This entry is bound to be a total rant. I work in a very small department. I am the only student worker. Everyone treats me just like part of the department except Bill. He obviously has issues with whoever holds the position I'm in. From what I've heard, he doesn't typically speak to that person, he doesn't want them in the main office unless absolutely necessary. I think he's crap. Last week, he brought David and Jason some homemade cookies with a little Halloween note on their packs. Terri was out on a business. I didn't get anything, not even a note! WTF??? Do I not exist in his mind? I was tempted to ask him why he excluded me. Today I am in the main office because there is a class being held where I'm supposed to sit. He opened the door, and with a scowl on his face asked me if there was a class being held in there today. I answered there was. He turned around and walked away. He has nothing to say to me. He acts like I'm nothing more than a peon who deserves nothing - a work peasant. I'm lowly in his eyes, I guess. The proud will come to ruin. Pride comes before the fall.
So I rode the bus again today. It's day two of my Public Transportation System Experiment (PTSE). I was considering driving today because I didn't sleep well last night, and I have to be here until after 8:30 p.m. That's a long time to be here, and I wanted the option of a "quick escape."
The bus I caught today is one time slot earlier than the one I took yesterday. It was pretty full too. It picked me up around 6:45 a.m. Just before entering downtown, there was standing room only, but I brought a book and read it until just before the downtown exchange stop.
I realized just how snobby I on the inbound route. About halfway to town, a very smelly man sat between me and another girl. It was a tight fit, but he squeezed himself between us. I thought I would be sick. He smelled a bit sour, with a hint of dead fish. I don't know whether he was homeless; I tried not to look at him. Instead, I tried to concentrate on my book and not breathe in too deeply. I got off one stop before I planned to because of his stench.
Overall, I enjoyed my commute and look forward to the ride home today.
I know the election news is all the buzz today. All the newspapers at school are gone. I didn't even get ONE PAPER! All the New York Times, all the USA Todays, all the Indianapolis Stars, everything is gone. These law students are newspaper piglets!!! There are ALWAYS loads of papers left, even at noon, but not today. Looks like my cheap ass will have to buy them, unless I can find them in another building.
So Barack Obama won yesterdays election by a landslide. According to CBSnews.com, Obama won an estimated 349 electoral votes to McCain's 160. This was no doubt an historical event. We were either going to have the oldest president ever, or we would make an even bigger splash in history by electing the first black president. I feel very blessed and proud to have been able to vote in such an exciting election.
I personally voted for Obama. Although I wasn't overly impressed with either candidate, I felt that Barack Obama was a much better choice than McCain because he is younger, not set in his ways making him open to change, and he's articulate. I don't particularly care for Joe Biden, but I do think he is better than Sarah Palin. For me, it's important for our President to not only be intelligent, but he or she must also sound intelligent. It is important to me for the President to be articulate. Palin reminds me of an ignorant hillbilly when she talks, as does McCain who also reminds me of a robot whose eyes are either stuck wide open or blinking a thousand times per minute. Annoying either way. I hate to be annoyed. I've been annoyed for eight years by George W. Bush, who encompasses everything I don't want in a President.
During the debates McCain didn't make sense to me. He constantly said he knew how to change things, how to fix them, but he never really said how he planned to do that. The how is important. Obama, on the otherhand, put his ideas on the table. He gave us something, which is much more than McCain's nothing. When you know what you're getting yourself into, it's easier to go for it than going into something blindly.
Ultimately, what it came down to for me is this morbid idea: McCain has one foot in the grave, so to speak. If he dies while in office, is Sarah Palin qualified to be President? Would I be comfortable with her as President? If Barack Obama is elected, he may be assassinated by ignorant white supremacists. If that were to happen, would I be confident in Joe Biden's ability to run this country?
Many of my "Christian" friends voted for McCain because they're afraid of Obama. They think he might be the Antichrist. WTF?! How "Christian" is that??? It's people like these who turn others away from the faith. Let's judge a perfectly good candidate and call him the Antichrist when we have no way of knowing this information. It makes no sense, it's ridiculous, and it's completely appalling!
Today IUPUI has an extra parking space on campus all because I chose to take the bus. It wasn't until yesterday that I decided to use public transportation. I've been trying to think of ways to cut back on my spending and how I can make a difference in this world.
I'm not good with recycling. To be honest, I wish I was more earth conscious when it comes to recyclables. I buy bottled water, but I throw the bottles in the trash instead of saving them and finding a place to drop them off to be reused. I throw all paper in the trash - shredded and unshredded. I'm not much of a soda drinker, but we do have canned drinks at home. The empties go in the bin too. My household just isn't very green minded.
At IUPUI, students can get an S-Pass to ride Indygo buses for free. The only requirement is showing a student ID when bording. I've had my pass since The end of July, but never felt like using it.
I learned some things this morning. First, I should have worn more comfortable walking shoes. I'm wearing flip-flops today. It's going to be 75 degrees today, afterall, and I was trying to be prepared for this. Tomorrow, I will definitely have to make the adjustment. Maybe I wear tennis shoes to campus and change my to something better later. Although, colder weather is on its way, so I doubt I need to worry about this much.
Secondly, I need to see if there is a stop a little closer to my home. I had to walk about three or four extra blocks from where I remember the closest stop being. Maybe the sign is just missing right now. I should call the bus company and ask.
Thirdly, I need a more efficient way of carrying things. I have my backpack, which holds quite a lot, but it is full of stuff for school. I ned to carry my colored pencils and markers, but the box they're in is awkward, so I put it in my backpack, which made it all the way full. If I had to bring actual books today, I'd have been sunk. I'll have to see if I can find some sort of smaller, more flexible container for my pens and pencils.
Fourthly, I need to take a book or something else to do while I ride. About halfway to campus, I remembered I had my iPod in my backpack. Today I just looked around at the things I miss during my normal morning commute. The buses I rode today take the same general path as I normally do, with a few exceptions - it takes longer and they route through downtown is a bit different, plus I have go around the campus and back to get to my final stop. No complaints though.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, I loved taking the bus this morning. I got a little bit of exercise first off this morning. It's about a half a mile or so to the busstop, which isn't much, but I wouldn't ordinarily do that. I'm considering buying a bicycle in the spring to ride to campus or at least part of the way. The bike I have now has issues. The tires always lose air. I've had the innertubes replaced and the bands that go round the inside of the rims, but that didn't work. They just keep losing air. I can ride it and it's fine. Let it sit for a couple of days and both wheels are flat.
Today I am having lunch with one of my good friends downtown. I have already determined how I can get to my destination by bus. I'm very excited about this. I thought about asking her for a lift home, but I think I will just take the bus. Why not? It's a good time to just sit and relax. Plus, I get a bit of exercise I wouldn't normally get.
