~Friday~ I caught the 7:45 city bus, and the weather was beautiful out. Since it was Driver Appreciation Day of Try Transit Week, I said, “Thank you for driving,” to the driver as I boarded. “Oh you’re welcome,” she replied.
I wasn’t hot this morning and didn’t find it so on the bus, but as soon as I took a seat, in the midst of a bunch of “sistahs,” one of them said, “Can you open some windows for me? It’s so hot in here.” Go figure.
Then one of them said to her little girl, whom I’d guess was probably 4 or 5 years old and seemed hesitant to start sipping out of her juice box, “You have four more juices; go ‘head and drink that one!” And then she said to the other mother in the group, “She always worried she gonna run out of juice. She always ask, ‘How many more of these do we have?’ before she eat or drink something.”
I tried not to make an inference or judgment about the fact that mama definitely shopped in the plus-sized (if not the over-sized) clothing section, and the girl was quite trim ,in terms of it possibly contributing to the girl’s hoarding tendencies. But I digress…
The mother continued, “She be like, ‘What we having next week?’ and I be like, ‘Let’s get through this week first.'”
At a subsequent stop, a white guy got on with dregs that were pulled back in a ponytail. They weren’t that long, so they kind of stuck straight out at the top of the back of his head. He had a t-shirt on that said, “Comets don’t need drugs to fly high.”
Behind me handing a cell phone across the aisle, a white lady said to her black boyfriend or husband who sat in his own seat, “Your son wants to talk to you.”
From what I could infer from the call, perhaps the father had called the son a little earlier and left a message to call him back, and now he said to the boy, “I just wanted to make sure you were doin’ what you were supposed to be doing. You said to make sure you were up, right?”
The boy evidently asked where he was, and he said, “I’m on the bus. Goin’ to see grandma.”
Shortly after that two of the babies with the ladies around me started crying. Stereo wailing.
Reader Lady boarded reading Stephen King, but I couldn’t confirm that it was still Firestarter.
My work day was consumed with completing the 2010 Campus Computing Survey for our organization. Tedious.
Rhonda and I received this affirmation from our, now retired, boss about yesterday’s gathering for her:
| Dear Rhonda and John,
A quick and informal Thank You So Much for the warm and wonderful party for me yesterday. How very big-hearted and generous of you both. I’m moved and grateful… …and up early this morning, ’bout to go out for a good long hike, on Friday, during the day, guilt free – Yippee! Much love to you both. I’ll be in touch! Jude |
I also received a card (Hallmark, no less!) from my boss’ boss that said:
| John,
Thanks once again for all of your time and effort put into sending Jude off in style. I think she felt loved and appreciated and it was due to the efforts of you and Rhonda that made it so special. I especially thank you for the PowerPoint collection—very touching. You’re great! Stan |
Casey and I had planned to go out tonight, but as the night progressed I felt less and less like it, so we decided to stay in.
However, at a little after 10:00, Steven Nelson called me, which he never does, and told me he was going out to the show at Legends at 12:30 and invited me to meet him out. I went, and Casey stayed in.
I paid my $7.00 cover charge (bitterly so), and since it was the first Friday of the month, it was their Amateur Talent Contest (emphasis on the amateur), and mercifully it only had three contestants this month, instead of seven like they had last month.
It was good to catch up with Steve, and I got to see Richard bartending, which I haven’t seen in a long time, ever since he quit working at Flex.