Geeky Cat Miusings

3:30 Announcement that the College is closing. I pack up, wish my colleagues a safe passage home, and head for the bus stop.
3:35 Reach my bus stop. All the bus stops outside York Lanes have long lines of people waiting for their respective buses. Optimistic that the bus will come soon since the long line up means that a bus has not come in awhile.
3:45 Still waiting. Not one bus from any of the 7 TTC bus routes that service York University has arrived yet. Feet still warm.
4:00 Still no bus. Feet starting to cool. Regularly brush snow off of self - I know I will be covered again within a minute but it gives me something to do.
4:15 People send their friends for coffee to keep warm. I wish I had someone to get me a coffee - I would appreciate the tragedy averted in a couple of hours.
4:20 See the Jane bus leave - could I have taken that bus. Yes, though in a round about manner. I would have arrived home much, much sooner but I did not know that at the time: I kept thinking my bus must be just round the corner by this point. Feet and hands are quite cold.
4:30 Thinking about going back to work to warm up. But I just know, in my fatalistic mind, that the minute I leave I will see my bus arrive.
4:40 Feet very cold. I start marching on the spot to keep the circulation going. Never stop. Glad I had a large lunch to keep me going.
4:45 This is painful. Isn’t there a hotel on campus? Should I go? Will the hotel be filled already with like-minded people.
4:50 My bus! My bus! I am sure I will be able to get on my bus since I am near the front of the line.
4:51 People who were not waiting in the line but staying warm in York Lanes jumped in ahead of the frozen, rule-obeying folks.
4:54 Door closes in my face. Frustration seizes me and triples in strength as I see the bus pull away with plenty of standing room in the back of the bus. Rant with stranger about the inconsideration of people.
5:00 Want to call someone to share my distress. Check cell phone and batteries are dead. I imagine a fire warming me - worried I am hallucinating - yes, I am that cold. I did not wear warm boots as I was supposed to have a business lunch that day and wanted to look nice. The boots would be sufficiently warm for a 15 minute wait outside. Marvel that some groups of people are having a fun time together - talking and laughing even though their faces are red and their noses drip.
5:15 Continue to debate whether to go back to work. I could work to 9:00 pm and then maybe the buses will be running again. Try playing some mind games to keep my mind off my pain but could not. I wonder if my feet are reaching the danger point, they feel numb and swollen against my boot. I kick the bus post to see if I have any feeling. I can’t take it anymore. I will give it a few more minutes.
5:30 Someone is shouting something behind me, I turn around but can’t understand what she is saying. Seems to be an announcement. She moves closer and announces that the streets outside the campus are very bad, cars are bumper-to-bumper and buses can’t get into York. She says it has nothing to do with York - they have maintained their roads. “Please be patient”, she says. “Please let me borrow your boots and gloves”, I mumble. My gloves are quite wet.
5:40 I just can’t take it. I go into York Lanes. My numb feet become painful as they defrost and I can scarcely walk. My hips also hurt. Make a couple of phone calls from phone booth. Hard to put money in slot. Hard to talk. Wonder if their has been some massive accident on Keele Street - it is the only explanation that makes sense to me for the lack of buses.
5:50 Consider grabbing a coffee - not a good idea kitty! Don’t know when I will get home. Scout the Jane bus stop - not a popular route so I have a good chance of getting on the bus if one comes. Click my heels and say, “There is no place like home”.
6:00 I have never waited so long for a bus. Would anyone save me? Could I sleep at my desk at work?
6:15 I see a bus. It is a Keele bus! I hobble to the Keele stop as best as I can.
6:18 I have a seat on the bus as it pulls away. The heat is on. What bliss.
6:35 The bus inches its way across Steeles. I am very glad to have my iPod to entertain me. Listen to Soul Mining by The The. The bus drives right by bus stops with people waiting: There is no room on the bus. Somebody bangs on the bus with anger. I wonder where did all the buses go. I suspect they short turn because they are behind schedule - that is why York has such lousy service.
6:50 The bus has stopped at Finch Street for a few minutes. I wonder if the driver is having a dispute with someone but it is totally silent up at the driver’s seat. I look around me, people don’t look concerned. Many are sleeping.
6:57 Bus hasn’t moved. Woman beside me asks for the time. Bus driver said we should take the bus behind us. The bus we are on needs a bus driver. Someone asks the driver what does he do. He reiterates the same thing. Obviously it is too much effort to talk. I weigh my odds. Knowing full well that any decision I make will be the wrong decision, I get up and line up for the other bus. The driver squabbles with the passengers asking them what is wrong with the bus we were on and he wants people without transfers to pay again. I have a pass so I am ok. No I am not. The bus is full. He closes the door and drives away. I return to the bus without a driver. Someone else explains what happened on the other bus to our non-driver. He is not interested, he just wants to go home. Don’t we all.
7:05 A perky student writes “Help! We are trapped” backwards on the bus window so that others can read the message. Some people laugh. We need entertainment. How about a sing-along. People took our seats so we have to stand.
7:15 I spot a driver. Yes, he is our driver! The bus starts to move. The perky student yells “Yahoo”. We move 3 inches and stop - the traffic light is red.
7:17 We make it across Finch and a few people clap. The bus driver says he is glad to be appreciated. He then announces that the bus will be out of service the next stop. A joke. Nobody laughed.
7:30 Moving along slowly but surely. Glad I did not drink coffee - best decision I made all day. Feet still numb. Pull my hands into my coat. Think about a hot dinner, warm pajamas, a bed. I see a lot of Keele buses going north. Still don’t understand the delay since we are all moving along.
7:47 Notice that there are no cars in the car wash at Keele and Eglinton. I always notice this car wash - it is a marker for me to become alert as I am approaching my stop.
7:55 My stop! I feel bouncy with excitement as I get off the bus.
7:57 I am home. My kitties are waiting for me. They want to cuddle. I change into pajamas, cover myself in a blanket and warm my feet at the furnace vent. I imagine not ever having to go out in the cold again. Let me dream.
9:15 Warming up in bed. Feels good.
12:00 I hear the phone make a sound and my radio was flashing - the power has been out and came back on. The power goes off and on all night. I do not get a good night’s sleep.
6:00 It is morning. Want my coffee. Watch the news to see what has happened around the city. Trees have come down. Power outages throughout the city. They encourage people to stay home.
7:00 I start writing my blog to share my story with others.

Bad weather combined with TTC service interruption: 4½ hours of gut-wrenching furballs