A Hot Wednesday. The heat wave continues into today, as we reach the second day of July. Friday is Independence Day, and while the weather continues to be questionable for Thursday, I am still hoping to head up to Moose River Plains and set up camp Thursday night through Sunday. Probably take NY 30 there, because I am still not ready to face the Adirondack Northway in the Independence Day Rush after the rear-end crash. I still cringe and feel my neck tense up when I see a car in a rear-view mirror.

It sure was sticky yesterday sleeping. I didn’t get home until 6:20 PM last night because the bus were a clusterfuck, due to so many breaking down to the heat. I planned to take the Route 719 bus at 5:10 PM home, but the bus didn’t come until 5:40 PM. Despite being a 719, this one only took me to the Park and Ride as it was the 5:40 PM bus, and the driver was ending his shift then. The 5:10 PM bus didn’t come until later, but fortunately he did come to the Park and Ride, and got me all the way home by 6:20 PM.

Which was fine, as it was hot, and I was in no rush to get home. But I was annoyed, as where many of the passengers. Many of all called CDTA trying to figure out what was going on, but apparently CDTA didn’t really know. At first they insisted the 5:10 PM was running on time, which simply wasn’t true as all the regular riders where waiting for the bus. I kind of loss track of time, and ended up getting on the 5:40 PM. Eventually, CDTA figured out what was going on, and they sent the 5:10 PM bus after the 5:40 PM, and it caught up with us at the Park and Ride about 10 minutes later. The many passengers of the bus had to transfer from the 5:40 PM bus to the 5:10 PM bus, as the park and ride around 6:10 PM.

The 5:10 PM driver said he was sent downtown without a bus, as they where short of buses. He told he was to catch an extra bus, when one of the drivers was done with their shift. However, no extra buses were available when he got downtown, they still were dealing with a severe bus shortage. Eventually, a bus came available back on the depot, when a broke-down bus was brought back into operation. He was given a ride back to the depot, and got the 5:10 PM bus at 5:30 PM, and made it downtown around 5:50 PM to start his route.

To make it worst, CDTA seemed not to understand the whole situation while it developed. Certainly nobody in the public knew, and I have a feeling neither the dispatcher, much less the public information officers at CDTA had a clue how badly the 719 situation was developing. If I had better information, that rational decision would have been to take the local home, which would have gotten me home by 5:40 – 6:00 PM, depending on the bus I caught home.

But I made it home. It was ungodly hot, but reheated some Macaroni and Cheese, and drunk some beer. Had some ice-cream, and went down to the library. Between the beer and heat, I was pretty much out of it, and my laptop battery gave out after an half hour at the library. I went home, took a cold shower, and slept until 7 AM, occasionally waking, and listening to a podcast late into the night. It was darn sticky and my little desk fan didn’t help much.

Tonight, probably going to pack for Moose River Plains. Still hoping to leave early on Thursday for the plains, however I have to go home and pack the loaner truck, as I can’t leave my loaner truck with it’s open bed, packed in the city all day while I work. Or I might go up Friday early, depending on how things go. The later might be preferable, as I can pack and shop on Thursday evening, and not have to deal with traffic on Independence Day.

Normally, if I had my truck, I would pack tonight, and leave tomorrow after work. If it was dark when I got up there, I’d just plug in the lights to my truck. But that won’t work, as I won’t have my truck back until next week. That said, probably will go up to Moose River Plains again later in July with my kayak to do some fishing and relaxing with my normal camping setup.