Yeah, we really /can/ do that.

We were trying to figure out the bus schedule for Boss Man to get back to New York on (from visiting his family in Ramsey, NJ) and that website was just not having it. I know for a fact that such a service exists, because I see troupes of buses leaving Port Authority Bus Terminal all the time. It's a fairly common sight. Also, it's less drama to do the bus, because there's no transfer from Seacaucus to PATH then onwards to other stuff. It's a straight shot, from Jersey to the PABT, and that's the end of it!

So there's Boss Man insiting that he's sure as heck not about to call a car service to get back to Manhattan, both because it's not eco-friendly (think about it: a car service for /two/ people who are able and willing to get on the bus), and because it's bloody expensive ($85 I think he said). Yeah, no thanks.

But of course, the recalcitrant website yielded not its sweet fruit of knowledge. It clung to the information in the manner reminiscent of someone who's telling you the unadulterated truth while feeding you a pack of lies. The information was /technically/ all there, but you'd have to have a degree in particle physics to decipher that thing (or, for that matter, be living in Jersey).

So I did what I usually do in cases where the website is confusing. I called customer support.

"Our offices are closed. If you want information, check the website."

Now it was a matter of pride. We will get that schedule sorted out, or die trying. So we finally found a section saying "Holiday advisories", and clicked it. "Bergen County line. See schedule s" (or something like that). Yeah, but what part of schedule s? And where did this schedule S exist?

I don't know where Boss Man clicked, but he found schedule s. Sorry. FOLDER S. I had passed the point of annoyance and emerged into a state of strangely, eye-twitching calm.

Click on that folder S thing. I dare you. Try reading it now, and figuring out your information.

Boss Man did. And then he didn't. "Yeah, I can't read this, Dino."

"But I can. Move over, I'll have it all sorted out for you in no time, Preefer."

Found the correct table (table 9, for anyone keeping score), found the Ramsey piece, highlighted it, and had it ready and waiting for Preefer's next poking-his-head-into-the-office moment. "Here it is, Cliff. I've highlighted the full line for you, so you can follow its path from AM to PM."

"Dino, when we work on it together, I feel like the two of us can conquer anything."

Of course we can. But that's not because Boss Man and I are special or gifted (y'know, aside from the usual specialness that each person has), but it's because we won't throw our hands up in frustration and give up. We'll keep poking until we break through and break free.

I hope that you will all accept the Sacred Chow family's warmest and kindest wishes for the holidays, be they Channukah, Xmas, or "I get a day off from school! SWEET!" (I'm a huge fan of that last one. It means you get to celebrate all year long. But that's another post for another day.)