In December, the Caltrain is running on a modified (reduced) schedule due to construction. Oh well, I’ll just have to time my commute more precisely.

In some stations, including mine in Palo Alto, both lines, northbound to San Francisco and southbound to San Jose, are temporarily using the same track. Oh well, I’ll just have to check which track and cross under.

Friday night, after a particularly long day, I’m finally heading back from Palo Alto to San Francisco. I appreciate the train over a car because I can zone out. Put on my noise-canceling headphones, and meditate, read, or just, you know, splay out like a crime scene. Today, a particularly longer day, I’ve pulled out my laptop to wrap up some code.

…

“This is the final stop. San Jose Tamien station.”

Crap. … Crap. I focused so hard I ended up in San Jose! I took the wrong direction all the way to the end. And salt in the wound, the last northbound train left a few minutes ago.

How did I not notice in any of the intermediary stops? Doesn’t matter, I have to deal with San Jose now.

After a brief crisis management mode, I ended up taking 2 buses and 2 subways up to San Francisco. On the bus, I texted my friend in Massachusetts, not for help, but instead to tell this funny story. Real Not-quite-an-expert Moment™️.