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.