(no subject)

[dr_tectonic]

I should come up with something more interesting to talk about, but what's been going on in my life is: I'm almost not sick anymore!

I have a residual cough, and this really interesting thing where the guck in my ears is giving me differential tonal distortion -- the sounds in one ear come through at a different pitch than they do in the other ear.

And by "interesting" I mean "annoying", because it makes all music sound discordant. In some genres of music (electronica), this means that its sounds like they've used slightly harsher samples than they actually have. In others (showtunes), it means that everything sounds horribly horribly out of tune all over the place. So I'm hoping that'll go away before too long.

In other news, I actually did half my commute by bus today! (Half because J&G came up to Boulder to run errands and picked up the car, so they could each have one for the rest of the day, while I took the bus home.) I'm going to work on doing more commuting by bus because it's good for the environment, and because that will make life easier on our two-car, three-person household. So it was good practice. It took more time (an hour home instead of about 30-35 minutes), but on the other hand I was able to read most of the way. I'm going to try and bus it again tomorrow.

Comments

[ng-nighthawk.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you've got this figured out, but when I was bussing, I tried to focus on the fact that I could do things on the bus that I couldn't while driving. That made the extra time seem more like useful time--I could get reading done, or take notes on ideas on things in my head that needed working out. That kind of stuff changed my attitude from "this takes longer" to "I get so much more done when I ride the bus."

[jennsteele.livejournal.com]

It's funny you say this--I'm seriously thinking of getting another car (we're currently one-car two-person) so that I can stop taking the train or bus to work. It will cut my commuting time in half. I think I'd be happier about the train or bus if it weren't a two-leg trip (train->shuttle or bus->silver line). But it's just so damn EXPENSIVE, since I can't park for free. Stupid Boston...

[0nce-and-future.livejournal.com]

Yeha - public transit (except when it made me nauseous with motion sickness) was a great meditative chunk of day.

A book and my iPod and I'm ready to roll.

mini-vacations

[forest-dweller.livejournal.com]

...ever since I got a car, I've actually missed commuting to work...a walkman,a book or even the newspaper,or even just staring out the window and letting my mind wander....a mini-vacation twice a day...mmmmmm

G

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

Having to switch transit streams is a big ball of suck. Needing to change from the regional bus to the NCAR shuttle probably doubles the length of the trip for me.

But things are likely to improve as they make changes to the transit system around here. They're going to build a big transit hub not far from my work, and in a few years we might have a train running from near my house to near work...

Re: mini-vacations

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

Hey, just because you have a car doesn't mean you can't take the bus... =)

I also have an EcoPass from work, and that does a lot to make it a viable option for me.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

We basically have stopped using public transit.

It was a brutally cold winter, and I kept missing busses that had left earlier than they were scheduled to, causing me to stand out in the cold for 10 minutes before deciding to give up.

And it turns out that while the university is raising rates for parking, it's not raising them as fast as the transit rates are. So parking is $25/month or so, while 40 round-trip transit tickets is $28.

Of course, these days, it's pleasant out, so I'm just walking.

But I can't see taking the bus over my car when it's slower, more expensive, less pleasant and less reliable. I used to think it at least was more pleasant, but my frozen fingers disagree.

Good for you!

[baronet.livejournal.com]

Good Beemer, No Car!

[nosato.livejournal.com]

Morning and evening commuting... One thing that I learned in class, although theoretical, is that if there is someone sitting in a passenger seat during the rush hours (sharing), then the amount of the cars necessary on the road would be 1/2. Someone taking public transit is actually contributing for all other drivers...one fewer vehicle on the road (buses and trains run, anyway). I am a bus rider and my iPod and some reading stuff are always with me. :)