Strangers on a Train

Some times you have moments with people on the train. Whether you catch eyes with someone after something crazy, and yet funny just happened, and you both acknowledge it with a smile and a shake of your head. Or how certain people understand to give you more room so you can stand a safer distance away from the smelly passed out individual taking up 5 seats! Whatever it be, you have these little connections with people while riding the train.

The other day I had three. The first was on the morning commute when a very older gentlemen wearing those sunglasses suggesting either blindness or possibly eye surgery had just been performed, kept backing up into the lady standing behind him as if she didn't even exist. He had a backpack that stuck about 2 feet out from behind him, and a bunch of folders in his arms that suggest he be a lawyer of some sort and he was on his way to his little cramped, messy office where he has worked for the past 65 years. Either way he was slowly and hilariously scooting back farther and farther for no reason, over taking the little lady that was behind him, and partially me. I looked at her, she looked at me, and all we could do was laugh. There really was no point in saying anything, as he was most likely very hard of hearing, and what are you going to say, he looked as if a few breaths away from death.

The other was on my way to lower Manhattan. I was sitting across from one of the most attractive men I have ever seen! He was tall (but not too tall, as I am a shorty), he was dark (Asian-dark), and handsome. He had dark hair and dark eyes, and just enough slight imperfections in his facial features to make me swoon like a cartoon character! And, I must add, he was pulling that suit off like a GQ model. He just had this ease about him. I'm sure he saw me staring, I mean how could he not. He was sitting directly in front of me, and my head did not move once during the ride-wasn't even trying to hide my inquisitive eyes! I was doing all I could do not to drool. But the best part about him was that I highly doubt most other girls would go all ga-ga over him. Anyways, I got off the train feeling all dizzy and dumb.

Then on the way home, I had the ride with and annoying little kid, who's parents just thought he was the cutest, most intelligent, funny person. He was as loud as could be, standing all over the seats, trying to get as much attention from everyone as possible. His idiot parents were just beaming ear to ear, not doing anything to stop the little monster, probably thinking in their dumb little heads "look at our boy! quite the individual. he is SO independent! SO knowledgeable!" NEWS FLASH: He is an annoying 3 year old who just picked his nose and now has his hands all over the pole, spreading whatever kind of new strand of kid virus all over the place. How about you get you and your little "chosen one" off this train and take him home to enjoy. We don't want him. Anyways....what was I talking about? Oh, yea, so I caught eyes with the poor woman who was stuck next to the kid who looked like he was about to yell and cry all at the same time, so I threw her a sympathetic look, and then once available I moved over the seat so she could escape that awful creature!

So that's it! In one day I almost got sat on, fell in love, and almost hurt a little bratty kid. Wow, I. AM. EXHAUSTED!

PS-I heard U2's "With or Without You", Sting's "Every Breath You Take", and Alicia Keys "No One" multiple times in the past 4 days. How weird is that? What could it mean?

Summer In The City

It's starting to get warm. Summer is almost here. It takes a bit getting used to not having to put on socks, and boots, and scarves, and heavy coats. Now, you actually have to match your outfit because you won't have a heavy, long down jacket wrapped all around you. And your hair must be done because no more can you just throw on a hat. If only my limbs had a bit more of a tan then they do, I would be one happy camper.

There is something kinda amazing about this city this time of year. You can feel people's edges melting away. It's about to be summer, this is what you work towards all year round, and now it is here. People are taking it easy, chilling, relaxing now while they can, before it gets so unbelievably hot and all you want to do is crawl inside an AC unit. It was a busy time last night at the laundromat. They had every door and window open to get any type of a breeze circulating as the 20 some giant dryers, turned our clothes dry. They had a soothing mix of 80's/90's pop/rock classic ballads playing that I think everyone secretly wanted to burst out singing, but no one did. While we waited for our cycles to end we all sat around and watched Caso Cerrado. Then we claimed our tables and started the folding process. During which I had a thought about how strange it was that my under-roos were oddly close to the next folders shirt pile, and how his under-roos were so close to that ladies towel pile. And it made me laugh, we take all this time and energy in life, putting on clothing and taking precautions to not show our underwear to people, only for you to put it all on display at the laundromat so every Tom, Dick, and Harry can see them. But somehow, its not weird. After spending almost 2 hours there you start to feel a bond with your fellow washers. You feel like giving everyone a high-five upon leaving, feeling like you all just really accomplished something. We all left that night a bit shiny and dewy from a subtle sweat built up by a night of good, solid laundry doing, and the smell of Downy that followed us home.

Upon arriving home, you are greeted by the neighborhood UPS guy. He is always so nice, and everyone on the block knows, and loves him. What's not to love, he has gifts for you in his big brown truck, and he delivers them with a smile and a light hearted joke usually. As always you have to stop and pet Minnie, the little dog that lives 3 doors down, as well as saying hi to her owner. It's nice to come home and all the window are open and you can hear the city outside starting to slow down. With the house smelling like fresh laundry, I decided that tonight was the perfect night for tacos! I turned on my iTunes, which just so happened to play a perfect blend of Bob Marley, Eddie Vedder, Jack Johnson, Edith Piaf, and The Kinks that I could have sworn it grew a brain and knew just what I was in need of to set the mood just right on the perfectly warm May night. I decided to have my tacos and beer out on my fire escape. From up there I could see down into the rest of my neighbors backyards. Some were BBQ-ing, others were gardening, I could see some gathering around the TV about to start watching some prime time show, and one lucky duck who was passed out in his hammock. I decided to end this night by watching one of my surfing documentaries, so I could fall asleep dreaming of a life like that. But, not until I watched the final moments of a beautiful sunset over beloved Brooklyn:)