Holiday Cheer

A festive atmosphere has permeated the train this week.  Riders are bringing baked goods to share (I had an awesome blueberry pound cake), candy canes are being offered and generally people seem to be in good cheer.  I've also noticed the number of people riding has decreased this week, which is probably part of the reason for the positive mood, as trains have been running on time.  I just hope this uplifting mood continues long after the new year.  Until then, however, I wish everyone Happy Holidays!

And the Winner Is . . .

According to one of my fellow riders, the winner is me.  She approached me this morning and said, "you get the award for most efficient use of your time while waiting for the train." 
"Why's that?" I asked.
"Because I see you walking laps around the train station every morning," she replied.
And it's true.  I do walk circles around the station as I wait for my morning ride.  It's just a way for me to squeeze in a bit of exercise before I head off to work. 
Another rider calls me his hero as I pass by him two, three and sometimes four times every morning.
And on a chilly morning like today (19 degrees according to my thermometer) not only did my walk in the brisk morning air wake me up, but it also kept me warm. 
So I will gladly accept the award for using my time efficiently even though it was an honor just to be nominated.

Travel Tip

I discovered two seats on the MARC train that if you're lucky enough to sit in them, you can plug in your laptop and work without exhausting your battery.  Note, however, I won't disclose the location of these prized seats, mostly because I want to save them for myself.  If you look closely though, you might be able to find them and then we'll just have to share.

Shoeless Joe

My hubby had a brilliant idea.  He suggested that I keep a few pairs of shoes at the office so I wouldn't have to lug them back and forth on my daily commute.  At first, the idea sent me into a panic.  After all, say I needed the perfect pair of pumps one weekend and I discovered the exact ones I wanted to wear were holed up in a filing cabinet in my office.  How does one recover from such a shoe crisis?  But as I thought about the idea, I began to warm up to it.

I started slowly.  The first pair of shoes I left at work was a basic black pump.  I had two pair that were very similar so it was an easy choice to keep one at the office.  Then came the navy pumps.  I don't ever recall wearing them outside of work so they too have found a place in the file cabinet.  Most recently, I've added  my brown boots to my office collection.  This was a bold move.  I don't have a good substitute for them at home but I really hated toting them back and forth on the train because they take up so much room in my bag.  And wearing them instead of my sneakers as I run to catch the train really isn't an option either because of their three inch heels.  (Running in heels is not a skill I've mastered, nor want to.)  So, they too have earned a place in my office.

And frankly, with each pair of shoes that gets added to my office collection, I've noticed a corresponding decrease in my anxiety level over not having the perfect pump to wear. . . or maybe that's just the jubilation I feel because my load has gotten lighter.  Now, I spend my time marveling at how smart I am for marrying such a brilliant man.

Dressing Room

After more than five months of riding the train, it's nice to know I can still be surprised by what I see.  Let's take this morning, for example.  I watched a man finish dressing on the train.  I'm guessing he must have had a harried morning because he got on the train with shoes, slacks and shirt on and carrying a briefcase, tote bag and plastic grocery sack full of stuff.  Once he was seated, he pulled a newspaper flyer from his briefcase, unfolded it and placed it neatly on the floor.  Then he placed his briefcase, tote bag and plastic bag on it.  From his plastic bag, he proceeded to pull out a pair of socks and attempted to discreetly put them on.  He produced a tie from his briefcase and expertly tied a double windsor.  Then he added his suit jacket, which I had failed to notice earlier. Once he finished dressing, he proceeded to clean out his briefcase, which seemed to be filled with receipts, newspaper advertisements for black Friday sales, and assorted scraps of paper.  I guess the man might contend that he was productively using his commuting time, and I suppose I would agree, in part.  I may actually try to sort through some papers in my tote bag during my ride, but I think I'd rather do my dressing in the comfort of my own home.

Vacation is over

It's back to work and the daily commute after a week of vacation.  And frankly, it looks as if I chose the right week not to take the train, as the headline of this morning's newspaper -- Train commutes are off the rails -- was the lead in to a story of delays and stranded riders on both the MARC and VRE trains last week.  The most interesting bit information in the story came from a VRE spokesperson who stated that "About 45 percent of delays are well within our control. . ."  The comment begs the question then, why aren't things getting better?  The answer, of course, depends on who you ask.  According to MARC, increased ridership causes more delays.  Rather than add cars or trains to accommodate the increased riders, however, MARC seems to taking a different approach -- not making any improvements so people won't want to ride the train.  I believe the thinking is that if no one rides the train, MARC could keep to its schedule.  Now there's some logic for you.  I'm just glad this is a short week.

Dawn's Early Light

The time change means I can again watch the sunrise as I commute to the city each morning.  Sure, I know that this luxury is short-lived as the days continue to grow shorter.  Pretty soon, not only will I be arriving home after work in the dark, but I won't even get to see the sun peak over the morning horizon either.  So for now I will enjoy it.  Let there be light!

Scraping Ice

Frost on the windshield added a few extra minutes to my morning commute as I had to rummage around and find my ice scraper for the season.  Fortunately the frost was easily removed, but the experience was a wake up call for what is to come. 

Paying it Forward

Finally!  I was able to pay forward a surprise happy hour on an unsuspecting commuter.  If you recall, in August I blogged about a woman who carried an extra plastic cup with her Friday carton of wine in hopes of sharing a weekend toast with some new face.  On August 13, that face was me; and I was so touched by the gesture, I vowed to pay it forward.  Since that time, though, I have been unsuccessful in my efforts.  Not for lack of trying.  It seems that more often than not on the Fridays when I have decided to purchase a carton of wine and get two cups from the Union Station liquor store, the person sitting next to me is not of legal drinking age or is so engrossed in a telephone conversation that I have never been able to offer them a glass of wine.  That is until last night.

Jeff, a young professional  whom I'd say was in his early 30s, sat down with a sigh in the seat next to me and I could just tell he'd had one of those days.
 "How long have you been commuting?" I asked.
 "About four months," he said.  "It's killing me."
"Perhaps I can make it better," I told him as I produced my two plastic cups and carton of wine.  "Would you like to share a cup with me?"
He started to grin and said, "Is it red or white?"  "Red gives me heartburn."
"It's white," I responded as I watched his grin grow.

So we shared a glass and chatted for more than an hour and I told him about my first happy hour friend and how I'd vowed to do the same thing.  He said he would carry on the movement.  "Maybe not every Friday," he told me, "but I'll try it at least a couple of times."  I just hope I'm the person sitting next to him when he does.  Even if I'm not, though, at least I've done my part to pay it forward.

Out-of-Office Meetings

The last two weeks have been crazy in terms of my work schedule.  Lots of meetings requiring local travel had me riding a variety of trains at a variety of times.  This variety, however, allowed me to formulate some interesting insights about train riders.  For instance, it seems that people who ride the 4:48 am train are much more serious than the people that ride the train at 5:48 am.  Maybe all people who are actually awake at 4:48 am are just naturally more serious than those slackers who want to sleep that extra hour, but more studies need to be conducted.  Also, I noted that there are more Bible readers at 5:48 in the morning.  It's likely that there are more readers in general on the later train but it's an interesting observation nonetheless.  I do know there are definitely more talkers on the later train.  People are more willing to talk to each other and on their cell phones at 5:48 am.  The cell phone thing still has me confused.  It's clear from the snippets of conversations I overhear (and I really try not to eavesdrop) that the majority of early morning calls are personal in nature but I have to wonder who these people are talking to.  If I tried to call one of my friends at 5:48 am just to catch up, I'm not even sure they'd answer the call.  Even if they did, I think the conversation would be pretty short involving words like "are you crazy?" and "do you know what time it is?".  But then again, those are the same words they used when I decided to start this commuting adventure.

Delightful Chat

One of the more positive aspects of a long commute is the interesting people you meet along the way.  Take yesterday for instance.  I was able to grab the earlier train and sat next to a delightful gentleman who had been doing the same long commute for about four months, just like me.  The man was from Ohio, just like me.  He'd lived in a remote area of Alaska for a few years, just like me.  And had moved from Alaska to Maryland, just like me.  As you can imagine, the usual "it's a small world" sentiments were exchanged and we lamented about the how long our days were now that train riding had become such an integral part.  Still, had we not had these daily long commutes, we most likely never would have met and our conversation certainly made the trip home seem much shorter.

Post Comment

Saturday's Washington Post carried an article on the problems MARC commuters face, especially those on the Penn Line, which is the Line I take.  From crowded trains to delays and break downs, commuters had little nice to say about the service.  And MARC, in it's usual fashion, blamed Amtrak and CSX for most of the problems.  It seems that Amtrak and CSX operate the tracks on which the MARC trains run and often bump trains in order to get "higher priority" trains (read Amtrak and CSX trains) out on time.  That said, what I found most surprising about the article was the statistic reported that MARC trains are late 30 percent of the time. 

Only 30 percent of the time?  Really?  I've been riding the train for four months now and can say with certainty that more often than not my train is late.  So exactly where that 30 percent number comes from is unclear.  Perhaps it's an average of arrival and departure times over say a five-year period.  But if that means I have to ride the train for five years before I see more on-time arrivals, I'm afraid that MARC will be losing my business.  Unfortunately, though, I think that's exactly what the organization is betting on as there appears to be little effort being made to improve the service.  According to the article, MARC is trying to keep people more informed about breakdowns and delays.  But when you're sitting on a broken down train somewhere in the middle of Maryland, it does little good when your Blackberry blinks with a message saying your train will be late.  And with so few options, there's no chance on catching another train that will get you to work on time.

No Lights, No Air

We are sitting at the West Baltimore station after some technical problem resulted in a loss of lights and air.  Supposedly a technician will fix the problem . . . and after only a few minutes, he or she does.  Lights shine brightly now and the air is blowing with full force.  I hope whatever the problem though it was actually fixed.  We still have lots more stops before we arrive at our final destination.  And while arriving in the dark doesn't bother me, the train cars do get stifling when no air is circulating.

Character Update

I've been riding a different train lately and therefore haven't seen Orange Hat lady or heard the Voice in quite awhile.  My morning commute, however, is still filled with characters though.  So, by way of introduction, meet the following:

Romance Reader -- She has sat beside me several times and always pulls some generic version of a Harlequin Romance paperback from her purse and proceeds to read.  She doesn't attempt to hide what she's reading either with some type of brown paper cover and it's always fun to see what Fabio-like character appears on the cover of each book.

The Fidgeter -- I don't know whether this gentleman has ill-fitting underwear, but he usually spends the first 15 minutes of his commute getting situated in his seat, tugging at his shirt collar, adjusting his belt and pulling at his shirt sleeves.  It's quite annoying actually when he's sitting next to you but I guess I should just be glad he's dressed.

On-time Arrival

While yesterday may have appeared to be an ordinary Wednesday, I assure you it was not.  After commuting for more than three months, October 6, 2010 was the first time the 5:20 pm MARC train arrived in Aberdeen, MD as scheduled.  I had been wondering whether an on-time arrival was actually possible or rather just a figment of someone's imagination. But I guess it really can happen.  Congratulations MARC for keeping to the schedule.  I just hope I don't have to wait at least another three months before it happens again.

Bundled Up

Commuters of all sizes bundled up for this morning's ride despite the moderate temperatures.  Last week I noticed people had pulled their raincoats from storage to help keep them dry as they travelled back and forth to their various destinations.  This week, however, I noticed people swapped their raincoats for fleeces and winter jackets, and I even saw a few scarves. While it may have been my imagination, the extra layers made the Metro ride seem even more crowded than ever as bundled up people squeezed into the cars.  You could feel the temperature rise but people were squeezed in so tight, they couldn't remove their coats when it got too hot in the train cars.  Frankly, I think it's a bit premature to be adding all these layers.  While I understand the need for raincoats to stay dry, it's still not exactly fleece weather and no one needs a winter coat yet.  Why not save that until it's actually winter?

Switching Trains

It's been confirmed.  Our train is disabled and passengers have been asked to unboard and catch the 7 am train from Baltimore to Union Station.  Unfortunately delays and overcrowding are predicted for this train as well.  I just hope I arrive in DC in plenty of time to catch my train home as the train problems continue to mount.  MARC has just announced that it's cancelling the 7:20 am train because of the train broken down near Union Station and the 6:45 am train is expected to be at least an hour behind schedule.

Adrift

It's raining cats and dogs and now our morning train has lost all its power.  "We're going to try to drift into Baltimore where a technician may be able to solve the problem," the conductor announced.  And so begins a soggy Thursday morning.  Apparently this is not the only problem MARC is suffering this morning.  The 401 train is currently broken down just outside of Union Station and another train is going to have to push it in.  I think it's going to be long day!

Good Morning Sunshine

One of the nice things about getting up so early (yes, there are some niceties) is that I can enjoy the sun rise.  As I sit in a relatively comfortable train seat headed for the city I watch the sky become pink, orange and red and see the reflection of the sun shine brilliantly off the buildings as we get closer to the city.  I am especially enjoying it today since I hear rain is headed our way and for the next two days I don't expect to see a sun rise.  I guess then I will just enjoy the gray.

Feels Like Monday

I know that it's Tuesday, but it sure seems like Monday.  Perhaps I am having this feeling because I was off yesterday so I feel like I'm just starting my week, which, in fact, I am.  Still, I'd like this feeling a whole lot better if say today felt like Saturday or even Sunday.  Why does that never happen?

Late Train

I've been tired this week.  I can't really put my finger on what's wrong.  I've actually been getting more sleep and have taken the later train a couple mornings this week.  The riders on the later train, which leaves at 5:48 am, are way more awake than the ones an hour earlier so there isn't as much pressure to try to catch a few ZZZZs on the ride to the city.  I like that.  There's also a whole new cast of characters to get used to.  There's the Giant, for instance, who must be nearly seven foot tall.  He's so tall, in fact, that his shoulders nearly touch the ceiling when he stoops down to walk through the aisle.  There's no Orange Hat Lady though and no Voice to wish me a good day.  So I miss them.  Still, I like the extra hour of sleep I get in my own bed, but that doesn't explain why this week I'm so tired.  It could be just the time of year.  It could be that the extra stress in the office is catching up with me.  I certainly am glad tomorrow is Friday.  Let's hope I have more energy next week so I can blog more.

Foreshadowing

It's almost dark as I ride the train home this evening.  It's not late.  Only just after 6:30.  But with the overcast weather it seems much later.  It also makes me begin to dread what will happen when the time changes next month.  It will be dark in the morning when I go to work (it already is) and dark when I arrive home.  When that happens, I'll have to make a special effort to see the sun sometime during my workday.  And if I don't, at least maybe the darkness will help me in my quest to perfect sleeping on the train.

That's Entertainment

People do all sorts of things to keep themselves entertained during their daily long commutes to and from the office.  I opt for more traditional entertainment pursuits like practicing sleeping on the morning ride and reading real books and magazines on the evening ride.  Occasionally I work on my computer but that's about it in terms of my entertainment.  Tonight, though, I noticed several much more exotic train-riding pursuits.  The woman sitting next to me, for instance, was knitting.  And not just ordinary, two-needle knitting.  She had five (I counted) fine-gauged needles going at once.  The woman across the aisle from her, on the other hand, was practicing a piece of music on an electronic keyboard about the size of two piano octaves.  We couldn't hear what she was playing because she had her headphones plugged in, which silenced the performance.  I would like to have heard it though.  Anyway, what are the odds that two such interesting people would grace our car this evening?  When they departed the train, the fun of watching them vanished and the rest of us ordinary riders just picked up our boring books and magazines and began flipping through the pages.

Facing Backward

First, let me say that I usually arrive at the station in plenty of time to catch the evening train home and, as a result, I have my choice of seats.  I always pick a seat that faces forward and is on the right side because the sun beats down on the left side seats making them particularly uncomfortable given how hot this summer has been.  Today, however, I was running late.  So I just had to grab whatever seat was available.  I ended up facing backward, which meant I could only see where I'd been but not where I was going.  I also got a first hand view of the happy hour going on in the car behind mine.  For a Tuesday, I thought the people seemed to be having entirely too much fun.  I thought about joining them but I had to finish a report for the office. So I ended up working.  I guess I'll save my happy hour for Friday afternoon when I can face forward toward the weekend!

One Car Short

The 5:20 train operated one car short this evening which meant we were crammed in like sardines.  Fortunately at the first stop a large number of riders departed the train giving the rest of the riders more breathing room.  Also fortunately, it's Friday and most people don't really care that it's standing room only, they just want to get home to enjoy the weekend.  Enjoy yours.

Small Steps

I decided to wear a step counter (pedometer) the last couple of days in order to see how much walking I'm doing daily.  Since starting this long commute, I have had minimal time to exercise so decided to do little extras throughout the day to keep me in shape and then concentrate on longer workouts over the weekend.  According to health and fitness experts, people should take at least 10,000 steps a day to improve their health, fitness and weight. 

So with this advice in mind I strapped on my counter.  After two days of monitoring the steps I take walking the stairs, escalators and to and from the train stations, though, I am sad to report that I'm not meeting the 10,000-step goal.  As I sit on the train this evening, I am at 6,600 steps and don't plan on doing much more walking before I hit the sack.  Frankly, I'm just too tired.  Yesterday, the results were about the same. 

So I must revise my plan and see if I can squeeze in a mid-day walk to up my step count and perhaps pace around the train stations as I wait for my morning and evening rides.  There is one woman I see every morning walking in circles on the train platform.  I never really noticed whether she too wears a step counter and is just trying to meet her 10,000 step goal.  Perhaps I'll join her.

Sleeping In

You've got to love the weekends.  It's the time I catch up on my sleep.  Even if I sleep in until 6 am, that's still two hours longer than normal and I still get an early start to the day.  Last night I spoke with a fellow 4:48 am rider.  Every morning he is perky and talkative, wishing everyone a good day.  But he admitted to me on our ride home that he is in a constant state of exhaustion.  And I thought it was just me.  In fact, I thought I would get used to these long hours but he has been doing this long commute for several years now and said it really doesn't get any better.  You just get used to it, he said.  There was one glimmer of hope in his comments though.  He told me it took him nearly a year before he was able to sleep on the train.  Now, he says, he does it with ease.  I think he does it because he's just exhausted.  So I guess I haven't reached that point yet.  In the meantime, though, I will continue to practice and hope I keep constant exhaustion at bay.

Heat Havoc

Major delays tonight for those of us on the Penn Line and Amtrak.  A broken down train blocked two tracks causing the 4:24, 5:15, 5:20, etc. trains to depart late.  Right now we're about 30 minutes behind schedule and the air conditioning doesn't seem to be working.  So I sit here silently sweating as I type this.  The one saving grace is that it's not yet the holiday weekend.  Let's hope something similar to this doesn't happen Friday.  I think MARC would have a riot on its hands.  MARC is already trying to accommodate riders for Friday's mass exodus out of the city.  It has announced that it is running an earlier train on the Camden Line and adding more cars to the other lines in an effort to get people to their weekend destinations sooner. But if the tracks are blocked, all the efforts will be in vain.  Keep your fingers crossed.

A Regular Rider

I am recognized as a regular now on the 4:48am MARC train.  It's rather embarrassing as to how I discovered my regular status but I'm going to tell the story anyway.  It all started this morning when I slept through my alarm.  So rather than getting out of bed at the usual 3:45 am.  I slept in until 4:05 am.  While 20 minutes may not seem like enough time to throw my schedule off, trust me it did.  I scrambled to wash my face, brush my teeth, get dressed, pack my bag, grab my coffee and dash out the door by 4:25 am in order to get to the station in time to make my train.  I did it, of course, and was greeted by the other early morning commuters when one of the women who also is a regular rider leaned over to tell me that I had forgotten to zip up the fly on my pants.  I thanked her and as discretely as possible finished dressing.  Was I embarrassed?  Not really.  I figure you have to be pretty familiar with someone in order to point out such a misstep.  And frankly, I'd have been more embarrassed had she not said anything.  So today I sing the praises of the other early morning regulars who watch out for us newbies and make sure we get to work dressed and in one piece. 

Civilized Hours

Through a serendipitous event, I was able to shorten my morning commute significantly today.  In fact, I didn't have to step on the MARC train at all this morning.  Rather, I was able to get to the office via metro rail and that's all.  The commute took in total maybe 30 minutes, which allowed me two additional hours of sleep this morning.  So while 5:45 am still may seem like an ungodly hour to some, it's a far cry from the 3:45 am wake up call I usually have.  Frankly, I could get used to it.

Birth Control

When seven children -- ranging in age (I'm guessing) from about one-year-old to about eight -- entered the train car this evening, I knew I was in for, shall we say, an interesting ride home.  It's not often that you see this many children on the MARC, especially in one car, and the entire atmosphere of the evening commute changed.  Not only was everything much louder -- the crying, the yelling, the teasing, etc. -- but there was more movement than I'm used to from the regular commuters.  The kids were constantly fidgeting -- sitting on seats, standing on seats, sitting on laps, standing on laps, standing in the aisles, again, etcetera.  The adult chaperones looked too tired to put a stop to any of it and I'm not saying they should have.  Kids are naturally curious when it comes to new surroundings and this appeared to be the first train ride for many of them.  Plus, I think it served as a life lesson for the young couple sitting next to me who watched in horror at all the commotion.  Like I said, interesting ride.

Commuter Etiquette

Few things bother commuters more than the failure of only occasional riders to follow the unwritten rules of the rails.  But if the rules are unwritten, how are new riders supposed to know what is appropriate?  That's where I come in.  In an effort to help novice riders, I've compiled a list of some of the more common rules to follow.  If you can think of more, please feel free to add them as I'm sure I haven't thought of everything.

1. Cultivate your situational awareness -- In other words, make sure you pay attention.  If commuting during rush hour, you will see people rushing to catch trains,  purchase tickets, etc.  If you impede their progress, you should be aware that you do so at your own risk.

2.  Stay to the right -- Metro rail has its own version of slow traffic stay right.  That means, if you are not going to walk up the escalators, get out of the way of the people who are walking.  Chances are, those people who are walking are the same ones rushing to catch trains, purchase tickets, etc.  Do you see where I'm going with this?

3.  Talk softly -- Whether it's when your talking on your cell phone or to your neighbor, just remember not everyone needs to hear what you say.  This is truest in the morning when people tend to try to catch a few extra ZZZZs before starting their workday.  The evening commuters tolerate noise a bit more.  It's probably because they've already had their coffee.

4.  Use roller bags with caution -- Luggage is okay, but a rolling backpack is more troublesome.  While they may be convenient and save your back, I've been tripped up several times because someone just hasn't been paying attention as to who is in front or behind them as they wield their bag around.

Friday Friends

Need a tip for making a new friend?  Try cracking open a box of wine and offering a plastic cup of pinot grigio to your seat partner.  I'm telling you, it really works.  At least it did this evening for my seat partner.  She said she always brings an extra cup in hopes someone will share a drink with her, but often people decline.  I'm not shy though.  I really appreciated the offer.  It has been a rough week and while every Friday I hear other people celebrating, I had not yet experienced my first train happy hour.  It was exactly what I needed --- both the drink and the friend.  So we thudded our plastic glasses together and toasted to the weekend.  Now that's what I call commuting!

Traveling Light

I had to admire the man who sat next to me on the commute home tonight.  He nonchalantly walked to the seat with a small newspaper in hand -- something he obviouly picked up on the way to the train in order to have some reading material to keep him entertained on the ride.  The newspaper was it though!  No lunch bag, no briefcase, not even a portfolio.  Okay, so he had a cell phone, but that was strapped to his belt and didn't seem to weigh him down at all.  Sure, I thought, travel light now but you'll pay for it later.  What happens if the train breaks down?  I will feast on my extra pudding cup and bottled water both of which are stuffed under the computer and pair of shoes in the totebag I had to move in order to let him sit down.  Moving it took awhile too because I was rummaging through my purse at the time trying to find my train ticket to present to the conductor.  While I was doing that, Mr. Light Traveler as I have since named him, pulled his neatly out of his shirt pocket and flashed it.  Okay, so I get the point, but I'll admit it right here, right now, I will never be able to board the train with nothing but a newspaper.

Hot & Humid

Thanks MARC for putting out coolers full of icy cold water at Union Station.  While it doesn't make up for delays, mechanical failures and lack of seats, it does make the long ride in this heat (97 degrees today!) a bit more tolerable.  The extra crank on the air conditioning is also a nice touch.  These may be just customer relation ploys, but it hasn't gone unnoticed.  Just thought you'd like to know.

SRO

It was standing room only on the morning train, which is understandable given that MARC had previously announced the train would be operating with one less car.  However, the commute home was also SRO.  So either MARC forgot to attach the missing car when we arrived at Union Station or more people are riding the train.  MARC recently announced an increase in ridership so it's most likely the latter.  And it is expected that the trains will be even more crowded once September comes and fewer people are off on vacations.  So perhaps the new, sterile train cars with their too-close seats are a blessing in disguise.  According to MARC, the new cars mean fewer people standing.  As for me, though, I'm just glad I get on at the second stop.

Stuck

I'm sitting on a stopped train.  UGH!  Apparently an Amtrak train is disabled near the BWI stop and it's preventing us, and the two trains ahead of us, from getting past.  I can tell it's going to be a long trip home.  I find it interesting that these types of delays never seem to happen in the morning on my way to the office.  Perhaps it's because there are fewer trains on the track at that time of day.  Perhaps the commuter gods just like to conspire against me.  I'm not really sure.  All I know is I just want to go home. 

She's Back!

Orange Hat Lady is back.  She sat down right in front of me this morning.  Finally.  I haven't seen her in several weeks and thought she had escaped from the morning commute.  But there she was this morning.  Orange knit hat pulled down over her eyes napping away.  I almost said something to her, but decided not to disturb her.  As we pulled into Union Station though off came the orange hat and The Voice wished us all a good day.  All is right with the world.

Magazine Mogul

My stack of unread magazines is literally more than a foot tall.  I just measured it this weekend.  This is a bit disheartening.  I told myself when I took the new job with the long commute that I would use the time to catch up on my reading. But it seems as if my stack keeps growing. 

Now let me be clear.  I don't actually pay for a subscription to all these magazines.  These are things we've gotten with extra frequent flyer miles or as gifts.  But still I feel guilty if I don't read each and every one. 

So not only did I measure my stack this weekend, but I put the magazines in chronological order so I could read the oldest ones first and then move on to the more recent issues.  Unfortunately, by the time I move on to the more recent ones, they'll be old too.  Just to give you an idea as to how far behind I am on my magazine reading -- I just learned who was best dressed at the Oscars and who actually won the golden statues.  I don't know how I functioned all this time without knowing that important information.  But I managed to make it through, several months in fact, blissfully ignorant.

Nonetheless, I'm determined to get through the stack, one by one.  Tomorrrow, for instance, I could read a  fitness magazine that guarantees I will be bikini ready by the first day of summer (NOT!) or I could read a holiday issue of a cooking magazine.  (Yes, I'm really that far behind.)  So while it's not too late to get in shape for next summer,  I decided to read the holiday issue instead and see if I can come up with some new recipes for Thanksgiving.  I just hope no one has tried them though.  After all, they're a bit outdated.

Sneaker Fitness

Fellow blogger Kasmira (she writes http://whatiwore2day.blogspot.com/) wore sneakers this week as she trekked all over her city of Cincinnati.  Apparently this is out of the norm for her and she wanted to know what footwear other commuters chose.  I, for one, opt for the sneakers as I make my way for train to metro to office.  Not only are they comfortable and save wear and tear on my heels, but I feel like I can squeeze in a mini workout as part of my commute.  After all, when you have a commute as long as mine (at least two hours one-way) finding time to exercise is practically impossible.  So I opt for my sneakers.

Right now I'm wearing Curves sneakers, which are those funky looking, curved-bottom shoes, designed to help you tone your backside and burn a few extra calories.  Do they work?  I don't know, but at least I feel like I'm doing something.  Here are some other ways I sneak in some exercise.  I take the stairs whenever possible -- even if it's a Metro escalator. I never just ride, I walk too.  I also walk up and down the six flights of stairs to my office.  Of course I huff an puff at the top, but that doesn't deter me.  Then there are the bicep curls I do with my still-too-heavy tote bag.  Finally, at the train station I do some quadricep stretches while I wait for the morning arrival.  In total, it probably isn't a full 30-minute workout like experts say you should get daily, but at least it's something.  And, I just wait until the weekends to do my longer workouts.  By the way, enjoy yours.

It's A New Car . . .

I rode in one of the new passenger cars this morning and frankly I have to say I like the old ones better.  Sure the new car is all shiny and bright but since the seat backs are white, it also is rather sterile looking.  And did I mention there are more seats.  A lot more!  Which also means there is a lot less leg room.  Of course, this lack of leg room makes the morning nap (if I actually were able to sleep) much less comfortable.  Except that while there are more seats,  I noticed there weren't enough riders to fill them.  So I suppose I could just lay across the vacant seat.  The conductor tends to frown on that though and I'm sure MARC is betting that pretty soon all those empty seats will be filled.  Here's a hint, MARC -- stay on schedule and maybe they will.

Paring Down

As you know, I've been trying to lighten my load.  So I spent the weekend taking a long, hard look at what I'm actually carrying to and from work.  I did it by dumping out everything in both my purse and my tote bag and repacking them with only the items I thought were absolute necessities.  In my purse, I decided to whittle down the three make-up brushes and the three packages of dental floss to one each.  After all, one make up brush is sufficient and one package of dental floss should be enough to get me out of any McGyver-like situation I might find myself in.  Also gone are the three or four magazines I was carrying.  I decided to opt instead for the one-at-a-time approach.  So what if I have to ride the train for an hour without any reading material.  There are plenty of interesting people to watch to keep me entertained for at least one trip.  The end result of my paring down activity was a lighter load.  Maybe not a whole lot lighter but lighter none the less.  I'll continue to work on it.

Orange Hat Lady

Where are you, orange hat lady?  I haven't seen you for a few days.  Perhaps, though, you're incognito, wearing a blue or green hat.  The truth is, if you changed your hat color I'm not sure I'd recognize you.  I'll keep searching though.  Hope all is well.

Diesel Does It

At the risk of jinxing (is that a word?) tomorrow's commute, I have to say that ever since MARC brought in the diesel engines to tow the trains during this scorching summer, the trains have been running closer to schedule.  According to one conductor I spoke with, they really help in the heat.  And I know the passengers seem to appreciate it as the sense of relief is almost audible when people realize the trains are pulling out on time.  MARC, keep up the good work.

Characters Welcome

It certainly is a cast of characters that commute daily to and from D.C.  I've started creating names for them and I'd like to introduce them to you.

The voice -- I'm not sure who he is, but every morning as we arrive into Union Station, he speaks up loud enough for everyone in the car to hear and wishes us all a good day.  On Thursdays, he wishes everyone a good weekend.  Friday there was just silence upon arrival at Union Station.  So sad.  Someday I'll actually see who's saying those words.

Orange hat lady -- She's a napper and immediately upon taking her seat, she pulls her orange knit hat from her bag and puts it on her head and over her eyes.  Then she leans back and catches a few zzzzs as we make our way to the city.  I'm jealous.

The conductor -- I don't know whether they are actually called conductors anymore, but the evening MARC rep that requests tickets is always pleasant and helpful, especially to first-time riders. 

I'm sure this list will grow as I continue to commute, but keep the cast in mind as stories about them are sure to follow.

Happy Hour

The key is Friday!  Not only is there happy hour going on in the second car from the back, but it seems even the engineer is in a hurry to get home.  I actually made it home (in the house) by 7 pm.  This is what I imagined commuting to be like -- on-time trains, no delays.  Have a good weekend everyone.  I will.

ZZZZZZ

The woman sitting beside me on the train this morning actually snored as we made our way into the city.  How dare she?  I have been trying to teach myself to catch a few extra ZZZZs in the morning but just can't seem to get the hang of it.  She, on the other hand, was able to do it effortlessly.  She just sat down, put on a lightweight jacket and wrapped herself in a shawl and dozed off. Pretty soon, her rythmic breathing turned into a downright snore! Really.  I would have asked her for a few tips on how she did it but I didn't want to disturb her.  So I just sat there silently cursing every snort she made.

Bag Lady

My bag is too heavy! Commuters have special needs when it comes to hauling their gear from home to work.  And it seems the longer you commute the bigger the bag needed to carry all the stuff.  I spent an entire weekend trying to figure out the "right" bag to tote everything back and forth.  The problem was, when I packed it with my coffee thermos, water bottle, lunch, heels, reading material, blanket, pillow and notebook computer the bag was just plain heavy.  Not to worry, I thought.  Since with my long commute I no longer have time to lift weights, I'll just do a few bicep curls with my bag and multitask on my way to the office.  In the end though, I discovered that carrying a heavy bag has literally become a pain in the neck.  So, I'm looking to lighten my load.  I've been watching people for ideas on how to streamline what I carry.  Today, for example, I noticed several people using reusable shopping bags to haul their gear.  This probably isn't a bad idea since those bags are extremely lightweight and are large enough to hold bunches of stuff.  Still, I was hoping to find something a bit more stylish.  Maybe not Louis Vuitton exactly but at least something that doesn't scream "don't forget the gallon of milk".  My search continues.

Late as usual

The train home was late again.  So that's not news.  And I realized since starting this blog the only thing I've written about is the terrible train service.  Where are the random musings?  So, let's switch subjects.  I noticed today the number of people who use the morning commute to catch a few extra ZZZZs and I envy them.  I'm trying to teach myself to sleep on the train but am not having much success.  I've added the dark glasses ( a tip from a man I board with in the morning).  I noticed a woman who carries a lightweight blanket and wraps up in when she sits down.  Stole that tip too.  I even added an inflatable pillow.  Still no sleep yet.  Maybe riding the train is too new and I'll just have to wait until the excitement wears off.  But pretty soon I'll just be too tired to care.

Too Good To Be True

Taking the Metro today was an absolute breeze.  That should have been my first clue that something was wrong.  There were no crowds and no waits as I made my way to Union Station after work.  After selecting my seat on the MARC 5:20 train, however, the trouble began.  The gentleman next to me said he came over from the 4:20 train because it had lost power and never left the station.  That's when the announcements started.  First, the usual 5:20 "express" train was going to make all local stops to accommodate the extra passengers from the earlier train.  Also, there was standing room only of hot, frustrated passengers.  Then, signal issues occurred causing the train to leave about 30 minutes late.  Then, the near-100 degree temperatures after we got going meant the train travelled at a snail's pace.  The end result, I arrived home nearly an hour later than I expected.  It is now no longer news about the mishaps and breakdowns on MARC and Metro just the usual course of doing business.  Interestingly, though, I've not noticed any conductors asking for tickets the past few days.  Which makes me wonder, how is MARC going to pay for repairs if it's not charging its passengers.  By the way, MARC, this small token of customer service doesn't benefit those of us with a monthly pass.

Not Again!

Will they ever get it right?  After a week of vacation, it was back to the grind again and back to the mishaps of both MARC and the Metro.  The Metro red line was plagued with problems today as one of the trains I was riding was declared "out of service" causing a huge back up as people had to get off one train and stand with the hordes awaiting the next train.  The pushing and shoving and mayham began when the next train arrived and people attempting to catch the MARC trains tried to get to Union Station before the departure times.  They didn't need to worry though.  MARC once again was unable to keep to a schedule.  "A wire was down," according to the conducter.  That little wire caused chaos for all the trains -- the 4:20, the 5:20 and those after.  We finally departed about 5:50 only to travel at a crawl because so many trains were travelling along the same track.  I'm not holding out any hope that tomorrow will be better and frankly, I don't think MARC is either. 

Day Two

Not even marginally better.  It started out fine -- I got to DC in the two-hour time frame I expected.  Homeward, though, the problems began.  Stuffed into each seat pocket was an apology letter from a MARC executive for the fiasco the previous evening when a train load of passengers were stuck for more than two hours without airconditioning because of a train malfunction.  Thankfully, I wasn't on that train and, at least in my mind, I would have thought that incident would have spurred MARC to correct any problems to prevent back-to-back problems.  WRONG!  Through a series of delays, a train malfunction and just generally slow progress, my train arrived home in a mere 2:40 minutes.  UGH!  Maybe third time's a charm?  We'll see.

And so it begins. . .

Today’s the day it started – the commute from Aberdeen, Maryland to Union Station, Washington, DC. I expected to get to my new job in two hours. It took me almost two and a half. There was a “medical emergency” at one of the stops and we had to wait an extra 20 minutes for the EMTs to arrive and take a passenger off the train.

The trip home was only marginally better. I made it home in two hours. Again, we had extra long waits as we were held up to let other trains pass.

Why is it, though, that people find it necessary to chat incessently on their cell phones . . . even at 5 am?  Of course, the chatterer in question sat right behind me and I had to listen to her talk about her credit card bill, her sister's kids and where to go to dinner that night,  After getting up at 3:40 am to catch the train, I was trying to do the sensible thing and catch a few winks.  Lesson learned, earplugs tomorrow!