The Skyway

I have finally discovered how to get from the Lumber Exchange building to my building via the skyway. When i get off the bus, i round the corner of Gay 90's (narrowly missing two men sweeping the sidewalk free of cigarette butts) and hike down two blocks to my work...outside. Well, it's chilly folks and i had to figure out how to get to my building inside!

I bravely crossed the street. I spotted a lady going into the same door i wanted to go in. I followed her! HA! Up the stairs i went and into an odd looking lobby. Up another set of stairs i went, i wound my way through a short hall, and i entered the main lobby of the Lumber Exchange building. The elevator lobby is as it was when first built. Green cooper wall medallions on a brass wall above the elevator doors. Marble floor. Wood with glass revolving doors.

I would never have guessed it was like this inside the building. The exterior is just massive "bricks" in clay color but inside it's another world. Up two flights of marble steps and i find myself on my way to the skyway.

The skyway level, in most buildings, are huge hallways that are wide and noisy. This was different. The "skyway" in this building was like walking through a normal office floor, except no one was there. A secret snack shop was tucked away in an unlikely spot. Signs posted on the wall stating business names. No glass store fronts, no big store signs, just painted sheetrock walls and random doors.

It's a very unused portion of the skyway and part of me felt like i was intruding in this quite stretch of halls. Part of me wondered if i was going the right way. As i wound my way through the halls and went through numerous doors, i kept wondering if i was really supposed to be where i was. Lit signs hanging on the walls assured me i was heading in the right direction.

I came up to another elevator lobby. Marbled floors, hotel-looking elevators... I rounded the corner, lo and behold, there was the huge skyway hall leading into City Center. I take this skyway back and forth to the bus stop and work each day now. Everytime i walk through the door heading towards the Lumber Exchange, i feel like i'm entering another time zone, another world, a quiet world that has been forgotten and idly watches the few "passengers" make their way through it's system.

Not Once... But Twice!

Yesterday i had to run an errand to Target. Working downtown certainly has its advantages when a Target store is within walking distance. I find it a great destination to clear my head from work "stuff".

As i am buzzing through the store, i took a shortcut through the Men's department. Lo and behold i encountered my first tattooed face of this year. Last year i encountered a man, who was in his 60s(?) with a tattooed and pierced face, at the Farmer's Market.

I am always fascinated with why people make the decision to tattoo their face. It's not just a small design, it's an intricate design that usually covers the entire face. In the case of the 60 year old, it was a great example of tattooes-gone-wrinkled. In the case of the Men's Dept. guy, he was fairly young... 30s?

I often thought of asking them, why did you do it and do you have a job? Who hires you? I don't have a problem with it but i think other's may be intimidated to see a tattoo faced applicant. I don't stare... perhaps i'm being defiant in their eyes by not looking or staring at their faces.

Walking home i saw my second tattooed face of the year! In the same day! This one had more "highlights" than an all-over facial tattoo. This person had a hat on so i'm not really sure what the entire face looked like. Again, i didn't stare, i just keep moving... and wondering... what do they do for a living? what was their purpose in tattooing the face? What type of attention are they looking for? Hmmmm...

The Squirrel

The whole reason i entertained the thought of blogging was because of a squirrel. I witness strange things and i would tell myself, "you need to get a blog going to document this". Now that i have started a blog, i should now reveal the story behind the story.

The buses have been rerouted downtown due to construction. This means i'm walking further and outside to catch the bus. I'm pretty sure i've told that part a few times. I usually walk down a block on 3rd St. rather than waiting on Hennepin. I end up on a block that has a marble wall for half the block, and then building for the rest of the block. The only break in this marble wall and building, is the entrance to a parking garage, otherwise there are no doors or anything...

I "park" myself generally on one side of the garage entrance. It annoys me to no-end to stand bunched up with everyone waiting for their buses. I prefer to leave some space on the sidewalk for pedestrians... Anywho...

It was a mild fall day and there was a lot of traffic on 3rd st. All of a sudden there is a squirrel that managed to cross the 3rd st. to our side. It was straight out of a cartoon. I could hear is scritching its claws on the sidewalk as it skidded into the marble wall. The poor squirrel bounced off the wall, almost ended up back in the street, tried to go up a tree, went back down the tree and climbed up a lady's pant leg.

Did you get that? The squirrel climbed up this poor lady's pant leg. The lady was wearing brown pants. I can see where the squirrel got confused! The squirrel, realizing it's error after the woman screams, scurries back down and up the "correct" tree. It latched onto a branch and ran over the marble wall to it's final destination.

Now i'm not sure whose heart was beating faster... the squirrel's or the lady's? And there you have it. The story behind the story.

Pre-Trip for This Bus Includes:

1. Move forward 4 feet.
2. Check mirrors.
3. Move back 1 foot.

That was what i got to read on my trip home last night. Along with:

All Passengers to be behind the white line while bus is in operation.

The bus was PACKED! I barely eeked on. There were two people in front of me who squished themselves behind the white line. The buses were running behind, some people were grumpy and some were philosphical. I just kept my mouth shut and was glad i wouldn't be late picking Olivia up. Well, i take that back. One lady sitting on the sideway-seat next to me said something and i said, "i need to pick up my daughter." Her response back was, "me too." I thought really? Are you sure you didn't mean your grandkid? Hmmm...

Before i got on the bus i noticed a guy standing next to his bike, waiting at the bus stop. He appeared a little antsy. Looking around, talking on his phone, almost trying to look as if he did this type of "thing" everyday. You know,that "thing" of riding the bus! By golly, he was hoppin' from one foot to the next just waiting for that bus to show. It just so happens it was the bus i was waiting for, along with 20 other people!

The bus gets to the stop. Everyone does this "mad line-assembly dance" to get on the bus. There is this strange thing of, "if i was here before you, i get on before you." Well, the "biker guy" dutifully put his bike on the front rack on the bus, and proceeded to just plow through everyone getting on the bus. He ended up standing two people behind me. I just want to note that i wasn't watching where he would end up on the bus. I couldn't have cared less because i got on and that's all that mattered. I simply know where he was because he proceeded to CALL his friend and have a casual conversation on the phone. Now, you just don't do this on the bus, have a casual conversation! I almost wanted to turn around and ask if i could be invited to his little campfire party on friday too! hee hee. I didn't.

Grumpy guy sitting on the sideway-seat 1 person behind me, was something else. He had a few points to make. Particularly when there were stops made and we all had to do the mad-aisle-dance to get out of people's way so they could get off. So... i just ensured that he had my Timbuktu bag in his lap each time i had to lean in to let others off. Oddly, he was quite after the first stop.

Prophetic lady in front of me just said, "gosh! it certainly is nice to just STAND after sitting all day. i can stretch out now. I don't mind standing at all!". As she is stating this, she is peering around to see if anyone else is paying attention to her good cheer. I just nodded and kept my mouth shut. Again, i'm just glad i'm on the bus and not late.

Lady behind me says, "well, i'm not moving back to find a seat. I want to be one of the first off because i've been standing for so long already." Fine by me. That means there is no place for me to go and once again, i couldn't care less.

I focused on my attention on the two stickers pasted on the "upper wall" of the bus. Pre-trip for this bus includes:... :)

as a matter of fact...

...i can sleep standing up. Well, more or less anyways. Before the construction happened on Marquette (downtown), i could choose where to catch my bus. The best choice was on 6th St. and 2nd Ave. If i caught the bus there, the chances of being able to snag a seat were much greater. The 2nd choice is catching the bus on Hennepin and 3rd st. Catching the bus there, i'm more likely to be standing because it is one of the last stops before heading out of downtown. Thanks to the construction, my only choice is 3rd st.

On Tuesday the bus was very packed and i was at least able to get a standing spot. If the bus was too full, they would have kept driving. I don't if any of you have had to stand on the bus, but it's a little uncomfortable. I feel like my rear-end is right in the person's face i'm standing next too. Not to mention i have to be aware of where my bag is so i don't whack anyone in the face. For some reason, on Tuesday, i just wasn't finding the right spot to stand. The people seated on either side of me just kept bumping me.

I decided i would just close my eyes and zone out. I had a hand on each rail and my bag on the floor. It was really quite nice. I just completely zoned out. I did wonder, what if i REALLY fall asleep and end up crashing in the aisle...

Can i say though... the "worst" experience i've had so far standing on the bus, was having a seeing-eye-dog's nose planted on my rear end the entire ride home...