When the going gets tough, do we jump into the air-conditioned car? Not here on Bitsy's Bad-ass Bus Binge!

Day Twenty of the NO CAR Experiment finds me in good spirits. The Professor still bucks the no car idea, and the little people utter statements like, "Puleeze, may we take the car?" However, a strong will (and a strong smell) keep me committed to finishing the experiment.

Last night the family drove (far, late night, rationalization) to SOCO, Austin's attempt to emulate NYC's SOHO, to swim and have dinner with friends.  Riding in my car felt luxurious! Our friends have children the same age as ours, and the children were playing an involved game of dog-training that simply could not end when it was time for us to depart.  Begging ensued for my 6-year old to spend the night, and the pleasurable company, mighty margaritas and winsome smiles talked us in to agreeing.  At least it wasn't me who was up at 1:00 am moving one of the giggling girls to the spare bedroom.

This morning while pleasantly enjoying the Times and a quiet morning, it occurred to me that our friends hit Mass on Sunday's and that I better hop across town to fetch my child.  Looking at the bus schedule, I had 16 minutes to throw on some clothes and haul down to a relatively far away bus stop. Erck! The 4-year old demands to join me on the trip. He can't find his shoes.  The Professor,nose in book, calls, “Just take the car! Don’t be ridiculous.”

Guess The Professor has mistaken me for Weak-Willed-Wanda. Of all people he should know better.

Grabbing the boy’s hand, I realize he is dressed like a nut.  He is wearing a too-small orange and white seersucker John-John that he found in the give-a-way pile over a navy and yellow shirt and green Wellies.  Hmmm. The great thing about the bus is that nobody much cares what you are wearing (it's not like Southwest Airlines), especially on Sunday. The weekday crowd is fairly bland, but Sunday’s on the bus is a casting call for Silence of The Lambs.

Right on time, the bus zips us across town and my friend meets me in the parking lot of a liquor store where my bed-head daughter bids her church-dressed friend adieu. 

“Maw-ohm, why can’t you drive the car? I don’t want to ride the bus.” Poor thing. She’s only six and doesn’t have the angst or language to truly articulate a giant fit about how embarrassing it is that her mother picks her up on the bus at the liquor store. For what it's worth, I was wearing a cute dress and sandals, but I might have had a little humid and hot odor accompanying that fresh look.

Once on the bus, my girl who is too young to revel in insecurity forgets her embarrassment and joins her brother and me as we dive into the news of a day. The downside of not reading is that you have to depend on your mother’s rendition of news stories, which can sometimes be different (and possibly more interesting) than the journalist’s intent.

Comments

[Denise]

I really want to do the no car thing. Really want to. But it truly is impossible for us - with 4 kids at 4 different schools and the city bus service not running at the proper times - It would take me 6 hours to get everyone home rather than 3 hours... and I have to work and just can't work on a bus or standing at a bus stop somewhere.

I swear some day I'm going to live without a car. Someeee dayyyy.

[EdwinaGarrison26]

That's good that people are able to take the loan moreover, it opens new chances.