Bus miracle

This morning I left my university ID card, bus pass, and office key (all of which were on a lanyard together) on the bus. I’m not quite sure how it happened because I was not paying any kind of attention (actually this inattention is probably why it happened). Anyway, I got to my office door with no key, and immediately started saying swears, breathing quickly, and crying a little. I walked back out into the misty morning and retraced my steps without finding the lanyard. Then I walked back to the office and camped out in the lobby, where I looked up when the next bus was coming, realized it was coming in five minutes and ran back out into what was by then a light rain.

From the stop, I called the transit lost and found, where nobody answered, and then struck up a conversation with a man waiting there. I told him the story, and he said I should call the transit office instead. It was a great idea, and the woman I spoke to told me that the bus coming to the stop was not the same bus as before, and that she would contact the bus I’d been on earlier, but that there were no guarantees that anyone would be able to find my stuff. We hung up, but she called me back almost immediately, and let me know that the bus driver must really like me (!) because she would bring my things back when her route went back by the intersection near my office.

An hour later, I had my key and cards in hand. Five hours later, I’m still amazed at how well it all worked out. Infinite gratitude to Tamika, my amazing 6:50 am bus driver.

Sugar free?

Yesterday I started 6 weeks without added sugar. Part of my inspiration comes from my friend Sarah, who gave up sugar during her first pregnancy, and the other part comes from a group of yogis that I’ve been hanging with as part of my yoga teacher training, which started in March and will finish this coming February. One of these YTT classmates is in social work school, and as part of a unit on addiction, her prof asked the students to give up an addiction. Sugar was one of the closest things to an addiction for her, and it is for me as well.

In emotional crisis, I regularly turn to food, particularly sweets. If something stressful is happening, I realize rationally that eating something won’t solve the problem, but I don’t usually care. It feels really good in the moment to get the shot of dopamine that comes from a donut or pint of ice cream, and while I have absolutely no problem with any foods inherently, I seem to have lost the ability to moderate donut and ice cream consumption. I am hoping that this six weeks will serve as a reset period, and when I start eating added sugar again, which I absolutely plan to do, I will be able to be more mindful of when and especially why I have it.

Of course, if this experiment is going to work, then I have to figure out a better way to cope than eating a bag of chips for supper and buying a new scarf (both happened last night). I guess I’ll just see how it goes.

Bus-related giggles

Last Friday morning, as I got off my first bus and prepared to cross the street to catch my second bus, I had to pause for a second because my audiobook was interrupted by LOUD music. The first bus lets me off right next to the frat houses at the local university, but at 6:30 am, I am used to things being a little bit quieter. It appears that the gentlemen of one fraternity partied through the night, for no apparent reason. Except perhaps to be awake to serenade fellow riders and me with their rendition of “Tiny Dancer,” as we waited for our bus and marveled at the stamina of youth.

The friendliest bus

This morning, in preparation for an appointment I have this afternoon, I drove my car to a park and ride and, for the first time, took the bus from there. Four other women waited at the stop with me, and while we were waiting, they asked me whether it was my first time at the stop (yes), offered homegrown tomatoes (no, thank you), and chatted about their upcoming days.

When we got on the bus, they merrily greeted the group of women already seated and continued the happy banter. Today, it turned out, was one woman’s last day on the bus, so there was a present for her. They traded tips on their favorite nail salons, and asked a pregnant lady about her plans for work until the baby comes. When we got to my stop, they all wished me a good day as I got off.

I probably won’t take this bus more often than every couple of weeks or so, but what a treat to look forward to when I do!