August 28th, 2011-Miracle Budds

8/28-OB Blue Line train: I board a four-car train led by Budd car #2228, after the conductor blows the horn in the LaSalle station to alert standing passengers further up the station platform that she's not coming up any further because this is a four-car train. The horn was honked right in front of me, blowing out my eardrums. However, I was excited to see a Budd leading this train, (which is usually the case with me since I love these cars and am glad that the current 4-car-on-weekend mechanism for the Blue Line allows them to lead) and the leading Budd would be the one I board. Unfortunately, the train was packed wall to wall, but I still boarded.

It was a very slow-go approaching the Illinois Medical District station. Train moved every few feet, and then stopped before repeating the process, but as it got closer to Illinois Medical District, the conductor announced that the train will be running express from that station to Pulaski. I got so excited about this that for some reason, I pumped both fists in the air with thumbs up and grinned happily. When the doors opened at IMD, the passengers in my car flooded out, and I sat down in the nearest double door-facing seat, enjoying a swift, speedy ride from that stop to Pulaski, here I got off.

Just seconds after the OB train completely departed the Pulaski station an IB train, headed by Budd car #2263 entered the station. I boarded its mate, #2264, getting off at the Kedzie-Homan stop, where I initially wanted to get off. And during the short trip, I saw another OB train, led by Budds. Gosh, am I going to miss these rail cars so much when they're retired. Oh my goodness, thanks for the memories.

August 27th, 2011 Another Lazy Freeloader!

8/27-Midway Airport bus terminal: I am here waiting for a #379 Pace bus so I can visit my boyfriend and his family in Orland Park. A middle-aged, tall, slim black man comes up to me asking for food, maybe because he saw a 7-11 bag I had from the store at Dearborn/Van Buren. I reluctantly gave him a package of frosted strawberry Pop-Tarts I had purchased. Should've told him to go to a freakin' DHS office on Monday and apply for freakin' food stamps if he's that hungry.

At first, he tries to board a SB 54B bus, but winds up boarding the 379! While on board, he asks a woman sitting in a seat near the one he's sitting in if she has something to give him to eat. She gives him yogurt and something that resembled a cake, and I watched the damn freeloader, smiling as she did so. She gave him a spoon to go along with the yogurt that she gave him. And then she went on and on and on, telling him about the church in Hyde Park that she attends and is a member of, and what she does there. They both got off at separate stops in Justice, and I couldn't believe what I saw on this bus. I may be a God-loving, God-obeying person who believes that 98% of the Bible is true, but when it comes to assisting people, I only assist those who deserve and need assistance, not those who can do something for themselves! The lazy shall receive NO assistance from me, but those who need assistance will always receive assistance from me! And that's my quote and my slogan, bottom line!