Fits and starts

It's been awhile (again) and it's late so...
We had great days last week. Lots of sun, some rain, some clouds. Lots of blankets and pillows aired. Lots of blankets re-folded and put away again. Lots of steps back and forth and so on.
This morning, a kid and I (ok, she's a young lady; she's a university student; she can hook up and run an IV and even ask all the right questions, do all the right things. When will I ever get used to these kids growing up on me? Never, that's when.) So, Irina and I got up bright and early and trekked across the road to the bus station. Bus was (supposed to be) at 8.40. At 8.35, no bus and I went to ask the dispatcher. She looked personally offended and assured me it would definitely be there. 10 min later, no bus. I go back, this time to the ticket counter, not wanting to risk offending the dispatcher completely. Ticket lady assured me it would come. Roam around looking and feeling doubtful. No bus. Then an announcement- our bus broke down and has been cancelled. All passengers should sell back their tickets. Great. I was first in line because I already was in hover mode. Get tickets for 9.50- an hour's wait. Too much baggage and too many steps to drag it all back to the apt so we find a spot and wait. Along about 9.45, with no bus in sight, I'm getting antsy again. At 10.00, in I go. To the dispatcher. Our bus hasn't come. She nods her head. It was supposed to be at 9.50. She nods her head. It's not coming, is it? She nods her head. Take your tickets and get on the 11.00 bus, she says. This time, we go up the hill a bit to a café for coffee and an early lunch. We have, after all, approximately an 8 hour bus ride.
About 15 min before bus time, back we go. The bus is there. Hurray!! Heh. And it's full. To capacity. No seats. Groan. Now this could get to be a long day. Sigh.
Dispatcher scurries over, looking for me. I have to buy your tickets back and sell you new ones, she gasps. Tickets on the earlier bus were more expensive than on this one. I hurry off after her and then mournfully explain what the morning's been like. And, I say plaintively, there are no seats. Nothing but standing room.
How is that possible, she asks. You have tickets. You don't stand when you have a ticket. Come on, I'll sell you places on the bus. There are just a bunch of people on that bus with no tickets (a common scenario, I might add. They simply buy them from the driver, generally at a lower price).
And you know what, she sold us tickets. With places 15 and 16. Now go out there and tell those people to give you your seats. And make the driver help you.
I scurried back out. There were a couple of teenagers in them. Umm, I say. Umm, we have tickets for those seats. (I felt bad...but we had a long way to go and, as it turned out, they didn't.) they looked like they'd been expecting that very thing for awhile already and quickly got up and moved to the aisle. I thanked them profusely and we sat.
The bus was crowded most of the way. People standing for hours. I asked one lady why she hadn't gone and gotten a ticket like we did. She said she'd tried at the last minute but couldn't. Had been told to come talk to the driver. And it dawned on me that, since we'd had tickets all along, they were good to us. And I decided then and there that no matter how much some drivers fuss at you for getting tickets inside, I'm going to cont doing it. Today, it was completely worth every hassle I've ever had in the past.
And today? Today, I met the nicest bus station lady/dispatcher ever. I had no idea they could be like that. She was sort of ouchy at first but totally came through for us. I could have hugged her. :)
And now...we're in. And it's late. We're far enough north here that this time of year is deceiving. Summer solstice. Gets dark late. 9.30 PM and you can see just fine out there. 10.00- it's twilight. So, it's high time to be in bed. But it's great to be here!
:)