Rainy Day Trip into the Office

I normally work from home and rarely work outside of the home.  I recently took a temporary assignment at the government found myself waking up for work on a very rainy day.  I was not prepared!  You see it has been a great summer of hot weather, the sunshine and light apparel.  Summer shoes, heels and sandals.  My boots were, somewhere hiding in wait for the winter weather.  So I decided to brave the rain in my cloth runners.  I know how to avoid puddles I thought bravely.

Next big decision is, avoid getting my dress wet, so I choose a coat that I call my ‘little red riding hood’ jacket.  Yes, I name my clothes, not all of them just my favourites.  This jacket is bright red, looks like a tent on me and but has a big red hoodie, great for covering my frizzy hair from the rain.  It is a heavy jacket and would be warm to wear, but since I didn’t own an umbrella, it was my only choice. So, off I went. Running late, as usual, I braved the downtown Toronto weather, to get to work.

No surprise, I missed the bus.  Why? Because I was looking at my cell phone app to see when the bus was coming; instead of looking up like normal people do.  So, I had to walk to King and Lower Jarvis to catch the Queen Streetcar to take to the subway.  Lucky me I thought as I crossed the street, a streetcar was already there.  However, it was packed to the nines.  Thankfully, there was another one closely behind.  So I waited for that one.   It was a short turn, I groaned, but thought to myself; it might take me all the way.   I got the streetcar with my new crisp transfer that I held in my hand.  (I hate putting them in the lost vortex of the abyss, I call a purse.)  It was safe from the rain under my long sleeves of my jacket. This streetcar only took me 2 tops before we were ordered off.  So back into the rain I went, and landed in a great big puddle and promptly got my feet wet.  So much for dry feet at work. “Great Rachel”, I thought.

However, in order to get into the second streetcar, I had to grab the pole on the back door to step up.  Transfer exposed from a rather dry place was quickly drenched by a woman’s wet hand as she too reached for support.  I only received half of my transfer from the experience, when I got on the streetcar.  I was perched up on the steps leaning towards the door… only foot room here.  When getting in the back door of a crowded street car.  We all shuffled to accommodate me, in response to the driver saying. “We can’t move unless the back step is clear.”  I had a choice get back into the rain and wait for the next one.  I chose to remain here balanced like an acrobat when I noticed the other half of my transfer still underneath her wet hand.  When I reached for it, she smiled sweetly at me, then apologised.  To which I replied, “No worries.”

Looking around at the crowd of equally wet, but good natured commuters smile’s all around. I looked at my hand to see that my transfer was now a grey ball of wet inked paper, and was now unrecognizable as a Proof of Payment.  I hoped that it wouldn’t cause an issue for me.  Smiling like a mad woman, I showed the wad of wet ripped crumpled paper to the subway attendant and prayed he would say nothing.  Big smile back at me he waved me through, so I on to the train unobstructed.  Cheer!!

Everyone I passed was in good spirits, the smiles were contagious.    Although everyone was drenched and wet from the weather there was still a feeling of good humour with my fellow commuters.  I couldn’t help but feel lifted in spirits.  I thankfully, “’arrived safe and sound.”  But for a morning like this one, I think “sound” left the station when I woke up.  I have been on the looney bus since my feet touched the floor.

Note: I can’t thank everyone on my ride into work, with how nice everyone is.   Meaning holding doors open, laughing and just moving between stops, effortlessly and always smiling.  Going back to work isn’t a bad thing.  Thanks, Toronto.