~Monday~  I arrived at the city bus stop at 8:15, and the bus arrived at 8:22. Not to get all back into frequency distribution and statistics, but I think 8:22 is starting to be a significant number. In the game of mean, median, mode, and range, 8:22 is clearly emerging as the mode. Who cares?

A new bus driver was driving this morning, and the temperature was a normal, comfortable temperature. If it were Bus Driver Appreciation Week, I'd enter his name.

A fierce-looking woman with fabulous serpentine hoop earrings sat across from me reading a magazine, which I'm guessing was Ebony or Essence. The article she was reading was entitled, "Black Love: A Chance to Flip the Script."

Speaking of Black Love, a young couple sat one row behind me, on the opposite side of the aisle. They talked quietly enough with each other that I couldn't hear what they were saying at all, which I found both admirable and frustrating. Model public transportation behavior, though, which I'd like to applaud.

Classes started back up today, and several students were walking down Kaplan, passing two city bus stops to get to the Wolfline stop at Gorman and Kaplan, and I wondered if they knew they could take the city bus for free, too. However, in a couple of weeks the question will probably be moot as those eventually-to-be-dropped, early-Monday-morning classes disappear from their schedules. And so the rhythm of another flip in the script of higher ed.

A guy on the bus had some serious red shoe tongue action going on:



Imagine my shock when I got off the bus today, started walking down the street to my office, and saw this progress on the new Hillsborough bus stop shelter:


I had no inkling that this was going to be a twofer or a BOGO, as it were, nor did I have any inkling that construction on it would continue over the weekend.

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Well, it's a sad day, and it has arrived—I spent almost my entire work day packing for my move from my second floor office with this view: (As always, hover over images for snide remarks.)


to my new basement office with this fabulous view:

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Not to be critical, but waiting for the bus home under the shelters, it became obvious that no "usability test" was done on them—mostly, probably, because the people who design the things don't actually use them. But I digress...

So, when you're standing inside the new shelter, looking up the street to see if the bus is coming, who sees a problem?

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I got to the gym at about 6:00, and although it was pretty crowded, after doing my 300 ab crunches, I was able to get an elliptical machine without waiting. I did 30 minutes of cardio and didn't get stressed out about anyone around me at all.

I haven't forgotten about dated t-shirt sightings; I just haven't seen any lately.

Three guys were being given a tour of the place during my cardio workout, and I thought, "Oh goody, three more hotties coming on board. Let's hope they're still here in February."

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I met Joe at Caribou Coffee at Olde Raleigh Village, and after about an hour there, they came around to tell everyone they were going to close early due to the weather.

Joe brought some killer Wind & Willow Chipotle Cheddar Dip with some crackers and I ate them with some coffee in the 30 or so minutes we had until they actually closed.

Back at home, I finished The Help. A quick-unraveling ending. Definitely a good read. Glad to be done in time for our next Mostly Social Book Club meeting.