message, an affirmation, and some karaoke…

~Monday~ This morning there was somewhat of a Buscapade Character Reunion on the bus. Swapping Dollar was aboard, and none-to-happy about Arguing Man being in his seat up front, where he (Swapping Dollar) usually sits talking to the bus driver. You remember Swapping Dollar—the character formerly known as Cochise. Jackie O’ Lantern, another of that seat’s former occupants, did not make the reunion this morning.

Arguing Man is the one who automatically assumed the bus driver was talking to him about turning off the air-conditioning that one time, and accused her of just doing what made her comfortable. Ironically, this morning, the air-conditioning was not on on the bus, and it was a little too hot for my taste. Arguing Man is also the character formerly known as the young-looking Marlon Brando, with the streaked black, thinning hair pulled back into a nub of a ponytail and carries the large canvass suitcase that takes up two seats.

Right-hand Rule Lady‘s husband was also aboard this morning reading, as is his M.O., but too far away for me to confirm that it was some kind of sci-fi or fantasy novel. In fact, it’s getting to the point where I see him more than her now, so I’m going to go ahead and make him his own character: Sci-Fi Fantasy Man.

Thong Lady also got on at one point, and I believe she had on the same outfit today—blue-green blouse with brown corduroy pants that she had on that day I first saw her—when she stood up to get off the bus and flashed me with that fuchsia thong rising above the rear waistline of her pants.

Another veteran character who got on at yet another stop was the black guy who has arthritis (or some other ailment) that causes the middle finger of his left hand to always stay fully extended and pointing up a little. I’m dubbing him Perpetual Birdman.

Although Waffle House Lady missed the reunion, too (perhaps she was out and about with Jackie O’ Lantern today), there was a guy with a Waffle House uniform on riding this morning. I wondered if he knew Waffle House Lady, and he was sitting directly in front of me, so I couldn’t see his name tag and how full it might—or might not—be with waffle achievement pins.


I had only one meeting today, and it was with one of the managers in our organization, and it was to show him a website that I’d redesigned for him. It was a good meeting, in spite of the fact that I left it with about eight action items to take care of.

I ran to the U.S. Post Office across from campus, which is on the list of potentially closing branches, and has already scaled back its hours probably toward that end. They open an hour later in the morning than they used to, and they close for an hour, from 1:00-2:00, during the day. I was there at about 1:20.

As I entered the lobby area where the post office boxes are (along with the signs that I’ve mused over here before that say, “Box Up 11:00), a kid had nabbed a postman who was exiting, and said handing him an 8.5 x 11 manila envelope, “Would you say that two stamps on this would be enough?”

The postman graciously took a guess, but said, “But that’s just an educated guess. I could be wrong, and I can’t be responsible if I am.” As my manager always says, “That’s the way I understand it. All disclaimers apply.”

What really made me laugh, though, was that inside the lobby on the door into the area where you interact with a human, there was a sign on the glass door that I immediately knew had been created by the lady who works at the counter there. She’s the lady who asked me to put an envelope that I had taken out to look at, but not purchased, back in facing a certain way, and I had teased her about being CDO (OCD with the letters in alphabetical order like they should be).

The sign said:

Closed late!!!
Gone to Lunch.
Back at 2:07.


Obviously, someone had kept her from leaving for lunch until 1:07. And you could bet she’d be back, not at 2:06 or 2:08, but precisely at 2:07.


I had this affirmation exchange with one of my favorite peeps on the planet:
   Irene Harrison Chandler “I just called to say I love you!”  Sometimes I lose track or let life get the best of me…regardless (or irregardless 🙂 I miss integral parts of you and of your life…and, as a result, my life, in the passing. I’m glad that you’re there on task and keeping track…but mostly I’m glad that you’re there. ooxxooxx

   John Martin  Right back at ya, my sweet! I get almost a daily dose of “you” vicariously through your thoroughly enjoyable daughter with whom I interact almost daily on here—”LIKE-ing” each other’s status updates and/or commenting on them. Thanks for checking in!!!

   Irene Harrison Chandler  I adore you, I will forever. You are the best kind of boyfriend… you’re not!!! No, truly, you are the best kind of friend and I’m thankful everyday you are mine. And then doubly so because you are hers too! She is ab fab, in case you hadn’t noticed!!

I stopped by K-Mart and picked up my meds for a different prescription for reflux, a different generic. If this one doesn’t work, I’m returning to Nexium.

I did upper body work at the gym, and followed that up with 300 (15 sets of 20 reps) of ab crunches.

I met Joe at Flex at a little after 9:00 for a little karaoke. Nikki—a straight girl who hangs out at Flex and is pretty involved with the gay community having had a gay ex-husband. The real draw for us though, to be honest, was the $2.00 well drinks.

I wasn’t out too late, and I read a little more of Moonlight Becomes You before falling asleep. At this point, I’m still a little confused about who’s who in this book. Lots of characters.

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