On the subway
On the subway (ah, love it when sentences start out this way) I didn’t get a seat on the way to work. This happens about once a week, so I suck it up. But yesterday morning the woman I was hovering over happened to get off the train. Score! This never happens on this particular train. If I don’t get a seat when I get on, it’s standing room the whole way. So, I sit down for a whole five minutes till the train arrives at the next station and the conductor announces that there is a medical emergency on the train and that there will be a train coming soon to take us. Lame! I stay seated as droves of people get off the train and move to the next track. I am strategically weighing my options. I decide to get on the other train, knowing I’ll have to stand the rest of the way. And so we’re clear, it’s 45 minutes. Just so, you know, you don’t think I’m a total wuss. Anyway, I get on the other train, smooshed in between one grumpy person and the next. We’re riding along, and what do I see? Oh, it’s just the train I was on near empty zooming past. Great! So on top of being 1o minutes late to work, from the “emergency” I had to hear (over my iPod) this little exchange from two fellows somewhere smooshed behind me:
Angry Dude: F***!! Jesus Christ, Man.
At Fault Dude: (whispering) sorry…. sorry….
Hahahaha. Everyone who had enough room to turn around did, I could only manage a slight head rotation. Initially I thought maybe At fault Dude threw up on Angry Dude (this happens more than you’d think), but seeing as how there was no puke on the floor when I exited, At Fault Dude probably just farted. Loudly.
The weekend
The weekend before last I made it home for a few busy days. It’s rough trying to fit in everyone I’d like to see in three days (and maybe even harder finding time to enjoy my favorite food places.) But one thing’s for sure, I felt refreshed. Until tonight it had been 10 whole days since I thought “what am I doing here” (my daily mantra). Ah, to be happy. What is that like? Oh, I know…
Sister, Dad, Mom, Me, Brother*
*Brother seems to be missing. He was likely in the bathroom practicing the dance moves he debuted at the wedding reception. As my mom said, “Dammit Jack, that could have been our Christmas photo.”
Mission: Bagel Extraordinaire
Murray’s Bagels
Before meeting up for a movie in Chelsea with one of my friends I stopped by Murray’s Bagels for a lunch time snack. I had been there once before, prior to starting my hunt for the best NY bagel. Both times I left with a cinnamon raisin with plain cream cheese. And both times I felt that it was pretty good. Pretty good. Not great.
My problem with NY bagels is that they taste dirty. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I think of it like this… The water in NY is dirty and gross. To make a bagel it must be boiled in water then placed in the oven. And you’d think that by boiling the water it’d get all cleansed and shit, but no. You thought wrong. Because the bagels taste like dirty water. Always. Everywhere. But don’t ask a New Yorker, they’d scoff at your dirty New York water comment.
A few minutes ago
A few minutes ago I walked through the front door of my apartment building to find the cutest pup running towards me in the lobby. Attached to this cute pup was a cute boy. I petted the dog, muttered something like “enjoy your walk” to the boy and stammered off.
I was painfully aware at that moment how I looked like that girl who so clearly lives alone, is carrying two scoops of Baskin Robbins, is wearing a hoodie, running shoes and running pants (sans the actual exercising), and is just about to settled in for another episode of Gossip Girl. Yes, I am that girl. And that’s okay.
Before my parents
Before my parents came to visit, I grilled them about what they’d like to do and see during their trip. After a few minutes of discussion my mom says something like “let’s get cheese steaks.” My dad and I look at each other (through the web cam) and simultaneously say “that’s Philadelphia.” I think after that conversation she brought it up twice more, so being a good daughter, I looked in to it.
+We landed at SHORTY’S. Well, dad did. Neither my mom nor I eat red meat. Her and I settled for a bagel around the corner. But as my dad pointed out when we swung back to pick him up, SHORTY’S does veggie! Ah, next time.
By the way, two thumbs up from dad.
Supposedly mass transit
Supposedly mass transit is so superior to traveling by private automobiles. I get it. Reduce air pollution and dependency on foreign oil. Yada yada.
But seriously, 1 hr 21 min to go 10.26 miles ! Ridic.
It’s been a while
It’s been a while since I last crafted. I couldn’t resist buying this kit designed by one of my favorite scrapbookers. I have to figure out a theme or photo set to use, then I’m set!
One thing my parents
One thing my parents brought on their trip East was their camera full of photos from the last seven months. I’m not to sure they know how to load photos onto their computer, and explaining it to them through a web cam is impossibly frustrating. During their visit I was so pleased to find a set of photos from the last family gathering I missed. This photo especially warms my heart – Grandma wrapped in the quilt that was started by her grandmother and after passing through several hands, I’m finishing.
Read about its creation at my old blog: here, here, here and here.
I have an addiction
I have an addiction to soda. I blame my parents.
On two separate occasions I have “given up” the drink for a year period. But it never fails, I move home and am confronted by the endless cans of Dr. Pepper on the bottom shelf of the fridge. It always starts with just one a week. No harm. Then it manifests into one a day. And then sure enough, what’s another twenty cans?!
This leads me to say, today I stopped off at the market on the way home from work to buy soda. I can’t remember exactly how much a 12 pack costs back in Cali, but sure as hell it wasn’t a stinkin’ $6.58! This may be enough to push me into my third attempt at quitting. My god, I’m going to have to take up drinking coffee… 
The last
The last two or three weeks have been a messy blur. I moved (a Queens girl now) and my parents made a six day visit. Those two events alone have made for one busy lady. Funny, emotional, and damn irritating details to come soon. For now… I need to recoup and veg out.
Here is my favorite photo from their trip:
Mom and Dad at Times Square.
