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Ridin’ Transit

I’ve been reading a lot about how Seattle needs a light rail system so people are able to get out of their cars and onto public transit. This is supposed to be an improvement over the current bus system. I’m definitely a bigger fan of the Sounder train than I am of the bus system. The trains run on time and they only have to contend with the occasional mudslide during the rainy season. Okay, this is the Northwest. I should probably say the occasional mudslide during the heavy rainy season, but this is beside the point.

Today, I wanted to go to Fremont after work to listen to a presentation from a new Seattle company called OneHub. This presented a bit of a problem for me because I work downtown and the Fremont neighborhood isn’t exactly walking distance. This also means that my normal commuter train routine wouldn’t work. Initially, I thought I would take the commuter bus from Lynnwood but that would mean taking a bus to Fremont for the presentation and then back to downtown to get home. This isn’t exactly the quickest route. Plan B would be to drive to Fremont and then take the bus from there to work which seemed decent until I realized that I could try and take advantage of the bus system that is so badly in need of an upgrade if you read the papers.

To my surprise, there was a Metro Bus Park and Ride just up the street from our house and there were buses heading downtown every 15 minutes. The frequency of the buses was actually the surprising part. That’s pretty convenient I thought to myself, but a little too easy. Why not try and do this without a cell phone (accidentally forgotten at home)?

It was actually pretty smooth. I got to work without any problems and I was able to get to Fremont, catch a bus from Fremont to Shoreline and transfer back onto the bus to bring me to my car at the Park and Ride. Pretty smooth. Pretty easy. I’ve got to start using the Metro system more often. And yes, I did just make a monster post about riding the bus. Pretty exciting things happening for me today.

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Vacation

My original intent with this post was to mention how beautiful our garden is right now. So many things are putting on a show, as my mom likes to say. I’ve been on vacation or in Anacortes for the past two weeks and I love coming home to see new color, shapes and blossoms popping up. It is surprising what has popped up; things that I thought were gone, but decided to wait and see are now making me smile.

While in Anacortes I had an opportunity to hang out with friends that I rarely see. Kara had a party in my honor and did not disappoint from start to finish. From crab, salmon and a special version of Know-Yr-Own to a late night with lots of laughs, many memories were created. (KXPX, anyone?)

At one point we were floating around Trafton on The Party Barge (Yes, The Party Barge) turning circles and screaming as if our lives depended on it. It was a flashback to my childhood and I realized how amazing all my friends are. (I’m lacking pictures from these hours….they would’ve been good ones. Lara, Deb & Nicole took over and manned the PB (Party Barge in case you are wondering) like sailors.

Cora and Chaya are troopers to the extreme. They showed up a bit late because Chach had to work and so they didn’t get to get on The Party Barge when the rest of us piled on. Needless to say, C&C showed about the same time us Party Bargers had figured out how to steer and were happily floating in the middle of the lake. Did that hold back my wonderful cousins back from enjoying The Party Barge? Nope, not the Glass sisters!! After yelling back and forth across the lake they (They meaning Chaya, as there was only one paddle, Cora sat in the front of the boat deciphering our shrieks from the Barge.) canoed out to the middle of the lake to join us. I’m sure all the neighbors loved listening to a bunch of 20 somethings (okay, we’re mostly closer to 30) squeak, squawk and bellow to our heart’s content. Thanks to Shirley who provided us with her house and Party Barge.

Beyond being on the lake at Shirley’s, we had a fabulous night. Many, many stories. Not many are blog appropriate. (one word: Tiffin) I’ve realized that it is easy to go on vacation or do something super fun and exciting, but coming back and typing about it is a whole different thing. Once I attempt to write about the Oregon Coast, New York or gardening with my mom, I become acutely aware that I am no longer on vacation or doing the thing that made me want to write about it in the first place. That said, I’m off to do something else.