Day one

I prepared for my first trip to MSU via bus extensively.  I knew the times, the stop numbers, and how far I would have to walk once I got there.  I am trying to avoid driving my car, despite having a very sore knee.  I think I have bursitis which is aggravated by walking, alleviated by anti-inflammatories that irritate my stomach.

My first bus stop is about 50 steps from my door.  This is one of the reasons I rented this apartment.  Monday, I walked to my bus stop.  I was there before 7AM to be at school by 9AM for the Convocation.  There was supposed to be a bus every 35 minutes.  After 15 minutes past the scheduled time, I called the "hotline".  The lady told me there was a bus on the way.  After 30 minutes I called again, the shuttle was supposedly on the way.  Now, it was a shuttle.  After 45 minutes, the nice lady at the CATA hotline officially recommended that I get in my car and drive to the big bus stop at the nearby mall, about 1 mile from my apartment.  I recall sobbing loudly to her that "It is my first day of school, damnit!!!"

I made it to the nearest bus stop, about .2 miles from the Breslin Center at about 9:05, and got a seat just before the speakers started.  2 hours later, I walked about .2 miles to the nearest bus stop, and waited about 45 minutes to get a bus back to the mall.  I got back home at about 1PM. i was exhausted, frustrated and my knee hurt. 

I learned that I could have driven to the Breslin Center and parked right there for about $3 in the visitor parking.  That would have been a much better choice, if I had known.