Going Green

In an effort to battle the absorbant price of fuel, help keep our air clean, become more aware of my surroundings, and deal with one vechicle being out of operation, I carpooled into work last night and made arrangements to ride the Valley Metro Bus system home. Here's what my morning looked like..

7:30 AM - Clock Out and then hang around for co-worker.

7:46 AM - Leave with said co-worker who gave me a ride to the nearest bus stop.

7:59 AM - Arrive at Bus Stop and wait for Route 13. Hung out with an African American lady with a large bag of laundry, and a student who chain smoked the whole time.

8:15 AM Boarded air conditioned bus and bought one day pass. Found a seat up front and confidently pulled out my books having high hopes I'd be home soon.

8:45 AM Passed connecting stop with out getting off the bus. That schedule is not as easy to read as I thought.

9:00 AM Exit bus at last stop, not realizing missed stop was really far away. Walked 2 miles in 100 degree weather before finding a fruit stand that sold drinks and also finding the bus stop for my next route. Walked by some of Phoenix's finest industrial areas, several construction projects, and over a train crossing.

9:48 AM Realizing the next bus wouldn't come for 40 minutes, I called the wife and had her load up the kids to come rescue me.

10:10 AM Wife arrives with Powerade and happy kids. Rode home the last one third of my trip in my own van.

10:20 AM Arrived to house where I promptly took my exhausted sweaty self to bed. Normally, I'm home by 8:00. I'll try again tomorrow.

It'd be nice to find a car pool buddy to go the other way with, but most people leave UPS and head not home, but to their next job.