I took the Red Line to Fullerton and just as I got down to the street the #11 bus showed up ... it's often a 20min wait there, so that was a "happy thing".
Also, I found that the place I was going to was only a block from a Brown Line stop, so I took that downtown, and the El showed up right after I'd gotten to the platform then ... that makes TWO good public transit connections on the same day! ... but wait, there's more ... I took the Brown Line down to the Loop and noticed on my notes that the place I was going to apply at down there said to call the manager first, well, I got off the train at the Quincy stop, called the guy, got his voice mail, left a message, and got right back on the train to head back north ... not only did I not have the frustration of going to yet another place that wasn't open, but I didn't have to rack up another fare! ... and when I got back up to Fullerton, I was able to duck downstairs from the northbound tracks and get back up to the southbound tracks just in time to hop on the Red Line that was just arriving! That's three unbelievably convenient connections today (plus doing all that on one fare-with-transfer) ... somehow it feels like the CTA is "walking on eggshells" around me, not wanting to push me over the edge into psychotic behavior.
The one appointment I did get to, though, was painfully depressing, although it may end up providing me with some on-call catering gigs (which is NOT where this job search is supposed to be heading ... I was intending this Bartending thing to end up with me in a convention hotel with 40+ hours a week, good tips, and a nice benefit package!). I really am going to be bummed if I find I'm having to compete head-to-head with "undocumented workers" to eke out some cash flow. You know if that happens I'll be adding the local INS office to my speed dial!
