Hotel

During rush hour, lying down on benches like its a bed is just rude.

That being said, the four-seat at the nose of the newer trains is looking particularly nap-worthy right now.

Bikes

Seriously. Bringing your bike on a packed train is a dick move. Two people trying it and being indignant about it is comically rude.

It smells like the inside of an elephants ass onboard, too. I get a bit worked up and need to relax and breathe dee..

Okay just relax.

Red

Sometimes the halfway train is good enough. Get me out of downtown quickly.

Now I'm with a group of people who simply don't match. So many walks of life, ages, cultures... A huge mash up of society.

Kinda fun.

Only one asshole behind me who seems unable to grasp the fact that trimet isn't his personal transit service.

Maggot

Still wish people would stay home when they are sick. The douche next to me is the type would would spread a deadly pathogen if it were released into the wild.

He is coughing endlessly, not into his elbow, but into his coned-up right hand which he will no doubt shake with someone today and hold hand railings and turn door knobs.

I am typing this with one thumb slowly so I can hold my jacket over my face.

Shy

People need to take more chances with people, jobs, education and everything worth having. Being shy doesn't help on bit. Rejection hurts only the first few times. You find ways to cope.

Just fucking do it people. Do whatever it is you keep putting off. It's worth it.

Late

My body doesn't do mornings. I miss the days of rolling out of bed at 7:35 to get to work by 9am.

The overall demeanor of my fellow train riders is so much different, too. No fun conversations, no smiles, nothing. Just a bunch of tired, coffee-smelling people with scowls on their faces.

I need to change my career again. I have decided this one isn't working either.

CDC

Again: if you have a flu or other contagion, stay off the fucking train. You are coughing into the air particulates of you infection for the rest of the 200 riders here.

You have a civil responsibility, nay, duty to walk or stay home. Take a cab for all I care but have some common courtesy. We are all not trapped here in a vortex of your aerosol sputum.

Ugh.

Ahh

Morning: thou art a heartless bitch.

Think I am going to nap instead of update this thing.

Always something

For a long time I defended @trimet to most complainers on the train. Told them to start counting days they dont have delays and it will be far greater because, on the whole, the train is pretty reliable.

Something is amiss this week. Every day morning and afternoon there has been a malfunction, a delay, or, for some inexplicable reason, two blue lines per hour at rush hour. Per. Hour.

Hopefully it's an anomaly and trimet is just having a bad week. I can go back to defending their service come Monday.

Reservations

Not many seats a available on this train: it's rush hour. Someone sat down in the open seat behind me and the younger girl sitting there said to the guy, "Sorry. I'm saving this seat for my friend who is getting on (in three stops)."

Funny was -everyone- turning and looking in unison with a similar look of disbelief. The best was him just replying, "okay," without getting up.

My car

Forgot to bring my car onto the train. Figure since during rush hour three cyclists somehow shove on, maybe I should have driven my car down and onto the train. Since it's bring your vehicle on board day.

Also: it smells like somebody shit themselves.

Late-ish

The body just won't do before 6am on a regular basis. For one-offs, it's fine but no way otherwise.
The last two days I've left the house late and drove lazily halfway to work and parked in the transit center.
Plenty of parking at 630, I still get downtown with plenty of time for work, and the commute home is shortened by 20 minutes.
Maybe this is how I should be doing it. Now I can relax and enjoy my 6 instead of 15 train stops.

Adult

Oh ya. Sitting on a train, reading my voters pamphlet. Riveting stuff.

Need more sleep.

Rain...

Busy. Wet. Got a seat! Time to nap.

EOF

Body

I have to accept the fact that my body hates me getting up before 6. Get to bed at 9, 10, or 11 it's the same thing.

Hoping to kill it at work. I'm falling too far behind with so little help.

Train? Yeah everyone is reading. No exciting sights or smells.

Typical

Massively crowded trains here at 4pm. @trimet probably doing their best since, you know, it's never rained in Oregon before.

Still don't understand their rush hour logic. But I will get home eventually. Nowhere to be. It's a nice feeling.

Misanthrope

As much as I am reminded of the power and strength of humanity, some days it seems the balance of life is trying to double up the attempts to even things out in the other direction.

Ugh.. Standing room only trains are so annoying.

Timing

My body may be finally adjusting to waking up earlier. Today was no problem waking up. Problem now is that my bed was so warm and the room was so cold I didn't want to get up. I justified staying there, "a little longer," and enjoyed the warmth for a few more minutes.

Now on a train full of young business people, nursing students and rough worker guys with green lunch pails and it made me think about my mom and dad and all they gave to me and my sister.

Load

I feel heavy, the weight of my past sitting a little unevenly on my shoulders. My instincts tell me that I have been fairly good, if imperfect, in my decisions, yet I may pay for both insecurity and indecision with my whole self.

I am not wholesome or scar-free,  though I live more intentionally now than ever before. Is someone ever ready for the more important milestones in life.

Cheer

The new train is interesting. It does not have two autonomous bidirectional cockpits, but instead two uni-directional cars linked together all sleek-like.

In the middle are two large six foot by six foot windows facing each other into the adjoining car. Like a big screen television, one can see what is going on in the next car behind the green-brown tint of the UV coating.

This show isn't great when seen from outside, but in the tunnel you get a great vivid one. People talking, gesturing, wobbling in sync with the train rhythms, or in this case cheering.

There are about seven cheerleaders from a high school, wearing their blue and white uniforms and holding pompoms, practicing a cheer I cannot hear.

Wee!

Cluster

Seems #trimet is on top of their game again. Just had my face slammed into the seat in front of me when the driver slammed on the brakes emergency-style.

Sounded like a collision alarm going off in the cockpit, but we stopped okay. It also sounds like our brakes are permanently engaged now. Ugh, glad they are charging more for this.

My forehead hurts a little now. It was nice to get out of work early, but now I need an ibuprofen. Maybe a beer.

Yerp

So after a pretty much amazing weekend, I am enroute to work, and I am very late. Why? Because I slept through my alarm and now the train is running late due to various issues.

So I will get there closer to 9 than 8.

Not sure about my riders. Lots are winter bundled already which is odd to me. It's been nice outside and just a light jacket is fine.

Getting out early from work today, so will get home and relax. Life is fantastic.

Point

Leaving at 330 or 4 from work is completely irrelevant when you ride trimet. The lack of trains in the afternoon makes commuting inconvenient and annoying.

They are spending all that extra fare increase money on brainstorming ways to irritate riders.

Zzz

On the five o'whatever train, everyone is asleep and there is plenty of seating.

Also: nothing interesting.

List

Oh I was lazy and walked to the oft crowded Pioneer. It was busy as expected with people rudely shoving their way ahead of me.

Jokes on them: I was last on and a guy got up from the seat next to me and I sat down.

They are a little jealous.

I have so much to do tonight. Argh. My to-do list is long.

Week

This week needs to end. Not sure what it is going to take but I very much look forward to relaxing. It's only Tuesday.

And tomorrow will be one long confrontation. So looking forward to it.

Speaking of which, two things are interesting. The girl in daisy dukes who has her butt in my face, and the Doppler effect on bagpipes as we pull away on the train.

I want a pillow, stat!

Thanks

As I just wander up from my car to the platform, I hear the woosh in the distance, only I don't bother quickening my pace. The train due at 612 is showing up early at 609.

This is fine as so am I. The next train shows up around 621 and it is pretty damn chilly on the platform.

Only one seat available and it is a tiny one between a window and a large guy in a hoodie: I'll take it. So now I am smooshed, but kinda warm.

Big guys are good for that. I should know.

SRO

Sometimes there is no seating. Get over it. You don't walk up the aisle as a spry 19 year old and demand people give up your seat. You just don't. You are neither elderly or disabled. Stand! It's good for your circulation.

Otherwise, there is a very interesting conversation about gun control between the couple in front of me.

And the girl next to me has 2" acrylic nails and somehow is using an iPhone. She is using her knuckle instead of her fingertip.

Bland

Doesn't seem like anyone really has any life in them on Monday. So odd that we all work this five for two life.

Every seat around me is expressionless, distracted and lamentable. Maybe once we all buy our legal, addictive stimulants we will all be interactive again.

My brain is doing very odd things to me.