Trains, Ferries and Subways--Part 2

2/3/11--There were actually two guys who got on the train carrying a sheet of plywood...thank goodness it wasn't rush hour, I have no idea where they would have put it.

So the U.S. Coast Guard sometimes guards the ferries as they go back and forth between Manhattan and the island, which is a little unnerving only because it doesn't happen everyday.  So what happens on those certain days that they are patrolling.  Now what I can't figure out whether that is a harpoon on the front of the boat or a really big and pointy gun.  If it's a harpoon...why do they need a harpoon?  What are they protecting us from...Moby Dick?

Side note for me to put on my Goodread's list.  I saw a girl reading House of Leaves, the cover looked really interesting.  And yes books are judged by their covers!  I should have asked her if it was any good, before she left the subway.

2/5/11
There was a very sweet man with his 1 year old son on the subway.  He was just so dang sweet with him, kissing him and hugging him.  The woman across the aisle from me keep making ahhh'ing noises over it.  I can't blame her, I wanted to do the same thing.

Sometimes there is some really good busking at the ferry and sometimes not so much.  Today was a good day.  Nicola sounded great!  I wish I had a few bucks to put in her guitar case.

I spent the day wondering...what's in those subway tunnels, it would be cool to explore if I can forget about all the bugs and rats in there.  I also noticed that The Lady has her back to Jersey, for some reason I always thought that she had her back to NYC...I'm not sure why.  There is also a really interesting church in between two sky scrapers across from the ferry.  It looks so tiny but beautiful.  Additionally I think Batman or Bruce Wayne lives on top of one of the skyscrapers right near Battery Park.  It's a fantastically cool looking building, I'd love to see what it looks like inside.  Who lives there? Is it just an office building?  And last thought of the day was yup Newark really is the bastard step child, it is trying so hard to be a "real" city, but when you look across the river to Manhattan....there just isn't any comparison.  Poor Newark.

2/9/11

On the subway I noticed the man sitting across from me.  I really want to know what his story is.  He was an older white man.  He reminded me of a music producer or movie producer who used to do indie labels, but wasn't quite at the top of his game anymore.  He just doesn't want to admit it, so he continues to play the part.  He had white hair and it looked longish from the front...it was all in dreds.  I wanted to ask him what was up with the hair.  When he got up and walked off the subway I wanted to run after him and beg him to let me take a picture, because when looking at him from the front was hair that was trying too hard, but when seen from behind was amazing.  His dreds were done up in a fancy ponytail in the back, the amazing part...his hair hit the back of his knees and he wasn't a short man.  I really want to know his story!!

Two film students on the train talking about script stories and lamenting the...and-he-was-never-seen-again-until-he-was-dug-up-3000-years-later scenario.  It cracked me up, plus they were super serious about being too serious about movies and how it was ruining the drive to actually want to go to school, since all they were learning was how to be serious about movies.

Three 20 something young men with expensive suits on the ferry.  They were discussing playing black ops.  They actually reminded me of a really stuck up pally in WoW.  I hated co-tanking dungeons with him, because he was a gear snob and not a very great tank...but he sure thought he was.  If I closed my eyes I swear they all sounded like this guy when he would talk in vent...eugh!

2/10/11

The very loud gang members who sat behind me on the ferry...they sure were happy and very very loud...almost drunk loud.

The girl putting on mascara without a mirror on the moving subway.  I was waiting for her to poke her eye out.  Besides I don't think she looked any different when she got done...I don't think it was worth the risk of injury.

I wish I looked like the girl sitting across from me.  Thin and beautiful, with hardly any make up on.  Quirky but stylish clothes, I loved it from her lace up army boots to the leg warmers and funky tights and chunky sweater.  She even had pink in her wavy brunette hair.

The little 2 year old girl across from me that pitched a fit when her mom tried to get a scarf around her neck.  The girl did NOT want that thing on...and the reason.  "MOM!  I can't talk with this on!" I thought of Mira, that is totally a Mira excuse.

2/12/11

There was a lady outside the ferry who was screaming about Jesus.  She was Asian and had a super deep voice and seemed very upset that we didn't all know Jesus.  I'm never sure what to think of those people.  It is not how I would choose to express my faith, but who's to say her way isn't valid?  I'm just not sure that it gets across what Jesus is all about, I think it just makes most people embarrassed for her instead of getting them to think about Jesus.  But maybe she touches that one rare person who actually needs to be screamed at to be saved?  I don't know.

The man screaming directions for the subway into his phone on the ferry.  His phone kept cutting off, so he had to repeat the directions like 7 times.  I'm not sure if the person on the other end was deaf or he just happened to talk super loud.

There was a pirate on the ferry...complete with large nose ring!  He looked like Barbarossa, but not quite as cool.  I'm not sure why he was dressed up...I'm pretty sure we are no where near Halloween.  Although I should have looked all over for Jack Sparrow...now THAT would have been awesome!

Barbershop quartet on the subway busking for money on the subway cars.  I really wish I had money to give them...they were way more deserving than the "homeless" guy who was "down on his luck and had not eaten all day"  yet was wearing jeans more expensive than I can afford.

The friendly little girl who waved to every person who got on the subway car.  She was very sweet.  A little bundle of happiness in a world that often doesn't look past their own private bubbles.

There were actually workmen working on the Bleeker St. station, it was pretty cool!

Until next week! I love this city and I'm so blessed to be here.  I can't believe I get to travel past the Lady every time I go into the city.  I can't believe I can visit the New York Public Library and walk these streets! I love seeing all these different people.

Dirty Harry

Friday as I'm going to pick up kids from school, I get Caleb in the car.  As I'm setting my GPS...yes I know but there are so many dang one way streets it's just easier if Ms. Garmin tells me where to go.  I'll figure it out on my own eventually, but the last thing I want to have happen is getting lost while trying to pick my kidlets up from school.  :D  But I digress....As I'm setting all this up an very tall African American man talking on a cell phone is walking past the car.  Caleb says (quietly thank goodness)

"Hey you man! You lookin' at me? You wanna piece of me?"

Now I KNOW he hasn't seen Dirty Harry...so the only thing I can think of is that I think there is a line in Kung Fu Panda like this...but it was pretty funny nonetheless.

I've always wanted an indoor swimming pool!!

Ever try going without a washer and dryer for almost two weeks?  Not so bad when you're single or maybe if there are just two of you...if you have that extra stash of emergency ugly underware somewhere.  But try doing that with 5 kids...yeah not so much fun.

Yesterday Charlie finally finished installing the outlet so I could plug in my dryer and fixed all the electrical, so I was able to exclaim for the first time in my life.  OH MY GOD!  I'm so grateful I can finally do laundry.  Yes I was actually excited to begin.  I put the washer and dryer just where I wanted them.  Placed some flowers in the window.  Set up the laundry baskets and loaded them full of every single article of clothing we all own.  Placed the ironing board just so...put the kitty litter box so it was out of the way and invisible and quite possibly almost unsmellable.  Put away my boots, the scale (like I ever use it...who wants to be purposely depressed) and basically set up everything nice and neat.  I even put a nice cushy rug down on the floor....over the floor drain (its so unsightly...what could possibly go wrong?)  And started my first load of laundry.  Excellent everything worked out perfectly!  Put that in the dryer and started my second load.  The dryer dinged just as the second load finished.  I opened the door and stepped in....SQUISH!!  WTH?

I looked at my soaked feet to find a pool...a swimming pool...a lake filling up my laundry room.  My first thought was...oh crap, I hope it doesn't leak all over the downstairs  Charlie will not be happy.  Quickly followed by...ugh I have to clean all this up and figure out what happened.  After much grumbling and walking around with a blanket under my feet and mopping my heart out, I figured out the drain hose wasn't properly tightened and remedied the situation post haste.  So what did I learn?  Well first my rug is now not covering the drain...oh lovely drain!  Second make sure everything is tightened before starting a washing machine for the first time.  Oh and I'm pretty sure I'm over the indoor swimming pool fantasy, I think I pass...it's a pain in the butt!!

Trains, Ferries and Subways...Part 1

So my commute to school looks like this...walk a mile to Train station--->Train to St. George Terminal in Staten Island--->Ferry to Manhattan--->(if they are working on the subway station under the new WTC then a bus first to the Chambers St entrance) Red 1 Subway to 14th St--->walk to Pratt Manhattan.  Reverse for return trip and it's a 3 hour round trip excursion.  Lots of people watching to be had...so I thought I'd record some it.  I know it interests me, I can't be the only person who finds other people interesting.

1/13/11
On the Ferry: A mom with a really neat double stroller, I've never seen one like it...but it has a baby seat in the bottom where the basket for stuff would normally go...very cool if I was planning on having a baby or twins or something.  She sits next to these Russian girls who immediately start cooing when she picks up the baby.  It is such an automatic response, I know...I wanted to coo too but I refrained.  The mom's little girl waved at Lady Liberty as we went past her.  (side note: she is beautiful and I will never tire of seeing her on each trip, the same goes for the city skyline and the view out my living room window of the Verrazano bridge...its all just beautiful!)

A man who was excitedly waving to no one.  Maybe he just didn't want to be alone that day.

Kids were making quacking noise for the whole ferry trip...that was awesome...not.

At the ferry station in Manhattan there are bird chirps that come over the loud speakers...I guess it's supposed to be soothing and actually it is, I like it.

On the subway: A guy asked me for directions...I had to tell him I had absolutely no idea, I was new to the city.  It was in fact the first time for me...on the subway by myself.

A baseball player spent the entire subway ride stretching in the aisle.

The baby next to me decided that he wanted to be part of the conversation and just started yelling, the parents couldn't get him to be quiet...it was very cute.

1/14/11

Not really on a mode of transportation, but worthy of mention since I'm a single girl.  Met a (good looking...unless he's bald under the ski hat) guy named Kyle at orientation in Brooklyn.  Talked for about an hour and walked out of orientation where he promptly hopped on his bike and yelled...see you around campus.  Too bad for him I'm never on that campus.

The 3 old guys who meet  everyday on the ferry home.  They were comparing beer cans.  LOL mmmk

Saw my first rat on the subway...omg they are huge.  I better never have one in the apartment or I'll never stop screaming.

1/20/11

The WTH couple on the ferry--she was a cute asian girl with multi colored hair and funky clothes and lots of piercing--he was a bum.  I'm serious a bum...long long scraggley ugly hair, baseball hat, horrid clothes.  But she was estatic to see him...or maybe it was the really big can of beer he brought her.  I dunno but gosh they were mismatched.

Goofy old guy reading the newspaper...he had reading glasses and a magnifying glass to read the paper and he read with his mouth open.  His tongue working in his mouth and sometimes sticking out sorta licking his lips.  His hands had long nails and were working man formed.  Was he married? I don't know if I could deal with it.

Another thing not on public transportation but it is a warning on wearing low riding jeans in public...I introduce "Crack Man" from Professor Irene's class.  Ugh why did he have to sit in front of me??  I mean if it was a cute ass maybe...but this was not so much...

1/22/11

The only person of note was not a person but a pigeon who flew into the ferry and landed at my feet.  Sorry birdie I'm not the bird lady from Mary Poppins...shoo....shooo rat with wings!!

I did meet a family from North Carolina.  I commented on their point and shoot camera, which had a screen in the front so you can take self portraits.  It was cool.  They asked me about where to buy purses, I didn't know...I only know Canal St and they wanted the actual thing...that and Uggs...  Anyway, they asked why I had just moved there so I told them I was going to school and mentioned Pratt.  Well, apparently they are trying to get their son to apply to Pratt so they asked a ton of questions about it.  It was fun to talk up the school.

I'm sure I'll have more later....Class for tonight was cancelled due to snow, so no stories from today, but maybe on Saturday :)