#4106

What a great day on the bus! The BTA was in full swing with Bill, serving as librarian, handing out newspaper sections with articles of interest. At Mill and Baseline, a young man dressed in chef's clothing got on and sat next to Mark. Mark asked him if he would make us some eggs and the conversation went totally gastronomic. The young man attends the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and, as revealed in the conversation, Mark spent 18 years in the restaurant business - explains why he makes good French onion soup! He quizzed the chef-to-be about the seven basic sauces (I had no idea!!!) and I asked him if he received chopping lessons. Always wanted to do the speed vegetable chopping, but figured my digits were too valuable to my job to take the risk. The young man said it was all in the weight and quality of the knife - just like everything else, the right tools make things work.

The discussion moved to scrambled eggs and Mark said water is the key to fluffy eggs. He advised that milk coats the egg and holds it down. Makes sense - and to think all these years I served flat eggs because of milk or cream . . . I confessed to all my deep and abiding love for Waffle House cheese and eggs, not caring if the cheese lowered the height of the eggs. Mark told me to grate the cheese and add it to my eggs at the end of cooking. I can hardly wait to make my next batch of scrambled eggs.

I knew we turned on Apache and pulled the cord to signal our stop. The bus halted, Dave and I got off, and it turned out we were halfway down the block, away from the stop. Pretty sure I signaled in time, I wonder if the driver overshot the stop, distracted by thoughts of delicious scrambled eggs?

#something

Totally forgot to look at the number today - and I was doing so well. Raining this morning, so I'll blame it on that. Everyone in Arizona blames the rain.

A couple of interesting discussions today. Bill showed me two articles in the Arizona Republic about love on the bus. Today is Valentine's Day and the media panders to it tremendously. I guess retailers make huge profits on 2/14, but it seems like a huge Day of Guilt - right up there with Mother's Day. I always feel bad for recently widowed or divorced people who face the bombardment of "love" as February 14 approaches. Greed blinds us to the plight of others.

The other discussion, and focus of today's image, is the Arizona State University Visitor's Center. Valley National Bank built it in 1962 and ASU later purchased it. A gold, geodesic dome, it was much hated and maligned by ASU's newish president. Apparently he and his New York imports are appalled by the architecture on ASU's campus. Coming from Columbia University in NYC, they want old buildings and ivy. Since Arizona didn't become a state until 1912 and ASU didn't become a university until 1958, seems difficult to expect 200-year-old buildings and . . . ivy in the desert? Needless to say, the building was recently razed; however, rumor has it the dome survived and is stored somewhere on ASU's campus. Dave suggested the dome be used to shade a large, outdoor gathering area and Mark thought it could be situated over ASU's football arena, Sun Devil Stadium. Outstanding suggestions by all - too bad university presidents don't read bus blogs.

#4119

Staying late at work tonight, so went in late this morning. Caught the 66 at 10:30am and - surprise, surprise - the driver was our old best driver, Steve! I said good morning, but was fumbling with my bag and pass and general half-blind clumsiness and didn't really get a good look and know it was him at first. Once sitting and situated, I realized his profile looked familiar and greeted him properly when I got off. Wonder if he's back on the 66 full-time? If so, and the route runs as usual, he should be at the wheel of the 6am66 - tomorrow will tell.

A very young couple got on with a baby, maybe a year old, and the baby was a screamer. Not crying, just one of those little bodies that screeches loudly and abruptly, like animals in a zoo. The child sat on the seat between them and I finally decided the screams erupted to gain attention. The mother ignored the baby as she became engrossed in conversation with another young woman who boarded after the couple. The girls/women seemed to know each other from the past and their discussion contained lots of expletives, each one prefaced with the word "like". The father "controlled" the child, but never said a word to him/her. I speak more to my cat than this man did to the baby. I felt bad for the child as his/her future appears dim with learned behavior from this couple. A bit later, a man got on carrying a baby, about the same size and age as the first one. This man held the baby on his lap and talked to him. The little boy remained quiet and calm throughout the ride. As the bus rounded the curve next to Gammage auditorium, the father held the boy up and showed him the building. A striking structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it looks like a giant birthday cake and it caught the child's attention. Unlike the young couple, this man nurtured his child. Got to see the best and worst parenting practices on today's ride.

I took a quick photo of the bus stop signs, looking west on Guadalupe. Been awhile since I spent daylight time at the stop.

#4114

Another icy day on the bus. Might have to move to the back bench seat and grab some heat from the engine. I don't like that seat - a bit too throne-like, but the cold is miserable.

An interesting discussion day on the 6am66. I asked Bill what he planned to do after retirement and he mentioned "Habitat for Humanity". He indicated prior experience with the group and said it is a satisfying means of public service. The discussion then moved on to various places and ways to provide public service in the Phoenix area. Mark has taken his children to St. Vincent de Paul to work on a food serving line and Bill has participated in similar activities. This year at Christmas I did something I have wanted to do for a long time and my eye surgery and immobility provided the perfect impetus. In lieu of purchased gifts, I made donations to several non-profit organizations. It was so nice and felt so good to put money toward something helpful. Now started, I intend to continue the tradition.

It's nice to ride the bus, especially with such good and caring people.

#4109

Once again our regular crew filled the BTA. I realized that after May, I might be the lone regular to occupy that exalted space. Bill retires at the end of February and Mark and Dave graduate in May. My life plans look pretty static right now, so I'll be left alone to carry on. Can a Brain Trust exist with only one brain? Think about that one.

Don't know what's up with the weather and the buses. We've enjoyed 80+ degree days lately and the buses aren't acclimatizing. Yesterday, on the ride home, the bus heater blasted us with warm air waves. The outside temperature was 83 and it must have been 183 inside the bus. This morning, the outside temperature was 53 (that's cold with only 12% humidity) and the bus air conditioner sent shivering waves of cold throughout the craft. In the cold mornings, waiting at the bus stop, I look forward to the warmth of the bus. It wraps around me like a blanket and keeps me snug and safe. Today, though, my protective cover was missing. Where was this air conditioning yesterday afternoon? Is bus interior climate control a challenging concept? I want the drivers to be comfortable - our lives and timely arrival depend on their ability to function well. However, I don't want to die of hypothermia in the process. Seems like a no win situation - death by uncomfortable driver or over air conditioning. It's always something.

#4109

Wonder how they decide which bus goes on which route? While I want to believe in a highly technical, logical decision process, I bet it's totally random. It could be a "release the hounds" thing where the drivers race to get their bus of choice. Probably not.

Not much discussion in the BTA - the Suns loss and the crazy lady astronaut's 1,000 mile love triangle trip. The whole story makes space travel much less appealing if that's what it does to one's gray cells. Think I'll stick with the 6am66.

Our new driver is Hispanic/Mexican/Latino - don't know what word is best, so HML must do. Since he started driving our bus, the number of HML passengers has increased; as if an underground network lets people know which bus route contains a Spanish-speaking driver. It makes no sense since the chosen route should coincide with destination; however, the 6am66 gets more HML riders every day. Probably just coincidence.

Today a young man with a bicycle wanted on the bus, but the bike rack was full. The driver had the guy bring his bike into the bus where he held it until one of the other bicyclists got off and space in the rack opened up. It was a nice gesture by the driver.

#4108

Aaaaah, Friday - best day of the week, no doubt. Once again, Dave missed the 6am66. Bill, Mark and I filled the BTA with food talk. Bill said Uno's has great French onion soup and Mark advised he makes the best FOS. The conversation stirred my taste buds and I now embark on a quest to consume some FOS today. One never knows where bus talk will lead.

I must take time to ponder last night's ride home on the 81 southbound. A woman flew onto the bus, breathless and carrying on about missing the #?? and so she was just going to take the 81S, blah, blah, blah. She sat down and continued to talk loudly to the driver. She kept it up as we pulled away and got louder, as though to drown out the noise of the moving bus. We kept going and she kept talking. Shortly, a man sitting across the aisle from her got up and moved to the back of the bus. I understood his move but felt the gesture was lost on this woman who embodied "oblivious".

Eventually, she got up and stood in the aisle near the front door. She talked and talked and talked. She didn't appear angry, just a talker and a loud talker, at that. She made it difficult for people getting on to pass by and yet the driver never said anything to her. He would make an occasional comment and that just kept her going. With passenger pick-up and drop-off, route timing and the usual driving challenges in Tempe traffic, I don't know how the driver stayed on top of his duties while this woman yammered away.

Finally she got off, introducing herself and shaking the driver's hand as she departed. I don't know whether we were in potential peril from the distraction she posed or if this driver proved that we humans absolutely can multi-task, contrary to all the research that says we can't. I just don't know . . .

#4108

A lovely full moon provided visual extras for the Guadalupe crossing this morning. The clouds broke up enough for the celestial body to perform its streetlight act. Well done, moon.

Dave failed to make an appearance today but Bill and Mark and I kept the BTA chat alive. Somehow we ended up in a comparative religion discourse - started with a movie that Bill saw in his church. I absolutely don't remember the movie's topic, but it prompted the discussion that ensued. Former altar boy Mark gave insight into the Romans while I tossed some Anglican info into the mix. Bill never referenced his particular flavor of denomination, but we do know they show movies! Mark said Mel Gibson follows the practices of the extremist RC sect, Opus Dei, depicted in "The DaVinci Code" - a self-flagellating, excessively penitent group. If that's what Hollywood fame and fortune creates, I must revisit my plan to become a major star. Amazing what is talked about on the bus, eh? The current crop of semi-regular riders is a pretty morose bunch, making BTA chat all the more crucial for a good start to the day.

Guess today's image explains itself.

#4107

Another rainy day in the Valley of the Alleged Sun. Cloudy, cold and damp - I thought this was the desert? Guess good weather needs a vacation, too. Oh well, how fun to wear snuggy clothes and full shoes AND socks! Put those flipflops to bed for awhile.

We enjoyed a full busload today - another mix of unusual non-regulars. Apparently, we need to redefine the meaning of "regulars". In the last six months, two consecutive rides equals regular - not like when I first joined the 6am66 team. Ridership varies like the speed of a roller coaster - don't get too comfortable cuz it's gonna change.

We had a full crew in the BTA and a new guy got on at Rural and Baseline, placing himself right smack in the middle of us all. Bill gave him a smile and an official welcome and our conversation resumed. We were all talking back and forth and I would bend forward to talk past the new guy to Dave, then sit back to converse with Mark or Bill. The middle man wore a grim, scowly face - not sure if it resulted from the early hour, life issues, or just a personal desire to look fierce. Eventually, he moved across the aisle to the little seat next to Mark, twisting his body to the side, facing away from the BTA. I want to think he moved to accommodate the logistics of our conversation pit; however, his somewhat surly demeanor contradicted the idea of a thoughtful gesture. Some people just don't want to interact with others and I respect that. Glad everyone's not that way, though.

#4101

Whew! Survived another mad dash across Guadalupe this AM. Rain added an element of terror since Arizona drivers become even bigger idiots when moisture mixes with asphalt. Perhaps the rain/road mix exudes a potent brain numbing agent? Something happens cuz these people suck at driving on a good day with worse effects during the rain. Ask anyone, Arizona drivers are hideous.

Neither Bill nor Mark graced us with their presence today, so Dave and I owned the BTA. When we got on, a man sat in one of the middle side seats. He was hung over (literally) as he sagged sideways in the seat, barely upright. He re-arranged himself as we walked by and then seemed to sleep throughout the rest of the ride. He appeared well groomed, as if a shower and shave were part of his recent past, but sleep definitely occupied his mind. It made me sleepy to look at him. An odd collection of people filled the bus &ndash until the Broadmoor lady got on, only one couple seemed familiar. As if reading my mind, Dave commented how some days on the 66 could seem like a different world. Maybe the rain/road mix was affecting us, too?

the eyes have it

Thanks to all for concerns about my eyes. I am healing nicely and back at work, earlier than the last eye. The pressure still needs to go lower, but the paralyzed muscle is loosening and, since this weekend, every day seems to find added mobility. I guess a nerve, knicked by the anesthetic needle, caused the problem and it takes time for the nerve to re-build. Healing appears to be in progress and my stiff eye will soon be but a side item in a bus blog.

Crossing Guadalupe to get to the bus stop provided a bit of a challenge. The sun wasn't up and my depth perception remains somewhat compromised - not sure which is scarier, my inability to judge the speed of the cars or the unseen vehicle without headlights. I contemplated going later, after sunrise, but by then the traffic is much heavier and crossing becomes a game of Frogger - splat! Such choices for a visually impaired bus rider, eh?

Today's craft was #4107 with a new driver. Dave said this guy started off being 10 minutes late every day. Apparently the man had a different time schedule in his head than the one published in the bus book. I appreciate the intricacies of timing while driving a bus, but we all need to be on the same time at the starting gate. Not sure why the GPS on the bus didn't alert the dispatch to the time conflict? I thought they could tell exact bus locations at all times? Another technology myth, I suppose. The 6am66 arrived at 6:08 - new activity for me to blog log.

trabeculectomy #2

been a week or so - had second eye surgery on thursday and just didn't have time earlier in the week to post about the bus. needed to get all the work ducks lined up before the post-op leave.

as good as my first surgery went, this second surgery has gone bad. one of the nerve block shots paralyzed a medial muscle in the operated eye and I have double vision when looking to the right. a "clarence the cross eyed lion" kind of thing. my surgeon didn't see me on friday (day after surg), I had a stand-in who was more interested in the problems with my pressure and surgical site (pressure high, bleb not open, bleeding - fubar indeed) he generally dismissed my newly developed "lazy eye", so am assuming that it's not an unusual consequence and will rectify. going to see the surgeon tomorrow afternoon and hope the news will be better than it was on friday. to say that i am a bit distressed is quite the understatement. my first surgery was the cover story for successful eye events - i fear this second one could become a journal article about how many things can go wrong with a trabeculectomy.

hoped for much quicker return to work with this surgery, and not sure what the future now holds. will post if things get interesting, but fear the bus is stuck in the terminal for now.

ever the optimist (ha!), i did manage to find an art opportunity buried in the post-op mess and the image posted is an eye patch i knitted and embroidered for myself. decided i didn't want to sport the traditional black pirate patch (deepest apologies to J Depp), so developed this faux eye patch. the lashes are somewhat thicker than my own, but the basic eyedea is there. a close look reveals a few knitting flaws, but not bad work considering i did it with one dilated, half-crossed eye. can't keep a good fiber artist down.

#4131

Nice day on the bus. The BTA was full of regulars: NG, Dave, BG and one of the Steves. I realized we had the "Back Seat Boys" plus me - could shorten it to the BS Boys, although in all fairness, not too much BS flows in the BTA.

It was a nice ride with commentary shared on eye surgery, health care, overzealous lawyers and our litigious society, the hideous BCS game, the Phoenix Suns winning ways, the Godfather II and Robert DeNiro, libraries that might carry Godfather II, and possible illegal downloading of movies. We had a nice discussion about making coffee and donuts available on the bus. Options included taking turns bringing the coffee/donuts or installing vending machines on the buses with coffee and donuts for purchase. Bus attendants to serve coffee and donuts was also suggested, but we determined that bus fares would increase to pay the attendants, so we returned to the vending machine plan. Can you imagine the poor drivers if they installed vending machines on the buses? As if they don't have enough to deal with - I can hear the requests to make change, complaints about the food and drink, the spills, the smell. Bad, bad, bad idea.

A nice bus ride.

forgot to look

Completely ignored today's bus number - apparently some old habits die very easily.

Cold/flu has abated and hope that's the end for this season. Seems everyone is down with some version of it and I'm not the only one to suffer a recurrence. Guess we just run around infecting each other, over and over and over. Can't even blame the bus as ridership is way down. Had an interesting guy riding today. He sat in the BTA, back bench seat, Bill's usual area. Bill doesn't ride on Monday, so that space is unreserved until Dave stakes his daily claim. The odd thing about this guy was his dress. He sported a head-to-toe quilted camo suit with a knit cap and boots. An oversized duffle bag and backpack occupied the seat next to him. Dave commented that a hunter was riding today and the guy laughed and said yeah, deer hunting. He actually looked like he was going or coming from some outdoor expedition, but camping via public transport? It was very odd. He got off at Southern so figure he meant to transfer for a long ride east or west. Deer hunting??? I think not.

Today's image is in memory of my lunch bag which I forgot to grab from the bench at the bus stop. It had my breakfast bar, my vitamins and a plastic tub of lovely crab and corn chowder that I really looked forward to enjoying for lunch. I bet that chowder's gonna be a little rank later today - whew! Oh well, c'est la vie. Speaking of food, check out this website: http://www.cheddarvision.tv/ - you can watch cheddar cheese ripen - simply amazing.

#6418

This flu thing got seriously unfun yesterday with fever, chills, headache, etc., so no work for me today. Yesterday's ride home, however, included enough interesting elements to provide bus blog ramblings for a post today.

I took the 81southbound which meant a ride in one of the larger, newer 6400 class buses. The ride began uneventfully - my weakened condition making me grateful for smooth, quick passage - just wanna get home. All that changed at Broadway and McClintock when we picked up a wheelchair rider. The maneuvers to get him on the bus went without hitch; however, when the driver went to leave the stop, a warning light on the dash said the wheelchair ramp was disengaged and the bus wouldn't move. Clearly, the ramp was up and in place, but apparently the bus brains didn't know that. The driver reversed the procedure, opening out the ramp, but the bus didn't "kneel" - the hydraulics that lower the bus toward the curb failed to do their thing. She brought the ramp back up, closed the door but no-go, the bus still claimed the ramp was down. She then shut the bus down, waited a few, re-started the bus and the warning light returned. Looked like we were in for a bit of a wait.

The driver got on the radio with her superiors and the smokers on the bus all piled off to take advantage of the momentary lapse in travel. A couple of knuckle-draggers in the back cretinously shouted at the driver, "what's going on, man?", "can't be late for work, dude" charming group, eh? The driver got off the radio and proceeded to put the little orange safety triangles outside the back of the bus. Past experience told me it might be prudent to get off and be ready to get on the next bus, due in about 20 minutes. It meant standing in the middle of the gaggle of smokers, but I wanted to get home and knew the next bus would only pick up people waiting at the stop - not sitting on the broken bus. I did what I could to stay out of the smoke drifts and was happy it was sunny and 70 degrees - great bus breakdown weather. The driver turned the bus off again, waited several minutes, re-started and the warning light was gone. She tested the wheelchair system and this time the kneelers worked. She put the bus in gear and it moved, so we all re-boarded the bus and continued on our way. There was a bit of breath-holding when the wheelchair guy got off, but all systems functioned properly. The usual 25 minute ride took an hour to complete - no complaints, it gave me a blog post!

#4135

Back to business as usual - always such a letdown after the holidays and, yet, kind of nice to return to order out of the chaos. NG was in full BTA repose and Dave and I rounded out the set. Mark (BG) hasn't been on in awhile, but I think his schedule moves around school. When classes are in, he's an early rider. Both he and Dave graduate in May - do need to arrange a bus celebration.

A guy got on in front of Marcos de Niza who seemed to know Bill but I'd never seen before. Nice guy, happy to have him along for the ride. I wonder, though, he had an MP3 player and I could hear the music coming out of the earpieces. Now, if I could hear it sitting across from him on a not-so-quiet bus, what is it doing to his hearing? Is he playing it loud because he has a hearing situation or did he develop a hearing situation from playing it too loud? One wonders . . .

Image today is in honor of the lousy, friggin' head cold that has returned to haunt me. I have a cough, although nothing like the killer croups of my previous sojourn. This time, my nose is completely stuffed up. I sound like a caricature of a person with a cold - "By dame is ebb febber add I have a code id by dose" - central casting, where are you???? Hot toddy, tonight - I have no choice.

#4141

Couple of bus tales today. For openers, Dave's daughter, Sarah, visiting from Kansas City on her way to Seattle, accompanied him to school. She supports public transportation and wanted to experience Valley Metro's finest, the 6am66. Dave sat in his usual back bench seat location and noted that a loose panel behind the seat exposed the motor compartment, filling the BTA with fumes and noise. In his best "Tim the Tool Man" mode, Dave resourcefully stuffed two bus route schedule books between the seat and the panel - problem abated. After his efforts, Dana, our dear regular driver, gave Dave a towelette to clean the bus grime from his hands. Images today are the book wedges and Dave's hands and dirty wiper, taken with my phone camera. The quality suffers, but the event was not lost.

Sadly, coat guy did not make an appearance and I missed my last opportunity to go tactile and test the faux vs. leather of his jacket. Wish there had been more time with coat guy - so many questions. For example, those coats are quite bulky and I keep trying to picture the closet where those bad boys are housed. It has to be exceptionally large to accommodate the 26+ coats. Perhaps he turned an entire bedroom into a hanging shrine of sorts? No end to the speculative possibilities coat guy enabled - not to mention the game. Sigh . . .

#41something

Geezleweez - absolutely can't remember to look at the bus number. And to think I once considered a series of charts and graphs with bus number info - ha!

Ridership has slipped to the poverty level. Wondering why I didn't take vacation days this week - it appears everyone else did. NG and BG are conspicuously absent - bright boys. Bad news for the guess-the-jacket game - the coat guy told Dave that tomorrow is his last day on our bus. Seems his apartment was purchased and is going condo so he has to buy or move and he's moving. Probably can't buy as his money is all tied up in coats. Kidding, I'm really just kidding.

There's a lot of this apartment-go-condo happening and it really sucks for people who can't afford to buy. The real estate market went ballistic and now most people can't afford to sell and buy back the house they currently own. People get excited because their property value is up, but they seem to forget that if they sell their house and make the big profit, they have to go buy something equally inflated in value from someone who also wants a big profit - good luck with that! How on earth did I go from bus blog to real estate whining? Apologies.

#4154

Missed a few days for the holiday vacation. For years, ASU closed down for the two weeks surrounding the winter holidays - an alleged money savings move. A couple of years ago the then-new university president declared the savings a myth and now the university is "open" - business as usual except for the four specific holiday observance days. The bus ride belies the "open"ness of the situation as Dave and I owned the craft until the ride was well half over. Most ASU employees schedule additional vacation days to fill in and create an extended holiday, so I felt no surprise at the paucity of riders. Dave told me he used the bus on christmas day and it was quite empty. Dave said all bus rides are free that day and despite the freebie, he rode solo most of the time. The drivers are probably compensated with double time and a half pay that day and no revenue is generated. Nice gesture for the bus company.

The coat guy got on today but not wearing a football jacket. He had a Cleveland Cavaliers cap and his jacket said "hockey" on the front and four Warner Brothers cartoon characters filled the back. Without direct touching, not sure if I can find out if these jackets are real leather. They look a bit vinyl and I can't figure out how to get tactile with his sleeve in any subtle way to check out the real vs. faux situation. He never comes up to the BTA, just stays on the seat near the back door since he only rides about two stops worth. I'll figure something out.

Image today is a new quilt block I'm trying to design. I like the rotation - wish I could do some screen printing to catch the effect of multiples of the inner square. Sure do miss the big print tables in the fiber studio.

#41 yada yada yada

Totally forgot to look at the number today. Still not in a good bus habit. Stayed home yesterday as I overdid on Tuesday. Guess you can't be extremely inactive for six weeks and expect to leap immediately back into the jaws of full activity. Sigh . . .

We're having a bit of a cold spell - Weather Channel said it was 28 degree wind chill this morning. I believe it was every bit of 28 degrees and possibly lower. I sported full winter coat and gloves - usually wear them two or three times during the winter season. Arizona's nice, but you can't toss away the winter woolies - they are necessary, especially while waiting at the bus stop.

NG, BG, Dave and I had full command of the BTA today. The professor has ridden a couple of times lately - odd since classes are out and teaching types don't need to be at school. There's a new regular who started during my absence. What makes him especially interesting is his choice of outerwear. Every day he dons the ball cap and jacket of a different NFL team. The new BTA bus sport is guessing which team will grace his cloak-of-the-day. He said he has a jacket for every team (26, I believe) which is a substantial financial investment. If these are real leather and not WalMart faux, the coats must be $200+ for each. Very impressive.

Image today is in honor of the freezingass cold of this morning's bus wait.