Vacation Day 2
Vacation Diary Entry: Day 2 - Regina, Saskatchewan – City Travel
For the past 3 years my mom has been working her way through this city as a City Transit Rider. She began this part of her worldly adventures when she sold her car. Mom was 82 years old at the time.
The transit system of the city is very good in that the wait in between buses is as few as 10 minutes –most of the time. The only time it can be difficult is when the wait for 10 minutes is in a cold wind and the bus shelter is full of fat people smoking – when that happens small, frail older ladies stand outside with their canes and try to avoid the chilling wind on the other side of the shelter – and the smoke. 10 minutes is a long time when every one of your joints are hurting and you have osteoporosis. The frail lady is my mom and she suffers from some compression fractures.
On our first bus trip we didn’t even wait the 10 minutes – we almost missed the bus because we had to walk about one and half blocks to the bus stop – and my mom won’t run anymore! Note to Self: Next time Murray plan a little more time – and remember schedule, schedule, schedule…
The transit system can provide you humour as well. The happy people usually sit at the front of the bus along with the “funny” people and talk with the bus driver. The second stop was to pick up two aboriginal people and one non-aboriginal. The non-aboriginal greeted our bus driver as they seemed to know each other when she got on the bus. The bus driver closed the doors and then hesitated… the doors opened again… and the aboriginal man got on the bus slowly – he was drunk. The younger aboriginal lady stepped on behind him and proceeded to lecture the poor driver, “That wasn’t very nice. That wasn’t very courteous…” – because the driver had closed the doors on them. The driver explained for all of us to hear – “I am sorry miss there are other busses on this line and you didn’t move to get on the bus…” Her response again was “That wasn’t very nice.” Note to Self: To avoid any possible racial incidents – hold the doors open longer – then look at the floor when someone begins to argue about it… it isn’t my problem!
The transfer to the next bus took place at the city center near the large Victoria Park – downtown Regina. We walked about a half block to the next stop up ahead. That bus shelter had the fat people smoking and we found shelter in the lea of the shelter from the cool wind. This is where we begin meeting the “funny” people. One oversized, toothless lady beamed as she stared at me. About 50% of her teeth were missing. I looked down to avoid any eye contact… then in a few moments looked up again… she was still smiling at me – with all her toothless grin. I stepped to the side about 10 feet and she continued to look in the original direction and continued to smile. Okay? Note to Self: Regina is known as a friendly city – but there is a difference in some situations… ahem.
Mental note – ‘Downtown dogs in Regina cannot find grass to poop on – watch your step.’ The open area near the bus shelter had piles of poop – numbering around thirty five – all over the bus shelter area. Most had been stomped on accidentally in that they were all flattened. Note to Self: Look down more often – don’t look at toothless women that smile at you.
After 10 minutes of waiting I noticed a dude from the TV station shooting footage for ‘background colour’ – likely a Spring piece to be done on the local station. His new Saskatchewan Roughrider’s jacket was a dead give-a-way to his allegiance in the CFL. His shots were from a tripod pointing down one street trying to catch people strolling at lunch time in the crisp, cool, spring air – lots to shoot at this Scarth Street Mall area. Next he took his camera off the tripod and brought it close to the ground – right near the dog poop and pointed it our way catching the people walking toward him in the crisp, cool, spring air… and then back on to us… shivering in the lea of the shelter. As we climbed onto the bus he kept shooting through the bus’ front window at us. Note to Self: Toothless, Fat or whatever in Regina – keep smiling – you just might be on candid camera.
Waiting on the bus for its departure was warm and comfortable until I asked a dumb question of my mother. I simply said, “Mom, do you want to stop for your blood tests before we go home?” My daughter Dana responded, “I don’t think she can – she has to not eat before going to the lab.” I understood – no problem. But the “funny dude” that was sitting across from me on the seat – looked up and advised me that “You can’t get tests done after you have eaten something. When you go to the lab you must not have eaten anything.” I responded by looking stupidly at the TV camera still pointing at me through the front window. My new friend said it with more gusto “You can’t get tests done after you have eaten something. When you go to the lab you must not have eaten anything.” Note to Self: On public transit – don’t discuss any medical needs or procedures that you have to do… in that someone else may have had that same problem – and may just show you his operation scars next!
Shish – how do you stop the “funny person” from telling you more? The thought came in a flash, I said out loud to my mother and daughter, “Look the TV camera guy is going to step in the poop!” The new “funny friend’ that I had made – whipped around and stated adamantly – “Nope he missed it…” Then he stared at all the poop until the bus pulled away. Note to Self: Poop is not all that bad when it happens – it can get you out of sharing operation scars.
Ooops I missed telling you about another “funny person” at the bus stop. You all have witnessed teenagers with their Ipod (a small music gizmo to fill you full of musical stuff) glued/wired in their ears and maybe they are mouthing words to their favorite band being piped into their brains. Guess what? – when older guys my age are plugged into their Ipods – it isn’t cool. In fact it is so un-cool that it looks just plain stupid – and when he is singing out loud without any sign of background music – off key – but he knows the words well… it is double un-cool. The teen at the bus stop stared at the dude with the fancy Ipod thingie. Note to Self: You have watched too much Law and Order TV (Cop Shows) and the undercover cops of Regina don’t really look like this.
When we arrived back at my mom’s apartment I walked out on her 9th floor balcony. Way down below there were about six people waiting on a bus. There were three older ladies with canes, and two possibly three “funny people”. I wanted to go down and meet them – but I didn’t have time. Note to Self: When mom has said over and over again that she doesn’t take the city bus often as it tires her out… now I understand.
Dana my daughter said to me, “Dad, I am going to rent a car for this week. It will be easier for grandma. Are you okay with that?”
Note to Self: You sure have Fathered some brilliant kids!
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Formerly of Regina, Saskatchewan…
For the past 3 years my mom has been working her way through this city as a City Transit Rider. She began this part of her worldly adventures when she sold her car. Mom was 82 years old at the time.
The transit system of the city is very good in that the wait in between buses is as few as 10 minutes –most of the time. The only time it can be difficult is when the wait for 10 minutes is in a cold wind and the bus shelter is full of fat people smoking – when that happens small, frail older ladies stand outside with their canes and try to avoid the chilling wind on the other side of the shelter – and the smoke. 10 minutes is a long time when every one of your joints are hurting and you have osteoporosis. The frail lady is my mom and she suffers from some compression fractures.
On our first bus trip we didn’t even wait the 10 minutes – we almost missed the bus because we had to walk about one and half blocks to the bus stop – and my mom won’t run anymore! Note to Self: Next time Murray plan a little more time – and remember schedule, schedule, schedule…
The transit system can provide you humour as well. The happy people usually sit at the front of the bus along with the “funny” people and talk with the bus driver. The second stop was to pick up two aboriginal people and one non-aboriginal. The non-aboriginal greeted our bus driver as they seemed to know each other when she got on the bus. The bus driver closed the doors and then hesitated… the doors opened again… and the aboriginal man got on the bus slowly – he was drunk. The younger aboriginal lady stepped on behind him and proceeded to lecture the poor driver, “That wasn’t very nice. That wasn’t very courteous…” – because the driver had closed the doors on them. The driver explained for all of us to hear – “I am sorry miss there are other busses on this line and you didn’t move to get on the bus…” Her response again was “That wasn’t very nice.” Note to Self: To avoid any possible racial incidents – hold the doors open longer – then look at the floor when someone begins to argue about it… it isn’t my problem!
The transfer to the next bus took place at the city center near the large Victoria Park – downtown Regina. We walked about a half block to the next stop up ahead. That bus shelter had the fat people smoking and we found shelter in the lea of the shelter from the cool wind. This is where we begin meeting the “funny” people. One oversized, toothless lady beamed as she stared at me. About 50% of her teeth were missing. I looked down to avoid any eye contact… then in a few moments looked up again… she was still smiling at me – with all her toothless grin. I stepped to the side about 10 feet and she continued to look in the original direction and continued to smile. Okay? Note to Self: Regina is known as a friendly city – but there is a difference in some situations… ahem.
Mental note – ‘Downtown dogs in Regina cannot find grass to poop on – watch your step.’ The open area near the bus shelter had piles of poop – numbering around thirty five – all over the bus shelter area. Most had been stomped on accidentally in that they were all flattened. Note to Self: Look down more often – don’t look at toothless women that smile at you.
After 10 minutes of waiting I noticed a dude from the TV station shooting footage for ‘background colour’ – likely a Spring piece to be done on the local station. His new Saskatchewan Roughrider’s jacket was a dead give-a-way to his allegiance in the CFL. His shots were from a tripod pointing down one street trying to catch people strolling at lunch time in the crisp, cool, spring air – lots to shoot at this Scarth Street Mall area. Next he took his camera off the tripod and brought it close to the ground – right near the dog poop and pointed it our way catching the people walking toward him in the crisp, cool, spring air… and then back on to us… shivering in the lea of the shelter. As we climbed onto the bus he kept shooting through the bus’ front window at us. Note to Self: Toothless, Fat or whatever in Regina – keep smiling – you just might be on candid camera.
Waiting on the bus for its departure was warm and comfortable until I asked a dumb question of my mother. I simply said, “Mom, do you want to stop for your blood tests before we go home?” My daughter Dana responded, “I don’t think she can – she has to not eat before going to the lab.” I understood – no problem. But the “funny dude” that was sitting across from me on the seat – looked up and advised me that “You can’t get tests done after you have eaten something. When you go to the lab you must not have eaten anything.” I responded by looking stupidly at the TV camera still pointing at me through the front window. My new friend said it with more gusto “You can’t get tests done after you have eaten something. When you go to the lab you must not have eaten anything.” Note to Self: On public transit – don’t discuss any medical needs or procedures that you have to do… in that someone else may have had that same problem – and may just show you his operation scars next!
Shish – how do you stop the “funny person” from telling you more? The thought came in a flash, I said out loud to my mother and daughter, “Look the TV camera guy is going to step in the poop!” The new “funny friend’ that I had made – whipped around and stated adamantly – “Nope he missed it…” Then he stared at all the poop until the bus pulled away. Note to Self: Poop is not all that bad when it happens – it can get you out of sharing operation scars.
Ooops I missed telling you about another “funny person” at the bus stop. You all have witnessed teenagers with their Ipod (a small music gizmo to fill you full of musical stuff) glued/wired in their ears and maybe they are mouthing words to their favorite band being piped into their brains. Guess what? – when older guys my age are plugged into their Ipods – it isn’t cool. In fact it is so un-cool that it looks just plain stupid – and when he is singing out loud without any sign of background music – off key – but he knows the words well… it is double un-cool. The teen at the bus stop stared at the dude with the fancy Ipod thingie. Note to Self: You have watched too much Law and Order TV (Cop Shows) and the undercover cops of Regina don’t really look like this.
When we arrived back at my mom’s apartment I walked out on her 9th floor balcony. Way down below there were about six people waiting on a bus. There were three older ladies with canes, and two possibly three “funny people”. I wanted to go down and meet them – but I didn’t have time. Note to Self: When mom has said over and over again that she doesn’t take the city bus often as it tires her out… now I understand.
Dana my daughter said to me, “Dad, I am going to rent a car for this week. It will be easier for grandma. Are you okay with that?”
Note to Self: You sure have Fathered some brilliant kids!
~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Formerly of Regina, Saskatchewan…
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
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