BLATHER REVIEW

Well, they say Life is in the journey, not the arrival...

My plan was simple: Hop on the Park Avenue bus at around 12:45, catch the Coastal Link at 1:00, grab some stuff and money at Stop & Shop at about 1:20 (they're open 'til 2:00), be at my sister's house at around 1:45 and head on over to Gramma's at around 2:30-3:00.

So, I left the house at 12:30 and got to the bus stop at 12:35 -- about 8-to-10 minutes before the bus would arrive. I waited. And waited. And waited some more. No bus.

At 1:10 the bus passed heading north. Now, according to the Sunday/Holiday schedule, it's 'sposed to leave downtown heading north on the hour, and to leave Trumbull Shopping Park heading south on the half-hour. There's no way that driver left downtown ten minutes before he drove by me. Was my watch all f'koktah?

Knowing that he would leave the mall at 1:30, I expected him to be at my stop between 1:42 and 1:47. At 1:31 -- 55 minutes after I'd gotten to the bus stop -- he came rolling up.

I got on the bus, paid my fare and got a time-stamped transfer. "1:31pm".

I said to the driver, "Do you know that you're running 10-to-15 minutes ahead of schedule?"

"Yes," he replied. "The mall is closed today, I am just making the rounds, I am way ahead of schedule, I know."

I just kinda stared at him for a few moments, then took my seat.

After about 30 seconds I got up and walked up to him again. "Um, WHY are you ahead of schedule?".

"Yes, I am ahead of schedule," he nonchallantly explained in his thick Jamaican accent. "About 10 minutes."

**blank stare**

"Why?" I asked with some exasperation.

"Trumbull Mall is closed today," he smiled, "I cannot park in front of somebody's house, so I am making the round trip. Do you see?"

"U-u-u-u-h...." I stammered. "It's just some people are trying to catch the bus, y'know?"

"Yes," he laughed, "I know."

I got on the 2:00 Coastal Link which left at 2:12 and arrived at Stop & Shop at 2:30 -- half an hour after it closed. I couldn't get any food, money or, worst of all, cigarettes! I had three cigarettes left and I nursed them for the next five hours. Luckily my cousin smokes and he gave me two throughout the evening at Gramma's.

Luckily one of my gifts included cash and I was able to get some smokes on the way home, otherwise I wouldn't have had any 'til sometime tomorrow afternoon. Also, my aforementioned cousin bought me a pack as a Christmas gift. Heh. Thanks, Bri!!!

Oh, Christmas! We had a wonderful time over at Gramma's. She laughed when I told her that I received her Christmas card in the mail and it was signed Aunt Kay rather than Grandma. I told that one of her nephews must've gotten a card from "Grandma".

But, later I asked Sister the Younger if she'd gotten a card from Gramma in the mail. She said "Yes". I asked her she signed it "Grandma". She said "No, she signed it 'Aunt Kay'." Hmmm.

Hope everybody had very merry Christmas!

Posted by Tuning Spork at December 25, 2005 11:32 PM | TrackBack