let's preface this description with the confession that of course, i don't live in sf. i live in slc, where the world is oh so different.

my normal forms of transportation include, in rough order of frequency (which varies greatly by season):
-riding the bus
-riding the train
-biking
-driving my car
-walking

on january 9, 2008, i did none of these. here's the reconstructed record of my transportation on that fateful day:

commute to work, 7:34 am. my roommate calah bought a parking permit last night. this changes everything. i wipe the snow off her back windshield with my glove, then climb in. we zoom north, then east. instead of scavenging a parking spot 4 blocks away, we park right in the heart of campus. i have never parked here before. i walk through the tunnel under the street for the first time ever.

lunch with coworkers, 12:07 pm. miriam has parked her car in front of the building. it's an ancient white SUV. i squeeze in the middle in the back and when get to lunch i tell her how to parallel park. i have never been in this car before.

commute home, 5:49 pm. i brought running clothes with me to work. i change in the bathroom, shove my work clothes in a drawer, and slip out the back. i pound my way 3.9 miles home, resting only at intersections. i've never run home from work before, but it's wonderful. it only takes about 10 minutes longer than the bus, and by the time i get home, i've also exercised. i strip off my sweaty layers in the dining room. my hands feel warm on my frigid stomach, icy on my sweaty back.


it was an interesting day.