Ran out the door with my purse, my wallet nestled in its little pocket. I walked to my bus stop just as the bus was pulling up (I love it when that happens). I reached for a compartment in my wallet...

No bus pass.

Its okay, especially on a commuter bus in Seattle - they know you have a pass and that you've bought the ride already. Besides, the driver said, its the first of the month and it'll happen a lot today. Get on.

Got in line for coffee. The cashier knew my order, poured my coffee while I opened my wallet and discovered no money in it. Worse, I had no debit card. Got my coffee anyway, because I was a regular.

So I went fiscally commando all day today.

I hate the surprise. I hate it when I forget that I stuck my bus pass, money from the ATM and debit card in a spare pocket for speed. I especially hate it when I have to dip into the tip box for the necessities.

Spending log - 4.50$ curry

Found a quarter sitting on an empty bus seat this morning as I was leaving. That was a good sign for my first day back to work. Best haul I've had in a year or two. Mostly I find pennies and dimes.

And it was just in time, too. Vacation just breeds spending opportunity. If you work on an outside job, you have little time or opportunity to spend. I was okay with not buying lunch, but it seemed like everyday I was shelling out bucks for printer cartridges or a bed or a sheets. Good deals, but the best deal of all is 0$.

Shoveled out 155 emails and went through my day. Caught up with the groom from the second wedding I attended (the couple who got four personal finance books) - we hadn't talked for about 6 weeks. Most of my department is getting back from various vacations, so very soon we will be at full strength.

Got my other habits in order. My back was stiff, but the chiropractic adjustments seemed to hold, even with two weeks on the air mattress and couch. The personal trainer threatened measurements tomorrow. Got the footlong sandwich so I have lunch today and Wednesday - got the special for 5$, so it would be $2.50/lunch. Tomorrow I have lunch with lawyer friend (before measurements). I should finish the month with $60 in my checking account.

Savings log - 7$ tip box.
Spending log - $1.75 coffee + $5.00 lunch.

So getting to Nashville was a crazy adventure - a hopscotch from Seattle to San Diego to Dallas to Nashville. The Dallas connection was the crazy one, and I knew it would be crazy. In my purse went the just in case stuff: a pair of fresh socks, fresh panties, a bottle of water, 5 energy bars, 2 paperbacks, my Saturday paper, PDA, MP3 player.

The first rule of the airport is to think "prison". One checked bag, one purse, slip on shoes, no belt, no jewelry, all metal in the purse. Thankfully the metal detectors missed the underwire in the bra.

The second rule of the airport is that if you roam it with "needs" you'll spend money. The only need I should have provided for was to pack a lunch. I bought that for an uninspired $6 in San Diego.

As I said before I just made the connection in Dallas to Nashville; I had about fifteen minutes to get across the gigantic Dallas Airport. Yay for gym class. Ten minutes into the flight, though, after the relief that I made my flight came the realization that there was absolutely no way that my checked bag had made it. It tempered my relief until I realized something very important: all my clothes in that bag were at least 1 size too large, no one has seen me wear what I have on, and everything was Seattle summer-y, not Nashville summer-y. I cheered up at the thought of actually buying something.

At the Nashville baggage claim, my bag was missing, and so I stood with about 15 other people in various stages of high dudgeon, asking an airline rep to rescue their bag. One woman even threw a tantrum about her cell phone charger being in the missing bag. "That's my life they lost!" Here's a hint...if it was that big o'deal, it should have gone in the purse.

My turn with the airline rep. Many thanks to anna, jester of the bees for her customer service tips here and here that informed my tactics.

Me: Bad night, eh?
Rep (with a southern drawl): If you're here, the news is never good.
Me (low voice): To tell you the truth, I'm not that upset. You see, I've been at the gym for seven months now. All my clothes in that bag are at least one size too big.
Rep (laughing): Well bless your heart! So what did your bag look like?
Me: Carpet bag, green and kinda pink. No wheels. So I'm at [hotel]. Do you deliver? I don't have a phone...
Rep: We sure do, honey. No need for the phone, we know where that is. Do you have everything you need - toothbrush?
Me: toothbrush I have, but I need toothpaste.
Rep: Oh, let me get a little something for you...(returns with a little spa kit.)

So if you're a customer service rep, whose bag are you going to rescue first? Tantrum woman or woman with a funny story? I got my bag at the hotel by 10 am the next morning.

Back from Nashville on the job-related junket. I learned a lot and had a bit of fun....

One leg of the priceline.com flight had a fifteen minute connection in Dallas, but I managed--by running! I was lucky. I saw the attendant make the final boarding call, heard my last name and I screamed - that's me! I'm coming! It felt a bit religious. Maybe it was because I was heading smack into the strap of the bible belt.

Most of the trip I felt like I was deciding on when to turn on/turn off the frugal button. Most of us had to develop the frugal button in the first place to get out of trouble, so this is definitely advanced "deep frugal".

I avoided the really dumb purchases easily, like raiding the minibar or buying $10 internet access (which is why I wasn't blogging) or grabbing the $5 Fiji water bottles. It's the non-so-dumb purchases with the co-workers, the rough calculation of how much fun I'll have for the price of admission.

I'll blog more later, get my thoughts in place. Just letting you all know I'm safe with stories.

Got inspired and added $9 to my tip box, and $40 to my DRP.

Solving ancient problems at work. Life seems thousands of times calmer than six weeks ago. Compared notes with the other two people who are going to Nashville on the same junket - my ticket was $100 cheaper. We'll see whether I'll be bragging about it when I take the trip.

Today for lunch I picked up a .33/can of fruit/punch/soda. Frugal adventure. Note to self: Stick to water next time, sport.

Two weird things happened on the bus commute. In the morning, a control freak with a cell phone kept up a 30 minute conversation about how her boyfriend shouldn't smoke clove cigarettes in front of her, then on how the hike last weekend was fabulous. Bet she was on her cell phone the entire way... In the afternoon, our bus passed loads of bicyclists, one of whom was riding beside us on a 10ft high bike --wheels on stilts-- as we crossed the ship canal. "How would he stop?" said my seatmate.

I'm under 200! 198 3/4. Lost another 1/2 inch on the waist, and another 3/4 inch from the hips. According to the original measurements, I'm very close to the loss of inches and loss of body fat 6-month goal that the first trainer set up for me. Except for the weight - he figured that I would be around 180.

Call me Ahnold. I guess I'm not a girlie-man girl. I turn fat to muscle instead of having it go poof.

Checked up on my 403B, the accounts where my vestments were weird. One was right; the other showed 80% vested, which was right before Feb 1. It take a little more work, but at least movement has appeared. HR didn't appreciate that I emailed my co-workers about it...so screw it. I can look at my accounts and I can report to my friends my findings. HR is not your friend, usually.

I'm going on the junket to Nashville, so I've booked the hotel and the plane ticket. I used Priceline to get the cheapest round-trip ticket I could ($435), but comes with a real Twilight Zone itinerary. Hopefully William Shatner is not flying the plane; bad enough when he has a window seat looking out at the wing.

Put 5$ in the tip box.
Gave DH $2000 to get the car fixed.
Pulled the last 740$ of gramma's gift to pay off the credit card completely, for now.

You might notice that the age in my bio went up a notch.

Today was a rainy day in Seattle, which I love (I'd better!). I got paid yesterday. I've got Monday off (little quirky benefit of the workplace). I worked out today. DH treated me to my favorite Szechuan place that we can walk to.

Time to get philosophical. If you can't get philosophical on your birthday, when can you? Yeah, yeah, any other day.

I've learned in these last couple of years money-wise, and in these last couple of months health-wise, some strange little paradoxes:

You may decide to transform yourself in a flash, but to radically transform yourself you have to have to use the least radical of tools - a routine that you follow slavishly. Pay yourself first; 90% of everything is just showing up.

Any purchase can be considered frugal if you can afford it, and you use the dickens out of it. Its frightening the amount of money I spent on the trainer and the gym, but to my defense, my attitude is that "I've bought it, I'm using it to the utmost." I've only cancelled twice, and my trainer has cancelled twice. I come in ten minutes early to warmup so to use the trainer's full hour. I bought her time after all.

Contentment is like peripheral vision; its never straight on. After the workout today, I waited for the bus. I walked to the bus stop in the pouring rain - which nicely washed the sweat from my hair - and as I waited in the overhang by Macy's, feeling my muscles still warm and loose, I ate a delicious breakfast bar. All my needs were met and I was content.

...without any car.

DH's car withdrawl symptoms seem to be passing quickly. After all, if he had a working car, he'd be buying gas and getting medical symptoms of a different kind! I secretly miss the car - out in the car with DH doing errands really sets the weekend off from the week. Now that we have to stay close to home or close to a bus line. DH is waiting for the insurance to settle out, so who knows? It might be quite awhile until we're out on the road again.

For you Seattleites - and a know that a couple of you are on this blog - I've been having a good time with Seattle Bus Monster

http://www.busmonster.com. Its a mix of three great sites so you can see traffic cameras, color coded routes, and little icons of buses as they run along their routes, so you know where yours is at any point in time. If this gets on a cellphone, fantastic!

Worked out Tuesday by myself using the machines, and Thursday with the trainer doing calisthentics and balance moves. Been walking home from my alternate bus route every day as a habit. I noticed last night that the bath towel goes all the way around, if you know what I mean.

The chiropractor claimed that my eyesight improved because of the neck adjustments. "Stop it," I said, "if my eyes improve any more I'll waste 350$."

Ate a nice cheap lunch with lawyer friend. Lesson 1: get the special. We'll get there, we'll get there.

I have 42$ in the tip box so far this month, and will probably go to the bank with it on Monday, after adding a few more dollar bills to it. I will head into the next paycheck with about 150$.

Spending log - 1.65$ coffee + 5$ lunch (it was still 4.36$, but I tipped) + 2$ for a birthday gift collection.
Saving log - 6$ tip box.

Getting to work this morning was an absolute mess. North Seattle had maybe an inch of snow, but what was underneath was a solid coating of black ice. Just walking on the sidewalk was bad; crossing intersections quickly enough to dodge sliding cars was a nightmare. The last little cross street had a wicked little hill of black ice right at the crosswalk. I almost fell there, but I fared better than nearly every car trying to make that intersection. All the drivers were trying to hit the gas to get into the intersection - a chorus of squealing, smoking tires. One car took four tries. When the car finally cleared the intersection, the driver promptly made a left turn into the grocery store. Sure hope the Starbucks coffee was worth it, dude.

Waited 45 minutes for the bus. My feet were cold, I wanted to read my paper and have some coffee to start the day. I gave up and crossed the treacherous street again, into a Tully's. Got warm, got an overpriced coffee, got an overpriced pastry, set my paper down, made a phone call to the boss, watched in the window as the... yes you guessed it, the bus pulled up and picked everybody else up.

How long do you think you'll be? my boss asked.
About forty five minutes, I said, a thin stream of steam coming out of my ears.

To hell with it, I thought. I've got the overpriced coffee, overpriced pastry, and had my paper. I'm going to enjoy them. Half an hour later, I finished and got back to the stop thirty seconds before the next bus came.

If routines save me money, this anti-routine lost me money.

Anyway, two hours late to work. (Stopped by the chiropractor before I got in to work.) Missed the phone survey. The only productive financial thing I did was the ritual of counting my office tip box money and depositing it into savings.

Spending log - 500$ credit card + 60$ copay chiropractor + 1.81$ coffee + 2.50$ pastry + 8$ lunch

Saving log - 41$ tip box + 35$ Drp + 40$ Drp

Best Buy rebate came. I can't believe how painless it was - fill out the rebate form on the web using a couple of codes on the receipt. No clipping, xeroxing and fretting about it. I wish all rebates were like that. Plan on feeling the frugal burn and putting that check in savings.

DH (dear husband) will reimburse me some of the electric bill by Paypaling my account. Modern love and finances, eh? Since Paypal is doing better than ING, I might just as well keep that money in there and let it ride.

Washing machine is still out of commission, DH is waiting for a 20$ part that he figures will arrive on Wednesday. I'm just not into heading toward the laundromat, so doing my unmentionables in the bathroom sink and shaking/beating/airing out the tops, jeans, and t-shirts.

I've been finding a lot of pennies these days, on the floors of buses, on the street. With this cold snap (yeah, I know its 20-30F) it seems that everyone is getting out their heavy coats with shallow pockets. That's okay - more for me.

Tip box = box at work in my desk that I put a couple of dollars/change in. Its like tipping myself, but it does come in handy for office collections, etc. After about a month, I collect what's in my box and deposit it in the bank. Started this a year and half ago; saved about 900$ using this method.

Got word from sister that Nut is a creditor because he wants us to fix the tractors. I'm confused. Are they the tractors he stole (well, duh, who steals broken items??!) or what he bought at the auction? What part of as-is do you not understand? Or is as-is, son of isis, living in denial, the main river of Egypt?

Nut is aiming for about $3000-$4000. Sister's lawyer is countering with $1500 if Nut goes away. If he goes away... of course as soon as dad's money hits our accounts its game over.

The nougat part is the ritual trading of chocolate for Valentines Day. We both got and dug into our chocolates before the day even began. The chocolates were a bit pricey - 20$/box - but you eat them and then when you run out (quickly) you stop eating them.

Implemented the walk. The new bus route is interesting at early evening, and its also interesting that different buses have different personalities. My more direct bus is definitely commuter bus; new one is a bit more hip. It only took me 20 minutes of hard, fast walking to get home. In another month when it stays lighter, I'll take another bus route and get dropped off even farther.

So for this fitness challenge, my trainer suggested (prodded!) me to get 30 minutes of cardio training each day. I can make it to the gym sometimes, but I don't want to live there. I finally figured out a frugal way to do it. I'm going to go home on a different bus than I normally do, which will drop me off about 1.5 mi from my house. My job is to walk home as quickly as I can, no cheating on the hills. I've tried it today. It definitely takes me 30 min and I'm breathing hard most of the way. I made myself a little laminated card of calisthentics so when I get out the yoga mat and the rubber band with the handles I can figure out what exercises to do.

Thinking about Valentine's Day. Why oh why are all the holidays (except Labor Day and the 4th of July) at the back end of my paycheck? We have President's Day off and even that is in the back half of the paycheck.

A freakishly good deal on red onions - .33/lb. Still have a ton of sister's cheese and now I have some milk to get rid of fast. Time for some simple, homemade mac 'n cheese. Nothing like the box type.

Wisconsin Farmhouse Mac 'N Cheese

2.5 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
milk
lots of grated cheese - sharp cheddar and colby for this. The drier the cheese, the better.

Preheat oven to 325F. In a casserole dish, melt butter, add salt and pepper, add elbow macaroni. Stir to coat macaroni in butter. Spread the grated cheese on top of the macaroni. Pour milk over the top, keep pouring until milk level hits the mid cheese line.

Bake uncovered 10 min at 325F, then drop it to 300F for 50 minutes or so. Ready when cheese is brown and bubbly and the macaroni is tender.

Let sit for 10 min after you take out of oven to firm up. Microwave leftovers with a little bit of milk.

I had about 1.5 M worth of pledges to check, stamp and send to our auditors. Eeeps! Time to lock the door, batten down the hatches, cancel a couple of meetings and get it done. Since I avoided the meetings, it really wouldn't do to be caught at the gym either (the gym is across the street from work), so I canceled today's workout. We are in the thick of it.

But lunch to me is sacred and I wanted to get some fresh air. I was also curious, with the re-routes in Seattle, whether a couple of buses that used to go in the tunnel would take me where I wanted to go in the International District. I hopped on, and satisfied my curiousity. Nope. Not really close. By the time I could get off, I was at least a mile away from where I hoped to be. So I had gym by other means.

Spending log - 1.65$ coffee + 7.00$ lunch and mini-lunch
Saving log - $0

Mom's retirement benefit, that mysterious Employee Trust Fund, came in a lump sum today. $137.39. Mom didn't believe much in 403(B)s, I guess, and they must not have matched. Its also taxable, so it came with a Form 1099-R. Round and round into the ING account it goes and what it interest collects, nobody knows.

Bought my November I-bond - $500.

Boarded a tiny bus for the commute this morning. We got a young woman (5 yrs out of being a girl) who clearly didn't know bus rules. Came on a commuter transit bus with not one, but two full large suitcases. (Must've been one hell of a weekend). There were no seats, so she parked the baggage right next to the bus driver, partially blocking the entrance, and sat on top of them. Sigh.

Why the driver didn't force her back is anyone's guess. The bus was too packed to yell something clever (who would hear me?), so I just tried to transmit a telepathic signal. A big clean taxi, a friendly taxi driver who is paid and is happy to take on a pretty customer, driving to the airport in comfort and quiet, no one kicking your suitcases. Maybe the subliminal signal will help her think again the next time.

Ha.

Spending log - $1.65 coffee + $6.00 lunch
Saving log - $137.39 + $500 I-bond

A lot of my co workers dressed for Halloween. I went topical - a medical professional with bird flu . DH, at a different office, went as Doc Holliday. He had the cough from last week. Scratch off another lifetime goal - I got on the bus in full makeup and costume and didn't die of complete embarrassment. Less embarrassment - I lost track of my bus pass this weekend. In Seattle, if you keep a regular routine, the bus driver knows that you have a pass and waves you in. Still, you have to mumble something like, "Sorry - I forgot it in my regular pants."

I ended up with 63$ for the month, not too bad because generally Halloween throws me for a loop. Without Halloween I would have ended up with 102$. With the work potluck it was very nearly a no-spend day - the only spend was a $1.65 coffee.

Got paid today, so the check has gotten farmed out - 445$ for my share of rent, 100$ to ING, 50$ to bank savings, 40$ to 3M DRP. I'm waiting now for what the I-bond rates are going to be. US Treasury tends to be pretty timely - they announce right away.

Didn't get any insights about Mr. Nut from Bugs Bunny, but I did get some laughs. Sister thinks we are at a standoff. Each side has to prove ownership of stuff, and unlike cars, equipment doesn't come with titles. Sister got some more bad news about the house - a corner of the foundation is collapsing. I don't see how she'll make the numbers work, or even why she would want to, but I support her nonetheless.

G*d, I hate that. 8:11! I dressed in a hurry, took a quick number one, ran out the door and made it to the 8:30 bus. Made me feel like an elementary school kid again. I made it to work 20 minutes late. At least we're not in a place where you punch in and as long as you get your projects done, you're fine. Stayed an extra 15 minutes, though.

Got the Employees Trust letter from my mom's work. You see, when my mom died two years ago, none of her estate got settled. Dad wasn't up for it. She died at 61 from breast cancer so she missed social security benefits. Sister and I were collecting papers from her too. We'll settle it all together, I guess. Anyway, they were basically beating the bush for beneficiaries - sister and I. Based on what was checked, they were going to get mom's death certificate from my sister.

I got another odd piece of mail from US Bank. It was a list of their mutual funds, with a letter from, well...let me put it this way: if the executor was Batman, this was Robin. Robin talked about "we may invest..." Hmmmph. Not at these fee rates. Since there was no application, I will take it under advisement, and have another chat with my lawyer friend.

Put another 50$ into bank savings (not ING), and put another 7$ in the tip box, which eventually goes into bank savings. This is where I pull the funds to buy the savings bonds. Paid my share of the rent ($445). Saw online that I bought over 1 share of Coke stock at the end of the month and bought another third of a share by the quarterly dividend.

Yesterday was just plain weird. I forgot my PDA (Handspring Visor) so I felt naked all day. The bus was packed by mostly rude people (what kind of person can sit next to a 75 year old woman standing in the aisle?), but a few were nice enough. A car cut the bus off and parked right in front of the bus, causing it to have problems getting out of its stop. The driver was incensed enough to get out of the bus and yell at the guy for a minute or two. A few blocks later he mused (over the microphone) why are car drivers so stupid. A passenger shot back: all the bright car owners are on the bus.

I was invited to an inpromptu lunch at my favorite curry place. I barely knew the two of my lunch companions from work, but they were friendly enough. I opened my wallet and whooops -- I had to borrow some money. I was strangely unembarrassed when I asked the woman next to me for a loan.

After lunch I went to the bank, and the only place that had something cheap enough to break a twenty the right way was a Starbucks. So I bought and drank a coffee at 1 pm. Went back to work and paid off my loan. She was a little surprised to get it back so quick (45 min, no chance for interest). Right around 11 pm I knew that that 1 pm coffee was a very, very big mistake.

It set me up for a not so terrific day today. But not much happened. At least nothing weird.

The second of grampa's savings bonds is in my online manifest. Four weeks. That took a little longer but I guess the US government has a lot on its mind. Still waiting for the second, heiress piece of paper. My job evaluation is on Friday. The job itself is starting to get into its busy season - I'm keeping up and I have a high capacity but the screws are starting to tighten.

The second day of all the Seattle buses being diverted from the bus tunnel and going through downtown Seattle. Third Avenue looks kinda cool. Bus, bus, bus, bus, bus...all of them zooming. Once in awhile a car goes by that will get stopped by the cops for $101. A *lot* more people on the streets waiting for their bus; each stop on each side of the street had at least 75 people waiting for something coming by. I never knew. I used the tunnel during lunch so it was always deceptively quiet to me, but it turns out that 40% of downtown Seattle commutes by bus.

Sept 26
Spending log - 1.65 coffee + 6.00 lunch + 2.50 snack

Sept 27
Spending log - 1.65 coffee + 5.00 lunch

Tonight I got the waiver and consent from sister's lawyer, who is going to assist the executor (the bank). We're starting with the paperwork by entering the will for informal probate, and by signing our consent allowing the bank to become the executor. Wheels are grinding slowly and infinitely fine. The first casuality: they've shaved off an "a" from my mom's first name. I expect my lawyer friend, a gay man, to enjoy the joke.

My bank transferred back the 200$.

This week the Seattle police are cracking the whip to get cars off of Third avenue during the 3 hour afternoon rush hour. Big "do not enter" signs. Cars are being turned off at every intersection on Third by four officers, two cars, and large flashing signs. Its kinda cool actually. No exhaust, no honking, no stereo bass.

September 18
Spending log - 10.00 coffee/brunch + 3.00 bubble tea

September 19
Spending log - 1.65 coffee + 7.00 lunch + 3.00 afternoon juice
Saving log - 5.00 tip box

Got my paycheck. $3 more than I thought I'd get.

At work we are probably getting personal time off (PTOs), a change from sick days and vacation days. I'm not sure but, apparently one of the advantages is that we can cash them out - take cash instead of having to use them. I'll have to figure that out.

Sister is now talking with the executor and asking questions about what she should do and how to proceed. Whew. Her lawyer told us that he is about to send us both waivers to sign. I'm guessing that its to give them permission to proceed from their end - post the estate, allow the creditors to come, allow the bank to sell the land and bits. One of dads friends got one of the tractors started, so that immediately means that its worth more. More good news.

The reroutes downtown are interesting. Third avenue, where the buses go, had a great drop in car activity. But it means that First, Second, and Fourth Aves are car infested nightmares.

Spending log - 1.65 coffee + 5.00 lunch + 3.00 bubble tea.
Saving log - 0

Spending log - $1.65 coffee + $6.00 lunch + $2.50 snack

Saving log - $6.00 tip box

Well tomorrow's payday, and I've bottomed out at $50 in the checking account. It's a little low - I like to bottom out at about $90-$100 at the end of the month. I had an exBF that aimed for what he called "$0 balance checking" at the end of the month. Musta worked for a company with a perfect HR department that never, never ever gets your paycheck wrong! Of course at the time I argued that I, too, practiced $0 balance checking because my $100 cushion never changed. I only had to do the $100 balance checking once, then $0 thereafter. HA.

I don't have cable, so I'm following what's going on in the southeast over the web. I see the same things happening there on a much, much larger scale than what I experienced. If the parallels hold, the most ironic thing was that 2 or 3 days after the hurricane, skies will be as blue and the air will be as clear as can be. In other words, all of NO's airborne dust, sand, and the free Mardi gras beads are all in Tennessee by now.

Cheapest gas at the cheapest stations in Seattle is $2.75. I see a fair number of new faces on the bus and less entertaining behavior. Not all is bright in mass transit paradise, though. The bus stop I normally use is on a piece of street that's sinking and has to be replaced. Its going to be out of commission for a year. The best part about that stop was that all three bus lines that stopped there I could take downtown. The stop that replaced it and all the other ones within a block of it -- only two lines in different combinations. I've missed more buses in the last week than I have in a year. Grrrr.

Now that gas is approaching 3$/gallon I see a lot of new faces on the bus and a lot of crappy (yet highly entertaining) behavior. I, herein, list several principles that every new bus rider should know about to make their experience just a little better:

1. The less you lug on the bus the happier you will be. A bus is not a car with a big back seat, not an airplane without wings, not a youth hostel on wheels. You have a seat (if you're lucky and got on early!) and a lap. If your backpack is as big as you are, you'll have problems.
2. "Spy voice" on the cellphone. Enough said.
3. Bus driver knows his route and perhaps the connecting routes, along with a few well known intersections. He is not a telepathic GPS unit with feet and will not drive you to your door.
4. Bus driver is probably concentrating on the road; he might see the express bus behind him, then again, he might not.
5. People come off before you come on. When your turn comes, be sprightly when exiting.
6. Yelling "Back door!" is acceptable and fun.
7. If you want to try riding the bus to see if it agrees with you, try it on Friday. It's less crowded, with mainly the "hard core" commuter types. We know you're serious if you ride on Friday. Monday is the worst day, its full of dilettantes.

Spending:
Coffee - $1.65 + Lunch - $5 + Bubble tea - $3.25 + Electric bill $75.92 (grrr. usually that's about $60 this time of year)

Saving:
Tip Box - $3 + another DRP - $40