The right music

Sometimes a good soundtrack gets you through.  Not having to hear the inane drivel spewed by societies finest is a joy and pleasure.

Tomorrow I may just hit up the winter Brewfest downtown after work.

Cyclical

Oh you bike riders. You have this notion that you are so much better than anyone else. We are all so proud of your green lifestyle and tiny carbon footprint.

Seriously though, have some courtesy with your aluminum and steel monstrosities. We all have to ride the train together, and when we are so full your bike has no room: tough titties.

Also, people do sudoku a lot on the train. I always suppress the urge to help when someone seems stuck.

Another full train.

And so I stand again on a very full commuter train home. But such is life.

Walking to the train, I noticed a younger girl sitting on a corner with a baby and a cardboard sign saying family in need.  It is in the 30 degree range, and even though I am not a parent, my instincts kicked in. There was an ambulance up the block and I stopped and asked them if they could call in a welfare check on her. They said absolutely.

An infant shouldn't be out in 35 deg weather in little more than a sweater.
Oof.

Wild Kingdom

Grown men making animal noises is an amusing way to spend rising the train in the morning.  One guy trying to describe the dispondant noises his cat was making, and his friend trying to narrow down the disease.

"Was it a, 'mrrooow,' or more of a, 'Mwoaa?'"

I really find humans amusing.

Mire

Lots on the train tonight.  Not sure why, but it seems more and more are riding public transit. Maybe it's the economy, or people finally smarting up to the benefits.

Well those benefits dwindle down when you have to stand most of he way home. Ahh well. I sit for a large portion of the day now, so a little standing won't kill me.

Cyber Monday

The day's name sounds pornographic. To many businesses it is to them because their productivity today gets screwed from employees going online to find Christmas deals.

Today I caught a later train. Woke up fine, but had to tweak my website a little this morning. There is a time vortex when it comes to fiddling with web related stuff. I ate 20 minutes in a blink.

Tree lighting

Nothing quite like 10,000 people crammed into a few small blocks to ruin my commute home.

I just want a beer, some dinner, and some relaxing. Ahhhhh.

Wow

Empty park and ride today. Seems most people have today off. Only two other people here at the train station and maybe 10 on the train that just pulled up.

Wonder how busy my day will be. Looking forward to getting home so I can play more with code. Wee!

Late

Had drinks with a coworker whose last day was today. Talked a lot. It was fun. Now just riding a mostly empty train where the guy across from me is enraptured in a crossword puzzle.

Everyone else has a dead-as-midnight expression on their collective faces. I just crave food and want to lie down and think.

Empty

Yeah. Not many on the train today. I just barely caught it myself. I am really hoping there won't be many people working at banks today (or at least their IT guys.) Could use a slow day.

This is where I now read my kindle and listen to The Xx and relax.

After work: goodbye drinks with a coworker.

Chain reaction on #trimet

Trains are delayed due to an idiot in the rain wrecked on the tracks a dozen stops away. As a result the first train by since they got moving is paaacked.

I wait one more and its pretty empty. People really shoved and smashed their way into that first one, even though three more trains were lined up behind it.

Impatient fools. The last thing I heard as one last guy smashed himself in was from a learning disabled guy who said, "oh my gawsh, really? Fahhhck you!"

I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

Hard rain.

Oregon can be wet. It is a fact that keeps our state both clean and green. I generally am okay with it, and don't suffer from this SAD (seasonal affectiveness disorder) that some proclaim.

However, big soaking raindrops that just make you all soggy for the rest of the day are irritating.

Looking forward to the holiday season. This year has gone far too fast.

Barely

Train coming.. run run run.. almost there, oh no traffic in the way.. Damn it hold the doors.

They are staying open. Why? Some old lady in a Hoveround waiting for the ramp extension.  Phew.

Now on my way home. Need to stop at the store and buy dinner, litter and soap (all unrelated).

Thanks for Monday

I like Mondays. It's a time to start the week fresh with no baggage and no stress.

It is raining big drops today; the kind that thunk you on the head with audible noise. Thwap thwap.

There is a guy here transporting his electric guitar to wherever. What is neat about his gig bag is that it is a standard Strata-style bag that has been modified to include a little conical pouch at the bottom to protect the point of his Flying V. It's suburban "metal."

End to end

When its raining and cold, many of the metro homeless ride the train from Gresham to Hillsboro and back again. It costs only $4.75 for the whole day, and probably takes an hour or more to go from end to end.

It is warm, dry, and they can often blend in leaning against the window in an effort to get a small, comfortable nap.

The only giveaways are the smell, and the ubiquitous bag of belongings made green-grey brown with time and muck.

I honestly can't say I blame them given the alternatives.