Sup

Some things that are up with me.

I’ve started taking the train to work. The commute’s not insane, it’s like 35 minutes, maybe 40 door to door. But it’s really annoying to me because it feels like a waste of time. I can only listen to the radio, normally sports-talk radio, and that’s like 30% commercials (actually, it seems like all morning radio is commercial dominated).

The problem with mass transit is that it’s actually expensive, in addition to being less convenient. If parking cost a lot of money, like it does in the city, it’d be different, but it’s largely free in the South Bay. Except at the CalTrain station, which charges $2 a day. Mass transit is good, but there’s no way I’m paying a premium for it.

Anyway, my company subsidizes some of it, and I found a free lot that’s not too far from the station, which makes it worth it. Additionally, the express train takes only 9 minutes from Sunnyvale to Palo Alto. That’s a lot of time saved, and I can read during it. So positives all around.

However, the last express train leaves at 8:15, and the time saved makes taking the express very worth it in my eyes, so I’ve been taking that every day. It’s the first time I’ve been getting up early on a regular basis since high school. I almost feel like a real grownup.

I’m also taking a Philosophy class this quarter at Stanford through the Continuing Education program, largely at the urging and support of Jieun. I have to say I’m really excited about it. In fact, after class on Tuesday, I was as delighted as I’ve been in the last year about anything other than relationship. I could not have been more excited – it was Stanford beating USC-esque. I have many thoughts about but I’ll bore everyone with it later.

Those two things (my train taking and the class) cause problems though. Like last week. I had brought my comforter into work to get cleaned (using some service we have – it’s a total ripoff, but it doesn’t fit in our apartment laundry machines, and taking it somewhere else is a big hassle), and I wanted to take it home that day because I was feeling cold every night in our replacement blanket. That was the day I have class. I couldn’t come back after class and pick it up because the class ends with just enough time for me to get to the station for a train, and the next train comes over an hour later. So I had to carry the comforter with me.

I don’t know if you’ve ever walked Palm Drive, but it’s a freaking long walk. I walk with my head kind of down, so I walk for minutes, then look up, and it’s the same sight – palm trees in front of you. After 20 minutes you start to feel despair, which is right when you hit the circle. And this particular week, I had to carry this bulky comforter. The shape of which was such that it was easiest to carry by clutching it to my torso, arms wrapped around it. Except it’s a comforter, so doing that made my torso incredibly hot. Add to that the fact that I was slightly late and rushing, and you get not good times.

In the end, I interrupted the Philosophy discussion by coming in late, sweaty, out of breath, holding an enormous comforter. Everyone looked bewildered. And rightly so.