One Hour Later

When I took my bike in for a Spring tune-up last week, I though it’d take a few days. Instead, it was going to take more like 6 or 7. I painfully accepted the facts, and reserved myself to taking the bus to and from work for a week.

I hate taking the bus. I hate standing around and waiting for it, or if I track it, I hate stressing over only having 3 MINUTES to run out the door and catch it. Also, I frequently forget things — my phone, my thermos, my yoga pants — and about once a week I have to turn around to pick something up. When the bus is going to be at the corner in 2 MINUTES, there isn’t time for that running back business. I accustomed to used to to leaving the house when I want, biking my merry little way, and not having to touch any grimy poles or stand squinched between people on my commute. I like the fresh air and the using of my muscles as I get ready to start my work day.

After four days of riding the bus to work, I was done. Finished. Sick and tired of being sick and tired of the bus. So today I walked. It’s 3 miles I think. It was great.

I didn’t really wear the right shoes for walking such a long way (I didn’t want to wear athletic shoes, then carry shoes for work, too heavy), so I might have a tender toe or two. I also stopped on the way to get a bagel, but in the effort avoiding the avalanche of cream cheese they pile on, I ordered the cream cheese on the side. I must say, trying to walk while trying to smear cream cheese on a bagel while not dropping the bag or the lid to the little cream cheese container or the knife or the napkins is not an easy feat. But I survived. Too bad the bagel wasn’t that great.

I took me a little less than an hour to walk to work, but it didn’t feel that long. I had some Moth story hour podcasts to catch up on and observed a few things along the way that I had not noticed before on my bike or bus commute; this bridge I pass under has these gigantic and amazing icicles hanging underneath it! Tons and tons! It was totally wild.

I won’t be walking home (I would, but I got a party tonight and I need time to look my finest!), and I don’t intend to be walking my commute from now on. I get my bike back today, so no more bus worries. But in the future, if I have the choice between bus and walking and I have an extra half hour in my day, I think I shall take the scenic, non-germy, and less irritating route.