Here Comes The - WHAT?

Let’s see... What all happened to me today? Quick recap: Very early morning, hour and a half commute, late night at work, proposal on the bus, late dinner. Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
Since my special project fell through this week, I got put on a client for the rest of the week, trying to help a team wrap up the audit in the next couple of days. I had seen this client on my schedule as a tentative assignment when my week initially freed up. So yesterday afternoon I went to one of the managers on the job to see if they still needed me, or if I should offer my services to the other directors in the office. He checked and decided that they could use me. I guess I learned my lesson about being too nice. This client is an hour train ride out of the city. And a 20-minute bus ride just to get into the city. Since I had to be at the client at 8:30, I left the apartment at 6:45 in order to get to the client on time. Holy crap! I’m glad I only have three days of this commute! You guys know me – I don’t do mornings!
I walked out the door, was almost to the bus stop, and figured out that I had left my transit pass in my coat the night before. So off I jog, and I manage to get back to the bus stop right as my bus gets there. Whew! Then I got to the train station about 5 minutes before the train I needed arrived. So I think this commute is one of those where you have to be right on point to make it!
I got off the train an hour later, and walked out. The trains here require you to scan your ticket when you get on and when you get off. (Different rates for different distances for folks who don’t have travel passes.) My card was rejected as I tried to get out. There were no machines on the inside of the gate, so I had to go over to the information counter. I handed the lady my card and said, “Does my ticket work this far out?” She looked at it and said, “No.” I said, “Oh, okay. Well, how do I get out of here, then?” She smiled and said, “Oh just go on through that gate there. [It was a handicap access gate.] It’s fine. But when you come back, you need to buy a ticket from Strasfield to here in order to get out next time.” What a lucky day! Free ride!
I walk outside, and have to hail a taxi to get from the station to the client. I told the driver the address, and we’re off. A few minutes later, he pulls over, stops the meter, and starts flipping through his map. We can’t find the place, and the only name I know is the company’s official name, not its trading name. Crap. So the guy figures out where it should be in general. He turns the cab around, and we’re in the middle of accident traffic. So he recommends I get out and walk, as it will be shorter and cheaper. Well, at least people have been nice today. I got on my mobile phone and started calling the manager on the job. After five minutes of calling and walking all around, I get him, and he tells me where to go. Great timing – he had just gotten there and would meet me at the front door to show me where to go.
After the unusual morning (to say the least), the rest of my day was pretty quiet. Although I have to say – my first day auditing under International Standards, and I get handed some interesting accounts to audit. I spent my day setting up the files and trying to figure out how in the world these Aussie accounts work. Needless to say, I’ll have a list of questions to go through tomorrow. But I’m definitely learning some new stuff here.
My ride home was decent. One of the guys on the job gave another guy and me a ride to a closer train station to the city (it saved us about 20-30 minutes). No long wait on the train. I got to my stop and was cutting through to the bus stop, when I realized I needed food for dinner. So I stopped at the grocery store in the station. This store is nicer than the one I usually go to, and is open late! But I get out of the store, walk to the buses, and the one I need is right there waiting. Unfortunately, there were a ton of people on the bus, so I had to stand for most of the ride.
A guy got on behind me, and was standing facing me. I thought the bus must be really bouncing around, because the guy was really swaying. But then I figured out that the bus hadn’t moved, yet, and that he was just drunk. At 8 pm on a Wednesday. Man, way to go! So then he started talking to me on the ride, even though I was listening to my iPod. I still have no idea about half of what he was saying to me. He was a 50-something drunk Irishman. (Just my luck, right?) And he kept talking to me and asking questions. I caught half of them. Usually I am good with accents, but when he was slurring his speech, well, it was tough to make out most of the conversation. So he asked where I was from and then asked if I was over here with my husband. I told him no, I wasn’t married. (Damn my honest self!) He then grabbed my hand and said, “Let’s get married! Right here on the bus! What do you say?!” I said no. And the other people on the bus kept staring at the two of us. I couldn’t tell if they felt sorry for me for getting stuck talking to this guy the entire ride, or if they were just pissed. But no one stepped in to help me get away from the guy, so whatever. Some seats freed up, so I sat down, and my new friend decided to join me. I managed to squeeze off the bus a couple of stops later, and walked home where I had time to heat up dinner, eat, and then type up this blog before I head off to bed. It’s getting late and I need to get up early tomorrow! But as a parting comment, I want to say to all of you who have been telling me to find a husband over here: Go to hell!
To wrap up, I’ll share with you that I lucked out when I got on the train tonight. Way out where I had to catch it, it’s not exactly the hot spot, and they don't hand out papers there. But I managed to find an mX on one of the seats on the train. Man, the things I do for you folks!
TEXT VENTS:
“People who cut their nails on the train, you are gross and that sound is annoying. The train is not your bathroom.” – MB, Central Coast
“I am so over Kylie Minogue. She is nearly 50 and is still dressing up as a cat.” – Amelia, Circular Quay (AUSTRALIAN BLASPHEMY!)
STORY OF THE DAY:
This one is only funny because of the picture I have in my head. And because it proves that exercise is bad for you. Apparently, some “very large lady” at a NY sports club was working out on some machine called the “abductor.” This thing is supposed to firm up the hip and thigh muscles. So there is a certain way you get off of the machine (from the side), but this lady decided to go her own way (over the leg bar). Her pants got caught in the handle, and the machine “slingshot” her off of the equipment. On a sad note, though, she did have to be hauled out of the gym in a rescue basket by fire fighters. At the same time, I keep getting some sort of Looney Tunes cartoon picture in my hear of this whole thing...