Fun and Games on the way to the "U"

We're 4 weeks into the 16 week semester, 80 weeks of Graduate School, and Gibb and I have quite a routine going. We meet at the Traxx station by our schools right around 3:00 and catch either the 3:04 or the 3:19 train, depending on whether or not we're willing to run to the platform (uh, yeah). More often than not we're on the 3:19 train. Then we grab a bite to eat somewhere on the way, go to class and ride Trax back to our cars. Sounds mundane, no? Right. I wish.

First of all we have a 5 or 10 minute wait between the Sandy train and the University train, on the way to class. On the way back it's never over 3 minutes. You may not realize this, but there's quite a bit going on right across the street from the Galvian Center Trax stop. That's where we met the 'city councilman' that was collecting for the homeless pregnant ladies and we see him there often, cavorting with his other homeless friends. They come in every shap, size and gender. Some have dogs, most don't, but it's been interesting watching their culture. Young folk, who by their dress appear to not be homeless, seem to like to hang out with them. They are always there if we are on the 3:19 Traxx, but we've been early and they aren't there yet. Must not get off 'work' until 3. Three times we've seen the police show up, they've mastered the art of pulling up onto the sidewalk between the planter and the light pole - getting out of the way of traffic without blocking pedestrians. All three times the homeless got up casually and slowly, but not too slowly, disbursed. One of the times the police had a specific young man in mind, he came over to the platform and stood about 10 feet away from us. We didn't hear the whole thing, but enough to know that he allegedly had a knife on him and had threatened someone with it. Our train showed up and we had to leave while the police were searching him, no idea of the outcome.

The Channel 2 news room is right on the other side of Main street. Gibb and I headed over there one day to watch the news as we waited for the train, and after watching them on the big screen outside of the building, Gibb notices this person behind them and says to me "hey that's me!" She'd been standing there, on TV, without even knowing it was her. So I, of course, had to do something goofy and started making bunny ears behind the newscasters, when they all of a sudden went to someone on location. Gibb thinks that it was what they had planned to do, and that my antics really had no effect on the newscast, but I don't agree with her. She's just trying to deny me my glory.

And finally - yes it's time to wrap this up - there's nothing like being gropedby an old drunk woman on Trax. Yeah, we found out that Trax is significantly busier at 7:30 than at 8:15. We got out of class 45 minutes early and headed home. The train was packed and I had to share a seat with an old drunk lady. I could smell the beer on her and she kept leaning over on me. Gibb was on the seat facing me, (yes, we shold have shared a seat, but at the time we got on the train we didn't need to), and she said that there were a few times she thought the lady was going to let her hand "fall" right on my crotch. Gibb kept making the 'cover yourself' sign to me. I did survive the trip with my purity intact.

Anyway, time to go now. I'm officially not working at the Chevron anymore, so hopefully I'll get to posting more often. Or then again, since class is beginning to get going maybe not. We'll see.