Ten Tidbits

AND! She’s back! Okay, so I like my blog and I reserve the right to change my mind, so here I am. I haven’t given up on this thing yet.

Since posting my last entry, I have been trying to figure out why exactly I feel disconnected from my blog, and I guess it is because I feel like people expect me to say something hugely profound or spectacular. As though I am traveling vicariously for everyone I know and there is this weight upon me to say something really momentous and blow (KABOOM!) the minds of my friends and family. It is all in my head, of course, and as a result, I’ve freaked myself out by placing way too much unnecessary pressure on little ol’ me.

So, I hereby give myself permission to talk basics and I bring you ten tidbits.

1. At each of the three grocery stores in closest proximity to my apartment, the eggs are not refrigerated. Therefore, I had a very difficult time finding them the first couple of times. I do not understand this, or rather, why American stores must refrigerate their eggs and the German ones do not. I have yet to Google myself out of this confusion. (Dear Shawn, will you figure this out for me and post it in the comments? Thanks. You rock. Oh, what? You don’t want homework? Don’t lie. You love the Google.)

2. Two of those stores also sell individual eggs. You need one egg? Sure, kein Problem! I like this.

3. Stolpersteine. Once someone points them out to you and you know what they are, you see them pretty often. “This is a difficult topic,” says Captain Obvious.

4. I live very close to the Stadtpark, and it is so cool! I ran the perimeter today (almost—stupid ITB making me want to cut my leg off) and discovered there are no less than 5 drink stands throughout the park where you can get all sorts of liquid refreshments, with or without the booze.

5. Oh, they have pretty huge outdoor concerts there in the summer, I guess. So, the drink stands make a bit more sense in that context.

6. The Planetarium is also there. I have yet to go there, but have thee no fear, go there I will.

7. I have yet to go to several places actually. I have been hibernating when I am not working, trying to save more money than I spend. It is a good time of the year for that sort of behavior.

8. The few Germans I’ve discussed spinach with think it is disgusting when consumed raw. I have seen spinach sold raw at exactly one store. Everywhere else it comes frozen. My standard green smoothie recipe now has a kale base.

9. When you exit the bus or train, you typically have to press a button of some sort to open the door. If no one is exiting or boarding a particular car at a station, the doors of said car do not automatically open. I like this, except if the car smells and could use the ventilation.

10. I have only been on one train car that smelled. From the look and smell of it, someone had spilled an entire beer on the floor. My (ridiculously fantastic) friend Anna says that there are signs (which I have yet to see) that ask you to please not bring smelly things on the train out of courtesy for your fellow passengers. I like this.

Okay, that is good. Perhaps I’ll do a bit of redesigning of this silly blog to liven up the place.

Peace.

Cravings and Annoyances

CRAVINGS

I must be suffering from a serious burrito deficiency or something, because I cannot get enough of Boloco’s breakfast burritos! Huevos Rancheros! On a wheat wrap! Yes! With an iced coffee? Of course! Only $3? Are you joking?

Each morning, while I get ready for work, I tell myself, “I will not get a breakfast burrito today. I will not get a breakfast burrito today.” Then I get off the train and head straight to Boloco. It’s like a giant burrito magnet calling me home.

When I lived in Albuquerque, I was introduced to the joy and wonder that is the breakfast burrito, and my breakfast cravings have never been the same. Boston’s restaurant scene pisses me off for a variety of reasons, one of them being the lack of a decent breakfast burrito.

Other things that bother me about Boston’s culinary scene:

1) NOTHING is open after 11:00. Sure, there are a couple of places that offer breakfast at midnight, but they are few and far between. That, coupled with the ridiculous fact that the T shuts down around midnight, lead to a lot of drunken folks with no greasy spoon within walking distance. This makes no sense. None at all. There is a huge market for late-night eateries just waiting to be tapped. Is it some sort of blue law or something? Why can’t we have 24-hour restaurants?

2) Oh, well, I guess that is it.

3) Oh! There are not enough burrito/taco places. If I had my way, there would be a burrito place in every major square and near every single T station. Mmm…burritos.

ANNOYANCES

I dislike when women get their toenails painted in a French manicure style. The tips of their toenails are white, which only makes their toenails look freakishly long. I really, deeply dislike this look.

That is enough bitching for today, I guess. I’ll save my other annoyances for another day. I’m actually in a great mood, believe it or not. I get to see Radiohead tonight!!!! I am so excited. Have a good day!

I'm Totally Hibernating

Boston's public transportation is really quite good, but there are certain things about it that aggravate me to no end. My main issue with it is that everything stops running around 1:00. I think the T should at least run until all the bars close, but hey, I don't make the stupid rules.

When I hang out at my favorite Irish pub, like I did Friday night, in order to get home, I have a ten minute walk, 3 trains and a bus ride ahead of me. On a very good night, I can do it in about an hour. Friday night, I boarded the T around...12:50 and finally got home around 2:15. I guess that's not too too bad really. It was interesting though.

See, what happened was, I decided to do the 3 trains and then catch a cab, since I figured that would be quicker than waiting for the bus (the bus runs really infrequently that time of night). My cab driver, however, was driving at approximately 5 miles per hour. So, I asked as nicely as possible, "Um, excuse me, sir, but could you please drive a little bit quicker?" He sort of laughed me off and slowly explained to me that driving faster was not going to get us through this red light any quicker. We kept hitting lights and it kept not making any sense to go faster. I felt like a jerk, so I apologized and explained that it's just that money is tight right now and I'm impatient by nature.

We started talking and the conversation progressed to politics and then to family and life and people and all things deep and inspiring at 2:10 in the morning. His name was Eddie, he was from Haiti and he was sweet. He told me I am "a young woman of solid substance" and that if his daughter had half the sensibility I have, his life would be so much different.

Wow. I really needed that. I have been feeling kind of down lately, so I welcomed his flattery with open arms. It was really nice speaking with him, even if I was in that cab for 45 minutes instead of the 10 I was anticipating.

I slept until I couldn't sleep another moment on Saturday. Finally got out of bed around 1:30. I have a cold and am Captain Snot right now, so after running a couple of quick errands, I holed up in my apartment and watched 8 or 9 hours of television.

Today, I started the day with some laundry, then finished it with some wine and painting. I have never really tried my hand at painting, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much I enjoyed spending the evening doing it. That, coupled with the big bowl of dumplings I just had, really made today a good day.

I love being alone and having weekends like this. Where every decision I make is all mine and I can do whatever I want. Sometimes, the idea of having to incorporate someone else's ideas/agendas with mine kind of freaks me out. I almost feel like I've been single for so long that I no longer know how to be in a relationship at all. I'm terrified of having to compromise my freedom.

Is that weird? Am I just making excuses or something?

I don't know. Whatevs.

One Step Forward, One Step Back

This blog will be a bit Boston-centric, so bear with me....

Let's talk about the MBTA. Yesterday, GP asked me if I saw the new seats on the redline. I had not. I did today, however. They have reupholstered the seats with cloth. Cloth.
CLOTH.

What in the name of all that is holy were they thinking?????? Those seats are going to be filthy, stained, disgusting, mildewed, nasty ass holders in no time whatsoever. Why in the name of god would they do such a thing?

Why not plastic? Cheap fake leather even? Anything other than absorbent cloth. Yuck.
I consider that a step in the wrong damn direction.

At the same time they unveil these new seat coverings, they FINALLY install those hanging thingamajigees so the short people can reach the top bar. The plastic strappy things. Why in the world did it take them so long to do this? I cannot even count the number of times I've been stuck in an awkward spot on the train without something to hold on to.

I consider this a step in the right direction.

It is always one step forward with one step back with the MBTA. God love 'em.

Ha Ha, Subway Bitch!

So I get on the train this morning and sit next to a woman reading the Metro. I pull out my copy which I have already opened to the puzzle section so I can do their sudoku puzzle. She is scoping me out me in that way that fellow train riders will do. Looking off to the side at my paper without moving her head. She is calm for a brief second and then I watch as she starts frantically flipping pages to get to the puzzles. Bitch wants to go! She is going to try to BEAT me at my own game. A challenger!

Bring it.

She starts furiously scribbling in numbers, seeing as how I already have at least a two minute headstart. She is seriously trying to finish the puzzle before me and I am getting all nervous and shaky. I've never had a sudoku race! I can't believe she is making me sweat. So I pull out the big guns and really, really focus on the puzzle. I have to pause for a moment to thoroughly survey the grid and I know she thinks she has me. Bitch don't know what she got comin'.

After a second, I make a major breakthrough and finish the game before we get to Kendall MIT. Ha. She is still trying to solve it through Charles MGH. Park Street is her stop, so she folds up her paper with the incomplete grid, puts it in her bag, and quietly accepts defeat.

HA! A little healthy competition is a great way to start a Friday.

Anyone want to have a sudoku tournament?

Seriously?

I got to the train station to discover that my train was already pulling in. I started hauling ass and barely made it through the doors. Nice. Happy Tuesday.

The train is already packed and I have committed to being "that girl", so I force my way in. It's tight in there and I see that the man to my right has plenty of room next to him. I ask, "Excuse me, could you scoot down a bit?" I thought my request was pretty reasonable, given the fact that people were going to be piling in at the next stop...and the one after that...and after that...and so on.

He says, "I'm all set."

Huh. Well, fuck you too.

DO NOT LEAN AGAINST THE DOORS!!!!!!

Wednesday, March 8, 2006, began pretty much like any typical workday. Well, except the fact that my sister was going to have a tumor removed from her leg....another story, another blog. She was having a tumor removed and I was on my way to work. You see, I had originally planned on going to the hospital with her and taking the day off, but my older sister brought it to my attention that our little surgery patient would be all alone the day after her surgery. So, I decided not to go on Wednesday, but rather, to spend all Thursday with her.

So, I'm on my way to work, on the train with GP, my roommate, and we are positioned in such a way that I am right up against the door at the end of the car that leads to the next car. There is, of course, a very clear sign on the door that says, "Do not lean against the doors" but I, as usual, choose to ignore this sign and press my luck. It is car number 01600, a number I will recall until the day I die. jk. I just made a point of remembering it.

Next stop, Porter Square. All is well, life is good. Next stop, DEATH!, I mean, Harvard Square. So, we are going and all of a sudden, the door I am LEANING against (stupid MJ, stupid MJ)....wait for it.....wait for it....it OPENS!!!!!! WHILE THE TRAIN IS MOVING!!!! In between stations!!!! AHHHH!!!!

For some lucky reason, I happened to be holding on to a rail and did not fall out of the train, as you can probably guess from the mere fact that I am writing this blog and am NOT DEAD. My backpack nearly fell off the train as well. It was almost a very bad day.

I was sort of in shock I guess, because I can't really remember the rest of the ride all that well. There was a very nice man who tried with all his might to lock the door and then stood next to it, putting himself in harms way and keeping GP and me safe. That was really nice. You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

So, leaning, door opens, nearly died---I decided, to hell with work, I'm going to the hospital to be there for my sister and that is exactly what I did. These are my Chronicles of Trainia and the moral of this story is (say it with me now): DO NOT LEAN AGAINST THE DOORS!

Dear Train Lady,

(3/5/06)

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to acknowledge the sticky, drippy situation in which you managed to find yourself this previous Friday evening on the red line.

To refresh your mind, you decided that it was a perfectly acceptable idea to bring your entire dinner onto the train with you to consume during the 5:00 Friday rush. I must say, I was not only impressed, but rather amused by your ability and willingness to create your well-balanced meal entirely from White Hen Pantry. Well done, Train Lady, well done.

I was, I must admit, a bit jealous of your White Hen fare. You see, it was that time of day when I just feel like eating everything that isn't nailed down. Thank you for giving me something to gaze at longingly during the ride. I mean, I don't even like Fritos all that much, but damn they stank good.

After you finished munching those delightfully-scented Fritos, you decided to wait on your thick, triangular, plastic-wrapped sandwich, and go straight for your Diet Dr. Pepper. What happened next shocked us all.

You cracked the top and KABOOM!!! The soda-pop exploded and went everywhere (but mostly, all over you, your Fritos, the aforementioned sandwich, and your purse)!!!! HA!!!!!
I was the sole passenger to offer you assistance as you were covered in Diet Dr. Pepper. I gave you the napkins I had in my pocket from my breakfast and you attempted to solve your three-paper-towels-needed dilemma with four measly, non-absorbent pieces of crap that someone decided would serve well as napkins.

I just want to say, Train Lady, that I wish I had had more paper products to offer. I also wish that someone else had stepped up to the plate to help their fellow human in distress. Unfortunately, you cannot count on other humans to help you in times of need. You should really know better.

With that said, I hope the next time you decide to bring such a load of consumables onto public transportation, you will remember to bring napkins with you. Please, for the individuals who were caught in the wrath of said soda incident, and for all caught in the future, be prepared.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
MJ