Thursday 8:12 a.m.

Upon arriving at the station, a really average looking man - so average he was wearing red tag levis and white leather tennis shoes with no logo was in a real hurry. Where was the fire? The train wasn't at the station and you couldnt even hear it. It was no so frigid that those extra second meant the difference between frostbite or not.

Got on the train and there were no seats. There was also a real sadness to all the people on my car. I don't expect dancing on a Thursday morning to the loop but these people looked like this train was header to nowhere. HAd to really focus on my book to get those people's energy out of my mind.

Transferred to the red which this whole week as been walking from one train to another with the greatest of ease in the morning. I took the last seat. I know there were women behind me but the weren't 1) old, 2) pregnant or 3) pregnant-looking.

The problem with this ride was my allergies started. There is no way to attend to a runny nose on the el in any graceful way. Plus if you have the sniffles, the el car seems to amplify that.

My ride ended with the same feeling as the start, some average man really in a rush to something squeezing ahead of me out the door.