About, Face!

I caved.

It all started years ago, when I started getting unsolicited emails from people I know, saying "[Such and such] wants to be your friend on Friendster! Click this link to join..." I would hit delete, thinking to myself I am not joining that stupid thing- not really even knowing what it was all about. 

Then a couple years went by, and the Friendster emails were replaced by invites to join MySpace. Once again, I scoffed, and I hemmed... and then about a year ago or so.. I joined. I was hooked. So many people out there wanted to be MY friend (including strange girls with web cams i could look at if I just went to their website and had a major credit card handy). I was re-connecting with people I hadn't spoken to in years, and even sometimes connecting with people (my wife) who were down the hall in my living room. The obsession soon died down a bit, but I still would check my MySpace page, feeling I was up to date in this internet based society in which we live.

Then something happened. Fast forward to this year. The emails, they started again. Apparently I had waited too long, and MySpace was now passe', and Facebook was were it's at. Nope, I thought. I don't even check my MySpace often enough, and now I am going to join Fcebook? Please. Well, last week my wife joined. Then I didn't see her for two nights after work, as she loaded up on friends, and wrote on people's "wall." So, just to see what all the fuss was about... well, you know how it happens. 

My Facebook initiation was way more overwhelming than my humble beginnings on MySpace. This time, even more people I hadn't talked to, people who I forgot were on the planet all wanted to be my friend... and BAM, I am one of the popular kids again! They even have this this where you can create pages for your pets- which my wife and I did for each of our cats immediately- after which I felt excited and ashamed all at once.

Where does it all end? And have I waited too long again? When will the emails start again, asking me to join [TheNewCoolKidsSite].com? And how long will I have the strength to stay away? Too much to think about. And plus, I need to get back to Facebook- I just got a friend request from a guy I think I know from class... but I am not sure if it's the guy I am thinking it is. Ain't the internet grand?

Ramblings for a Monday

It's a warm soupy evening in the city- this Apple they call Big. Not particularly hot, just humid as all get out. Even my sweat is sweating.

***
I was walking down Broadway this morning on the way to work, and I passed a newsstand with a Playboy Magazine cover prominently displayed on the side. The headline on the cover, accompanied by the obligatory scantily clad female, was: "Vegas Showgirls Nude!" And I fail to see the gimmick. What next? Porn Stars Nude! Or, Nudist Colony Co-Eds! I'm just saying. Vegas showgirls are supposed to be nude. Putting them in a magazine just takes away the two drink minimum. That's all I'm saying.

***

Did I mention it's damp out? It is. Damp that is.

***

I'm gonna go on record and say cibatta is my favorite sandwich bread. I had a turkey sandwich today on cibatta bread- and one bite into the sandwich I knew I had made the right choice. If you haven't had cibatta, give it a try. I defy you to not enjoy your sandwich. And if you say you don't enjoy it- you're lying. And you're lying to yourself and that's what hurts the most.

***

I'm just saying. It's uncomfortably humid today. And it's only the second full day of summer.

"A" Philosophy to live by

This morning, as the A train I was on pulled into Columbus Circle, my fellow riders and I were instructed by the conductor to "Have an interesting morning." Now pleasantries from a conductor- while not the norm- certainly aren't a rarity, but the choice of words was. I've gotten the "Have a nice day" or "Enjoy your day" - there's even one guy who always says "Have a blessed, safe and prosperous day." All very normal positive affirmations as you exit the subway train, ready to tackle the day. But, have an interesting morning- that's deep. It can be taken so many different ways.

We should all be so lucky to lead interesting lives, and have our interesting mornings blossom into intriguing and mindful days. I'm trying to fight through the crowd to get off the train, and this guy's waxing philosophical in between transfer and other train info. And you know what, why not? He's got the mic and (some) people's attention. As long as your not screaming at me that my soul is destined for hell fire, I say spread your gospel Mr. Subway Philosopher. It gave me pause, not sure if anyone else even noticed.

And maybe, just maybe the conductor meant to say "Have a nice day" and just misspoke. Maybe he was half asleep and just mumbled out the first thing he could think of. Whatever it was, his interesting choice of words got my attention. And while the rest of my morning was somewhat normal, I had already had an interesting morning as I walked off the train.

Tis the season

Subway car roulette. You are waiting in the hot, sticky station when the somewhat crowded train finally rolls in. As it comes to a halt, you realize that the car that has stopped right in front of you seems completely empty. Now someone not familiar to the subway system might think- My lucky day! Empty car during rush hour, whoohoo! But to the seasoned rider it can mean one of two things. One: A particularly foul smelling homeless person has either taken residence or left their scent on the car. Two: No air conditioning.

This morning, fortunately, it was the latter. I wasn't feeling tip-top to begin with, so there was no way I gave any thoughts to toughing it out- braving the AC-less car. So when the empty car opened its doors in front of me- lights out to boot, never a good sign either- I made directly for the end door to move in to the next car. A couple people follow suit. Crowded, but about 50 degrees cooler.

Now the curious thing is what seems to happen next with regularity. Whether it's the promise of empty seats, or the tight squeeze caused by the extra people entering the car- a couple people decide they want to move to the car everyone's trying to get out of. I don't know if these people are being brave or stupid, but invariably they come back- and almost immediately at that if the reason winds up being the homeless stench. 

But there always exceptions to the rule. There are those people that will sit in that car no matter what. Impervious to smell or to heat, or willing to put up with hazardous conditions for the sake of a seat on the train? Only they know. All I know is that even the best possible circumstance, you are never 100% comfy on the subway. I am not going to purposely lower that percentage even more, choosing to be nauseated by heat and/or stink.

All in my head

I woke this morning with a song stuck in my head, by the artist Pink. It's a song that I don't know the title, and really know very little of the lyrics. I am not even sure when I last heard this song. It is a mystery to me how this song came to be the first thing that popped in my head this morning. It is possible that I heard it on a radio as I passed by a car the other day, or in a store- and I didn't register at the time.

So, even more confounding then was when I got off the subway and found myself kind of quietly whistling the theme song from "I Dream of Genie." Yup, hum along if you wish... not sure where that one came from either. Apparently my brain has harnessed the ability to screw with me- that is to subliminally store things, and release them only at a time when it will feel completely random and unassociated to anything present... well, songs at this point. Who can say what I'll wake up singing tomorrow.

It's a virtue...

"Due to train traffic ahead, we will be held here momentarily..."

As subway riders, we've all heard it. It's inevitable- almost expected to happen over the course of any commute. But it's the choice of words that follow this announcement that determines my reaction to the situation.

This morning it was: "...Please be patient."

Please be patient? Are you implying that I am being impatient? I was just sitting here, quietly reading the paper- and you're telling me to be patient? I can't any get any more patient, man- this is me at my most patient! Stop telling me what to do, jerk, and start the frickin train already!

(Breath.)

Other times, and much preferably to me, the announcement is followed with: "...Thank you for your patience."

Now that's more like it. At least somebody appreciates the patience I bring to the table. I thank you for thanking me for my patience. You know what? You are very welcome. I'll just sit here and read my paper, whenever you can get the training moving again, that would be lovely.

A little appreciation goes a long way. As the subway fare goes up, maybe the MTA can use some of the extra cash to publish a list of curteous subway banter for the conductors to impart to riders on their merry way. (Okay stop laughing)... Okay, how about this- I won't tell you how to operate the train, if you don't tell me how to ride in it... deal? Or we can just go with status quo- I pay whatever you say to ride in packed, uncomfortable trains, and you can treat me however you like and I will still come back because frankly, I can't afford to take cabs everywhere!

(Breath)

Fine. I can take it. I am patient. Just don't tell me to be.

Mourning Person?

Gone are the days of sleeping til 11am.

My wife loves to wake up early. Even on the weekends. And while there is something to be said for getting your day started early and accomplishing things before the day gets away from you- I have never been this sort of person. Before she and I moved in together, I had no problem sleeping very late on the weekends- a product of usually going to bed very late. Well there's another thing- she loves going to bed early as well.

Well, she's rubbed off on me a little. While I still usually go to bed much later than she does during the week, on the weekends I find myself in bed much earlier than before, and therefore up and awake much earlier the next day. Yesterday is a perfect example. Having gone to bed early on Friday after watching the ballgame, we woke up at 8am on Saturday- in time to eat breakfast and get ready to be on the subway by 9am-ish to get to the gym for a 10am yoga class. After which I was pressed with the task of making a return to a store.

Now, a yoga class at 10am on a Saturday would never even been in my vocabulary before the Mrs. But having to wake up at eight to get on the train early because of weekend construction delays, and then after class to run an errand? Unheard of. And yet I accomplished all that yesterday and headed back uptown and was home just after noon. For some- no big deal, even normal. For me it was a coup. And it's all thanks to the wifey.

Today we slept in til 9am. Glorious. I'm still not a morning person, but I am coming to appreciate the early rise (My wife, bless her, knows when it's too early to impart on me any sort of important information). And I am not, for the most part, missing the days of sleeping half the day away. With a gentle push, I am no longer mourning the time lost in bed.