Something I have not mentioned is that my mother made a memory box for my birthday with pictures from infancy and childhood, a baby sweater Aunt Ital made me, and a copy of my story: A Cat in a Boat pinned inside. I read the story to my guests after dinner. Also modeled the shirt my sister made for me (which got a ton of compliments when I wore it on Tuesday, among them, "she's so talented." Yes, she is.) Eventually, I will post the pictures here.

In honor of yesterday's flirtation with mass transit, I dug out something that was thus inspired:

Exodus from the Cube Farm (1998)

Like clockwork, at 5:15

The shuttle arrives

A woman wearing a sleeveless demin shirt stops chattering and boards

Still hot even at this after work hour

A middle aged man lugs his gut aboard, perspiring

His thin greyish ponytail denying the bald spot on top of his head

An aging hippie, perhaps?

The door screetches shut behind him

Is the air conditioning broken?

The bus echoes the crowd's groans of disappointment as it lurches away