A million little annoyances, take two

Since gl expressed interest in actually hearing about the million little annoyances, rather than the meta-annoyances, I shall enumerate them. Although now that it's been a few days, they don't seem so annoying anymore, which probably greatly reduces the entertainment value of the whole venture.

So lets see, last Tuesday was my usual volunteer day at Print Arts and at the library. And it just so happened that the GBW was meeting that night too at 23 Sandy Gallery which is, of course, located on Sandy Blvd east of the Willamette River.

And it also just so happens that we live very close to Barbur Blvd, west of the Willamette River; and fortuitously, Trimet has seen fit to have one bus route that goes on Barbur all the way across town directly onto Sandy. I thought, hey, providence! Easy commute and no parking fees. A very happy coincidence indeed and a Very Clever Commute Plan.

Well, as we all know, great happiness quite often leads to great unhappiness.

Annoyance #1 — the Barbur Transit Center does not have enough parking. The transit center is not so far away that I can not walk there (takes exactly 25 minutes), but since I'd be returning home late in the evening, I drove to the transit center. And wouldn't you know it, I drove around and around and around the parking lot so many times that I probably used up more gas than I would've had I just driven into town in the first place, and I still didn't find a parking space.

I finally gave up on my Very Clever Commute Plan and just drove into town, all the while hatching a Much Less Clever Plan, but still easier than driving all over town.

I decided I'd just park at the garage in front of the library and walk over to Print Arts, stopping at my usual Half and Half Cafe to get a sandwich to go; eat the sandwich while I walk the rest of the way to Print Arts (which is what I normally do when I successfully bus in).

Not as good as Very Clever Commute Plan, but it will have to do.

Coming into town on Barbur means that you get dumped on 1. Naito Parkway, 2. bus mall, or 3. PSU campus on 6th. I chose PSU campus on 6th, and I chose poorly. Major poorly. As in POORLY.

Annoyance #2-#999,997 — there's MAX construction on 6th; there are streets that don't go through; there are 999,994 pedestrians known as college students. But worst of all, there are traffic lights that NEVER. TURN. GREEN!

Yes, the light is red, then flashing yellow while the entire PSU student body crosses the street, and then it's red again, and then flashing yellow while the entire PSU student body crosses back to the other side, and then it's red, and then it's flashing yellow...

After 20 minutes, I was finally pointing in the correct direction, on a street without construction. Hey, that rhymes!

So now I'm late for my volunteer gig at Print Arts, but I continue with my Much Less Clever Plan and proceed to the parking garage.

Annoyance #999,998 — I enter the garage, then I see the sign that says $1.25/hour for the first 4 hours, but $3/hour after that. Too late to nix the garage, so I'd just have to move the car in the middle of the afternoon. Plan is now Even Less Clever Than Before.

Since I was already late, I decided to delay my lunch until later, which only makes me even grumpier. That was probably poor planning on my part, but by now, I really wasn't thinking straight.

Did my thing at Print Arts, had a lunch break, and proceeded to the library. And it was a fun afternoon.

Part way through the afternoon, I went to move the car. The Even Less Clever Than Before Plan called for me to leave the garage, pay for my 4 hours, drive around the block, and get back in the garage to start the clock anew.

Annoyance #999,999 — I was 10 minutes late, and they charged me the full $3 for my extra 10 minute. I protested, and she didn't care, not even one little bit. Needless to say, I did not return to the garage.

The rest of the day...it did go better.

Yes, I realize that I'm 1 annoyance short of the million promised. But now that I'm all worked up again, maybe I'll make up the shortfall before the night is out...