seriously?!

Ok, so Monday I venture out and try walking down to Northwoods Mall to catch bus 10 up Rivers Ave. Talk about a nightmare! Dragging a rolling bookbag through the grass is impossible and walking right along the white line with trucks and cars racing by at ninety-or-nothing is frightening. I took my son's advice and went all the way across Rivers Ave to walk through the parking lots. Much easier on the walking and the bag, but the heat index was 105, and I'm trekking across the blacktop under the blazing sun, not a twig in sight for shade. Ugh! And I forgot to turn on my Smartrunner app to track my mileage. One of the benefits of my job is an on site fitness center, so I take advantage of the locker room to cool down, change, etc once I get to work. It's a lifesaver!

Today I decide to take the back way to Kmart, down Antler. It's a quiet two-lane road, plenty of shoulder room but they tend to be either grassy or rocky, sometimes swampy. During the day it's like taking a walk out in the country. It will be a shame when they clear out the wooded areas for yet more subdivisions. As I'm headed down the drive from my apartment complex, what comes rolling up to the intersection from Kmart, turning on Greenridge Road? Bus 12, which is no longer supposed to be going this way! I'm too far away to flag the bus down, and I want to see how the trek to Kmart will work anyway, so off I go. Lovely but extremely hot walk. According to Smartrunner it was 1.45 miles. Bonus: directly across from the bus stop is a McDonald's! If I ever get to the stop early enough I might treat myself for breakfast one morning.

I get on bus 12 and ask the driver to do me a favor, check with dispatch about bus 12. Surprise! Yes, bus 12 once again goes down Antler and Greenridge and stops at Dial America. This driver is one of the good ones though, she advises me that service at that stop will depend on what's going on with the road construction. Ok, well my job isn't going to give me a free pass every time somebody decides today bus 12 can't go down Greenridge! So I'll stick to the longer trek to catch bus 10 and bypass the frustration of dealing with the erratic service on bus 12. My next post will include the response I got from Mayor Keith Summey. I'm very impressed that he answered my email. (in fact he's the only one who did) Unfortunately it was more of the same. Board meeting tomorrow!