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!