I hate the car too, Alison.

One result of my recent trip to Toronto was the realization that I have allowed this city to turn me into a car dependent human. I drive to work every day when there is a perfectly good bus. I was really struck that my Toronto friends take public transportation as a matter of course and when I timed it I saw that I could do it here in less time than they spend, and yet I don't. So I came home resolved to take the bus some days. The first morning I mistimed things and saw the bus streaking by as I was still a little ways from the stop. Now, the difference between here and Toronto is that at rush hour you still wait thirty minutes between buses and I didn't have that time so back home and back to the car. But since then I have managed a few days of bus travel. Yesterday I needed to spend a couple of hours at the office and as it was a lovely day I rode my bike. I have done this before, and it is doable but still quite a work out - 13 miles round trip with some uphill climbs. It being Saturday the roads were filled with recreational cyclists decked out in spandex. I followed them towards the end thinking that they would have a short cut, but wound up up by the zoo having added two miles to my trip. Still I felt quite pleased with my self.