Commuting

Did I tell you I caught an honest to goodness commuting bus? I actually got up before 7am and was on a bus going into town at 7.15! You read right. I was up and running at 7.15 (am). For those of you who haven't guessed. I am a student first and foremost, albeit a mature one. I go to an art school which means that morning lectures are scheduled to start at 10am, and most of the students turn up at 11am. I'm fond of my bed; it often has a black cat curled up on it. It's a warm, restful place, whose peace is only disturbed by my boy insisting I have to get up to do his lunch. Little Hitler that he is.

Anyway, on Wednesday morning grey and early, I caught the Number 15 and changed for the Number 28 to get me to Hellesdon by 8.15. Up until now, I've been catching buses outside of rush hour. I never realised there was such a difference in atmosphere.

The bus driver was the only one awake (thank goodness). Everyone else seemed fast asleep, the bus was dead silent. Now, the Number 15 comes in from Silfield and is usually a really noisy trip, with kids and OAPs and mums chattering to their seat partner, or to the person behind. No one spoke throughout the whole trip. I was amazed when we got into town, that the bus driver didn't shout "Norwich City Centre! Wakey, wakey!" People got off the bus at half speed. I was half expecting paramedics waiting for us at the bus stop with caffeine IV drips at the ready. How these zombies would be turned into the Productive, I have no idea. I just looked at the bus driver, but he didn't act like it was out of the ordinary. I had to wait half an hour before the Number 28 rocked up in the grey and cold, but I did get to hear about Karen's great night out. She turned up at 7.30, wide awake and chirpy. She told her friend on the other end of her super-slim phone, and all of us waiting for the Number 28 about her non-excitement in her local pub. After awhile, I could see that silence that early in the morning is actually a virtue. Fortunately she ended her conversation before the bus arrived and I think we all enjoyed the completely silent trip.

I have to confess I'm glad I've got a lift organised for the rest of next weeks training. It means I get half an hour longer in bed. I'm not sure I've really got the stamina to do more runs on commuting buses. I'm not sure I'm prepared to suffer that much for my art.