The great commute experiment

So my experiment with getting Monkey to school without the stroller continues.

This is all preparation for when:
1) I'm too fat (ok fine, pregnant) to waddle 1.76 miles (thank you, www.mapmyrun.com - now I know precisely how far I walk!)
2) It is raining, and walking isn't an option
3) I'm back in the grind post-birth by hacksaw (i.e., c-section) and trying to get TWO kids to school....

And again, I have to say that Monkey was EXCEPTIONAL! She walked, without fussing or complaints, happily holding my hand. She was cheerful and cooperative.

The bus, however, has NOT been cooperative.

My week thus far:

On Tuesday I waited a total of 60 minutes for my bus to arrive. 35 minutes in the morning, and 25 at night. With an insane toddler, bored out of her skull, a few feet away from a busy Manhattan street. Nice.

On Wednesday I got on our bus to head home and, well, I had made the mistake of trying to use the stroller. So I got on the bus with a stroller, my lunch bag, Monkey's lunch bag, Monkey's bag of clothing to come home from school, my purse, my insane toddler, AND my 5 months pregnant bump and lack of balance. And fell on my arse when the bus lurched. It was so pathetic that a little old lady gave me HER seat. Now that's embarrasing, when a 80 year old is in better shape than you. And I'm on the maximum dosage of tylenol today, because I wrenched the muscles in my groin, up around my side and into my back. Nice.

Today? No real problems, per se. Just Monkey decided to get into my purse and before I could say boo had dropped my makeup on the floor. I'm down one set of eye drops, one tube of lipbalm, and one tube of MAC lipstick (Del Rio, best shade on earth). Dammit!

I have bad bus karma. I just do. Wonder what I did in a prior life?

Houdini, indeed

So after much thought and hand-wringing, we went ahead and bought a wrist leash for Monkey, to try and keep her safe on the sidewalks.

Today was my trial run with it. Monkey and I were to walk, sans stroller (first time ever) to the bus and take the bus to school.

Monkey was awesome. She held my hand, or held onto the pole for the bus stop sign, without throwing mega tantrums.

The leash, however? Totally f*cking useless. Monkey had it stripped off her hand in less time than it took to put it on.

Bad Bus Karma

I seriously hate the bus. My family laughs at me...but I seriously hate the bus.

And, I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual.

This morning I waited for 12 minutes, in the rain, with a screaming toddler pitching a tantrum because she hates the rain shield, waiting for a bus that NEVER SHOWED UP.

Isn't there a pithy quote about how 90% of life is just showing up? Apparently MTA BusM104 missed that nugget of wisdom while bouncing on his grandpappy's axle.

I know, 12 minutes isn't the end of the world. But still, it is just the latest in a long list of crummy bus experiences.

There was the time the bus I was on got pulled out of service because an insane guy refused to let an obese woman sit next to him. When the bus driver (rightly) tried to intervene, it got physical, the cops got called.....and I ended up running 15 blocks to make it to my doctor's appointment on time.

There was the time I waited for a bus for 40 minutes. And it never came.

And there was also the time that the hydraulic lift got stuck - halfway up - with a woman in her wheelchair on the lift. That bus also was taken out of service.

If you are ever with me in New York city, and I suggest that we take the bus together? Just say no.....you never know if my bad bus karma is contagious.