A transit cornucopia, or how many ways can I get to to work?

I've really put my FlexPass to the test this week, due to a variety of circumstances, including laziness, a doctor's appointment and lingering effects of cold medicine. Or maybe just more laziness.

Anyhoo, the week began with a bus ride in from downtown Tacoma after I minded the boys while Cheryl went to a church-related meeting at the ungodly hour of 7:30 a.m. I did the Tacoma thing because I could catch an express bus at 10 a.m. (in Federal Way, my usual bus connection, the last express leaves at 7:26 -- and this will become important later). So I took the 590 to Seattle, a Sound Transit thing, which means slightly plusher seats, but slightly less leg room. It was a fairly crowded bus, though there were seats for all. And I was TIRED. So I fell asleep instead of working. And woke up when the poor woman next to me gave me a gentle shove. I had slipped over into her personal space, you see, and though I'm hope I seem like a perfectly nice person, I don't expect people to let me just fall asleep on their shoulder before I've even introduced myself.

Leaving from downtown Tacoma has an advantage: I can take the train OR the bus home. I went with the train, though it's actually slower than the bus (except in extreme traffic situations). The train left Seattle at 5:40 and got into T-Town at 6:30. I was home around 7.

The next day, I took the 177 from the old Federal Way park 'n' ride. It used to be damned near impossible to find a place to park there, but now the "cool" routes go to the shiny new transit center with the parking garage, about a quarter-mile away. So, people like me (who aren't picky) get easy parking and a comfy ride.

I should mention that I took the 177 because I missed the last 196, which is the bus that I prefer. It leaves from the park 'n' ride closest to our house (about a 12-minute drive, including a quick detour for a very large diet Coke). Miss the last 196 at 8:08, and you can still get the last 177 at 8:26. Miss the last 177 ....

And you have a journey like I had this morning.

I didn't commute in on Wednesday. I worked from home, and went to the doctor. Thursday morning, it was back to work, but a cold that had been nagging at me all week was still nagging. I had the hardest time getting out of bed. And it's not that I was unaware of the time ... I just had trouble mustering the energy to care. So, I missed the last 196 and the last 177. This meant I could either drive all the way to Tacoma ... or see what Federal Way had for me. I knew I didn't want to take the 174, which has an average speed of about 30 mph and stops every 10 feet along Pacific Highway. But the 194 ... that I could do. It only stopped at a couple of park 'n' rides and the airport. And I got to work by 9:30. It was late-ish by my current standards, but I've been working every night (the curse of the take-home computer) so I wasn't too worried.

I took the 577 home, which was great in the sense that it was very fast: A true express from downtown, stopping nowhere between my office and the shmancy Federal Way park 'n' ride. It was a half-hour trip, made smooth by HOV goodness, while the 177 gets bogged on the 320th on ramp. If you've not experience the 320th on-ramp, just imagine the arteries of someone who eats bacon for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

This leaves me with two things to ponder: What means of transport shall I use tomorrow? And, should I go back on the Atkins diet?