Today I am taking a new bus route to Wicker Park, since I’ve only lived in this neighborhood for three months. The trains don’t run on the weekends in this part of town. It’s critical that I get to the bookstore on time because I’m participating in a reading to promote a friend’s zine, Ladyfriend.

This is where my hit- or- miss predictions of the transit system come into play; the bus ride takes only 20 minutes, even though I’ve given myself two hours to get to my destination. This sort of thing happens more often with buses than with trains. Today, at least, I’m in a part of town where there are plenty of things to divert my attention from my growing stage fright.