Missing the Bus

You know, when I was growing up and had to catch the bus to elementary school (PHS!!!!! Yeah Buddy!!!) I don't recall ever missing it... Yet as an adult, it seems that I haven't "remastered" the art of catching the bus.

I guess the problem lies in the fact that for the most part, if I miss the bus I want, another one comes along in 30 minutes or so. Except the last bus of the night. I can catch it off of the Farragut North Metro stop or the China Town stop or even the Union Station stop. Lots of options but if I get off of the Metro at Farragut North then there isn't time to go back to the metro in order to catch the bus at a different stop. So there's a bit of a science involved in which I have yet to write a formula for.... Though I probably could... Haha!

Sorry, I'm off of my ADHD medication, temporarily... Anyway, one evening a couple of weeks ago, I left the office a bit late but thought I had just enough time to catch the last bus. I hurried along to the metro and got off at the Farragut North stop with about 6 mins to spare... I was doing great. As I crossed the street a block from the bus stop I could see the back of the Dillons bus at my stop... So I started to run... I know what you are thinking... "but you only run when you are being chased?!"... Well, an exception was made... It was the LAST bus!!! As I was running I could see it pulling away... I kept running... See, it stops again in 2 blocks... And again in 1 more block. I kept it in my sights for about a block and a half and then it was gone... I slowed to a walk and got out my handy iPhone and started looking for the closest metro. Then I called my beloved husband.

I was quite upset and on the verge of tears when he answered, "Hello, this is Scott."
"Scottie? I missed the bus."
"Uh oh, where are you?" I proceeded to give him the street letter and number where I was and explained that I was trying to find the Metro Center. He was the best husband (as he usually is). He stayed very calm and never once seemed annoyed or put out by my interruption to his evening. Now, I knew where I was but I couldn't find the Metro Center that, according to my handy dandy iPhone, should have been across the street from me. We quickly decided that he should head toward DC and I would attempt to get to the New Carrolton metro station via the orange line. I would text him when I had an ETA. I had decided that if I couldn't find the station that was supposed to be across the street then I was going to walk to the Verizon Center because there were signs for that and I knew there was a station there. I walked another couple of blocks and finally found the Metro Center. I was able to take the orange line right to New Carrolton and my knight in dirty Corolla (with the missing bumper cover) was there to pick me up!

The beauty of this story is that despite my obvious hardship of chasing the bus down the streets of DC and ultimately having to give up and then having to call Scottie to pick me up and THEN having trouble finding the Metro Center... there are silver linings. First, I was reminded of how amazing my husband is. He responds in a calm manner and that helps me to stay calm. He loves me (and he's my lobster)!!! Second, I learned that sometimes the bus is early and it doesn't wait for the designated time so I MUST plan better (I don't have my mom or sister to make sure I'm there on time). Third, I was reminded that the metro is faster than my legs... So if I am cutting it close I should stay on the metro and catch the bus at Union Station. There is comfort in knowledge. The forth and final silver lining is that I got plenty of exercise that day.

Gosh I love Scottie!!! :D

Commuting: Not just a Property of mathematics...

So, if you are friends with me on "The Facebook" (sidebar: I loved how it was consistently referred to as "The Facebook" in the movie... ) then you know that I've recently changed jobs and am now commuting to DC for work. I've written about my adventures in trying to catch the buses I want and sometimes missing them and sometimes catching them. It's amazing that so many people would comment on my commuting statuses and wonder if I had caught the right bus and whatnot. My mom even suggested that I continue blogging about my commute... So, here I am, doing what my mom suggested. Hi, Mom!!! I love you!!!!

Initially, I thought that I should get off of the bus at the first possible stop. So, my bus stop was a few blocks from Union Station. This made my Metro ride last about 20 minutes or so. I started looking for an alternate stop after a particularly long work day was topped off by very loud and obnoxious teens on the Metro.
I decided that I would try the stop near the Farragut North Metro Station. It is soooo much better. First, it's closer to my office which makes for a shorter metro ride. Second, the bulk of the crowd gets off of the Metro before or at Farragut North so it's less crowded. Third, I get to walk by the White House every morning!!! Well, it's a couple of blocks away and my best view is when I'm smack in the middle of the crosswalk, but it's beautiful, nonetheless. You can barely see it between the trees in the photo... It had to be quick since I only have 27 seconds to cross the street and then there are often buses and people in the way.
This small change in my routine has made the commute much more enjoyable for me. It also means I can sleep longer on the bus when I'm heading home (if I'm not reading, blogging, working, or on "The Facebook").
So, that's how I get to work... Commuter bus to metro to office with some short walks in between. I did recently miss the last bus of the evening but I'll save that story for my next blog... Ha!
By the way, I'm still keeping life in bucket one! :)