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December 16, 2005
Bad Smells Amongst Us
I for one was looking forward to the transit strike and it didn't happen. I know that might sound selfish, but I love the idea of telecommuting. Rafe did it for months and I was a bit envious he didn't even have to put on pants in the morning. He would roll out of bed whenever he felt like it and sometimes when I got home, lo and behold he still hadn't put pants on and would be wearing a blanket around him fashioned into a makeshift kilt. But if I could watch Oprah and "work" simultaneously, I would be a very happy employee.
Strike or no strike, I think the MTA workers were in a really bad mood today. The trains were slower than usual and the conductor kept announcing on the intercom that there were "sudden delays, sorry!" When I got on the train, there was a horrible stench (not the MTA's fault per se but still) and it was coming from a woman in the center of the car. People literally bolted when they took a whiff. If they didn't have time to bolt, they smushed themselves into the corners, holding their jackets or scarves over their mouths. The smell really filled up the entire car. I was too lazy to actually move and so endured it for most of my journey. But when we got to 14th St, there was a police officer who told her it was time to get
up and go. We were in the station for over ten minutes while she refused and he stood between the car doors ordering her. What crime is it to smell? What crime is it to be homeless and on the train? I suppose there are vagrancy laws, but still, how did he know she wasn't on her way somewhere? It was a bit outrageous.
Speaking of smells, Rafe's new car smells. Of crayons. You may think that the smell of crayons is not so bad. You might be thinking, ooh, the smell of crayons- that smells like kindergarten and of innocent times when opening up a new box of Crayolas was a moment of pure bliss. But this crayon smell is intense, more like a toxic crayon factory, and it's nauseating and headache-inducing. It's a long story, but most likely the dealer won't do a thing about it. Rafe's gone to the doctor to get a note and has joined a support group online (really) but the crayon-smell has yet to be resolved. Many other cars of the same year and model have the same problem. I smell a lawsuit.
This weekend is going to be very full. My good friend Kristin is coming into town and it's Laura's birthday on Saturday. Kristin, Laura, Renu and I used to be rooomates our sophomore year of college. And look at us now, all grown up. Among other accomplishments, Renu's a big-time trader, Kristin's getting married in the Spring, Laura's having a baby, and I've just gotten me a domestic partnership. I could get all sappy right now, but I'll save that for this weekend when we are all drinking margaritas and feeling old and like college was a hundred years ago.
Posted by debbie at December 16, 2005 10:24 AM