Day 98: A day in the life of a TTC commuter

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 98: A day in the life of a TTC commuter

What a day, what a day, what a day I had yesterday.

Over the weekend we had two days of freezing rain. If you wonder what freezing rain feels like, let someone take a handful of uncooked rice and from a distance throw it in your face, hard.

Not only does freezing rain feel painful, I also find it painful to look it. I mean really, yesterday it was April 16, but nature looks and feels like it’s January 16. It’s cold, the sky is grey and instead of nature awakening in a variety of color, everything is white. Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, they were taken from the safety and the warmth of a bedroom window.

Before going out yesterday morning, I wondered what to wear … snow boots or regular boots. “Wear regular boots,” Dieter advised, “if it’s a little slippery you can hold on to me.” A little slippery???

As soon as we left the building where we live, I knew I was in trouble. There was so much melting ice that we either had to trudge through the slush or step into ankle-deep puddles. And that wasn’t even the worst of it, oh no, the worst was yet to come. Once out of the garden, the street was no longer a street but an ice rink. We were no longer walking, but slipping and sliding and desperately trying to stay upright.

Moments later we faced another problem … going down the steps to the train station. I wasn’t sure whether to hold on to Dieter or to let go. After all, if he fell, he would take me with him and vice versa.

To make a long story short, we made it the station in one piece.

More bad luck awaited us though. The trains weren’t running due to a power failure and everyone had to take a shuttle bus to the nearest station where they did have power.

Don’t imagine this as simple. Along with hundreds and hundreds of people, we stood in the cold, in the freezing rain, waiting for a bus. When the third bus came along, we finally got on.

At Victoria Park station we all got off and made our way to the subway station, only to find out that now that station was out of power. So, everybody back outside and back onto the bus. Eventually, at Woodbine, we managed to get on the train.

We arrived at work cold and wet and very late, but we had made it. Lots of others didn’t, they either didn’t bother coming out or ended up in hospital. I can well imagine that quite a few people fell and broke something or their car skidded and hit something. Good business for the doctors, nurses and panel beaters.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, have a look what we had to deal with.

Don't forget to donate to the Toronto Cat Rescue.

Any amount will make a difference.

www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/toronto-cat-rescue-bowl-a-thon-9/

Day 37: Origin by Dan Brown – no spoilers

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 37: Origin by Dan Brown – no spoilers

Are you reading Dan Brown’s latest book ‘Origin’ yet? I picked up the book at the beginning of the week and the story is gripping right from the start.

While Dan Brown does an excellent job describing the scene, my curiosity got the better of me and I Googled a few of the things he described. For instance, the monastery in Montserrat, the Guggenheim Museum in Barcelona, the various artworks, a particular bridge in Budapest, a cathedral in the middle of nowhere, etc.

Of course, when I read on the subway, I can’t Google anything so then I have to make use of Post-it notes and stick them to particular pages of interest so I can Google this or that at a later time.

But speaking of the subway, it really isn’t a good idea for me to read ‘Origin’ on the train. I get so engrossed in the story that last week Friday I missed my stop. The first time I looked up I noticed that the train had stopped at Christie.

‘Christie?’ I thought, ‘I don’t pass a station called Christie. Christie is one stop after Spadina. Good grief I missed my stop!!!’ I quickly scrambled to my feet and got off the train.

On the streetcar, I didn’t fare much better. Even though the various stops are displayed on LED screens and a mechanical voice calls out the various stops, while reading I’m blind and deaf.

At one point I looked up though and saw the CN Tower. ‘That’s strange,’ I thought, ‘I never see the CN Tower.’ I glanced up at the LED screens and saw ‘Wellington Street’. Good grief, Wellington Street!!! I was way too far! If the next stop was Wellington Street that meant I had passed Queen and King Street without even noticing.

Damn Dan Brown, that was twice that ‘Origin’ got me into trouble and it wasn’t even 8:00 a.m. yet. And more trouble was just around the corner.

At lunchtime, I settled down on a comfortable couch in the company’s café and prepared for an hour of quiet reading. After what seemed like only 20 minutes or half an hour, Dave – a colleague – appeared at my side.

“Conny, are you coming back to your desk?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said, “when lunchtime is over.”

“Lunchtime was over 15 minutes ago,” he informed me.

When I checked my phone I noticed that it was indeed 1:15. Damn not again!

With currently 509 reviews on Amazon to date, the opinion of readers vary. 59% give ‘Origin’ a 5-star review, 15% give the book 4 stars, 11% 3 stars, 8% 2 stars, and 7% 1 star.

It’s safe to say that ‘Origin’ will receive a 5-star review from me. Any book that gets me into trouble three times in one day is worth nothing short of a top review.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 34: What do you hear when you go outside?

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 34: What do you hear when you go outside?

What do I hear when I go outside? Well, that all depends on the time of day.

If I go outside at the crack of dawn, I hear a cacophony of birdsong. As you can see from the picture, there’s a large field behind the building where I live with lots of trees. Those trees are home to a variety of birds and first thing in the mornings they all have something to say. I sometimes wonder what they are twittering about. They could be discussing the dreams they had, debating what to have for breakfast, or simply making plans for the day.

A little further down in the picture you’ll see a pond. This pond is home to a number of ducks and geese. They too are quite the conversationalists. They can be heard when they’re coming in for landing as if the leader is giving instructions. Once on the ground, it often sounds like he’s giving feedback.

With them too I have no idea what they’re saying, but it sounds like every now and then these ducks and geese dissolve in peals of laughter.

Then there are the trains. Every 5 minutes during peak hours and every 10 minutes during the rest of the day, the SRT (Scarborough Rapid Transit) train passes by. 

Contrary to what you might think, the passing trains don’t bother me at all. In fact, I’m so used to them, I don’t hear them at all.

To GO-train, on the other hand, can't be missed. That train can be heard from quite a distance away and when it thunders past, anybody and everybody knows about it.

Micky loves that train. When he hears the train coming he rushes outside and sits on the ledge, or he jumps on a windowsill to watch the big green machine go by.

Other than that, there are all kinds of noises during the day. Cars coming and going, with quiet or not so quiet passengers.

In the distance, cars can be heard, along with the wail of ambulances or firetrucks. And every so often there is a loud bang. These bangs can be a car backfiring, an electric transformer blowing (as there is a power station nearby), or a gunshot. Who knows.

Late at night, when all should be quiet, a group of youngsters uses the parking lot behind the building as their personal playground. One car after another park in a dark corner and what happens next depends on that particular evening. Sometimes they play music, loud music, talk, and laugh.

Other nights they drink, and the more they drink, the louder they get. When they’re done, they smash the bottles leaving the glass and other debris behind. In the course of the evening, more cars come and go. It’s hard to see what goes on, but sometimes packages get exchanged.

Usually, after 2:00 a.m. all goes quiet.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 10: Friends - Real friends vs. online friends

Day 10: Friends - Real friends vs. online friends

Someone ones said that life is like a train journey. Passengers get on and off, some stay a while, with others we only have a brief encounter. I assume that those who stay a while can be called friends.

During my train journey, I’ve met a few ‘passengers’ and each of them has played a significant role in my life. Let’s take a look at them, although for privacy reasons I’ll change their names.

Angela

Angela was my very first friend. We met in grade 1 and remained friends throughout our school years. We were thick as thieves and shared just about everything. Upon graduation, we swore to stay friends forever. When we said goodbye, we didn’t know at the time that it would be a farewell, we never saw each other again.

Gary

Gary was my first male friend. He was not my boyfriend, there was no physical attraction. With Gary, I had long and deep conversations, about anything and everything, but especially about space and religion. We lost touch when we both got married. Many years later, after we both got divorced, we connected again, but it’s hard to keep up a friendship with an ocean between us.

Joanne

Joanne walked into my house and into my life at just the right time. I was at the lowest point in my life and she was there, not as a shoulder to cry on, but as a sounding board. She had a way of putting things into perspective and making me see things a different way. Over numerous cups of tea and slices of pizza she picked me up and made me see that I could face the world on my own.

Rita

Around the same time as I met Joanne, I met Rita. While Joanne was building me up emotionally, Rita took care of me financially. She didn't give me money, she got me something better ... a job. And not just any job, but the best job I’ve ever had. I got hired by the most prestigious company in Johannesburg, worked with the most fabulous boss and colleagues, for a salary that made me financially independent.

Online friends

And then there are my online friends. Men and women whom I have never met, and most likely will never meet. Some are right here in Canada, others in the States, Europe and as far away as Australia. We share the good, the bad, the scary and the ridiculous. We share ordinary things, exchange helpful hints and every now and then, we vent about something. You know what they say, a shared sorrow is half a sorrow. So, while some might say that these people aren’t real friends, they are very real to me. Every single one of them has enriched my life.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Is it really that simple

Voltaire once said, “I have chosen to be happy because it’s good for my health.” I wonder for how long he managed to keep up that resolution. Were things different in his lifetime? If Voltaire had lived today rather than in the 1700s would he perhaps also occasionally have lost his cool?

I think it’s strange, to begin with, choosing to be happy. Is there anyone who chooses to be unhappy? I imagine that most people get out of bed in the morning resolving to look, feel and do their best.

But no sooner does the day get started and life starts throwing stones at this resolve. There’s no hot water in the shower, a button is missing from a favorite shirt, the milk has gone sour … your good mood is being undermined and you haven’t even left the house.

On the road, there are more experiences to brush you up the wrong way: the highway is a parking lot, cars don’t indicate to turn left or right, or indicate for an ‘eventual turn’, or a car slides into your parking spot.

As the day progresses you get served more aggravation, from superiors, colleagues, and machinery. How are you doing with that “I have chosen to be happy because it’s good for my health” resolution?

I don’t have a car, so I don’t have to deal with highways and parking spaces, as a TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) user, I take the train, bus or streetcar. Not that that is without aggravation.

For instance …

Yesterday I was waiting in the Lawrence East station when I saw a youngster come out of the parole office across the street, walk up to the station and swan through the revolving barrier without paying.

This is the second time I’ve seen this happening. The first time an ex-inmate walked up to the ticket office and said that he’d come to see his parole officer but didn’t have any money for the train for the return journey. The TTC staff member asked him how he’d got to the parole office in the first place. “The same way,” he said. “They just let me through.” The staff member waved that he could proceed, without paying.

While that guy at least had the decency to ask if he could go through, the youngster I saw yesterday afternoon had no such manners. Without the slightest hesitation, he just walked in, indicating that this wasn’t the first time he was allowed on the train without paying.

Now that ticks me off. On average two million people take the TTC each day. The majority uses this form of transportation to get to and from work, but there are others who use the train for different reasons. Some are on their way to an interview, others have to go see a doctor, dentist or other medical professional. Others still have appointments at a hospital for life-saving treatment. All of these people, whether they are young or old, rich or poor, employed or unemployed, have to pay. But ex-inmates do not?!

If I was the kind of person to make resolutions, my “I have chosen to be happy because it’s good for my health” decision would go right out the window. I do not choose to be unhappy, nobody does, but life with all its complications and injustices just makes my blood boil.

What was that Mr. Voltaire …

www.connymanero.weebly.com

The Girl on the Train - Review

The last time I was on a train, I saw one of my fellow passengers reading “The Girl on the Train”. Since my favorite authors has nothing new on the shelf, I decided to give “The Girl on the Train” a try.

Synopsis

Three women, three men, connected through marriage or infidelity. Each is to blame for something. But only one is a killer in this nail-biting, stealthy psychological thriller about human frailty and obsession.
     Just what goes on in the houses you pass by every day? 
     Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and evening, rattling over the same junctions, flashing past the same townhouses.The train stops at the same signal every day, and she sees the same couple, breakfasting on their roof terrace. Jason and Jess, as she calls them, seem so happy. Then one day Rachel sees someone new in their garden. Soon after, Rachel sees the woman she calls Jess on the news. Jess has disappeared.
     Through the ensuing police investigation, Rachel is drawn deeper into the lives of the couple she learns are really Megan and Scott Hipwell. As she befriends Scott, Rachel pieces together what really happened the day Megan disappeared. But when Megan's body is found, Rachel finds herself the chief suspect in the case. Plunged into a world of betrayals, secrets and deceptions, Rachel must confront the facts about her own past and her own failed marriage.
     A sinister and twisting story that will keep you guessing at every turn, The Girl on the Train is a high-speed chase for the truth.

To be fair, I’ll post five reviews. A one, two, three, four and five star review.

1 - I did not like the drinking and drugs

By Dianne B May 10, 2015

I did not like the drinking and drugs! It was very slow-going as far as reading. We need upbeat books. This one was a downer!I do not like to criticize, but it was a waste of my time!

2 - Two stars - Slow moving

By Susan W May 11, 2015

I wanted this book to be better than I found it. It was a twisting story, but moved too slowly

3 - Good ideas but seemed lacking in execution

By Sydney May 11, 2015

I liked the idea of the book but not the complete execution. It's difficult for the reader to really like or relate to any of the characters. Although I did feel like the descriptions of Rachel's battle with alcohol to be sometimes somewhat compelling. I really did feel her want/need for a drink.

4 - Excellent read

By Ms S68 May 11, 2015

Very exciting mystery. The author made me feel like I was there. Every emotion and every situation practically jumped off the pages

5 - The best book I've read... EVER!

By Teddy W May 11, 2015

My favorite book- Hands down! I loved it!

Personally I agree with Dianne B who gave “The Girl on the Train” a one star review. I didn’t like the main character’s excessive drinking either. In fact, Rachel was the most unsympathetic main character I’ve ever come across.

Throughout the story, I lost count of how many glasses of wine and gin and tonics this girl pours down her throat. She drinks when she’s happy, she drinks when she’s mad, she drinks when she’s frustrated, she drinks for breakfast, lunch and dinner and if she wakes up in the middle of the night, she goes looking if there are any wine dregs in a bottle left. Then she wonders why she has blackouts. Here’s a suggestion … stop drinking!!!

It’s also a bit of a mystery where this alcoholic finds the money to support her habit. She got fired because of her drinking, and she can’t find another job for the same reason, so where does her money come from? The writer doesn’t mention unemployment checks, nor welfare, so maybe wine and gin and tonic are free in England.

I also wonder what kind of message Paula Hawkins sends to her readers with this alcoholic main character. That it’s okay to get drunk when things get rough? That alcohol is the solution to all problems? How do recovering alcoholics get through this book without falling off the wagon? Did Paula Hawkins think about that?

Her clinginess toward her ex-husband is equally annoying. Phone calls at every hour of the day and night, emails, surprise visits … it’s a miracle she didn’t become the victim of the killer.

All in all, if “The Girl on the Train” is Paula Hawkins debut novel, she won’t sell a follow up to me. They might give it to me for free and I’ll pass on it.

This is what comes of trusting a new author … a horrible disappointment.

The Girl on the Train - Review

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The last time I was on a train, I saw one of my fellow passengers reading “The Girl on the Train”. Since none of my favorite authors had nothing new on the shelf, I decided to give “The Girl on the Train” a try.

Synopsis

Three women, three men, connected through marriage or infidelity. Each is to blame for something. But only one is a killer in this nail-biting, stealthy psychological thriller about human frailty and obsession.
     Just what goes on in the houses you pass by every day? 
     Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and evening, rattling over the same junctions, flashing past the same townhouses.The train stops at the same signal every day, and she sees the same couple, breakfasting on their roof terrace. Jason and Jess, as she calls them, seem so happy. Then one day Rachel sees someone new in their garden. Soon after, Rachel sees the woman she calls Jess on the news. Jess has disappeared.
     Through the ensuing police investigation, Rachel is drawn deeper into the lives of the couple she learns are really Megan and Scott Hipwell. As she befriends Scott, Rachel pieces together what really happened the day Megan disappeared. But when Megan's body is found, Rachel finds herself the chief suspect in the case. Plunged into a world of betrayals, secrets and deceptions, Rachel must confront the facts about her own past and her own failed marriage.
     A sinister and twisting story that will keep you guessing at every turn, The Girl on the Train is a high-speed chase for the truth.

To be fair, I’ll post five reviews. A one, two, three, four and five-star review.

1 - I did not like the drinking and drugs

By Dianne B May 10, 2015

I did not like the drinking and drugs! It was very slow-going as far as reading. We need upbeat books. This one was a downer!I do not like to criticize, but it was a waste of my time!

2 - Two stars - Slow moving

By Susan W May 11, 2015

I wanted this book to be better than I found it. It was a twisting story, but moved too slowly

3 - Good ideas but seemed lacking in execution

By Sydney May 11, 2015

I liked the idea of the book but not the complete execution. It's difficult for the reader to really like or relate to any of the characters. Although I did feel like the descriptions of Rachel's battle with alcohol to be sometimes somewhat compelling. I really did feel her want/need for a drink.

4 - Excellent read

By Ms S68 May 11, 2015

Very exciting mystery. The author made me feel like I was there. Every emotion and every situation practically jumped off the pages

5 - The best book I've read... EVER!

By Teddy W May 11, 2015

My favorite book- Hands down! I loved it!

Personally I agree with Dianne B who gave “The Girl on the Train” a one-star review. I didn’t like the main character’s excessive drinking either. In fact, Rachel was the most unsympathetic main character I’ve ever come across.

Throughout the story, I lost count of how many glasses of wine and gin and tonics this girl pours down her throat. She drinks when she’s happy, she drinks when she’s mad, she drinks when she’s frustrated, she drinks for breakfast, lunch and dinner and if she wakes up in the middle of the night, she goes looking if there are any wine dregs in a bottle left. Then she wonders why she has blackouts. Here’s a suggestion … stop drinking!!!

It’s also a bit of a mystery where this alcoholic finds the money to support her habit. She got fired because of her drinking, and she can’t find another job for the same reason, so where does her money come from? The writer doesn’t mention unemployment checks, nor welfare, so maybe wine and gin and tonic are free in England.

Her clinginess toward her ex-husband is equally annoying. Phone calls at every hour of the day and night, emails, surprise visits … it’s a miracle she didn’t become the victim of the killer.

All in all, if “The Girl on the Train” is Paula Hawkins debut novel, she won’t sell a follow-up to me. Actually, they might give it to me for free and I’ll pass on it.

This is what comes of trusting a new author … a horrible disappointment.