i mean it this time.
Let's just start by saying I failed at leaving my car parked and biking everywhere. The car went a total of one day before being dusted off and driven again.
First of all, my parents invited me to Michigan for the fourth of July weekend. I kind of need a car for that. Biking there would take a little too long. So that happened.
I took the Skyway (tollway)on the way home, which allowed me to find out once and for all if my Ipass works in Indiana. I figured, it's an "Ipass," right? The "I" can stand for Illinois OR Indiana, right? Yeah, well, despite my amazing logic, it turns out it doesn't. I guess Indiana and Illinois aren't that cooperative with each other. I just thought MAYBE it would be nice to have an automatic toll thingy that worked in your neighboring state as well, since Chicago pretty much sprawls into Indiana anyway. But no. No dice.
This brought me to a small problem, since I never have to carry change for the tolls in my car anymore. The toll booth appeared ahead just as I was exiting I-90 (the Skyway), and I realized I had no change. No problem, right? I'll just go to one of the manned booths and pay with dollar bills. So I did that, but the manned booth wasn't manned. So here I am, at the booth, which is a good car's length in front of the unmanned coin bucket (what do you call those things?), with a line of cars behind me, and no money. After scouring the car, I scraped up two quarters, and got out of the car to walk to the bucket and throw them in. The car behind me was amazingly patient. So everything turned out okay, and I was able to leave the tollbooth without crashing through a gate. But this is what I ask: is it so much trouble to clearly mark which booths are automatic and which ones are manned? Last I saw in Illinois, if there was a booth, there WAS A PERSON IN IT, or it would be closed. Is that too much to ask?
Then comes my second attempt to leave the car alone. As I decided Monday at 5pm to buy a Powerbook (which I'm writing this on now, thankyouverymuch), I had to go downtown to the Apple Store. Naturally, I already dreaded the downtown traffic and parking hassles, especially at 5pm, and besides, I'm trying not to use the car, right? The obvious answer was to take the bus, which should be convenient because the Chicago Ave. line would drop me off about two or three blocks away from the Apple store. So I set off. In no time at all I arrive at the bustop on Chicago and Leavitt, and proceed to wait.
And wait.
And wait. After a half hour of waiting, I gave up, found my car, and drove to the Apple store.
When I'm driving down Chicago Ave., Western Ave., Ashland, or many other Chicago streets, I'm constantly stuck behind those damn buses! They move extra slow and take up both lanes so you can't get past them. They are a nuisance, and they are EVERYWHERE. I can't get away from them when I'm in my car. WHEN I'M IN MY CAR.
When I want the bus, not one can be seen for a half an hour. Probably more. Again, I didn't wait around.
It was probably just as well that I drove, because I ended up getting a free printer out of the deal, and the whole package would have been a pain to drag back with me on a bus. (Yes, don't order online if you're buying an ibook or powerbook, go to one of the stores and they'll give you a free HP printer with it. Of course, I don't know if it's any good yet. Haven't hooked it up.)
So I'm resetting the clock. This is take two. No more driving, I mean it this time.
Listening to: Life at Sea (again. too lazy to get it out of my dvd player.)
In my sink: Well, let's see. There's five cups, four spoons, a fork, a knife, a microwave bowl, four bowls, two plates, and a used spaghetti sauce jar. I guess I should fill the dishwasher today. Now. Er... or something.
First of all, my parents invited me to Michigan for the fourth of July weekend. I kind of need a car for that. Biking there would take a little too long. So that happened.
I took the Skyway (tollway)on the way home, which allowed me to find out once and for all if my Ipass works in Indiana. I figured, it's an "Ipass," right? The "I" can stand for Illinois OR Indiana, right? Yeah, well, despite my amazing logic, it turns out it doesn't. I guess Indiana and Illinois aren't that cooperative with each other. I just thought MAYBE it would be nice to have an automatic toll thingy that worked in your neighboring state as well, since Chicago pretty much sprawls into Indiana anyway. But no. No dice.
This brought me to a small problem, since I never have to carry change for the tolls in my car anymore. The toll booth appeared ahead just as I was exiting I-90 (the Skyway), and I realized I had no change. No problem, right? I'll just go to one of the manned booths and pay with dollar bills. So I did that, but the manned booth wasn't manned. So here I am, at the booth, which is a good car's length in front of the unmanned coin bucket (what do you call those things?), with a line of cars behind me, and no money. After scouring the car, I scraped up two quarters, and got out of the car to walk to the bucket and throw them in. The car behind me was amazingly patient. So everything turned out okay, and I was able to leave the tollbooth without crashing through a gate. But this is what I ask: is it so much trouble to clearly mark which booths are automatic and which ones are manned? Last I saw in Illinois, if there was a booth, there WAS A PERSON IN IT, or it would be closed. Is that too much to ask?
Then comes my second attempt to leave the car alone. As I decided Monday at 5pm to buy a Powerbook (which I'm writing this on now, thankyouverymuch), I had to go downtown to the Apple Store. Naturally, I already dreaded the downtown traffic and parking hassles, especially at 5pm, and besides, I'm trying not to use the car, right? The obvious answer was to take the bus, which should be convenient because the Chicago Ave. line would drop me off about two or three blocks away from the Apple store. So I set off. In no time at all I arrive at the bustop on Chicago and Leavitt, and proceed to wait.
And wait.
And wait. After a half hour of waiting, I gave up, found my car, and drove to the Apple store.
When I'm driving down Chicago Ave., Western Ave., Ashland, or many other Chicago streets, I'm constantly stuck behind those damn buses! They move extra slow and take up both lanes so you can't get past them. They are a nuisance, and they are EVERYWHERE. I can't get away from them when I'm in my car. WHEN I'M IN MY CAR.
When I want the bus, not one can be seen for a half an hour. Probably more. Again, I didn't wait around.
It was probably just as well that I drove, because I ended up getting a free printer out of the deal, and the whole package would have been a pain to drag back with me on a bus. (Yes, don't order online if you're buying an ibook or powerbook, go to one of the stores and they'll give you a free HP printer with it. Of course, I don't know if it's any good yet. Haven't hooked it up.)
So I'm resetting the clock. This is take two. No more driving, I mean it this time.
Listening to: Life at Sea (again. too lazy to get it out of my dvd player.)
In my sink: Well, let's see. There's five cups, four spoons, a fork, a knife, a microwave bowl, four bowls, two plates, and a used spaghetti sauce jar. I guess I should fill the dishwasher today. Now. Er... or something.
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