April 9, 2008 **

On the road to West Virginia.

Still on the bus.  At least this time I didn't have to transfer.  I had a printed out schedule, plus an itinerary on my ticket, and we were supposed to stop somewhere around ten o'clock, where I was going to call and make a reservation that I needed to get from Pittsburg to Clarksburg, West Virginia.  At ten o'clock we were still speeding down the highway.  At ten thirty we were still speeding down the highway.  I  began to wonder if I was on the right bus, but I looked around and the people were still the same, and I knew my luggage was on this bus.  I just sat and waited to see what happened.  

About an hour later, the bus driver pulled over at a rest stop and gave us a twenty minute break.  I was able to make my reservation.  Then back on the bus, and the rest of the stops were as planned.  We arrived in Pittsburg at twelve fifteen in the afternoon.  Bummer, though.  I don't know where I messed up, but I thought we were going to end up at the Pittsburg airport.  The confusion might have been that I was thinking of taking a train to Pittsburg, but the times weren't right.  Anyway, here I was stuck miles from the airport.

I asked the bus guys, and they said the bus to the airport had already left.  There was a taxi guy there and he said it was forty dollars to the airport.  Forty dollars!  Oh, no!  I asked about a city bus, and then the taxi guy said he'd take me for thirty dollars.  Still a bummer, but what could I do?  I walked through the gate, and the guy took my luggage.  He put it in a small black car with a dent in the passenger side.  Again, there was no sign that said Taxi.  Where's a rickshaw when I need one!?!

The guy immediately asked for five dollars to put gas in the car.  One and a half gallons.  The out-of-fuel light still blinked as we took off.  And did I mention that he left the car running while he filled the gas?  As we drove off, he said that his battery died this morning, and so he hasn't turned the car off all day.  Of course I wondered what would happen if the car stalled or something and he couldn't get it started again.

This guy, too, is very entertaining.  I asked about it not being a real cab.  He said that there aren't enough cabs in Pittsburg, so a lot of guys do this.  It's called a "jitney".  I told him that is kind of scary . . . what if a serial killer decided to do this.  He said that there have been no serial killers, but there was a rapist.  He said the guys were all watching tv one day, and there on the screen was a guy who had been working with them and now he was in jail for rape.  That story didn't exactly make me feel any better!  But we got to the airport safely, so I was happy.

Pittsburg airport is quite nice.  I had a pizza there that was one of the best pizzas that I have ever had in my life!  Honestly!  It was great!  My bus to take me from the airport to Clarksburg, West Virginia arrived shortly after I finished the pizza.  It was a comfortable shuttle bus, that had a big sign that said, "Absolutely no food or beverages on the bus."  But I had bought some cupcakes that I had saved for the bus ride.  Since I was sitting in the back, I snuck them out and carefully and completely ate every crumb.  They were delicious!  Always the rebel.

The scenery was pretty.  The bus stopped in some small West Virginia town, and we had a half hour layover.  I walked around a bit, and then got back on the bus.  The bus driver's daughter apparently lives in that town, and she and her baby had come onto the bus to visit.  I heard the daughter on her cell phone leave a message with the doctor about her baby.  Later, after we were on the road again, the driver's cell phone rings and after she gets off the phone, she announces to the bus . . . my grandson has chicken pox.  Oops.  I've never had chicken pox!  I could be in a bit of trouble here!  The driver apologized, but . . . whatever is meant to be!

We stopped at McDonalds in the next town over.  There was a guy on the bus, that the bus driver was giving a free ride to because he had no money.  She also gave him $5 to buy himself lunch because she didn't like to see people go hungry.  She let him keep the change.  There really are people like this in the world.  I saw it.

A little while later, we arrived at a West Virginia mall where the bus stop was.  I went in to wait for Karen, and she picked me up soon afterward.  It was only an hour drive to her house through more pretty scenery.