Tag Archives: Subway

If Wishes Were Horses

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Today has been a more productive day than yesterday. I did the laundry, trying to do the wash while Bill got ready for his bus ride. Timing was a bit off, he needed to shower in between my white and color clothes cycles.

Soon he was off to hit the road, leaving me with the laundry hanging in the bathroom. Last night was a quiet night. Bill and I watched Let the Right One In, a Swedish vampire movie.

I would have preferred subtitles to the terrible dubbing. Casey Chasm said it was really good, but it was OK. Chris Repella, formerly of McSwells recommended it as well. Perhaps it was too much hype, leaving me somewhat whelmed.

Bill thought it would have been gruesome but it wasn’t really. I’d watch it again if it wasn’t dubbed. Casey Chasm was right last week about the ‘fuckitall’ though. Made a difference today.

Last night I did go out for a short walk and ran into another former McSwells employee, Larry Heineman. Larry has been the musical director of the Blue Men Group since the beginning.

It was a good talk, Larry telling me about his world travels and asking about various people from our mutual past. It was just a quick chat on the sidewalk, but I left feeling that Larry recognized me and seemed happy to see me, but didn’t know my name.

The reason I had gone out was that there was nothing in the apartment for Bill to eat so I offered to pick up his usual Subway sandwich. I called him from the store and he proceeded to tell me what he wanted on his sandwich.

Within a few seconds the guys behind the counter knew who I was talking to on the phone since Bill always gets the same thing several days a week. He greets them with a ‘Namaste’ and that’s how they refer to him. ‘Namaste’ means ‘Blessing’ in Hindi.

And with a Namaste from myself I was out the door, which is when I ran into Larry, who’s wife is named Nancy but I always think it’s Marianne.

Stayed up and watched TV with Bill. Billy Crystal and John Fogerty were the guests. After that I went to bed, leaving Bill to prepare for his bus drive today.

This morning I was up and out early enough to run some errands. It was weird though. It seemed most everywhere I went there was someone sneezing without covering their mouths. It was disgusting.

All within about 20 minutes. And with all the news about N1H1 Swine Flu it was alarming. At the supermarket, the cashier kept cleaning her hands with Purell. I told her to go easy on the Purell since it can reduce the body’s natural immune system.

She asked me how I knew that and I simply told her science.

Speaking of science, I read a terribly sad and infuriating article in the New Yorker about how the state of Texas executed an innocent man. The state said he committed arson, ultimately killing his 3 children.

He swore he was innocent and after years of appeals and pleas for clemency he was put to death by lethal injection.

The state of Texas rejected the scientific process that deduced how the fire started and spread in favor of folklore and 19th century thinking. So terribly sad.

What good is a death penalty when the risk of killing an innocent man can occur?

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Back to work after a three day weekend, leaving a four day work week. That’s nice. Paid holidays are generally enjoyable, I know I enjoyed mine, but you knew that already. The new coffee maker is behaving itself. This morning I had maybe two cups here and a few more at work.

I’ve already programmed the coffee maker for tomorrow morning so that’s one less thing I have to worry about. Also picked out what I’m wearing tomorrow. Tomorrow is a special day. I’ll actually go somewhere for lunch.

Bill won a contest at his workplace yesterday, a free lunch for him and his valentine, which would be me. Bill’s cafeteria is something else, I’ve eaten there before. There are several stations and the chefs make whatever it is you would like, but tomorrow the chef will be preparing a rack of lamb for Bill and myself as well as a bottle of wine.

So in the morning I will have to give notice at work that I will be going out for lunch, and might not be returning. Lunch is at 2:00 and since I would be a few blocks from the bus terminal I think it would make sense for me to just leave early. So I have to notify the powers that be that I more than likely not be back. Unless they say otherwise.

Vivek and his partner got to and from Florida with no problems, and they also got their rented car. And their wives got their Valentine’s bouquets that I ordered as well. I didn’t hear any complaints so I can only guess that it went well. They still haven’t paid me yet for fourteen hours of work and this afternoon was two more hours.

I had to go to Chinatown to pick up Vivek’s partner’s business cards. I left for the day at 3:00, getting on the local 6 train downtown. The first train was too crowded so I waited for the next train which was ordered out of service when it got to my station. So there were a few hundred more people waiting.

Squeezed into the next train after that and as the train approached Union Square it was announced that since their train was behind schedule the next two stops would be Bleecker Street and Brooklyn Bridge. That meant I would have to get off at Bleecker and walk down towards Chinatown.

I called up Bill since he’s been attending public meetings to protest the upcoming fare hike, which is a done deal, despite people like Bill protesting. The subway is presently $2.00 and promises to go up. Picked up the business cards and lit up a cigar while walking down Centre Street. Bill called with menu information for tomorrow.

Of course he calls as I’m trying to navigate crossing Canal Street at rush hour. People and cars coming in all directions. I sounded like my father saying ‘yeah it sounds good but can we talk about it later when I can actually pay attention to what it is that you’re saying?’

Not that my father would actually have used those words, it was more the tone of, ‘I don’t have time for this right now’, said in quite a terse manner. That made me feel bad so when I was able to find a quiet spot, I called Bill and told him I loved him.

He was facetious and started going off about how special he was that someone like me could love him. He said this in a slightly higher register than his normal speaking voice. He does this when I call, all humble and contrite after sounding like such a dick on the phone.

Something I try not to do that often but apparently I do. He laughed when I called him an neck bone. But I said that in a joking manner which he chuckled at.