raybear | A second once in a lifetime may be too much to ask.

This morning I was on a broken CTA train. I had a choice between standing on the Red line (faster) or sittting on the Purple line. I'm lazy, so I chose to sit. The train stopped at Wellington. After 15 minutes, we were invited to evacuate the train. Ten minutes after everyone finally got off and packed onto the tiny platform, we were invited to crossover to the northbound platform, take the train back to Belmont and switch to a red line. I decided to stay put, but ten minutes later I accepted their invitation.

People's behavior during CTA problems amuses me. I don't mind the occasional sigh, eye roll and knowing grimace exchanged between seasoned riders. But I hate uppity folks who get so stressed out and upset by delays and problems. C'mon now -- this can't be your first time riding the train. You know there's always troubs during heavy commuter time and that's just how life goes. But the person next to me on the platform tried to make me a co-conspirator in her ranting and complaining. I wanted to point to my headphones (her mouth was about 5 inches from them) and say "shhhhh. Peabo Bryson." Instead I just looked at her and her mouth moving (my headphones blocked out the rabble), then slowly turned my head and went back to looking at the sparks approximately 3 feet from my shoes, wondering if my pants were flame retardant.

Many folks whipped out the trusty cell phones to call work and inform them of the horrible tragedy that would delay them. I decided to whip out my cell phone and call Damon. We chatted for a few moments, then I invited myself to take advantage of the CTA's advice and crossed over platforms. I got to work about 9:35. Half my co-workers were on the brown lines behind my train and didn't make it until later. Ah well. Such is the life of this urban dweller.

I certainly can't really be mad at folks on the train who were visibly upset and bitching -- I'm not immune from my own temper tantrum and anxiety issues. But I'm trying very hard to at least not got supremely upset over minor expected aggravations. I don't know if this will cause my other explosions to be bigger and badder, or if it will make me less calm over all. I don't think tranquility is a finite amount that can only be scheduled around, destined to be pre-empted by anger.

In parenting news, my dog doesn't like the rain. I took her out twice this morning and both times she just looked at me like "what the hell are we doing out here? let's go back inside!" But the good news is that she's definitely well-housebroken -- the second time I was taking her out before leaving for work. She refused to participate in any outside activites and wanted to get out of the rain. So I gave up and let her back in the entrance stairwell. She started to run around and when I went to our apartment, she took one look then bounded away, back down the stairs. I was mildly annoyed, mildly amused. Then I figured out she wanted to go back down -- she added up the pieces that this was her one time to go to the bathroom, so she better take advantage of the situation. I opened the door and she took care of everything promptly.

Unfortunately she wasn't as happy about the whole being-in-the-kennel aspect while I went off to work. I think she'll probably be okay soon enough (she spent last night roaming the apt and didn't do any damage), but this is the first time she's in the apartment alone with both of us gone -- I didn't want her panicking about us not returning. I'm sure by the end of this week all will be well and she'll be settled in. And Thursday she goes to the vet so she can stop coughing on my shoes -- though her sore throat does make her bark deeper, which is scarier. Oh, have I mentioned yet that she's finally barking? It's perfect -- when she hears footsteps on the stairs, she lets out a couple "woof woof"'s and runs to the door with her ear perked up. When her investigation turns nothing up, she returns to lying down by us. Quite the little friendly companion. Unfortunately she was also occasionally barking at the thunder last night, but nothing too annoying.

I'm such a proud poppa.

In other news, I got ONE reply to my Reader ad. Well, I sorta got two, but I never heard back from the first guy who also placed an ad. This guy specifically responded to my ad. I sent him a photo, reiterated the transguy part, and he wrote me back yesterday.

limenal and I decided his photo looked like the typical Central European grad student. I mean, I wasn't swooning but I also wasn't scared. He looked like a fairly average cat who could either be really attractive based on his style and how he moves and stuff like that, or he could just be boring and not interesting. I just wrote him back and asked if he wanted to meet for coffee or a drink this week. Maybe Thursday, since MelRo will be out celebrating the end of her exams and first-year of law school. (Though I still need to reschedule my date with Sparky, which got pre-empted by the burglary last week!) I'm still interested in being social, though I'm also interested in staying at home on my couch with my dog. I think I can manage to do both.

Speaking of social,

vfc, does 8 pm work for you tonight? There might be additional parties attending the viewing -- a couple interns from work who seem preliminarially cool, though I can't completely vouch for them yet, and maybe possibly Myles?!?! I should call him