CTA BUS ROUTE #6 - JACKSON PARK EXPRESS

A while ago, because it's been so long since I did a bus route (I see it was over two months ago), I decided to just set a date. Do the 6th route on April 6th and marked it on my calendar. Wouldn't you know the morning dawned with wet, heavy snow over all the tree branches, looking beautiful, but also looking like early March. "Ah well," I said to myself, "I won't be gardening today anyway." So I caught the 10:13 train into the city (sans breakfast, but with plenty of coffee to fortify me, and a peanut butter on raisin toast in my purse). Weather prospects - cold, windy
And a rather non-informative bus sign, wouldn't you say?

The cold, green river today.

This bus departs from Wacker and Columbus (and do the CTA people realize that there is both an upper and a lower Wacker and Columbus?). Because it is not at all clear on the map that this bus departs from the upper level. Basically in front of the Swiss Hotel. It travels via Lake Shore Drive to 79th and South Shore Drive.
Fortunately I guessed right as to the departure area, because, yes, it was damn cold and windy, espceially right down there by the river and lake. I was remembering the time I had finding the start of that #4 bus.

Looking east, above. And the Seventh Day Adventist Church which rounds its corner nicely on Wacker.
11:40 am - I'm on the bus . It crosses Michigan going west on Wacker to State, where it turns south. I see that Leonard Cohen is coming to the Chicago Theatre May 5th and 6th. Past the DePaul Loop campus. And what could be more famous than the Marshall Field Clock, above?

It is crowded somewhat by Congress. There are police cars back to back next to the bus at a stop light. Left on Balbo. The South Loop Club is on the corner, a fab building which looks interesting. Past the Merle Ruskin Theatre, part of DePaul now. Across Michigan, south on Columbus to 11th, where it now becomes an express to 47th Street down Lake Shore Drive. Past the Museum Campus and Soldier Field, that space ship in the sky. It is going entirely too fast for pics, drat. Because bus riding is a great way to see the sights. I never tire of them.
The lake is grey, ominous, choppy. Waves crashing on shore. Glad I'm comfy and warm inside here. Low clouds, but no snow here. Or else it all melted. The trees have that lovely, lacy look of early spring.
As the bus turns off on 47th I see that the viaduct has a fab-u-lous mural. But can't get shot.
Left on Lake Park, same as #2, Hyde Park Express. But this one turns left on East Hyde Park, and goes through the intersection of South Hyde Park Avenue and East Hyde Park Avenue. Only in Chicago (I hope). Past the glorious houses on Hyde Park to end up facing The Museum of Science and Industry. I see that here it's very windy. There is a New Jersey license plate next to me. Right on 57th and left on Stoney Island which is 1600 East. You could take this bus to U. of C. and Doc Films, among others that go down here. Past the shuttered Hyde Park Hospital, cause of much debate over its future.

And to add to my lack of picture-taking opportunities, the windows are rather dirty, so I chose to sit on the left, which leaves the whole street between me and anything I might want to capture. We are going all down the length of Jackson Park, not inconsiderable. Hit 67th at 12:20 pm. The bus turns east here. Past a golf course and another fab building at Brandon. All the way to South Shore Drive, which is merely the southern extension of Lake Shore Drive. Past the South Shore Cultural Center, which, hallelujah, I did manage to get in the camera. (I would say on film, but those days are almost gone.) Now the bus kind've weaves in and out, east, west, south, etc. Til it reaches it's terminus at 79th. But I have noticed that along the way there are some spiffy buildings right up against the lake. They must have a marvelous view. The South Shore neighborhood contains some of the best old architecture in the city. Please, please let us preserve it.

The end is a rather bleak open space close to the lake, but I cross the street and am immediately back on a north bound bus by 12:37pm. It was so fast that I had no time to take a picture of the bus or the bus sign.

Again, dirty windows. I have been passing so very many neat old buildings and no chance to take any pictures. Down here is where Public Art #3 is. On one of those buildings, just not on this route. But very walkable from one of the stops. There is a wonderful building at 7370 South Shore, The Faulkner School (I love that name) at Cole and South Shore. 6850 is neat, and there is a glorious view of the city at 67th and South Shore. Well, down here most of the buildings are glorious too. An empty bus so far. Some forsythia struggling to out itself at 63rd. We pass the Hyde Park Academy Environmental Nature Studies Park - a teeny space.



It's the same route back, for the most part, except when we leave LSD, we travel north on Michigan, not State. And so far, wonder of wonders, not one stroller. We pass the Kenwood Academy on Lake Park, across from the terrific Original Pancake House at 49th. The Ancona School at 47th.

Little tidbit of trivia here. The reason the sidewalk on Congress past the Auditorium is enclosed is because when they widened Congress years ago, they didn't have enough room here for the sidewalk, and required the then hotel to give up some of it's lobby space for that sidewalk. I never tire of the sights on North Michigan.

I was back at the river end by 1:30. Really a very quick trip, given the distance covered. I managed the 2:40 train home. And never thought I'd be through so early.

CTA BUS ROUTE #X4 - COTTAGE GROVE EXPRESS

Another express bus. Phooey. Those only run during rush hours, which means I have to go down one afternoon, spend the nite, and return the next morning. Oh well.
I see I haven't done any since October, so I might as well get to it before gardening season hits.

On a bright sunny late afternoon, a Wednesday, January 28, I left for the big city, and the next bus route. This one leaves from Chicago and Mies Van der Rohe Drive ( right on the south side of the Museum of Contemporary Art), and I took the very first one of the afternoon, which left promptly at 3:27 pm. It was 22 degrees. I had been putting off and putting off doing another route because of the cold, but finally I figured "Hey, all those commuters have to get out in the cold to go to work; maybe I should share that experience. And sorry about these dark pictures. It wasn't dark; I don't know what happened.
The Cottage Grove Express covers the exact same route as the Cottage Grove, just less stops.
The bus had rather dirty windows (although nothing compared to the one I took back up to Hyde Park; I couldn't even see out of those - literally. But I managed some fairly nice pics. We went down Michigan Avenue again.


And here let me pose a question. What exactly is the point of the openness of the bus shelters? Yes, they shield you from rain and sun, but not cold or more importantly, wind. Basically, they are open on all four sides, street side being wide open of course, but those plastic walls on the other three sides are open at the tops, bottoms, and sides. Why?
And this time I noticed all the flags blowing in the courtyard just north of the Wrigley Building. I had never noticed those before. Maybe because they were blowing so hard in the wind. It was 19 degrees at Lake and Michigan, but toasty warm inside the bus.
Everybody is dressing in black now - a sign of the dreadful economic times? And everything along Boul Mich looked dour and gloomy, dirty snow everywhere. It was all so tired looking, and I noticed that many other buses had even filthier windows. But then, at that time, so did my own car, and just maybe my view is altered by these dirty windows, because it really is a
beautiful day out. I don't think our city should be seen this way, through dirty bus windows, but I do appreciate the enormous task of keeping them clean in winter. Lots of yellow "falling ice" signs on the sidewalks.

Again through McCormick Place which was very well shoveled and cleared. The sun is blinding on the west side of the bus when it breaks free of buildings. I couldn't take a picture if I wanted to. (I am sitting on that side.)

This picture was taken at 29th and MLK Drive.











And the quirky bench was at 35th and MLK Drive. I don't think they're too bad, considering the state of the windows.

The bus turns east at 35th to Cottage Grove. Past the James R. Doolittle, Jr. Public School, the West Point (?) Missionary Baptist Church, and still the mysterious (to me) Abraham Lincoln Centre at Pershing "since 1905". Especially the spelling of that "centre". French.
Now the playgrounds and courtyards and empty lots are all footprintless (probably not in the dictionary, but it says what I want). And I can't take any pictures because of the blinding sun. Those empty lots are beautiful now.

Washington Park at close of day.



Past the Hale Franciscan High School. It is 20 degrees at 51st Street at 4:15. Now into Hyde Park, past the Illinois National Guard Armory, that beautiful Art Deco Building. Past the Du Sable Museum, well worth a visit.



Here you get some idea of the state of the windows. Still Washington Park

There are lots and lots for "For Rent" signs now. But on a recent trek down Howard Street on the north end of Chicago, I saw the very same thing. And here I feel a need to confess. There had been a woman sitting in front of me all the way from the start who had very long, light brown dreadlocks that looked exactly like wool. They were lovely, but like the Chinese when they first saw red hair, I had this terrible urge to reach out and touch them. I resisted successfully.

In an area that I think is called Park Grove are simply the most gorgeous old buildings. And way down south, looking down the side streets (because now there are no leaves to obstruct the view), most of the homes look just like the one I live in, bungalows.
I couldn't resist this - "Founded by God" Oh, Really?





This building is called ( I think) The Brookline building. Lovely. ( below)




I did not note the time we arrived at the last stop, unfortunately, but I don't think a whole lot of time is saved between this express and the regular Cottage Grove run.
Next morning, the bus I took down from 67th, was going to turn into the express bus going back, so all I had to do was get out and take pictures. That was nice. It left at 8:15, exactly one hour after I had left those relatives' house, walked to 67th and Cottage Grove, and waited for the regular #4 to arrive and take me down to 94th. And as you can see from the pictures, the bus sign was snapped the day before, in bright sunshine.
















This express was really crowded by 90th Street already. Now on the east side of the bus, I do see poverty and unkempt homes. Burnside? Not sure. A cloudy, overcast morning. Low sky. 22 degrees, same as yesterday pm. Again past the See Thru Chinese Kitchen. One day I'm going to have to go in there. All the young men, both yesterday and today, look so angry. At the world? At 77th, at 75th, there are magnificent buildings. The bus was so crowded that I didn't have the nerve to raise my camera from my lap and take pictures. It didn't feel like the time or place to play the tourist. By the time we got to the south end of the Oak Woods Cemetery, the bus was totally crammed. The bus driver had to keep asking people to move back. The thought occured to me that there would be more room if we all weren't so large, myself included. It is nice to see, though, that the cemetary has plowed the sidewalk all along its perimeter. Unfortunately, people still were walking in the street on the other side because they couldn't see over the snow banks to that plowed sidewalk. I only knew it was there because I had driven by it in my car. At 67th at 8:37 am.

Another incredible building at 64th. (This bus has limited stops between 94th and 14th Streets.) North of the University of Chicago the bus finally unjammed. The South Shore Bank at 47th is a real beauty. At 43rd, I saw outside a child so bundled up in an orange snowsuit that he (she) actually was wobbling as he (she) stood. Reminded me of the kid in "The Christmas Story".

By 32nd, it's really getting emptier, and there is one of those neat benches here. At 14th by 9:12. And looking out, it seems very windy now. It certainly wasn't when I was standing, waiting to go south from 67th earlier.

Agora in the snow.











Right above - if you look very close, you can see the worker in the tree at the Art Institute, at 9:20 am.


I just liked the outlines of this bare tree in the garden just north of the AI.











Chicago in winter. The lights are still on the trees in Millenium Park. Do they stay on all year?

A question in the window of the McCormick Freedom Museum, which is taking its act on the road soon.
"Would freedom fall without democracy?" Food for thought.

9:30 am. Back at Chicago and Mies. I am sooo glad to be done with these rush hour routes, at least for a while.

Sixth one down

Postscript - I will not be doing the next route, the N5, South shore night bus. It runs basically during the wee small hours, and even I am not that obsessed. What could I see out the window anyway?

X3 KING DRIVE EXPRESS

This one involved quite the maneuvering. Because in the morning it only goes north; in the evening only south. Only weekdays. And even though it covers the exact same route as the plain ole #3, I thought a different time and day, even over the same ground, might provide a different experience.

In the evening, which is when I planned to start, it leaves the same ole place right by that Panera, from 3:30pm to 5:55 pm. So I boarded the bus at 4:10. It is nice when you board at the jumping off place, because you have your choice of seats. This was on Monday, Sept. 15th.

This time, for the first time, I noticed an emergency exit, clearly marked, in the roof of the bus right over the ticket stand. I have not seen that on any of the myriad other buses I have been taking. Once again, I was able to take in the beauty of Michigan Avenue with all the flower-filled planters, but, alas, the windows of this bus were fairly dirty, so I did not take many pictures. And express it was, as it just barreled down Boul Mich, scary sometimes, we were so close to other cars and buses.
But let me say right here how much I have come to admire these drivers, their skill in navigating horrendous traffic, and taxis, a bane unto themselves, and always being helpful and courteous. I am sure they answer the same questions over and over, yet they are always patient and polite.

In front of Tiffany's

A note to Tommy Helfinger - whatever made you think that those men's underwear ads in the Michigan Avenue bus shelters were a good idea? They are tasteless at best. Perhaps in a magazine spread, OK, but looming larger than life at the end of the shelter? noooooooooooo

It was a grey, cloudy, threatening evening, and the air was on in the bus. I was cold the whole way. The day after our record-setting rains.

For this express, there were actually less people than on the Sunday afternoon #3. Which did surprise me, this being rush hour and all. I got another chance to gawk at all the nifty benches at the bus stops south of 33rd Street. These must have been some sort of Chicago public art project, as they line both sides of the street for four or five blocks south. (See pictures for the #3 blog)

And if I could only take a running video of all those great mansions lining the boulevard part on Martine Luther King Drive. I never tire of seeing them. Imagining the world they came from. The fancy dresses, the carriages, servants, balls, a world so long gone, For better or worse. You can see the difference in bus windows here. One clean, one dirty.

I noticed this time that at 47th, there are four sculptures, one on each corner, representing jazz music. A sax player, a trumpet player, a guitar player, and a jazz singer with a mike. Worth going to see. And that man on a horse at 51st is definitely George Washington.

Way further down, almost to the end, a very nicely dressed woman got on the bus, sat almost opposite me, with what looked like a file case or CD case on her lap. Black cloth. And proceeded to read out loud the names off of whatever was in this case, mostly I thought current movie titles. Quite out loud. At first I looked for an ear piece for a phone, but no, her hair was short and I could have easily seen one. Bizarre. She only rode for six blocks, tops. Talking all the while. Another woman had on a really cool black leather jacket emblazoned with Betty Boop.

I got to thinking on this ride of how different the world is at Erie and Fairbanks from the world at 95th and MLK Drive. Different color people, different looking buildings (homes rather than high-rises), different buildings (Walgreen's and Popeye's rather than Panera, and all sorts of expensive restaurants). Narrow crowded streets versus a wide intersection. Clean versus littered, the trash can at the bus stop at MLK Drive going north sorely needs some person to empty it. You can't fault the citizens, they do use it, but then the city needs to empty it. All this difference in one bus ride.Houses way down south on MLK Drive.

We arrived at the end of the route at 5:15, which was only 10 minutes shorter than the Sunday ride on the regular #3. I'm not sure I think 10 minutes worthy of being called an "eXpress".

Now here's the kicker. I cannot take an express #3 back, because the north bound ones don't run in the evening. So I took a regular #3 back to 67th, and went east to those relatives to spend the nite, so I can get up ridiculously early get back to MLK Drive, go south to 95th, so I can get an express bus back up north. Silly, huh?
But's that exactly what I did. At the first bus stop before 8. And boarded the #3 express from 95th and MLK Drive at 8:27 am. I stuck my pass in the wrong slot at first, and the very nice driver (didn't I say how nice they all are?) said, "That's OK, they keep moving those things all over the place, so I understand. Don't worry about it." He's right; they do. Sometimes you put it in on the left, sometimes on the right. Why isn't it all the same in every bus?

It was an absolutely breathtaking morning; I was glad I had gotten up and out, although it has been an age since I've been out the door that early. Up yes, dressed and out, probably years. But because it was slightly chilly, the bus had the heat on, and didn't I just sit down right next to the hot heater? Later on, around Michigan Avenue, the air conditioning came on, and I was cold. Go figure.
The bus came so quick, I couldn't get a picture. Sorry. At 79th, at 8:37, the drivers changed. And I noticed for the first time that the driver has a seat belt. Why don't we? A sudden stop, and we're all hurled forward.
This bus was more crowded than yesterday's, but that didn't prevent a woman with a rather large baby buggy getting on and then parking it right in the aisle, almost blocking the entrance on other riders. They had to squeeze past this buggy to get on and off. Surely there is a better way to accomodate these things. They seem to be getting bigger and bigger these days. People were not as nicely dressed as on Sunday, either. Workaday clothes.

And if I thought the bus barreled along yesterday, "you ain't seen nothin' yet baby". I swear it seemed like we were going 50 mph sometimes, although that couldn't possibly be. (I hope)
I saw coming from the other way a bus that said #3 to 81st Street. Now what the heck is that? Where does it start from? It's not listed in my CTA bus guide. Many people at the #3 bus stops on the way north wondered why this bus did not stop for them; they waved and probably hollered, to no avail. But it doesn't stop at every stop between 79th and 18th, and the signs clearly reflect that, if they had only looked, either at the sign, or at the bus title, or both. It just keeps barreling along.

There was never anyone standing though. Only on that Hyde Park Express in the evening were there standees. At that very same corner of 47th Street, I noticed, not for the first time, but it fits with the sculptures, a club named "Jokes and Notes". Clever. On the east side.

A building I like on the east side somewhere.

There is so much for sale along this route, like everywhere else in the city and suburbs right now, fire sales going on all over. (pigeons on the boulevard.)

Unlike the bus going south the nite before, this bus did do that odd one block detour, going north on Indiana instead of Michigan, and then after one block, at 21st, heading west to Michigan. I did look around to see if there was anything in that one block, but nada, no obstruction or construction of any kind. Still odd.
At 1723 South Michigan there is one of the famous Chicago Cows, of which I have a personal picture of each and every one, taken in 1999, their year. This is the construction one, with the hard hat on.
View from inside the bus looking north up Michigan.
Heading up Michigan, in the right hand lane, is truly an experience in terms of jolting and jarring. The poor bus! And winter hasn't even started yet.
Past the Bean, the bandshell that reminds me of nothing so much as a bunch of garbage can lids in the sky. Sorry Gehry. And past an interesting window in the Tribune's McCormick Freedom Museum (I think), big poster that read "When should the needs of many infringe on the rights of one?". "The discussion starts inside." (I never noticed the great lamp poles along Michigan before.
Arrived at the end of the route at 9:30, considerably shorter, but not at the place where the guide says it should end, that is, at Fairbanks and Huron. No, the driver at Michigan and Delaware says this is the end. What? Way north of Huron. But I got off without questioning him. I should have. Walking back to Panera to get some breakfast (I simply cannot eat until a few hours have elapsed after getting up), I distinctly noticed the bus signs on the west side of Fairbanks with #3 express on them. Has something changed? Because the bus would have turned east at Erie to enter a parking garage which allows it to go south for a block, and turn around to head back north. A mystery not to be solved, I fear.

Fourth one down.

#2 HYDE PARK EXPRESS

This one is another rush hour run; how I hate those! I have to get up early. It runs from Navy Pier south to 60th and Cottage Grove and back - kind've. There is a trick to this one that I didn't see until I had already gotten down to the route's end at the Fountain of Time sculpture by Lorenzo Taft which is at the very west end of the Midway at The University of Chicago. And if you have never seen this, DO! It is just as interesting on the other side. But to begin:

On Thursday, August 28th, I had to rise at an ungodly hour because in order to get to Navy Pier and hop on the very last bus leaving there at 9:10am , I had to get up to Navy Pier in the first place. Again, as this bus takes me even closer to those relatives in Woodlawn, I had planned to spend another day with them and return on the evening rush hour bus. I sweated bullets on the #124 from the train station, fearing I wouldn't make it in time.

Well, I did make it, but as I took out my camera to shoot the front of this bus, it just wouldn't work - something about "power off" showing in the monitor. Well, shoot! I tried again, and again, no luck. Then I remembered a tip about computers, reboot. So I take out the chip, put it back in, and lo and behold! all is right with the world (and the camera).

Bus route -morning - From Navy Pier, it goes west on Grand, north on Fairbanks, west on Ontario, south on Michigan, west on Wacker, south on State all the way to Balbo which takes a considerable amount of time, east on Balbo, south on Columbus, and then it is an express from Roosevelt on down Lake Shore Drive, exiting at 57th, passing The Museum of Science and Industry to Stony Island, where it turns south to 60th, west on 60th to Cottage Grove, where there is that turnaround by the Fountain of Time. And it is anything but an express, taking from 40 to 60 minutes, one way.

One thing I wish to observe here - buses that stop where other buses do loose time because they have no way of knowing whether the people there want that bus or are waiting for some other bus. They pull in, nobody is interested, and then they have to try and maneuver back out in traffic. This seems to me horribly inefficient. Could there not be some system of flags or lights? Something?

On Balbo, this bus passes right between the Blackstone Hotel and the Hilton, and passes the Merle Ruskin Theater, now owned by DePaul, and used for student productions. It also passes Hyde Park Hospital on Stony Island.
One neat thing: a family got on somewhere on State Street and exited by the Museum of Science and Industry. And when I returned home on the 3:45, there they were, ready to head back. The very same family.

As I have a friend who works on Navy Pier, this seemed the perfect opportunity to have dinner with him when I returned from the Woodlawn people, planning on taking the last bus at 6. But it slowly dawned on me as I was riding south, that that would not do at all, because in the morning it exits the Drive at 57th, and in the evening it enters the drive at 57th to head back north, but in the morning, from the sculpture, it returns up Cottage Grove to 51st (Hyde Park Boulevard) east to Lake Park, and enters the Drive on 47th. And does this same thing in the evening from Navy Pier. It exits the Drive at 47th, and repeats the morning route. This makes perfect sense, as there are a lot of high rises and apartment buildings along Lake Park and 51st, so the commuters get on in the morning and off at night, in most cases, right in front of where they live.

But for me, now, I figured I would have to do the whole route again in the evening, just to get that 47th Street part. So when I got off the bus at 10am I sat on the bench there, poring over the CTA map and eating a banana. And the very nice bus driver did not pull out to go to his garage before pausing and asking me if I needed any help, as I'm sure I looked thoroughly befuddled. I must admit it took me some moments to straighten this all out in my mind.
So at 3:45, I was waiting for the bus to return to Navy Pier via 47th. When I took a picture of the front of the bus, as I plan to do with all, the driver immediately got off and took a picture of me with his cell phone. Pretty smart, I thought. You never know.

I ended up taking four buses in all, one down in the morning, and one up in the evening, then another complete round trip. And I learned that each of these buses immediately returns to its garage after one run; none make a round trip. Odd.
As we came up the Drive around 4, the city was enveloped in haze, pollution, smog, something. Which was too bad, as I think that view of "Sweet Home Chicago", coming north on the drive is one of the best anywhere. Night and day.

When I returned to Navy Pier the first time, I had to get on another bus which left at 4:40. Now, Ontario was almost at a standstill. Lots of people got on going down State this time, including a woman in a wheelchair. I have ridden buses in NYC, and there it is a big production to load a wheelchair on to the bus. The driver gets out of his chair, goes to the rear, unlocks some mechanism, which then gets the chair on the bus, he then locks the mechanism, returns to his chair, and the bus finally pulls out. Here, it's a snap. No fuss at all. NYC could take a lesson from us! Southbound now passes that very same statue of Drexel on 51st that the #1 bus ended with. When it turns south on Cottage Grove, it passes the University of Chicago Hospital complex before that turnaround, one solid hour later. This bus was jam packed, people crammed in the aisles, standing all the way down the Drive.
The driver on the last return trip was very strange, however. I cannot explain it. He absolutely dawdled almost all the way up, sitting for two or three lights twice, once in front of Hyde Park Hospital, and once at Balbo and Wabash. Just sat there. He never got over 35mph either, not even on the Drive, just creeped along. Way weird. But - when he got to Wacker (where I got this nifty shot of Trump Tower), he just took off like a bat out of hell, turning right on a red where none was allowed, barreling his way up Michigan Avenue, and when he turned west onto Ohio - well, he almost mowed down a whole bunch of pedestrians crossing the street. I saw one woman raise her arms and yell something. I know she thought the bus was going to hit her.

And now some observations and thoughts:

Because I was riding up and down State Street four times, I had plenty of opportunity to take in the state (no pun intended) of American dress in public. And I was appalled. ( I will tell you here that I am just as guilty of all the criticisms I am going to lay on us, and am just as overweight too).

But as I watched all these people, I saw that practically none were decently dressed. Flip-flops, t-shirts, men in shorts that looked like Jack's Giant owned them, poor posture, just sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. And I thought how many times have I gone to the grocery store in my filthy gardening clothes. Women on State Street were wearing clothes mostly much too tight, slowing off every bulge and ounce of flab. Even men in khakis and shirts don't look finished somehow. A jacket is needed. And posture? Can't we at least stand up straight? It's bad enough we're all overweight; can't we at least dress decently? Not look as if we just stepped out of the shower? Where is our pride in how we look, how we present ourselves to the world? Yes, I know we should never judge anyone by their appearance - but we do. Let's face it, a first impression is sometimes the lasting one. Shouldn't be, but sometimes is. And you know as well as I do, that the way we are dressed affects the way we act. Who behaves the same in shorts and a "t" as they do in heels and a nice dress? Or sloppy shorts vs. jeans and a jacket? We dress casual, we act casual. I think our manners are deeply affected by our outward appearance and grooming. And I don't think you eat as much when you have on nice clothes. At least, I don't. And let that be a lesson to me.

To sum up: On the #1 bus, coming back to Union Station was a very obese young woman (I do not judge; by most measures, I am morbidly obese myself) wearing a bright green t-shirt that said "I'm full of excuses; which one do you want?"

I came home and shaved my legs and put on make-up.

Second one down.