Staying Home, Etc.

I called in sick yesterday, and stayed home.

Phillip and I both thought something was up when, on Saturday, at a post-oil change meal at Patty’s Eggnest, I didn’t feel like finishing my biscuits & gravy.

I got up yesterday morning, sent an email saying that I was calling in sick, and then went back to bed.

“Calling in sick” isn’t quite the right term, but I’m not quite sure what else to call it. My department has this great system for sick calls, and I like it a lot. There’s a group email that includes every manager, supervisor, and administrator in the department. So, when I send an email saying that I’m not feeling well and I’m staying home, somebody’s going to receive it, even if my supervisor is staying home. And, if the worst happens, and someone claims that I didn’t notify anyone (not actually a worry in my department), I have proof in my Sent folder. (I logged into my work email yesterday morning.) And, just for my own curiosity, I can search my Sent folder and see when I last called in sick. (It was just about a month ago.) I don’t know if other companies have a similar system, but our department recently adopted it.

After I sent the email, I noticed that last Monday was a holiday, I called in sick this Monday, and next Monday is a holiday. Then I went back to bed.

Is “staying home” really the right term when everyone in my department (except me) is working from home?

I woke up around eleven, played some Sims 4, had a sandwich, and then went back to bed.

What would it be like if I had given in to telecommuting? I’d get up, log into my work email, on the same computer I’d be working from, send an email, and then go back to bed. I’d get up around eleven, and instead of doing work for the company, I’d boot up that same computer, and be playing The Sims 4. Why couldn’t I be working on some spreadsheets for work instead? I don’t want to telecommute.

I was asleep when Phillip came home. I slept until midnight, or so. I didn’t stay up for long. Then I went back to sleep.

I went to work today.

I’ve been thinking about next week, when Link light rail will be experiencing reduced service for maintenance. I will definitely be taking the bus on my commutes. In the mornings, I think my best bet will be the 60, and then a transfer to a 12. There’s going to be a transfer in a two-mile commute no matter which bus route I choose, because Metro Transit sucks. But the 12 gets me very close to work.

Coming home, my best option will be anything going up 3rd Avenue, and then a transfer to either the 10 or the 49.

If I was younger and I still had my appendix, I’d probably just walk.

Thinking about the bus options in my neighborhood reminded me of the 43 route. Why is it that I never see a 43 anymore? When does the 43 run? I decided to look it up.

The 43, which used to connect the U District, Capitol Hill (along John Street and Olive Way), and Downtown, no longer serves Downtown – except for two weekday mid-morning trips to Downtown and three weekday mid-afternoon trips from Downtown. It currently comes down John Street, turns onto Broadway, and terminates on First Hill. When Metro moves the 10 off of John/Olive, we will be in a transit desert. Because Metro Transit sucks.

Over a late meal at IHOP on Sunday, I told Phillip that I’d been thinking about signing up for Nebula. He didn’t know what Nebula is, so I explained. It a service that’s been created by YouTube content creators. It’s owned by the content creators. It’s not a substitute for YouTube, but rather an extension of it. Several of the YouTube creators I follow also have channels on Nebula. Because it’s a paid subscription, there are no ads. Because it’s not constrained by YouTube’s often constricting algorithms, which is geared toward consistently high views to generate more ad revenue, the content creators have more creative freedom.

The reason I brought it up was that Nebula was having a limited-time special – $300 for a lifetime (or however long Nebula lasts) subscription – and I was tempted. Phillip said he wouldn’t be mad at me if I signed up. I talked over my concerns. What if Nebula ceases to exist? What if they decide to display ads, despite the subscriptions? What if it gets bought out by some evil corporation? Phillip basically shrugged his shoulders and said, well, then it happens.

I’ve signed up for a lifetime subscription to Nebula. It’s definitely not a replacement for YouTube. It’s geared more toward larger educational channels – no one playing The Sims 4 to an audience of dozens – and it’s a whole lot smaller, content-wise. There seems to be three categories of Nebula videos – longer versions of videos shown on YouTube, videos uploaded before YouTube, and content created specifically for Nebula.

I’ll see how Nebula goes.

Streetcar Ride To BBQ Pork

This morning, Phillip wondered aloud how busy Kau Kau was going to be today.

Pretty busy, I guessed.

Later on in the morning, we decided to risk it.

Shall we take light rail or the streetcar, I asked.

Light rail is faster, said Phillip.

The streetcar is more scenic, I countered.

What if we can’t get in, asked Phillip.

Then we find someplace else, I replied.

I wasn’t surprised by his look of disapproval. Phillip’s not the most adventuring diner. He prefers familiar places.

Then we take light rail back to Downtown and go to Veggie Grill, I suggested.

He liked that idea.

We walked up to Broadway, caught a 49 bus, and then boarded the First Hill Streetcar. We made great time getting to the International District.

Here are couple of quick photos, just to show we were on the First Hill Streetcar.

As we rode past the Patricia Steel Building, I saw the perfect Seattle sign. I couldn’t get a good photo of it. There was a glyph of a lit cigarette with a red slash through it. Next to it was a glyph of a marijuana leaf with a slash through it.

We exited the streetcar and walked into the International District. We walked past restaurants with signs on the door, saying that they were closed for the holiday. Things didn’t look good for us getting a table at Kau Kau.

(Yes, I’d checked online before we left, to confirm that Kau Kau would be open. The concern was that, with so many other restaurants closed, how busy would Kau Kau be?)

We walked in, and saw many empty tables. We were seated right away. We were not expecting that.

We decided to make things easy and order the Kau Kau for Two. It came with a lot of food – more than the two of us could eat – for only about $34.

I waited outside while Phillip got in line at the BBQ Pork to Go window. It took forever, even though there were only three people in line ahead of him.

Maybe that’s why there were so many empty tables – Maybe people were eating Kau Kau BBQ pork at home.

When he finally emerged from the restaurant, he told me that he’d also bought half a duck. Somehow, that made me laugh.

We rode light rail back to Capitol Hill, and walked home.

Now, I’m going to stand on a soapbox…

Sound Transit is going to be disrupting Link Light Rail service for a couple of weeks in mid-January for track maintenance in the Downtown Transit Tunnel. Trains are going to run less frequently through Downtown, and won’t operate at all on the weekends, with shuttle buses replacing the trains through Downton.

People in the comment sections are freaking out, as if the whole light rail system has burst into flames, as if roads and bridges never close for maintenance. But, of course, if there is a traffic disruption on I-5, WSDOT will send free taxis to take you to your destination, right? People love to complain. The internet sucks.

I’m seeing this as a minor inconvenience for a couple of weeks. I’ll change my routine for a short period of time. I’ll probably just avoid the whole thing and take a bus. I’ll survive just fine.

Yesterday, we learned that Metro Transit has decided to move the 10 bus back to Pine Street. This means that we’ll end up in a transit desert.

I’ve read that our neighborhood is the most densely populated neighborhood in Seattle. I’ve also read that it’s the most densely populated neighborhood in Washington. I can believe either. It’s a neighborhood full of apartment buildings and condominium buildings. Street parking is pretty much impossible.

Once upon a time, there was a 14 bus route that ran through our neighborhood. It followed the route of a hundred year old streetcar line. It connected our neighborhood with Downtown, and continued on south to the Mount Baker neighborhood.

Then Metro Transit cut off our end of the 14, and made it a 47, which terminated at Westlake. It could get us to Downtown, but not into it. Then Metro got rid of the 47 completely.

The 7 route used to go from the University District, along Broadway, through Downtown, and on into Rainier Valley. Then Metro cut off the northern end of the 7, and made it a 49, which terminates at Westlake. It can get us to Downtown, but not into it.

There used to be a 43 route that went down Olive Way, and terminated at Westlake. Theoretically, it still exists. Metro cut back the frequency drastically. It shows up on my Transit Alerts, as in this trip will not be running today. But it has been years since I’ve seen an actual 43 bus – seriously.

At the time that the frequency on the 43 was cut back, Metro moved the 10 bus from Pine Street to Olive Way, to make up for the decreased bus service. I still don’t understand that reasoning.

Soon, the 10 will be moved back to Pine Street, far away from our neighborhood. Our connection to Downtown will be severed.

If I’m at work Downtown, and I choose to take a bus home, soon my choice will be the 49, or at least one bus transfer, or a long walk.

There’s also a 60 bus route on Broadway, but it doesn’t go Downtown.

There’s an 8 route still on Olive Way, but it doesn’t go Downtown.

The 49 still exists, for now – if you’re able to walk four or five blocks uphill.

There’s Link Light Rail to Downtown – if you’re able to walk six or seven blocks uphill.

Metro Transit is an ableist organization.

Metro Transit sucks.

Sound Transit could have made things easier for themselves by simply shutting down Link light rail for two weeks. But they worked out a plan to provide service.

Sound Transit is A-OK.

Getting To The Movie

Phillip and I went to see the movie The Creator at the AMC Pacific Place theater, Downtown.

We both loved it. It was emotionally moving.

Before we left, we had to figure out how to get there. And, as always, that task was mine.

Actually, it’s not accurate to say “how to get there.” Getting there is incredibly easy. It’s a short walk to Summit & Olive, where a 10 bus will get us a half-block from Pacific Place after a 7-minute ride. My task is actually to figure out when we need to catch the 10 to get us there with plenty of time to get to our movie seats.

Link light rail is an option, but not the best one. It’s an uphill walk to Capitol Hill Station. The walk to Summit & Olive is shorter and flatter.

I use the Trip Planner app. It was created by King County Metro Transit. It’s no longer supported, and it’s no longer listed on Google Play, but it still works well, and it’s been reliable.

Trip Planner has its quirks, but they’re more amusing than troublesome.

Here’s a map of our journey. The 10 route is in blue.

Google Maps

Capitol Hill Station is at the top end of that gray line. I don’t know what that other gray line, where it says “12 min,” is. Oh – maybe that’s our walk to the 49. Since I set our starting point as Summit & Olive, not home, I guess that makes sense,

I asked Trip Planner to get us to 5th and Pine at 12:15. (The movie started at 12:45.) The results I got were typical.

The first trip option lists routes “10,10” with one transfer, because Trip Planner apparently thinks that because the last stop on the 10 is at 5th & Pine, where it continues on to 2nd Ave and then turns back onto Pike Street, it’s actually a two-bus trip. The details will include the phrases “Board the Route 10 DOWNTOWN SEATTLE” and “Stay on bus, continues as Route 10 CAPITOL HILL.” It’s a short, 7 minute ride, on one bus. If I wasn’t familiar with the route, I’d be confused by need to transfer.

The second option is a one-bus ride on the 49. It makes sense, and I have no complaint with it. For us, it’s still a shorter, flatter walk to the 10. (And we don’t have to walk all the way to Pine Street to catch the 49.)

The third option is the most interesting one. It has us crossing Olive Way to catch the eastbound 10 bus, riding one stop to Capitol Hill Station, where we’ll transfer to a westbound Link train to Westlake Station. It’s a longer trip – 13 minutes as opposed to 7, and if you’re paying cash, more expensive. (An ORCA card gives you a free transfer.) What I find most interesting about this option is that one of the reasons Metro gives for cutting bus service in our neighborhood is that it’s a short walk to Capitol Hill Station (Metro Transit tends to be an ablest organization) – and, yet, apparently, the Trip Planner app advises us to catch a bus to get there.

This time, Trip Planner wasn’t entirely accurate. When we got to Summit & Olive, OneBusAway told us the 10 was scheduled at 12:04 – not 12:05 as Trip Planner had told us. But that’s a nitpick. (The 10 arrived exactly at 12:04.)

Randomness

Randomness

Archeological evidence of an ORCA reader that once stood on the Pioneer Square Station platform

This Is The 1 Line

Sound Transit has been playing a little musical chime lately, followed by a message that they are testing out a new announcement system. This message is also displayed on the LED signs. I like the little musical chime.

Sound Transit announced, some time ago, that they are moving the ORCA readers off of the platforms in the Downtown Transit Tunnel, and relocating them to more centralized locations on the mezzanines (like they are in every other light rail station that has a mezzanine). I like this plan a lot.

The mezzanine ORCA readers on the north end of Pioneer Square Station have been in especially awkward locations, requiring you to detour and double back on your trip from the surface to the platform. (I read a comment on a forum somewhere that said it best: The ORCA readers were placed by electricians.)

I’m seeing blue squares on the floor of the north mezzanine of Pioneer Square Station. They’re placed in a pattern between the sets of stairs and escalators to and from the platforms. There were more of them this morning. This is apparently where the ORCA readers will go. The relocation is underway. I like it.

Yesterday, on my way home, I saw that the mezzanine ORCA readers were gone, leaving just the yellow poles behind. They were gone this morning, too, and there was a sign taped to the pole that I didn’t read. This is progress, and it’s good, but I can see how it would be annoying if you didn’t tap your card off on the platform when you ended your trip, and you’ve gone up to the mezzanine and now there’s no way to end your ride without going back down to the platform. Oh well, it’s a temporary situation.

Yesterday, on my way home, a Link train arrived at Pioneer Square Station. It was the older of the two train models that operate on Link. The destination sign, rather than displaying NORTHGATE, displayed NORTHGATE LINE 1. Since the new display didn’t fit in the sign, it had to scroll horizontally.

I found a seat and the train left the station.

The verbal announcement said: “Next stop, University Street. This is the 1 Line.”

(That “1 Line” part was new.)

Then: “Now entering University Street. This is the 1 Line. Doors to my right.”

Then: “Next stop, Westlake. This is the 1 Line.”

Then: “Now entering Westlake. This is the 1 Line. Doors to my right.”

Then: “Next stop, Capitol Hill. This is the 1 Line.”

Being reminded, over and over, that this was the 1 Line got very annoying. I didn’t like this change.

I saw a southbound Link train, one of the newer models. Its display was the static: ANGLE LAKE.

The train I rode to work this morning was one of the older models. It didn’t remind me that this is the 1 Line.

I’m hoping that the repetitive “This is the 1 Line” announcement was a test program, and I hope it doesn’t work out.

When the newer model trains open the doors at a station, an announcement says, “This is the 1 Line to Northgate,” and that’s enough for me. The newer trains also display a green square next to the destination (the 1 Line was once the Green Line, back before Sound Transit decided it didn’t want be confused with Portland’s MAX system). This is okay, but not very intuitive.

I No Longer Like Metro Transit

Phillip and I rode a 10 bus to Downtown yesterday afternoon, Sunday the 19th. We saw a movie at Pacific Place. After the movie, we had dinner at Johnny Rockets and did a little shopping.

After shopping, Phillip asked, “Light rail or the 49?” I replied, “Let’s take the 49.”

We walked over to the bus stop at 9th and Pine. There was a Service Change notice taped to the bus stop sign. Beginning Saturday, March 18, it said, this stop is permanently closed. It listed a couple of stops on Pike where we could catch the 49.

“It’s strange that we never received a Transit Alert about this,” I said. “At least not that we know of,” replied Phillip.

What Phillip was referring to is the fact that our phones have been flooded with text messages about which trips on which routes wouldn’t be operating that day. It’s gotten so bad that we pretty much ignore them.

We walked over to 7th and Pike. Route 49 was listed on the sign, but I didn’t completely trust it. I checked OneBusAway. It said a 49 would be stopping there in 10 minutes.

I thought about why I never ride buses home from work anymore. There’s been some construction going on at 4th at Pike, and the bus stop has been moved to the other end of the block, marked only by a small paper sign taped to a light pole. I tried it on two days and saw some buses stopping at one end of the block and some buses stopping at the other end. It was too confusing, and, apparently, the bus drivers were as confused as the passengers. Metro Transit has terrible communication.

At 7th and Pike, a stranger asked me when the 49 was coming. Ten minutes, I answered. What about the 11, he asked. I still had OneBusAway open. I’m not seeing it at all, I told him. Phillip asked: Doesn’t the 11 run on Sundays? Not according to this, I replied.

“It’s weird that right after the new Convention Center opened, they close the bus stop,” I said to Phillip. “The stop that’s right across the street,” Phillip added.

The 49 did arrive, and took us home.

When we got home, I looked through my Transit Alerts. There was a message sent on Friday about Saturday’s service changes. I read through it, but there was nothing about that bus stop closure, or about the 49 reroute.

I went to Metro Transit’s web site and searched for the 49. There were no service changes listed.

“Metro sucks,” I said out loud.

Today, there was a story in the Capitol Hill Blog about proposed bus reroutes when RapidRide G opens on Madison Street next year. Route 10 will move off of Olive Way / John Street, and onto Pine Street, and will no longer stop at Capitol Hill Station. Route 11 will be rerouted off of Pine Street and onto Olive / John, and will stop at Capitol Hill Station. And route 47 will be eliminated.

(I thought the 47 was already eliminated.)

(I’ve never understood the reasoning when, years ago, service on the 43 was cut back and the 10 was moved to Olive / John to make up for the loss of service. If bus service is needed on Olive Way, why cut back service on the 43 at all?)

When I got home today, I completed Metro Transit’s online feedback survey. I told them I didn’t like the proposed changes at all. I told them that it’ll suck (I used the word “suck”) for people on 15th Avenue who want to get to the U District. With the 43 practically non-existent, their only real option will be to ride the 10 all the way south to Westlake Station and transfer back up north to the U District. It’ll suck for people in my neighborhood (west of Broadway) who want to access the shopping district on 15th. (The 11 will cross 15th, but won’t really serve the shopping district.) I told them that the 47 is a necessary route, pointing out that not everyone in my neighborhood is physically able to make that steep uphill walk to Capitol Hill Station.

(After I submitted the survey, I did some investigation. A ride on the 10 bus, from Ada’s Technical Books, on 15th Ave, to Capitol Hill Station, is about a half a mile. Then the Link light rail ride up to U District Station is somewhere around 3 miles. If the reroute goes through, a ride on the 10 bus, from Ada’s to Westlake Station, will be 1.7 miles. Then the Link ride to U District Station is about 4 miles, with a stop at Capitol Hill Station. Getting to the U District will, indeed suck for folks on 15th.)

“Metro sucks,” I said out loud.

Ghost Train

Just like that, our apartment has gone from too hot to chilly. There was no transition. Weather reports have gone from heat advisories to flood advisories.

It’s raining in Seattle.

This afternoon, my company sent out a traffic advisory email, because Vice President Harris is visiting Downtown Seattle today and tomorrow. Various streets will be closed and, for security reasons, the closures won’t be announced ahead of time.

I wasn’t worried about the traffic. I’d be commuting by light rail, it it runs underground through Downtown.

I was a little concerned about how crowded the trains would be. How many people will be abandoning buses stuck in traffic in favor of faster light rail?

The platform at Pioneer Square Station was crowded, but no more than normal.

A four-car train arrived, and the last car was practically empty. I had my choice of seats.

The strange thing was, the destination signs were off. When it first arrived at the platform, I thought it was out of service. There were passengers inside, however, and it was letting passengers board.

The destination signs were off inside the car, too. There were no audio announcements, either. The train operator wasn’t even announcing the stations.

It was weird, riding on a train that was so quiet.

I knew the stops, even without the announcements, but I made sure to check the station signs when we pulled into Capitol Hill Station, just in case I’d zoned out without realizing it.

I walked home along Olive Way. Traffic was barely moving down the hill. It wasn’t raining at the moment, but it had been all day. It was either the rain or the Vice President’s visit that was clogging the streets.

Randomness

Fun With Trip Planner

Last weekend, Phillip and I rode a 49 bus from Broadway to the U District light rail station. Then we walked six blocks, or so, from the station to the movie theater and saw the movie Black Phone.

Neither one of knew anything about the movie, but we liked the trailer. I know I loved the movie, and I remember Phillip saying he liked it, too.

On our walk back, we just missed a 49, so we rode light rail back to Capitol Hill.

I used Metro’s official Trip Planner app to learn what time we needed to catch the 49 in order to get to the show on time. The results were interesting.

Trip Planner told us our bus fare would be $655.35 each. (It’s a good thing that we both have flat-rate ORCA cards, eh?)

We were earlier than planned for the movie. We walked into the theater at just about the time Trip Planner told us the 49 would be dropping us off at U District Station. I’m still not sure what happened there.

Today, we rode a 10 bus to Downtown, and saw the movie Nope.

We both loved the movie. There were a few things that confused me about it, and that’s not a bad thing.

Again, I turned to Trip Planner to learn what time we should catch the bus to get us to the theater on time.

Trip Planner gave us three options.

The first option was to catch the 10 at Summit and Olive, for an 8 minute ride to Downtown, then a one block walk to the theater. (For some reason, Trip Planner always includes the 10 bus twice in its trips – as in, catch the 10 bus, and then stay on the 10 bus until your destination.)

The second option was to catch the 49 bus at Broadway and Republican, for a 9 minute ride to Downtown, with the same one block walk to the theater.

The third option was fascinating. It said to catch the 60 bus at Broadway and Republican, ride to the next stop, at Broadway and Thomas (two blocks away), and, from there, catch the 49 bus to Downtown. Total trip time: 27 minutes.

I’m trying to come up with a possible benefit that third option might have, but I can’t think of one – not even a sarcastic one.

Shortly after buying our movie tickets last night, we received a transit alert text message: Weekend reroute due to 3rd Ave closure. There was a URL link for more details. I clicked on the link.

There was no information on the web site about the reroute. We knew that both the 10 and 49 would be effected by such a reroute. (The 60 doesn’t go Downtown.)

I checked again this morning. Not only was there no information about where the 10 or 49 would be rerouted, there was nothing confirming that there was a reroute.

When we walked out of our apartment this morning, we agreed to just see where the 10 took us, and find our way to the theater from wherever we’re dropped off.

There was no reroute.