Friday, January 30, 2004
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Apparently I need to eat more cow
My company was having a blood drive today, so I decided to be a good person and sign up. Of course I forgot that it was today, so I didn't remember to eat properly. A bowl of cereal at 7:30 is fine for a normal day but not for a day when you'll having a sizable quantity of blood drained from your body.
I went up to the 14th floor at 11:15 and filled out all the necessary paper work. (Side note: did you know that they have these nifty strips of paper that act as thermomaters now. The number of dots that change color tells them your temperature. Genuis.) I went into the conference for the little mini-interview. You know, the one where they make sure I haven't be shooting up and having sex for money. Then they pricked my finger (the worst part of the whole process really) to check my iron levels. And I got rejected. Not enough iron. The nurse suggested I eat red meat the night before I tried to give blood next time.
Ah well. Better luck next time. I headed back to the elevator. I felt fine. But then I reached into my pocket to get out the handy computerized id card I need to make the elevator go, and I realized I was dripping blood everywhere. He hadn't give me a bandaid or anything. I went back and asked the receptionist for a band-aid. I was starting to get lightheaded. While she was asking the nursed for a band-aid, my head started to hurt, and my vision started to go in and out. Just like it does before you faint. I felt like an idiot. I can't faint from having my finger pricked. That would be stupid. I sat down to put the band-aid on and put my head down to get some of the blood back. People started asking if I was alright and running to get me juice and Oreos. After about five minutes, I felt better. Just really stupid.
My company was having a blood drive today, so I decided to be a good person and sign up. Of course I forgot that it was today, so I didn't remember to eat properly. A bowl of cereal at 7:30 is fine for a normal day but not for a day when you'll having a sizable quantity of blood drained from your body.
I went up to the 14th floor at 11:15 and filled out all the necessary paper work. (Side note: did you know that they have these nifty strips of paper that act as thermomaters now. The number of dots that change color tells them your temperature. Genuis.) I went into the conference for the little mini-interview. You know, the one where they make sure I haven't be shooting up and having sex for money. Then they pricked my finger (the worst part of the whole process really) to check my iron levels. And I got rejected. Not enough iron. The nurse suggested I eat red meat the night before I tried to give blood next time.
Ah well. Better luck next time. I headed back to the elevator. I felt fine. But then I reached into my pocket to get out the handy computerized id card I need to make the elevator go, and I realized I was dripping blood everywhere. He hadn't give me a bandaid or anything. I went back and asked the receptionist for a band-aid. I was starting to get lightheaded. While she was asking the nursed for a band-aid, my head started to hurt, and my vision started to go in and out. Just like it does before you faint. I felt like an idiot. I can't faint from having my finger pricked. That would be stupid. I sat down to put the band-aid on and put my head down to get some of the blood back. People started asking if I was alright and running to get me juice and Oreos. After about five minutes, I felt better. Just really stupid.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Throw back to the Missourian
Today I got a story assignment at 10:15, and my deadline was 3:30. That's right. I'm reporting. Two days a week. Daily news. Who else is excited?
Thought that had never before crossed my mind while standing on a subway platform (and probably never will again)
My, the tracks certainly are clean today.
Really. There wasn't any trash or litter or rats or that layer of mysterious brown gunk. I decided that they must have recently rebuilt that secion of the track because there really is no other explanation.
Flashback to Elementary School
I might have a snow day tomorrow. Come on snow!
Today I got a story assignment at 10:15, and my deadline was 3:30. That's right. I'm reporting. Two days a week. Daily news. Who else is excited?
Thought that had never before crossed my mind while standing on a subway platform (and probably never will again)
My, the tracks certainly are clean today.
Really. There wasn't any trash or litter or rats or that layer of mysterious brown gunk. I decided that they must have recently rebuilt that secion of the track because there really is no other explanation.
Flashback to Elementary School
I might have a snow day tomorrow. Come on snow!
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Partied Out
I went to two parties this weekend. Friday was a birthday party at Trinity, home of my favorite bartenders. Saturday was a wine party at Tina's place in Brooklyn. I had a blast, but now I think I need a nap.
Places not to have serious relationship fights:
The produce aisle in D'Agostino's. Dude, some people are just trying to find the potatoes that are on sale.
I went to two parties this weekend. Friday was a birthday party at Trinity, home of my favorite bartenders. Saturday was a wine party at Tina's place in Brooklyn. I had a blast, but now I think I need a nap.
Places not to have serious relationship fights:
The produce aisle in D'Agostino's. Dude, some people are just trying to find the potatoes that are on sale.
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Overqualified, overworked and underappreciated
Yep. And it all stings a bit more when you see it in writing.
Star Light, Star Bright
Wish I may, wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight
Yep. And it all stings a bit more when you see it in writing.
Star Light, Star Bright
Wish I may, wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight
Monday, January 19, 2004
3, 2, 1 .... Contacts!
I have them now. Having health insurance rocks.
Hair anxiety
I got another free Bumble and bumble hair cut tonight. It's basically the same cut, so I shouldn't be worried at all. But I am. There's more layers. And there's at least five different products in my hair. It's so styled that I have no idea what it really looks like. Let's hope I like it after I wash it tomorrow morning.
Go, Iowa
My brother's candidate came in a close second in Iowa. Score!
I have them now. Having health insurance rocks.
Hair anxiety
I got another free Bumble and bumble hair cut tonight. It's basically the same cut, so I shouldn't be worried at all. But I am. There's more layers. And there's at least five different products in my hair. It's so styled that I have no idea what it really looks like. Let's hope I like it after I wash it tomorrow morning.
Go, Iowa
My brother's candidate came in a close second in Iowa. Score!
Saturday, January 17, 2004
MTA, I shake my fist at you
It usually takes me 40 or 45 minutes to get to work. Thursday morning the trip took me over an hour and a half.
Step 1: The Bus
As it was about 3 degrees (plus wind chill!) and snowy outside, I decided it would be smart to take the bus to the subway. Obviously, I was not the only one with this idea. When I got to the stop, the line stretched down the block and around the corner. But there were two buses waiting, so I figured it would move quickly. I was one of the first people on the second bus. I got a seat and everything. I had to wait for the rest of the bus to load, which took a while because it was a stretch bus.
And then the bus stopped running. Why did the driver just turn the bus off? You could hear the collective you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me sigh. So we waited. Surely the bus will turn back on and we'll all get on our merry little way, right? Two minutes later, but bus came back to life and promptly died again. That's not good. Neither was the announcement the driver made moments later saying that there was a "malfunction" with this bus and he'd have to give us all transfers to the next bus. No one waited for a transfer. We just got back off the bus and grumbled a lot. There was a bus immediately behind us, but the line already stretched around the corner again. I decided to say fuck it and just walk. If I'd done that from the start, I'd have already been on the subway. This probably wasn't the brightest decision. By the time I got to Lexington I couldn't really feel my feet.
Step 2: The Station
I was actually looking forward to the subway because it meant I'd be inside again and maybe thaw. There was a huge line to even get into the subway station, though. That usually means the turnstiles aren't working right. The platform was crowded too. But I didn't really care. I was already going to be a little late for work, and this was the easy part of trip. I squeezed myself onto an overcrowded subway car. Really, what else could go wrong? Silly question.
Step 3: The Subway
Somewhere between 86th and 59th, the train stopped. This isn't too unusual. It's rush hour. There's traffic. You stop for a minute or two. There's a recorded announcement apologizing for "the unavoidable delay," and then you keep going.
Not this time. We waited five or 10 minutes, and the conductor made an announcement telling us there was a sick passenger on the train ahead of us and we'd be moving shortly. More waiting. Finally we start to inch forward. We stop. More waiting. Another announcement. The sick passenger is now an unconscious passenger. And the train with said unconscious passenger onboard couldn't leave the station. So our train was going to pull up to the platform enough to open one door on the front car so we could all exit and transfer to a local train. I just kept wondering what all the fuss was about. I'd been on the subway with someone who had a seizure during rush hour, and that didn't slow anything down.
The problem with this all was that there was one door to evacuate an entire, crowded rush-hour train. How many people is that? I'm not sure, but I'd guess a couple hundred. I was in about the middle car, so we really couldn't tell what was going on. The driver kept coming on and making the same announcement.
We waited five or 10 minutes, and people started to get impatient. People started to curse and push their way into the next car. It's like they thought the people in the next car were just hanging out because they wanted to. I was standing near the door to the next car, and when a guy pushed past me and everyone yelled to follow him, I followed. Silly Anne. I got almost right inside the door, and there was no where to go. Two guys standing in between the cars started talking about jumping down onto the tracks and walking.
We waited another five or 10 minutes. Still no movement. Did they forget to open the door? Another crowd of people started trying to push their way through. I hated them. I was crammed even more uncomfortably close to people I didn't know. And two of the new people were two very angry women from the Bronx who were cursing up a storm. Apparently they had very important places to be. It all just made me so happy I wasn't on the subway during a black out. If 25 minutes on a stalled subway car does this to people, imagine what several hours would be like.
Things finally started moving, and I made my way from car to car and out onto the platform. One thing I didn't understand was the people in every car who kept their seats. The benches were full. You're not going to be moving anytime soon, so why stay? Another thing I didn't understand when I finally got out onto the platform is why the train didn't pull up any farther. There was almost half a platform between the two trains. That all would have been much less painful if even a couple more doors were open.
Step 3: The Platform
I followed the crowded upstairs to the local platform. Because of this situation, every 4 and 5 train was running local from 125th to Grand Central. There was a horrendous back-up. I couldn't believe the crowd on the platform. I had to wait for four cars to go by before I got close enough to the front to make it on. And when I was in the front, I was afraid I might die. I was right on the edge fo the platform, and there was a large crowd squeezed in behind me. If they leaned forward when the train came, I'd probably fall into the tracks. Luckily that didn't happen.
Step 4: The conclusion
I finally made it onto a train. It was a 4, so I had to get off and transfer to a 6 at Union Square. I finally got to work about 9:50. I'd left the house at 8:15. I was in pretty foul mood for the rest of the day. Really, when it all starts out that way, you know it's going to be one of those days.
It usually takes me 40 or 45 minutes to get to work. Thursday morning the trip took me over an hour and a half.
Step 1: The Bus
As it was about 3 degrees (plus wind chill!) and snowy outside, I decided it would be smart to take the bus to the subway. Obviously, I was not the only one with this idea. When I got to the stop, the line stretched down the block and around the corner. But there were two buses waiting, so I figured it would move quickly. I was one of the first people on the second bus. I got a seat and everything. I had to wait for the rest of the bus to load, which took a while because it was a stretch bus.
And then the bus stopped running. Why did the driver just turn the bus off? You could hear the collective you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me sigh. So we waited. Surely the bus will turn back on and we'll all get on our merry little way, right? Two minutes later, but bus came back to life and promptly died again. That's not good. Neither was the announcement the driver made moments later saying that there was a "malfunction" with this bus and he'd have to give us all transfers to the next bus. No one waited for a transfer. We just got back off the bus and grumbled a lot. There was a bus immediately behind us, but the line already stretched around the corner again. I decided to say fuck it and just walk. If I'd done that from the start, I'd have already been on the subway. This probably wasn't the brightest decision. By the time I got to Lexington I couldn't really feel my feet.
Step 2: The Station
I was actually looking forward to the subway because it meant I'd be inside again and maybe thaw. There was a huge line to even get into the subway station, though. That usually means the turnstiles aren't working right. The platform was crowded too. But I didn't really care. I was already going to be a little late for work, and this was the easy part of trip. I squeezed myself onto an overcrowded subway car. Really, what else could go wrong? Silly question.
Step 3: The Subway
Somewhere between 86th and 59th, the train stopped. This isn't too unusual. It's rush hour. There's traffic. You stop for a minute or two. There's a recorded announcement apologizing for "the unavoidable delay," and then you keep going.
Not this time. We waited five or 10 minutes, and the conductor made an announcement telling us there was a sick passenger on the train ahead of us and we'd be moving shortly. More waiting. Finally we start to inch forward. We stop. More waiting. Another announcement. The sick passenger is now an unconscious passenger. And the train with said unconscious passenger onboard couldn't leave the station. So our train was going to pull up to the platform enough to open one door on the front car so we could all exit and transfer to a local train. I just kept wondering what all the fuss was about. I'd been on the subway with someone who had a seizure during rush hour, and that didn't slow anything down.
The problem with this all was that there was one door to evacuate an entire, crowded rush-hour train. How many people is that? I'm not sure, but I'd guess a couple hundred. I was in about the middle car, so we really couldn't tell what was going on. The driver kept coming on and making the same announcement.
We waited five or 10 minutes, and people started to get impatient. People started to curse and push their way into the next car. It's like they thought the people in the next car were just hanging out because they wanted to. I was standing near the door to the next car, and when a guy pushed past me and everyone yelled to follow him, I followed. Silly Anne. I got almost right inside the door, and there was no where to go. Two guys standing in between the cars started talking about jumping down onto the tracks and walking.
We waited another five or 10 minutes. Still no movement. Did they forget to open the door? Another crowd of people started trying to push their way through. I hated them. I was crammed even more uncomfortably close to people I didn't know. And two of the new people were two very angry women from the Bronx who were cursing up a storm. Apparently they had very important places to be. It all just made me so happy I wasn't on the subway during a black out. If 25 minutes on a stalled subway car does this to people, imagine what several hours would be like.
Things finally started moving, and I made my way from car to car and out onto the platform. One thing I didn't understand was the people in every car who kept their seats. The benches were full. You're not going to be moving anytime soon, so why stay? Another thing I didn't understand when I finally got out onto the platform is why the train didn't pull up any farther. There was almost half a platform between the two trains. That all would have been much less painful if even a couple more doors were open.
Step 3: The Platform
I followed the crowded upstairs to the local platform. Because of this situation, every 4 and 5 train was running local from 125th to Grand Central. There was a horrendous back-up. I couldn't believe the crowd on the platform. I had to wait for four cars to go by before I got close enough to the front to make it on. And when I was in the front, I was afraid I might die. I was right on the edge fo the platform, and there was a large crowd squeezed in behind me. If they leaned forward when the train came, I'd probably fall into the tracks. Luckily that didn't happen.
Step 4: The conclusion
I finally made it onto a train. It was a 4, so I had to get off and transfer to a 6 at Union Square. I finally got to work about 9:50. I'd left the house at 8:15. I was in pretty foul mood for the rest of the day. Really, when it all starts out that way, you know it's going to be one of those days.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
You know you're having a bad day when ...
your boss buys you ice cream to make up for how much it sucks.
Freckle face
I went to the eye doctor today and discovered that I have a giant freckle on my eye. It was so big that the doctor was shocked that I had never noticed it. Have any of you ever noticed how a chunk of my left iris is a different color than the rest of it? I checked it out when I got home, and he's right. Wacky.
Only my mother
I got mail from my mom today. She sent me a few bank statements, an early birthday check and two coupons for, um, feminine hygiene products. I was excited about the coupons (things are expensive here), but then I looked closer. The artwork seemed a bit outdated. One of coupons expired December 31, 1986! The other one doesn't have an expiration date, but it is in compliance with the P & G Coupon Requirements dated 10/1/83. 1983! These coupons are almost as old as I am. The best part is that when I called my mom to laugh at her joke, she didn't know the coupons were expired. I don't feel like I can just throw these coupons away. They're practically antiques after all. But what does one do with 1980s Always coupons?
Weather in the city
-It was so windy on my walk home that I almost got blown into traffic.
-Temperatures are supposed to dip back down into the teens the rest of the week. You know what that means: dodging frozen puddles of dog pee.
your boss buys you ice cream to make up for how much it sucks.
Freckle face
I went to the eye doctor today and discovered that I have a giant freckle on my eye. It was so big that the doctor was shocked that I had never noticed it. Have any of you ever noticed how a chunk of my left iris is a different color than the rest of it? I checked it out when I got home, and he's right. Wacky.
Only my mother
I got mail from my mom today. She sent me a few bank statements, an early birthday check and two coupons for, um, feminine hygiene products. I was excited about the coupons (things are expensive here), but then I looked closer. The artwork seemed a bit outdated. One of coupons expired December 31, 1986! The other one doesn't have an expiration date, but it is in compliance with the P & G Coupon Requirements dated 10/1/83. 1983! These coupons are almost as old as I am. The best part is that when I called my mom to laugh at her joke, she didn't know the coupons were expired. I don't feel like I can just throw these coupons away. They're practically antiques after all. But what does one do with 1980s Always coupons?
Weather in the city
-It was so windy on my walk home that I almost got blown into traffic.
-Temperatures are supposed to dip back down into the teens the rest of the week. You know what that means: dodging frozen puddles of dog pee.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
I will never ride in a cab again
They are a black hole for personal belongings. Last night I lost my only pair of gloves. And it's about 3 degrees here. Everyone else only loses umbrellas. If I'm not careful I'm going to donate my whole winter wardrobe to the taxi and limosine commission.
They are a black hole for personal belongings. Last night I lost my only pair of gloves. And it's about 3 degrees here. Everyone else only loses umbrellas. If I'm not careful I'm going to donate my whole winter wardrobe to the taxi and limosine commission.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
It's like I'm Jesus ... sort of
Last week I helped construct IKEA furniture.
Reality?
Saturday night I met friends at a bar in Williamsburg, and a contestant from Average Joe was there. I only saw the last two or three episodes, so I'm taking Andrea's word for it. Later in the evening, Tina and I met a guy who was on Change of Heart, one of the reality dating shows I've never really heard of. I think it was the truth, though, because he seemed sufficiantly embarrassed when his friend brought it up.
Walking in circles
This morning I was halfway to the subway when I realized one of my earrings had fallen out. I was pissed. First my coat and now a brand new pair of earrings? I backtracked most of the way to my apartment in a fruitless search for the missing earring. As a result I was 20 minutes late for work. Then when I unwrapped my scraf, the earring fell innocently to the floor. What were you so worried about? I was here the whole time.
Last week I helped construct IKEA furniture.
Reality?
Saturday night I met friends at a bar in Williamsburg, and a contestant from Average Joe was there. I only saw the last two or three episodes, so I'm taking Andrea's word for it. Later in the evening, Tina and I met a guy who was on Change of Heart, one of the reality dating shows I've never really heard of. I think it was the truth, though, because he seemed sufficiantly embarrassed when his friend brought it up.
Walking in circles
This morning I was halfway to the subway when I realized one of my earrings had fallen out. I was pissed. First my coat and now a brand new pair of earrings? I backtracked most of the way to my apartment in a fruitless search for the missing earring. As a result I was 20 minutes late for work. Then when I unwrapped my scraf, the earring fell innocently to the floor. What were you so worried about? I was here the whole time.
Sunday, January 04, 2004
I will not fall for any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobics, people with girlfriends or wives, misogynists, megalomanics, chauvanists, emotional fuckwits or freeloaders, perverts.
Easier said than done, Bridget. Easier said than done.
Easier said than done, Bridget. Easier said than done.
Friday, January 02, 2004
I'm not sure if these are signs of a good night or a bad night
New Year's Eve I lost my coat in a cab and bruised my tail bone.
Blokes
I did find a nice bloke to kiss at midnight. Unfortunately, his ooky friend also insisted on kissing me. He looked disturbingly similar to my freshman-year English teacher. (Note: That's freshman year in high school. I did not kiss a man who looked like Annie Mack.)
2003 Recap
This year I got to spend eight weeks backpacking around Ireland with my best friend, saw the Saw Doctors in concert twice, bought a one-way ticket and moved to New York City, got my first job, made some great new friends and finally settled into my new home. 2004 is going to have a hard time measuring up.
New Year's Eve I lost my coat in a cab and bruised my tail bone.
Blokes
I did find a nice bloke to kiss at midnight. Unfortunately, his ooky friend also insisted on kissing me. He looked disturbingly similar to my freshman-year English teacher. (Note: That's freshman year in high school. I did not kiss a man who looked like Annie Mack.)
2003 Recap
This year I got to spend eight weeks backpacking around Ireland with my best friend, saw the Saw Doctors in concert twice, bought a one-way ticket and moved to New York City, got my first job, made some great new friends and finally settled into my new home. 2004 is going to have a hard time measuring up.
