WHATADAY

Today our bosses made a pretty major announcement:  we are now owned by another company. There shouldn't be any major changes and we'll be having a couple people from our new owners (I guess?) come in tomorrow to talk to us. At least it's comforting to know that all the stress that the partner's have been under was nothing negative and their smiling more, which is good. They also made it really clear that this does not mean layoffs, thankfully.

That was at 3 pm.

At 4:30 I went to catch my bus and must have just missed one, so I waited patiently for the next one, thinking of my impending doom at 6:15 (more on that later). The 1A King pulls up and I decide to take it one stop farther than I usually do, so that I'll meet the 34A just in time, and get to wait in a shelter-instead of waiting at my usual stop (right downtown) in the rain and likely missing the connection.

So I thought. We approach the stop to see the 34A close his doors and put on his signal to rejoin traffic, I asked my driver if he could honk to let the other driver know I wanted on (that's very normal). He hesitated and then said "no, it's too late-he's already in traffic, otherwise I would have" Screw you, no you wouldn't have, and you didn't. So I hop off the bus and run to catch up with it because there was a red light, but noooo this jerkwad of a driver kept going, so I ran about 3 blocks (I am NOT a runner, and I was in dress shoes, pants that needed hemming, my winter pea coat and scarf and carrying my lovable, but oversized, purse). I ran THREE blocks, and he kept going, he even stopped at a stop long enough to see I was chasing him and he hesitated, and pulled away. I was about to stop and a girl said "you can still catch him", to which I cried out "I've been running so muuuuch...", but kept going, I finally collapsed on a doorstop in front of a building. I cried and heaved and felt very sick and was SO angry.

I sat there and thought about the stupid bus driver and how I was going to rant and rave on my blog tonight about this stupid driver, because I was sure it was "Joe", a guy who has no regard for his passengers (unless they're cute) and is always late and obnoxious and I just don't like him (I have a furrowed brow at this point). I had the post all written out in my head. But then, God has a sense of humour, and the next bus finally shows up, and Joe is the driver. I was furious, I can't even be mad at him-because he wasn't the one who drove away from me. Twice. In the rain. Downtown. bastard. 

Oh well, I think, and got on the bus, thinking "I'm almost home in time for my 'doomsday appointment' and I'll make it. Well Joe is one of those drivers who doesn't take lightly to the very windy road that is Queen Street. I felt so sick that I got off at a stop by my friend's house, fell to the ground and puked. I wobbled to her house (I was so dizzy), made it to the bathroom, regained composure and explained to her, her husband and her stunned kids why I ran into the house into the bathroom with little more than a "I'm gonna puuuuuke". I have no stamina for running and the run in the rain chasing after a bus, combined with the horrible bus ride and the company news just all added up to a very sick Niki.

My dear friend Laura dropped me off at home in time for me to eat a sandwich, get cleaned up and go ....

DRIVING. 

With a driving instructor. One lesson down, 9 more hours to go. The roads are safe until December 6, folks.

Like the title says, whataday.

And I'm now feeling quite humbled about my attitude to Joe, I'm sure the ever-present reminder of my encounter with asphalt and my pizza lunch, in reverse, a couple hours ago is helping that humility.