The Best Part of Yesterday

 Wednesday.  It's the middle of the week and nothing special about it.  It's a reminder that we're halfway through the work week.  Is the glass half empty or half full?  Who am I to say?

Yesterday was a pretty typical Wednesday, except for the heat and humidity.  It's been brutal for seemingly ever.  Don't tell me that climate change isn't a thing or that we don't need to (or can't) do anything about it.  When someone who generally loves the heat is complaining, there's an issue!

It was hot when I got up and attempted to walk.  I was a sweaty mess before I even started.  (And I started before the sun was up.)  I was moving kinda slow (like Uncle Joe...does anyone else get that dated reference?) because I just couldn't slog through the air as quickly as I would have liked.  It took me nearly an hour to go just 2.5 miles.  (That's sad.)  When I got in a cold shower I didn't want to get out.  But I did.

I (sort of) put myself together and headed for the bus.  I purposely took the later one that I usually do because it would be less of a walk.  (Yes, that's how hot it was.)  When the bus arrived, I was the only passenger (but not for too long) and the air conditioning was blasting.  So I went from hot to cold.  By the time we got to my stop (after several arguments between various passengers and the driver...too many people pretend not to be aware of the rate increase that went into effect at the beginning of this month), I was nice and cool.   However, then it was out into the heat and onto a warm(ish) city light rail.  Penn Station was steamy as was the elevated walkway (even more so on my way home when the sun was hitting it in the just the right way).  But in my office...you know what I'm going to say, right? COLD!

Well it wasn't too bad in the early part of the day.  However, by midday when I had to go into a meeting in a conference room I needed my fleece jacket.  Yes, you read that right.  According to the weather app it was in the 90s outside (with real feel around 107) and I've got my fleece on to keep warm.

Meanwhile, while I was in a cold office, my son was meeting a friend in NYC. Because I was not around to take him to the train station, he had to take the bus to the train.  No biggie, but he didn't allot himself enough time for bus to train initially and ended up going in a little later than he had anticipated. Wearing a t-shirt and jeans (why won't this kid wear shorts?), he and his friend (and suitemate come this August) wandered around the village, doing what the young do.  (I was never young...and I definitely was not adventurous.  I'm glad my son is.  He reminds me of my Great Uncle Harold who traveled the world and went to more places than I could even relay.  He was the kind of person who went parasailing [with a trained escort] when he was in his 80s.  Or maybe it was his 90s?)

I left my office a little early, hoping to catch the 4:10 bus.  I told my son that he needed to call me when he was on his way home and I'd pick him up at the train station.  He said he might be home before me.  I laughed...I got to the bus stop just seconds after an earlier bus had left.  (I was running up the stairs and it was making its way up the street...away from me.)  So I waited for what WAS the 4:10, which became the 4:12.  And then the 4:15 before finally pulling up around 4:17.  Even "hiding" behind the bus stop waiting area, I was still a sweaty mess.

As I headed home, I started tracking my son.  (Yes, I track him and he can track me too.  Although I don't think he ever remembers to use it.  When he asked me when I'd be home a couple of Saturdays ago, he  could have just looked and seen that I was stuck in horrible traffic, but...)  His train moved faster than my bus.  (Less stops and no traffic lights.)  Pretty soon he was at the station and I was still a couple of miles to the east.

Maybe by now you've figured out the best part of my day...

He knew the bus I was on was coming.   I actually texted him about our progress. (Which again he could have used the tracking app for.)  And after 10 minutes or so or waiting, the bus pulled up to the stop where he was.  And I was waiting with a seat saved for him right next to me.

 

(Here we are.  I purposely cut most of him out of the photo so as not to embarrass him too much.  But I needed to leave some so you could see that he was there. Also, when I am on a crowded light rail or bus, I still mask up.  It certainly doesn't hurt!)

That last portion of the ride was the best bus ride I've ever had and the best part of my day.  My son told me about his day (with some prodding) and we actually talked.  And when we reached our stop, we walked home together.  (He had to slow his stride because he's over a foot taller than me!)  He even offered to carry my backpack!  (I raised him right!)

There was just something special (at least for me) in that 20 or so minute bus ride and walk.  It will (most likely) never happen again.  So I will cherish it; even though it wasn't "special" it was special for me.