This afternoon was my class in "Healing and Art" downtown. I thought I'd be expedient by driving my car to the Forest Hill area, parking and taking the streetcar. I did get down to the Westfield Center in about 15 minutes from my parked car, purchased some tea and took the elevator to the sixth floor. When the class was finished at 2:30 I hurried to the elevator with two other students and went to the underground Muni station to board an L, M, or K streetcar going back to Forest Hill. The J streetcar came first and my two friends got on chatting. I don't think they noticed that an Announcer on the P.A. system was telling all the passengers that there was some kind of problem at the Civic Center Station and that the muni cars would be held up for a while. The J-car just sat there with the doors open while my friends were chatting inside. I made a split-second decision to go up on top and catch a 71 bus. I rushed up the stairs and then up to Powell Street on the elevator. A bunch of school age boys saw me and said to their friend who was trying to get ahead of me, "Let the Senior Citizen go first." Boy that made me feel great. I guess I shouldn't be rushing so.
Outside, it was a beautiful sunny day, with people walking and busy going about their business. I turned towards the bus stop area and there was my 71. I looked carefully at the truck stopped at the stop sign, put my hand up and squeezed between him and the car in front just in time to board my bus. When I got on I heard a voice calling-- "Beverley". It sounded like my son and sure enough, there he was motioning to me to come to the back of the bus. While we were riding I told him about the hang-up at the Civic Center, and then all of a sudden I remembered that I left my car at Forest Hll Station. How was I going to get there? Kevin helped me out.
First we got off on Castro Street to catch the 43, but it drove right passed us. Then we crossed the street and a Parnassus Bus came along which we took to Cole Street and got off. There was a little time between buses so we went across the street at Cole and Parnassus and got some coffee and pastries. Another 43 went by and we figured there was 12 minutes between buses, so we finished our little snack and caught the next 43. Then in front of U.C. Parnassus, my daughter's aunt-in-law, Mary, boarded the bus. We chatted for awhile and then Mary hitched a ride with us when we finally got back to Forest Hill Station.
Well, it only took me two hours to get home, but it was an interesting two hours riding through the Haight Ashbury and Cole Valley neighborhoods with beautiful tree-lined streets and Victorian Houses. We dropped Mary off and I went home to my little house in the fog. Now I have to get ready to do this traveling all over again. I am going downtown in an hour to the Opera House to hear Turandot.
Outside, it was a beautiful sunny day, with people walking and busy going about their business. I turned towards the bus stop area and there was my 71. I looked carefully at the truck stopped at the stop sign, put my hand up and squeezed between him and the car in front just in time to board my bus. When I got on I heard a voice calling-- "Beverley". It sounded like my son and sure enough, there he was motioning to me to come to the back of the bus. While we were riding I told him about the hang-up at the Civic Center, and then all of a sudden I remembered that I left my car at Forest Hll Station. How was I going to get there? Kevin helped me out.
First we got off on Castro Street to catch the 43, but it drove right passed us. Then we crossed the street and a Parnassus Bus came along which we took to Cole Street and got off. There was a little time between buses so we went across the street at Cole and Parnassus and got some coffee and pastries. Another 43 went by and we figured there was 12 minutes between buses, so we finished our little snack and caught the next 43. Then in front of U.C. Parnassus, my daughter's aunt-in-law, Mary, boarded the bus. We chatted for awhile and then Mary hitched a ride with us when we finally got back to Forest Hill Station.
Well, it only took me two hours to get home, but it was an interesting two hours riding through the Haight Ashbury and Cole Valley neighborhoods with beautiful tree-lined streets and Victorian Houses. We dropped Mary off and I went home to my little house in the fog. Now I have to get ready to do this traveling all over again. I am going downtown in an hour to the Opera House to hear Turandot.
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