Thoughts from Week One

This past week, the weather has been pretty close to perfect. Nice and sunny, with at least a little bit of breeze every day.  But it was wonderful when waiting for bus connections or walking places.  Thanks to my pedometer, I learned that I walk more last week than any week prior in the last three months!  Which is definitely a good thing.  But it is awesome to enjoy the weather while walking each day. 

Usually between the change in buses going home, I am the only one waiting for the second bus.  On one of the days this week, I chatted for a little while with the second bus driver while he was taking his break.  He told me that he used to own his own business for a number of years before the market went down.  So he has been driving buses for the last five years or so.  He told me it wasn't an easy adjustment to working for another person and not himself.  It was warm outside and he offered me a seat on the bus.  But since I had been sitting all day, I wanted to stand and enjoy the sun a little longer.  (Usually it is freezing on the commuter buses - one of the other bus drivers said she said she kept the temp at 65 degrees!)   The bus driver said that someone had given him a couple of energy drinks at the beginning of the day and offered me one.  I told him thank you but I didn't think I really needed the additional energy that day.

On the same day, there is a stop around my old workplace.  One of the guys who got on at the stop noticed that one of the regulars was rushing across the street right as the bus driver was about to start driving. "Wait for Esperanza" he said.  She came on and joked with the bus driver and everyone else on the bus laughed.  This particular bus of people really knows each other and there is totally a sense of community with them.  It was very cool to experience it when some of the other bus rides are full of people listening to their music, sleeping or just full of people not talking to each other.

Many times during the bus rides and walks to the metro station, I pass over the Los Angeles River. For those of you not as familiar with Los Angeles, the "river" for most of its length is between six to twenty feet across with high walls in the off chance that there is rain.  By where I live, it is closer to two or three feet across on most days.  Some days there is barely a trickle and others it is fairly full.  Being from the Midwest, I laughed the first time I saw it and still have trouble acknowledging this as a river.

All in all, I am extremely thankful for all those who gave me rides this week!  My co-worker was extremely generous and let me sleep in a little more a bunch of mornings this past week.  My friends have provided me with rides to a few different parties, diners and the gym.  And also was able to see "Star Trek Into Darkness" twice this weekend!!  And yes, it is that good!