Car vs. public transportation

Once upon a long, long time ago I had a car.  Wherever I wanted to go, my car would take me there quickly and efficiently.  Since coming to Canada I have to rely on public transportation and it sucks.

Not only do I miss driving, not having a car limits my traveling possibilities.  Most of the time I’m fine with taking a train or a bus, as it gives me the chance to read while getting from A to B, but today I do miss having my own wheels.  

Last Tuesday I went for an interview at a law firm.  The lawyer who interviewed me called me this morning, letting me know that she had gone with another candidate but that she was so impressed by me that she referred me to a colleague of hers.

I was a little disappointed, having missed the job I interviewed for, but it seemed that when one door closed a window opened.  Being referred by a lawyer to another lawyer had to be a good sign, right?

When I received the lawyer’s email, inviting me for an interview I was all geared up, I could just feel it in my bones that this was going to work out.  Unfortunately, there was a snag.

In the signature line of the lawyer’s email I noticed her address … oeh, all the way out west.  When I Googled the address and queried how to get there, it turned out I would have to take two trains and two buses.  Oh no, that was just too much trouble. 

I don’t mind taking the train to get downtown, millions of Torontonians do it and we’re used to it.  I don’t mind taking the bus for short distances.  But taking two buses in addition to two trains … no, not doable.

Years ago I did a temporary assignment for a hospital.  By car it would have taken me 10 – 15 minutes to get there, but having to rely on public transportation it took me 1,5 hours because I had to take no less than three buses. 

It was the middle of winter and I remember standing by the side of the road, waiting for the bus, freezing my butt off while slowly but surely getting covered in snow.  I vowed there and then that when this assignment was finished I would never take on another one that required me to take a bus.

Commuting by train is less of a hassle.  Not only do subway stations give shelter from the freezing cold in winter and the scorching sun in summer, there are more trains than there are busses.  Subway trains arrive on average every 3 – 5 minutes.  Busses on the other hand can take as much as 15 – 30 minutes to make an appearance, with the chance that a bus is full in which case a commuter has another wait.

When I see cars going by I miss the days that I was able to drive from here to there.  I didn’t have wait for trains or buses to arrive, I knew more or less how long it would take to get me there, I was warm in winter and cool in summer and I could listen to music and sing along with Bon Jovi.

I can still listen to Bon Jovi on my iTouch, but singing … no, that would be pushing it.

Not just another day at the office

In case you didn’t know, I’m an organizer.  If I see a mess, my hands itch to straighten it out.  

When I first saw Catherine’s office, I wondered how anyone could work in a place like that.  Papers here, files there, books all over the place ... how did she find anything?  A second later I thought ... if only I could get my hands on it.

When I checked with Catherine if she would let me have a go at her office, she was most agreeable.  If that was something I was willing to do, then by all means.

With Catherine out of town today, I got my chance.  I surveyed the situation, rolled up my sleeves and set to work.  Fifteen minutes into the job I wondered if I had perhaps bitten off a bit more than I could chew.  No point in turning back though, I had started something and I was going to finish it.

It took me the whole morning, well, sort of, in between I did other stuff, but by 12:00 I was finished.  The bookcase was organized, the desk was clutter free, you could see the cherry wood of the credenza again, and everything shone.  Catherine’s office positively sparkled.

During lunchtime I witnessed a protest march of college support workers.  This in itself was nothing new, I’ve seen protest marches before, but what I heard at the end of their protest was definitely something I’ve never heard before.   

A woman started singing her own rendition of the national anthem and her voice was so captivating several people stopped what they were doing to listen. 

If this was a college support worker, she was in the wrong line of business.  Think Tina Turner meets Aretha Franklin and you’re getting an idea of this woman’s voice.   

Thanks to a state of the art sound system, office workers far and wide were treated to an impromptu concert.

Makes you wonder what kind of people are out there, doing ordinary jobs, but possess an extraordinary talent. 

Bon Jovi was a Christmas decoration maker;

Gwen Stefani scrubbed floors at Dairy Queen;

Tom Cruise joined a seminary to become a priest;

Brad Pitt drove limos; and

Jerry Seinfeld sold light bulbs.

Have you ever wondered if you’re in the wrong line of work?