super secret bus driver exchange.
Category: Daily Life
Ramblings, often stream of conscious, journaling the events of my life.
Funny signs
All my life I’ve been amused with Virginia’s road signs “speed limit enforced by aircraft”. It’s one of those signs which makes me wish I were a cartoonist or animator. Instead I’ll have to stick to written word. I think the signs should be appended to read “speed limit enforced by aircraft…because if our plane can catch you then you were really flying !”
First Megabus ride
Megabus adventure thus far. Bus was already pretty full when arrived in Knoxville presumably from Atlanta. We were very fortunate to actual find 3 seats near one another. Bus is relatively comfortable if you don’t mind “warm” and “friendly.” The older lady with the neck brace has reclined her seat into my lap which is nice in that “this provides a sense of security like the safety bar on a roller coaster. The low rumble of road noise and blowing of something they toy with referring to as air conditioning has me wishing I had purchased the Parrot Zik noise canceling headphones. For some reason I can’t get the pressure equalized so my jaw is tiring from trying to pop my ears. Evan is thrilled and so am I. Cathy looks happy. The crowd is very subdued. The bus appears maintained with the exception of a blatant problem with the windscreen. (See picture) Not sure if that growing smell of sweaty person is odeur o’ Doug’s failing deodorant or my traveling companion. In an attempt to keep the bus a constant “warm” I am certain the driver is recirculating the air. I don’t know Washington D.C.’s pollution index (insert mandatory congress joke here) but I am quite looking forward to inhaling it deeply.
Would I ride the Megabus again? I can guarantee I will make one more trip.
The Ghost Bike
My sister-in-law’s brother was killed last week while riding his bicycle. I now have the unfortunate knowledge of the existence of “ghost bikes.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_bike)
This picture shows the shoulder where Mark was killed. This is not a death caused by poorly designed roads like those in Knoxville, TN which do not accommodate bicyclists and automobiles. This was caused by utter negligence by the automobile driver. Note the width of the shoulder. Note the rumble strip intended to alert the driver that the car is leaving the road.
Drivers, please, pay attention to the road. Give your complete attention to your driving. Watch for the unexpected. Expect a dog, a deer, a child to jump out in front of you. Share the road with the cyclists. Commuting is not a competition. It is a shared experience. Help each other get to their respective destinations unharmed by taking your commute seriously. Don’t text and drive. Don’t drink and drive. Put your make-up on at home. Read your newspaper somewhere other than the driver’s seat.
When I champion the end of private transportation as a mainstream mechanism to move people from one place to another, I do so because senseless deaths like Mark’s will cease. An autonomous, robotic, vehicle would not have done this.
If you wish to read Mark’s obituary, it can be found online at http://www.ymlfuneralhome.com/obituary/5238for
Wash that mouth out with soap
I really have to god damned quit with this fucking cursing.
I volunteered for what?!
Oh, the hazards of saying, "yes." (This is actually going to be fun but the scope is far greater than I’d imagined)
Failing to sleep
The worse part of insomnia is the constant nattering between your inner voices…one continuously going over the list of things you could be doing…the other telling you that in five more minutes you’ll fall asleep. Insomnia would be so much better in silence!
Quite possibly done
I don’t know if I have any fight in me left.
Soul for sale
Soul for sale: six figures, quality insurance, and a relocation package…the higher the number the greater amount of soul you can have. Want 12-14 hour work days, 7 days a week? Just name the correct figure. Vacation package? Nice but not necessary.
The antialarm
It is impossible to get out of bed when two cats are sleeping on you.
Of Parenting
While raising boys is easier than girls, once the boys hit their midteens, starting your day without uttering the word "morons" becomes difficult. –Red
Of Being Dad
I grow tired of trying to get the children to "use an inside voice." So, I have decided to simply put on my headphones and play the music loud enough to deafen myself.
Family
"Family" is Latin for "never enough bathrooms."
Back on the health kick
Today I took time to eat breakfast despite the overwhelming desire to rush out the door and just grab some food on the way. I also took time to make my lunch. While this encourages me eating at my desk, it is healthier, mentally more relaxing than fighting traffic and deciding where to eat, and saves money. Hopefully I can make this a trend.
Update: In a moment of weakness, I got some junk food. I opened the package and immediately thought, "that smells disgusting…let’s put it in my mouth." Then I threw it away.
On parenting
If you are not a parent, you probably have never said, "I’m going to kill a child!" If you are a parent, you say this with regularity.
