December 20, 2021

Striking Out

What will Santa do if the trains don't run?!

I should have checked the news before I headed to the subway this morning, but I was in a rush to make this 9:30 Pilates mat class at my gym. The streets of Williamsburg were relatively quiet, and I didn't take the hint when I heard the man in the van say "anybody need a ride." Instead, I just kept walking towards the subway. It was cold, the kind of cold that makes your nose numb in under three minutes, the kind of cold that makes it hard to feel the snot as it forms a long string that starts at the point between the two nostrils, and I just wanted to get warm, and get fit. But the police tape around the entrance to the subway spoke volumes, and I was not about to pay for a ride into the city so that I could use the gym. That would be obsessive, and as an out of work person, I can't be obsessive about the gym.

So, I came home and panicked. I have an 11am flight tomorrow, which means I have to get a taxi around 9AM, prime rush hour time for a city with no public transportation. I know people have places to go and other people to see, but this is the first time I'm going to meet my boyfriend's family and I don't want to be late and miss the plane. And I didn't do my work this morning, because I had to make sure we had a ride tomorrow.

Hours later I had a backup plan, a friend with a car. I wish most people were that lucky. And today I didn't have to go into an office, so what must have felt like a free day for so many other people, or a nightmare for those who did trek into work, just felt like a weekend to me (that's when there are more people on the streets, in the stores, etc.) And now, tonight I must finish packing. I'm heading over to my boyfriends soon (and thank the goddess that he's a short walk from my house) so that we can struggle through this mess together.

Oh, and because I met the author and she was so incredibly nice, smart and social and because I can't put the book down, I must say, if you're looking for something dark, disturbing and beautifully written, please buy a copy of Twins.

Oh yeah, one more thing... don't miss me if I'm not around for a while. Apparently there's no internet access at the house I'm staying in in Missouri. But if I find some, trust me, you'll hear about it.

Posted by jamye at December 20, 2021 05:52 PM