Once upon a time, I used to find myself in bad situations, sometimes of my own making, and I was at a total loss as to what to do. I’m a really big fan of redundancy. For instance, when I’m leaving work after 5:37 and the #27 Corporate Woods bus is running late, I know the #31 Albany-Shaker bus will be by in about 10 minutes; I actually used that particular plan B a couple Fridays ago.
On Thursday past, I was leaving work early to pick up Lydia. I planned to take the 4:07 but it never comes. I went back into the building to check the time, and it’s 4:22; the security guard said there is traffic backed up on I-90, which the #27 takes. What are my options? I could have called an expensive cab, but that didn’t seem viable either, because there was a guy out there waiting for a cab longer than I was awaiting the bus.
So I decided to walk out the back way out of Corporate Woods and try to catch the #31, which does NOT come into the CW at this hour. My chances of catching it are slim. If I don’t, I’ll have to walk an additional mile to call the day care and tell them…what?
When I’m really stressing, I talk to myself. Out loud. Apparently in an animated way. One of the people who I’ve seen on my floor, and who I’m friendly with but don’t know extremely well, is driving by in her vehicle. She sees this display, pulls over and asks what’s wrong. I note that it’s now 4:36 and I have to take two buses to get to day care by 5:15 and the first one’s nowhere in sight. First she offers me a ride to where I could pick up the second bus, then getting close to there, decides to drive me cross town to where the day care center is, near one of the Albany hospitals. I should note that she was going to Latham, in absolutely the opposite direction. Also, she was a smoker, but refused to smoke in her vehicle until I was delivered to my destination, which I get to in plenty of time, since was taking Albany-Shaker rather than the highway.
I feel so blessed.
ROG