Speedwalk

The clouds unfurled today and quenched the earth with the mystical process of rain. How much engineering and how many variables have to be met for rain and snow to work as a semi-predictable and reliable method of delivering life giving water to the 1/3 of the exposed surface of the earth? Maintaining just the right amount to support life on a planet where billions of people rely on weather patterns to grow their food and water themselves and their livestock amazes me.

Sometimes I wonder if the act of throwing away large Big Gulps of soda into the trash without first emptying the fluid has caused a water shortage whereby we're sending millions of gallons of water and other beverages into landfills where the fluid is trapped for years or just taken out of the cycle of life for an extended time. What percentage of a landfill is water? I did some research and found that the fluids in landfills are defined as leachates. (Check out how they're contained at handled according to Wikipedia. Very interesting!) It seems that the more modern landfills do indeed trap the liquid for extended periods of time. And since humans are comprised of 90%+ water, it stands to reason that there is alot of water tied up above ground in people alone. So I guess disposing of Big Gulps into landfills is no more wasteful than pouring it out on the lawn; a green patch of land that serves no purpose other than to cool the eyes and feet of its owner or serve as a forgiving gymnasium for growing children and a check-mark of compliance for the critical eye of the ever-present HOA. You know society has hit some kind of peak when we can be so cavalier about our most precious resource and to divert its use to such recreational ends, but I digress.

I have to admit that the thought of being soaked to the bone on the hike to my bus stop today was one fraught with angst. I'd left my headphones in the beast today and as I opened the door to retrieve them, I teetered on the threshold with making the decision to stay within the confines of the sure-footed 4 wheel drive vehicle, or strike out on foot. I was on the verge of missing the 7:30 bus and the thought of that 8:00 sent a shudder down my spine. The opportunity for adventure and my week-long hiatus is what finally drove my decision to suck it up and catch the bus, so I set out with a sense of urgency in my step under a hovering hoarde of dark clouds that watched every step I made.

I hadn't brought a gear bag as I had to drive in again today as a result of my package delivery yesterday and figured I'd wing it. (I was up late last night working on the blog and watching some vapid TV show so I ended up crashing out the door 25 minutes before work.)

With my new and improved gait and a comfortable pair of Teva shoes, I was able to shave nearly 10 minutes off my normal time and made it with about five minutes to spare. As I boarded the bus, the driver, who has made it a point to recognize me, made a comment about my absence as I mentioned my vacation and he berated me in a good-natured way for not inviting him along. This guy seems almost too happy to be driving a bus. Perhaps it was his life's dream to do so and to see someone take an interest in their cargo and trade seems to be a rarity in this world.