A last trip?

 Now this blog started in 2013 and was mostly about my journey to work and back on public transport. In the majority of trips that was the bus. I had started making those journeys in early 2007.  Although part of the journey was familiar as I had worked at an office at the new halfway point for three years.

If you have visited here before, (and with one exception going off the comments and the visitor numbers it is quite likely you have not so look at prior posts please) , then you will be aware various factors changed the travel situation.

My mothers health, COVID 19, work on the offices I attended, the available space and indeed offices closing and locations changing.

There were less bus journeys, less regularity to travel, and the occasional unrelated to work trip being mentioned.

My father having his own health issues whilst my mothers remain means that for work travel has now well officially stopped. 

A last trip into the "new" office which was also an "old" office, I worked there from 2006 till the change over in 2007 and which will itself be closing and the staff moving "over the way a bit" to a new office in 2007.

So my last trip into work, well I had thought it would be on the bus, will my little red trolly. But my boss had other ideas and a lift in and back with her instead. My cars have changed so much and all updated integrated tech, for finding your way either from place to place or reversing into a space.

I still think the GPS took an odd route to the office. \a prebooked space in the underground car park brought back memories from 2006/7 and lifts in with a former boss and parking there, the double parking arrangements with numbers to call to let people you were blocking in know when you were leaving and giving them your number to call if they wanted to go at an earlier time. 

Up in the lift, sign in and on the ground floor. That means I have worked on every floor in that building even if it has been for just one day.

I did get some work done in amongst the farewells and that was it. Journey home in a car and my work journeys are over.

So what now going forward for me and the blog?

well I expect there will still be journeys, but at the moment few and short. I will add to the blog as it feels appropriate, its not been that prolific of late anyways. 

It will stay open of course for the occasional visitor and at times for me to refresh my memory.

Taxi, bus ,metro and car

 I was invited to a retirement "do" for a former manager, I have mentioned him on this blog before. 

The event was in a city an hour away by bus (and the express bus at that) but for which the return journey was likely to be less easy. 

My friend who had also worked with this particular gentleman offered to meet me there and to give me a lift home.

I got a taxi to the bus station, I know usually I walk but the weather has been somewhat capricious recently and I did not want to chance getting wet on the outbound journey.

Taxi was on time and fast so there was a bit of a wait at the bus station. I had forgotten just how cold those seats are when first you sit on them, they warm slightly as you sit.   Indeed temperature is going to be something of a theme I think.

Bus arrived, contactless payment, a window seat (not my preferred side but still OK) electronic reader and all set. I had started a short story and with the waiting time at the bus station I was finished it with some journey to go but did not feel like starting another. So I was just settling down to nap when my legs were freezing! Someone had opened a window, a stop later that someone got off and another person closed it. Warmth restored and nap time. It was reasonably safe, this a journey made before and my stop the termination of the route.

I woke up as the bus pulled in and my friend was waiting for me. Chilly walk to the venue which when we arrived was comfortably warm.

Familiar faces and lots of unknowns, some I had not seen for ten years or more. Its an odd thing the passage of time.

Event over for us (it did continue without us for some time) and off we went to get the metro to where my friend was parked, happily the ticket machine is no stranger to her and she navigated it on my behalf. I was somewhat befuddled from the more interactions with many many chatting people than I have had for months so I think I would have struggled to figure it out at any speed.

We sat on the platform, more cold seats and cold drafts from the wind through the tunnels. Then onto the metro and we were seated and chatting and a strange reciprocal warmth on our backs from the seats reflecting our body heat back.

A slight delay two stops from our destination then we were arriving and with reluctance stood, we had just got nicely warm.

Quick walk to the car and yes the seats were cold (no heated seats, I have encountered such delights before, although it can be somewhat startling having your posterior heat up if you do not know that is going to happen). Once more things had just warmed up cosy comfort when it was time for me to get out and go home.

My friend still had a distance to drive so had a bit longer to appreciate the warmth but that was a bit six and two threes as I am sure she would have been just as happy to be home sooner.

In cost from most expensive to cheapest for the public transport it was metro, taxi, bus. For distance longest to shortest it was bus, metro, taxi.

The most enjoyable well that was metro and car because I had the company of my friend, although the nap was nice I sort of miss bus napping.