Back to the Daily Grind

Departure: 7:45am
Arrival: 9:58am

Thankfully, this morning was a rather unexciting commute into the city, and thankfully, somehow the commute was quicker than normal, though that may be because I left from a different area. The sun glare, however, was atrocious. There were 2 accidents due to sun glare (thankfully on the radio, it sounded as if people were not hurt, and it wasn’t on my way in, so no worrying about the accident getting in the way of my commute)

My car’s clock is 3 minutes fast. That’s mostly because I’m too lazy to fix it, but it’s really annoying when I’m trying to make a specific bus time, and I have to keep subtracting in my head as I drive down the road. I’ve never gotten along well with math, and since I’m not a morning person, having to do math that early in the morning is like torture. It’s great though, when I’m stuck in a bit of traffic, and I’m trying to not think about the fact that I only have 15 minutes to get to the bus stop, and then realize that I actually have 18 minutes. Something about those extra 3 minutes makes me smile a bit… of course, then the panic sets in as I realize that 3 minutes isn’t that big of a deal… however… 1 minute can mean you miss the bus, so… I’ll take my 3 random extra minutes that aren’t there, but are there at the same time.

HUZZAH! I had a book today! Thanks to remembering, I went to the book store on Saturday and bought a couple of books, so hopefully I’ll have something to read for the next 2 weeks. My book this morning was “Lullaby” by Chuck Palahniuk. It’s an interesting read so far about a culling song. I’ll let you know whether or not it’s a good commuting book. Finding a seat, I took out my book, opened it, and was happy to see that nobody was sitting next to me, at least not at first. I thought I was going to get away with any seat-companions, but then a guy flew onto the bus, and squatted himself next to me… I wouldn’t have minded, save for the fact that he had an interesting odor…now, thankfully it wasn’t body-odor, but it was more like he had showered in aftershave… Though, I think the best part was the fact that I kept sneezing and sneezing and sneezing… and he turned to me and said “Do you mind? I’m trying to sleep?” To which I responded. “No, I don’t mind… but it seems like I”m allergic to something within my immediate vicinity.” and then I smirked, and put my nose back in my book… which, of course, erupted almost immediately in a giant sneeze. I’ve got to remind myself not to lend this book to anyone, nobody deserves the grossness that’s probably on the pages.

The subway was COLD this morning! I kept my big down-jacket zipped up to my chin the entire time. Usually it’s kind of a range between chilly and sweaty, but this morning it was just so darn cold, even in the subway car. Ridiculous.

Oh well, the good news is that I’ve finally figured out the 7 train, and now it’s quicker for me to get from Port Authority to my office… and I only have to walk a half a block in the cold. Once it gets nicer out, I’m looking forward to walking all the way from Port Authority to the office… ought to be a nice walk.

Snow sucks

Departure: 7:50am
Arrival: 11:35am

We call this the commute from hell. It starts with a snowstorm, which, even though the roads are relatively clear, causes people to forget how to drive. This wasn’t even a snowstorm; it was flurries over night that maybe placed 3 inches on the ground.

Needless to say, I missed my bus and had to wait till the next one. Now the problem is that the next bus doesn’t come for over an hour later. So, with all the time I had, I went to Dunkin Donuts and then went back to the parking lot and worked for about a half hour in my car until the bus came. At least I wasn’t alone when it finally came time to get out of my car and wait for the bus, in the snow.

Another thing that sucks about the next bus is that its no longer an “express” which means we stopped at like ten million stops.

Thankfully I had some interesting people on the bus with me. Two old ladies sat across from me and talked the whole way, discussing all kinds of topics that both made me cringe and chuckle at the same time. Plus, one of the women held onto the handlebar on the back of the seat in front of her for the entire ride. I know the bus can be bumpy, but I don’t think holding onto a little piece of plastic on the back of a seat that reclines is going to do much good in saving your life lady.

I think the highpoint of the whole bus commute was when the bus driver left. I’ve been on the bus before when the bus driver has gotten off the bus. The first thing through my head? Hey! Maybe I can reenact the scene from Speed. You know, I could jump into the driver’s seat and pretend I was the Sandra Bullock character… my deterrent was the fact that nobody on this bus had enough charisma to play Keanu Reeves, and how was I going to properly reenact the movie without a Keanu Reeves? Maybe later in my life I’ll get a chance to do this… I just hope the police will be ok with the fact that I wasn’t hijacking the bus, I was just reenacting a scene… They’d have to understand me right? Maybe I ought to just keep this in my mind, and not act on it.  :)

The rest of the commute on the bus was kind of uneventful.

When I finally got into NYC, I decided to walk from Port Authority to my office, figuring that I was already late, so I may as well enjoy the morning… early afternoon. Strangely enough, I guess because of my bopping, walking music, and the fact that I somehow managed to walk the lights right, I made it into the office in about 10 minutes… Walking 6 blocks, that’s pretty good, if I do say so myself. Here’s hoping that this evening is a little better of a commute.

February 2nd- To work

Departure: 7:50am
Arrival: 9:55am

Last night my check engine light went on in my car, indicating that I only have 15% oil life left. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but overtly, it meant that my dad was going to have to drive me down to the bus stop this morning, so that he could take my car in to get serviced. God only knows what that will cost me, but I’m just not thinking about it today. Instead, I focused on the positive. As I rushed to get ready, and rushed out the door, I realized that it meant that my father had turned the car on early, so when we got into the car, it was already toasty and warm, instead of the biting, freezing coolness that permeated through me until the heat kicked in. Now, mind you, I have a brand new car, so the heating is awesome, but there are still those 15 minutes of shivering and tenderly gripping the steering wheel until the heat kicks in and warms up the inside.

It also meant that my dad would drive, which allowed me to relax in the passenger seat, but also meant that I had to deal with my father’s somewhat interesting antics of driving which can range from old-man driving, to insane aggressive driving… but, all in all, it was a pleasure to have someone to talk to on the way down the road.

We got to the mall about 10 minutes before the bus got there, and listened to Z100 for that time. I found it funny to hear my dad laugh as the morning show discussed random things on the radio, and leaned back in the seat, having one last cigarette before I had to get on the bus. Of course, with my dad as part of my commute, I had to deal with the disapproving looks he shot my way, but I thought it a small price to pay for the fact that I didn’t have to start my commute out once again, alone.

The bus came, and I got on, waving to my dad, and my car, and the thought popped back in my head… how much was this going to cost me… though, that thought was quickly erased as I handed the bus driver my ticket, and filed down the small aisle and into a seat next to the window. I quickly chucked my bag against the wall of the bus, took out my book (the new Dan Brown novel, which I have to admit is horribly addicting) and flipped it open to the page I had ended at last night.

For the past 2 days I’d been reading this book, and I have to admit, I forgot how relaxing it was to just lose yourself in a book. Almost all of my books were currently packed away, and I couldn’t get to them, so buying this book was definitely one of the smarter things I’ve done since I started commuting. It’s been 2 months since I’ve been commuting, and it’s beginning to at least become familiar, albeit annoying (count it, over 2 hours of commuting time this morning) but, I usually sat in my chair on the bus and whipped out my iphone and either went onto twitter, played sudoku, uno, or scrabble, or laid back in the chair and slipped in and out of sleepy consciousness.

Today, however, I read. The 8:30am bus usually gets me into the city at 9:45ish, which means I have about a 10 minute ride on the subway, or 15 minute walk to my building, which is directly east of the Port Authority. Now, if I took the 7:30 bus, it would get me into the city at 8:20ish… it’s quicker because it doesn’t stop. The 8:30am bus stops at a couple of places off route 46 in New Jersey, picking up a couple of passengers here and there. This morning, however, we only stopped one place, and a place I’ve never seen the bus stop before… It confused me as I looked up from my book at the bus stop, and realized that we weren’t going the normal route. This, then of course, sent a chill down my spine and made me wonder if perhaps somehow I had gotten on the wrong bus. I quickly dispelled this thought by reminding myself that the bus driver probably would have looked at my ticket that said NYC, and would have told me… right?

Without thinking about it, I put my nose back in my book, and didn’t look up again until I realized that we were coming down the long windy ramp that led into the Lincoln Tunnel. Now, I have to stop here and emphasize the fact that this part of the commute, no matter how tired, or how upset, or how annoyed I am, always makes me giddy like a little kid. That is because at this point, as we round the last turn before heading into the maw that swallows us under the Hudson… there is an open and most breathtaking view of the NYC skyline in all its splendid glory. I can imagine that even the most seasoned commuter looks up from his book and smiles at that. I’ve seen a lot of skylines in my life… Philly, Boston, NYC, London, Paris, Chicago, San Diego, Austin, DC, Baltimore, Newark, Houston, the list could go on… but there is only one skyline that makes me smile… and that is NYC. I don’t know why… perhaps its because when I was younger this was the place that I always thought held some kind of mystery or hidden treasure… (I had an overly active imagination as a youth)… whatever reason, when I look at the skyline as it stretches through the hazy morning sun, I smile.

That is, until we are swallowed into the Lincoln tunnel.

Then I sigh.

As I did this morning… because that means it’s time to go to work. This morning, I didn’t immediately pack up my things as I usually do when we hit the tunnel. I flicked on the light, and let my nose go back in the book… in fact… I didn’t realize we had come to a stop within the Port Authority immediately… I felt the guy behind me stand up, and looked up and realized people were getting off the bus. Rushing, I shoved my book in my bag, grabbed my iphone out of its pocket, and shoved my earphones in my ears.

I have, what I like to call, my “walking music”. I told my nephew that once, and he said he could imagine me bopping down the streets of NYC, dancing along… well… most of my family can imagine that I guess, cause they know I’m a bit of a performer, and honestly love kinda making a spectacle of myself when the situation lends itself to that… but… normally, I don’t bop… I walk… briskly… and I need music to help me do that, which is why I have a playlist that’s called “walking music” which is specifically for the part of my commute when I walk. I’ve had a playlist like this for years, and has lasted me from Philly to Hoboken to NYC to Boston and now, back to NYC.

So, maybe I don’t bop… but I definitely walk with intention… and sometimes, in my mind, I like to pretend I’m on a catwalk.

This morning, I didn’t walk out onto the streets because it’s so bitterly cold outside. Instead I walked straight down into the subway, and walked towards the 7 train. I didn’t hear the “last call” because of my damned bopping/walking music, and walked right at the subway as the door closed. Needless to say, I walked directly into the door… which if I had been a split second quicker probably woulda closed on my nose. Instead, I bounced back, and it bounced open. Ego horribly destroyed, I scurried through the doors, and sank into a bucket seat next to the door. As I rubbed my nose, I also tried stroking my ego, reminding myself that nobody saw… but that didn’t stop me looking around and noticing a few people with smirks on their faces.

Well, at least I gave them something to tell their friends about when they got into work… or school… or wherever it was that they were going.

Sufficient to say, the rest of my commute was rather boring… I made it into the office with a couple of minutes to spare before our hotsheet meeting. This evening ought to be interesting, having to coordinate with my father about when and where to pick me up can mean anything I suppose. All I know is that I’m happy that tomorrow I’ll have my car back, and life can pick up where it used to be.