I feel sleepy

David Ann and I have continued on our extended vacation by taking the Eurostar train from London to Paris on Saturday. It was one helluva commute. Unlike the Amtrak, you are assigned a seat from the time of your booking on the Eurostar. Well, they must have known we were a bit chubby as we were seated directly across the table from the two other chubbiest people in our car. One of them - plaid shirt guy - was sitting across from David. I got to see his bellybutton most of the ride as it was hanging out of his shirt. 12-point buck sweatshirt guy was sitting across from me and so thoughtfully stuck his legs all the way out underneath the seat leaving me no leg room, thanks!

After the train got moving, which it does very fast - 2.5 hour trip from London to Paris - both of these guys went to sleep. Well, thanks to 12-point buck sweatshirt guy I am now very acquainted with the lack of dental hygiene and services available in the UK. Dude, really, brush your teeth! Oh, and stop snoring. It was just annoying, especially since I couldn't poke you in the ribs and tell you to turn over.

About 15 minutes out of Paris we stopped. Yes, the train just stopped. Something was in front of us and we couldn't go any further delaying our arrival by about 20 minutes. 20 extra glorious minutes with chubby and chubbier! Yeah!

This one's for you, Missy

Sorry I wasn't fast enough to get a picture, but on the way to the train station yesterday (more about the train ride later...) we passed a hair salon that I am sure you will hold near and dear to your heart: HypeHair. Here's their website so you can take a look at their Hype Hair: www.hypehair.co.uk

Jam ON!

David Ann and I are vacationing in London this week and have been experiencing the joys of a new public transportation system. While in the UK we have been enjoying our gracious hosts, Trish and Jean-Luc, neither of which enjoy using public transportation, in any city! Trish has just been introduced to MMC and inquired the other day - after taking public tranport - as to why didn't I write about people listening to music too loudly and being their own private dancer while on the subway/tube. Admittedly there are often people on the NYC MTA who ride with earphones in and the music up so loud I can often hear it many (many) feet away. The riders of the London Underground are no different - they listen to music loudly through headphones, unaware that many people around them really don't want to share in their music. Turn it down...hearing aids are not going to allow you to put ear buds in your ears later in life.

Heat wave!

This morning at 6:30a the outside temperature was 52-degrees. Yes, December 12 and the temperature was 52. One man on the F-train was really taking advantage of the unseasonably warm temps going shirtless. Now, don't think that he was sitting there in all his glory commuting into Manhattan, oh no...he decided to accessorize his hairy arms and back with a vest, I am guessing fleece, unzipped about half-way down his chest. As I noticed him, many questions ran through my head - Did he dress that way on purpose? Did he get on the train, then get hot and decide to take off his shirt but leave the vest on? What kind of job does one have where the vest-only is considered appropriate dress?

I really need to be better about bringing reading materials on the train...

Catching some zzzz's

Yesterday morning I selected a seat next to a woman snoozing on the way into Manhattan. This part is nothing unusual, lots of people snooze - myself included - on the way to and fro. However, this woman was beyond just taking a commuting nap, she was full-on snoring. Snoring loud enough that had she been David Ann, I would have punched her in the ribs and told her to roll over!

After an earlier incident...

These are the words no commuter ever wants to hear. It means there's some sort of issue and your commute is - most likely - going to be long and painful. After waiting, waiting, waiting for an F-train tonight with no success and hearing it would be at least 8 minutes until the next train through 42nd Street, I decided to take the express train to Brooklyn and make a change from there. Well, as luck would have it, the next express train was a D-train, so I was off to Brooklyn knowing that I would need to transfer to the bus to complete my journey. 90 minutes later I made it home. Some days I really miss commuting by myself in a car.

Nail Clippers

Seems as though a few of my friends have now also taken on the No Public Nail Clipping advocacy as well. Check out my friend Darla's blog,http://tomestomes.blogspot.com/, she's had a couple of incidents lately and was party to the last NYC MTA nail clipper experience with me!

Yes, that's me you're sitting on

To the woman who decided my knee would be the best place to sit on the ride home tonight - thanks, it was a pleasure to support you on my bent knee and ankle. At minimum, could you have at least recognized that my knee was there and lifted up your bum a bit so I could move.

Sweet Dreams are Made of These

To the guy who decided I should be his pillow on the commute home yesterday - I realize I am chubby and comfy to lean on, but sit up already. You were squishing me.

Clip, Clip, Clip

That's the sound of someone clipping their nails on the subway. I have written about this previously and how much it skeeves me (and most other public transportation riders) out. Well, lo and behold while my friend Darla was visiting a couple of weeks ago I heard the distinctive sound of clippers. I looked up and there he was, sitting across the subway car, trimming away oblivious to his supremely poor public personal hygiene habits. Darla and I immediately burst into wild laughter. The best part of the entire situation was the other public transportation rider sharing the same set of seats...he was the recipient of the flying nail pieces and parts. We offered him the seat next to us, but he was getting off the train in a couple of stops and opted to stay. Bless your heart!

I'm not sure which one is more disgusting...

The person that clips their fingernails with nail clippers and let the clippings fly all over the subway car or the guy I was sitting next to this morning. This guy chewed, chawed, slurped and sucked every last one of his fingernails while reading the paper this morning. He even managed to get in a little nose pick and suck as well. It was so gross I had to close my eyes.

Mmmm...tasty!

To the guy sitting next to his nose-picking son this morning, please tell him it's gross and no one wants to see that. Especially the gold-digging, full-fingered boogie pulling he was doing. But those boogies sure must have been right tasty, he kept on going back for more!

Any kid pickin' and lickin' at 10 is going to be doing that at 30. Stop it now before it becomes epidemic and his wife has to fix him!

"It's Not Worth It"

Those were the words someone in a car driving down the road separating Graceland from the Visitors Center when we visited Memphis many years ago on a Gentry family weekend vacation. We bought the all-access pass, allowing us to visit the airplanes, cars, buses and, of course, Graceland. It was certainly not what anyone had expected when you think of a "mansion" but it was still magical, the 70's still alive...carpet on walls and the ceiling, 3 TV's in a row for Elvis to be able to watch the major networks at the same time, an enclosed basketball court, everything a superstar could dream of!

It was definitely worth it.

Signage

For those that aren't aware, smoking is not allowed in restaurants, bars, office buildings, or public places in NYC (why our apartment building still has ashcans in the hallways is beyond me, but that's for another time...). Now most smokers, outside of Graydon Carter, head outside for their multiple smoke breaks per day. The management company of the office building I occupy 8+ hours a day has thoughtfully installed signs outside the front doors that are of the very basic, "No Smoking" with both words and a graphic. This is not an uncommon sight in NYC. Nor is finding a group of smokers standing right in front, beside or under these signs.

Do people even read anymore?

Twig and Berries

To the man that sat next to me this morning on the subway in to work, your twig and berries are not to large requiring you to keep your legs spread open wide like the Panama Canal. Oh, and when you got up to stand in front of the door at your stop, the words 'excuse me' would have been appropriate.

Celeb-reality sighting

Today as I was heading home I passed this guy, who I have found out his name is John McNulty, from the perfectly awful reality series "Style Me with Rachel Hunter" from WE tv. He's such a celeb-reality celeb I can't even find a picture of him online.

August commuting

It's the last weeks of August...why were my trains packed today to work and back? It's time for vacations people, take one!

Tornadic Activity

If anyone watched the news this week, you'll know that NYC, more specifically Brooklyn, was hit by a tornado Wednesday morning. It was the first one in the borough in 100++ years. The neighborhood David Ann and I live in, Kensington, was hit pretty hard, some of the trackers put the tornado coming right through here. We made it through the weather just fine with no damage to our apartment or car but there was quite a bit of damage in the surrounding area. Check out the following links to see some of it including a video clip.

http://livinginvictorianflatbush.blogspot.com/2007/08/day-after-more-brooklyn-tornado-news.html

http://kensingtonbrooklyn.blogspot.com/ (scroll down a bit to read about all the damages and clean up activities)

Decisions, Decisions

Both "Stick It", http://video.movies.go.com/stickit/ and "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/talladeganights/ are both on. Which to watch?!?

Commute: Impossible

This morning's storms have, just about, shut NYC down. Ocean Parkway is a parking lot, trains aren't running, you'd probably have better luck on a water taxi. But then again, maybe not. It's a mess. I'm working from home.

Bras

Ladies, whether you're big or small, everyone needs a professional bra fitting. There were two women on the train this morning that really caught my attention. One of them was fairly small, but didn't have on anything supporting, just some sort of shelf tank. The second one, not by any means large, had quite a bit bulging out up and over the back of her bra making her shirt fit funny. It's time to get over the number and letter that are on the tag. Every lady should have a professional bra fitting every couple of years. I've heard wonders about Town Shop on the UWS, http://www.townshop.com/, and how the ladies can size you up potentially without ever using a measuring tape.

I see a field trip in my future.

Watch Out, B!tch

A Monday night favorite of David Ann and myself is the ABC show "Wife Swap" (http://abc.go.com/primetime/wifeswap/). Last night we watched a new episode featuring a families from North Carolina and Oregon, respectively. That had to be one of the most entertaining hours of reality TV we've seen in a long time. It took us a few minutes before we recognized the accent from North Carolina. It was straight out of "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/talladeganights/index.html)

Once we figured that out, it just made it all the more hilarious, especially when the crazy wife from North Carolina told the granola Oregonian wife to "Watch out, B!tch" at the episode-concluding table meeting of both couples.

Packin'

This morning there were a couple of backpackers on the train commuting into Manhattan. One of them had his pack in front of him, resting on the floor. The second had his pack in the seat next to him. It stayed in that seat as the train filled up with passengers looking for seats. When he was done with his journal and all the other fiddling around, he picked up his pack and moved over sitting with it on his lap. They were still on the train when I exited at 42nd Street.

I write this not to write about some random backpackers, but at the fact that NO ONE asked them to move it so they could sit down. I am in a bit of shock and awe over it. Normally on a morning commute, passengers wouldn't have allowed a seat to be used like that.

It's definitely August in New York.

Finally, someone who gets it right

This is a story about a bus driver that started a fight with a young man that wouldn't get out of a seat specifically marked for the disabled for an elderly woman with a cane. Finally, someone who takes a stand. Or was trying to make someone else stand.

http://gothamist.com/2007/08/05/bus_driver_beat.php

Confessions of a Stick-It

It's Saturday night and David Ann has just instructed me to turn the TV to channel 707, our local ABC affiliate, so that he can watch "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" featuring Lindsay Lohan.

The night would be perfect if his other favorite movie, "Stick It" were on HBO again so he could flip between the two.

Nasty Friday

I should have known that the commute was going to be bad this morning when I made it to the platform and found more than the normal crowd waiting. When the train finally pulled up, there were only a few seats to be found and the old Orthodox Jew men pushed all the ladies out of the way to get those. (That's not an anti-remark, it's the truth, ask David Ann.) So I ended up standing until Jay Street, a major transfer station.

Then when I exited the train a woman was walking beside me, very closely. Too closely. As we crossed the ICF Plaza, she managed to walk me into a large planter. So I hustled around her in the hopes of not being walked into the upcoming trashcan. Then she walked up beside me again, this time my newspaper knocking into her shopping bag and walking right into and in front of my path. I literally found myself asking her, "What is your beef? You've walked all over me this morning?" and hustled off again, this time crossing the street in an effort to avoid more confrontations.

This is my dance space, that is your dance space. Try not to invade my dance space, especially on a hot and humid August Friday morning.

A new reason to hurry home after work

Designing Women re-runs on Channel 3. I have no idea what network it is, but 2 episodes run back to back at 7 and 7:30p Eastern, respectively. Tonight's episodes included a group trip to Graceland (sorry Missy, no mention of the new Elvis Reese's Cup, http://full-meridian.blogspot.com/2007/07/day-1-hershey-pa-more.html) and Julia telling a New York City newspaper writer to 'Eat Dirt'.

Look Alikes

It has long been said that people often begin to resemble their pets and spouses begin to dress alike, but I have a question for my 2 readers...how is it that lesbian couples end up looking like sisters? As a regular morning commuter, I often see the same group of people. There is a lesbian couple that ride most of the way into midtown with me that I have noticed look fighteningly alike...same choppy Ellen-ish haircut, same librarian geek-chic glasses, same low-on-the-hips jeans with wide distressed belt, same plaid shirt or long-sleeved t-shirt under a short-sleeved polo.

Today's ride home brought was shared with a couple both sporting saggy pants and matching wife beaters. Not nearly as much matching as the original couple, but it did spark the memory.

Yes, I have taken notice of them and mean no harm or ill will with my question, it's just something that has been rolling around in my head for a while and I finally decided to post it to the readers.

Any thoughts?

Observations on a Ride Home

Today on the ride home I noticed a woman on the train with a very noticeable tattoo on the top of her forearm. It appeared to be some sort of celtic bracelet, I'm still trying to decide between 'tacky' or 'bold' on the tattoo location choice. (I also happened to notice, when she got up to leave the train at her stop, that the backs of her ankles were covered with tattoos as well.) But back to the topic at hand...tattoo woman had on a velvet dress. On August 1st. It was 90 degrees today, at least the humidity was sort-of low.

Remember dear reaers, velvet needs to be reserved for activities after Halloween through the end of February, not a steamy summer day in NYC.

Jelly Shoes, again

I saw a woman, a grown woman, on the train today with Jelly shoes on. I've seen this woman during my morning commute a number of times and she's always very stylishly dressed so I am sure her Jelly shoes were much more expensive than my $5 version from Sears in the 1980's.

Mullets really were that popular

On Sunday I pulled out a couple of my high school yearbooks to try and put some names to faces. I never thought I would look through my annuals and think "what were they thinking?" in reference to hair, clothes, etc. Boy was I wrong. I forget how popular the mullet was in the 1980's in Kentucky (ironically enough, it still remains popular - the mullet, the femullet, the bald-mullet, all of the mullets). Even the "popular" boys had mullets of some shape, form or fashion. And I was blown away by the ability for some of those girls to achieve big hair. Anyone who knows me knows that big hair is just not a part of my hair repetoire. I'm not sure if I'm jealous or relieved.

I'd like to think that my particular photos weren't THAT bad, just a photographic journey through time.

You can always go home

David Ann and I (along with our friend Brenda) made a summer trip to Kentucky to visit my family, the Meade County Fair and get away from New York, if only for a few days.

As a part of our Meade County Fair adventure, we were there for the demolition derby night. The best part was the mini-car heat when a car flipped over. Play was halted, the driver crawled out, the fire boys and track officials came out to flip the car back over. They told the driver that if he could get the car started again that he could continue. He did, they taped his flag back and they were off again! That car, the number 22 car, was the hardest working car all night; he hit hard and often, eventually coming in 3rd place.

Brenda is still giggling about the redneck sitting behind her sharing his child naming philosophy with date. Should he be blessed with two daughters, well, he's going to name them "Crystal" and "Chandelier". That's brilliant.

Other highlights of the night include fried fish sandwiches, pork chop sandwiches, steak sandwiches, funnel cakes, and ice cream. Oh, and David Ann purchased a new Meade County Fair mug. Just what we needed...

Raining Cats and Dogs

A couple of days last week and then again yesterday we had torrential rains so the train was full of all sorts of galoshes, rain boots, wellies, you name it. The most interesting version was the young lady who had pulled her winter suede, fur lined boots out of the closet to wear. Granted it was a little cool for late in July in New York City, but not THAT cold.

This same young commuter also stashed the new espadrilles she had purchased at Lord & Taylor in her handbag so she could get rid of the evidence - L&T shopping bag and shoe box, before seeing her Mom at home. Sounds like my Mom and her Hyder's shoe bags!

$2 entertainment

Over the weekend David Ann and I ventured in for lunch at his favorite Little Italy place and some Chinatown shopping. On one of our train rides to or fro' we encountered the (in)famous Q-train mariachi. They must play the Q as it is an express train and has longer riding/playing times in between stops. If you're a passenger on the Q train with the Mariachis, those intervals seem like forever

Last night I enountered a pleasant on-train entertainment group, guys that were around the first time 'Under the Boardwalk' was popular singing a cappella songs of that generation. They even had a self-produced CD for sale. Not a bad way to spend Broadway-Lafayette to 2nd Avenue.

Best intentions

OK, so when I started this, I thought I would have much more discipline about posting every night. Guess not so much. And I really need to start carrying around a little notebook of some sort to be able to jot down some notes as I commute. I see and think of all these great things, but by the time I make it home it's gone.

Crystal Gayle hair

Tonight on the way home I saw a woman in, at least, her mid-40's with hair down below her bum. Crystal Gayle might be Ricky Bobby's hero, but she really just needed a haircut.

Dear AAGZ, a new column

A new column for today, answering reader questions. Yeah, I know, there are like 2 of you, but send 'em in, if I don't know an appropriate response, I'll make one up.

MLV writes:

"If wearing a dress, how should a woman attach a pedometer? Such a dress has no pockets or readily apparent place to attach a pedometer. Do you see any relevant offenses on your commute?"

Very good question and kudos for wearing a pedometer! My only suggestion is to attach it to some sort of appropriate undergarment like you would normally attach it to your pant waistband. I know that positioning is key in correctly calculating steps, so attaching it to the neckline or pocket of your dress is most likely not going to work. I would not suggest it, but you could forgo for the day, but that tends to lead to not getting in the 10,000/day recommended steps. Or you could just not wear a dress.

Holiday Weeks

Commuting was such a wonder last week with a good portion of commuters either taking off or taking it easy since July 4 fell in the middle of the week. A couple of days I rode all the way from home to 42nd Street with empty seats on the train. Ah, bliss!

This week, it's back to the normal grind. Including the grinding sensation in my bum by the young man's knees and backpack strap - neither of which he would move from his slouching position - almost my entire morning commute.

Hosiery

My friend Missy (http://full-meridian.blogspot.com) as well as some of the other GRITS have had many a discussion on wearing hosiery with sandals. While it's still a split decision, given the toe-less hosiery options now available (http://www.haneshosiery.com/SilkReflections/detail.asp?collection=Silk+Reflections&category=Beyond+Bare&sid=0A085). However, the hosiery companies still continue to produce and consumers continue to purchase the 'suntan' colored option. I have yet to see anyone wearing that tone and it actually match their own skintone. Ladies, don't buy it. Hosiery mills, stop making them.

Pregnant Chicks

This morning a lovely young pregnant woman boarded the Manhattan-bound train. Think a man got up to offer her a seat? Yeah, right... Why is that? Why is it that the majority of the time, I see women offer their seats up to other women? I'm not a man-hater, just a resident hopeful that chivalry isn't dead, that one day a man will get up for a pregnant or older woman and not pretend that they are they sleeping or paying attention. One day...

Spitting

Why is is that people spit? I know that sometimes you need to spit out some sort of food item that just wasn't what you expected, or you might have the pre-vomit spits, but when walking along the train platform, is it really necessary to launch one over the edge?

Just Generally Disgusting

One a walk on Ocean Parkway this evening after work, but well before dusk, David Ann and I walked past a group of three adults 50+ years old passing a brown-bagged beer only to hear this strange noise of water running. When I turned around, it was one of them - a woman in a mini-skirt hiked up - sitting on the OP benches taking a pee through the bench for all the world to see. It will make me think twice before sitting on one of the benches in front of my building again.

Update:
I've had overnight to think about this and I am even more grossed out now than before and have some questions...like the basic, where were her underpants? Had she already shimmied them off, was she going through them, or is she just one of those people that can't be bothered with them? Is it possible to really be THAT lazy that you can't bothered to walk back to the comfort of your own home to use the facilities? And if you MUST go, can you at least go behind a tree or somewhere slightly more discreet?

Yes, I realize all rhetorical questions, but I never thought I would encounter the sight that I saw.

All for the low, low price of $2.00

This morning's train ride included a gentleman serenading the passengers of my car with a song for some change. He was a really good singer. And much more pleasant to listen to than the mariachi band.

Tonight on the way home there was a man on the 42nd Street platform walking back and forth saying words not particularly fit to print on this blog. Combined with the crazy that bum-rushed the door to get on the train, you really can't ask for better entertainment AND a ride home for only $2.

T-Shirt of the Day

Today on the subway there was a young man with a graphic printed t-shirt on. This is not any different than any other day or any other t-shirt, until you start breaking down the actual graphic on the shirt. And boy was it graphic.... The words read "Enjoy Life. Eat Out More Often." I'll see if I can't dig up a photo, please know that it will definitely be NSFW.

Hot-Hot-Hot

Today in NYC it is hot. And I don't just mean warm, I mean hot. And sticky. And nasty. And about as gross as possible.

It's the kind of day that makes you wish you had central a/c and a swimming pool to help keep cool.

public transportation sanitation

I really don't think that brushing your hair falls into a 'sanitary things to do on the train'. Not to mention it's just kind of gross.

There are no saved spaces

To the guy standing in the parking space in front of our building last night. There are no saved spaces dude. This is Brooklyn, first-come, first served. And my car was there first.

You could put a Mack truck in that space

Really...it took you over 10 minutes to parallel park that minivan this morning. Turn the wheel when your rearview mirror passes the back end of the car in front of you. Works every time. I promise.

Not a Mohawk, not a Hare Krishna

But rather some sort of rather bizarre bump of hair on the back of some guy's head today walking across East 30th Street. David Ann was with me and he couldn't figure it out either. Maybe it was a handle?

A reminder for everyone

Please keep your knees together on the subway. Boys - your winkie is NOT that big; Girls - no one needs to see up your breezy summer skirt.

Mork from Ork

While sitting at dinner tonight some chick walked by with an outfit that included silver moon boots. I would have felt more comfortable with the whole thing if I had a hanging egg chair.

Pick up your heels

Really. I could hear you a block away clunking your way towards the subway this morning. Let's all practice walking like upright man was designed...heel-toe, heel-toe.

Not to mention you are ruining the backs of your shoes walking on them like that.

Pickin' and Grinnin'

To the old man on the subway this morning, the next time you need to pick your nose please use a tissue. That way you won't have to pick and flick or better yet - as you did - pick and eat.

People, whether you are picking on the subway or in your car...we see you. So stop it.

Special Shout Out

To my friend Missy who made this blog for me so that I could chronicle my morning commute (trust me, it won't be limited to just my mornings) and all the sights in NYC. Make sure to cruise over to Missy's blog (http://full-meridian.blogspot.com/) and help her out by making a purchase through one of the links on the right hand side of her blog. I really don't know how it all works - let's face it, I still refuse to answer call waiting - but a portion of your purchase goes to her and she's a well deserving Ph.D. student, so help a girl out!

David Ann's Shoe Fetish

David Ann just called me to inform me that he has on two different shoes. No, it's not like he has on the blue and black version of the same shoe; David Ann is sporting one black shoe that has about 6 lines of distinctive white stitching up the front of the shoe while the other is plain black.

And yes, he went to court this way.