Thanksgiving Rocks!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I don't know when I really recognized that, but I remember writing about it as my favorite in 7th grade.  I have to be honest, I love food, and if Thanksgiving  isn't about food, then I don't know what is.  Oh yeah, it's nice to see family and friends, too.

So, after many years of doing different things for Thanksgiving, I think I finally have it all figured out.  Pay attention:  Valuable  advice follows.  First, I moved to a new city.  The only person I knew was my sister.  If you move about four months before the holiday, you have enough time to meet people and make some new friends.  Then, you sit back and wait.  Last weekend, I went back to Ohio.  Nate and Heather are going back to Africa in January, so this was the last opportunity we would all have to  be together for about  3 years.  Anyway, we had Thanksgiving Dinner last Sunday.  It was everything it should be.  Fifteen people around the table and enough food to last well into the week.  The only drawback to this scenario is the inability to bring the leftovers home.  I can't imagine they would travel well in carry-on luggage.

On Wednesday night, I went over to my new place, with the new roommates and some other friends,  where I had Thanksgiving Dinner again.  The drawback there was that I had to cut out early to work at UPS.  Thursday, Thanksgiving proper, I went into The City and had dinner with Kerry and her family.  She is part of my growth group from church.  Her family was so nice and welcoming.  It really was a nice time with them.  The view from their balcony was absolutely beautiful.

I'm looking forward to leftovers for the next couple days.  Revisiting Thanksgiving is never a problem for me.  So, in summary, if you like Thanksgiving as much as I do, there is a way to stretch it out over at least a week.  Except for the uncomfortably full feeling and the addition of 10 pounds, you will have no regrets!

Journal Square on a Friday Night

I have a routine.  Five nights a week, I go to Secaucus and work at UPS.  I've  been doing this for about a month and a half now, and believe it or not, I've never seen Secaucus in the daylight.  I've never seen the building I work in in the light.  Anyway, the bus to go home comes every night at 4:15 am.  Including all the travel time and waiting, I usually walk in the door at 5 am on the dot.  Every night, it's the same thing.  Get on the bus in Secaucus.  Ride about 20-25 long minutes back to Journal Square.  Wait for the PATH train to take me one stop to Grove Street.  Walk from Grove home.   In the door and in bed by 5.

It seems that each Friday, my routine is changed slightly.  Well, my routine  isn't changed, I would say, enhanced.  Three weeks ago was Halloween.  Since the bars in The City close at 4 am, the revelers were just getting to Journal Square as I was on my way home.  It was almost like rush hour, with the number of people moving thru the station.  Costumes of every kind.  Drunk people everywhere.  One trio of partiers was sitting on the steps to the train platform.  I couldn't thru and another person coming the other way couldn't either.  I was waiting to see what happened, and the guy coming the other way told them to do whatever they want, but to get the F--- out of the way.  I applauded his bluntness and passed when they moved.  That same trio was on my train later, and laughing hysterically at something.  One of the guys ended up on the floor laughing so hard.  Oh, for the days when you just don't care what kind of fool you were being.

Another Friday night, I stepped on the train to wait for the ride home and noticed the floor was filthy.  Soda spilled everywhere.  Trash littered the train.  Next, over the loudspeaker, we were notified that this train was out of service.  I asked the conductor if the other track would take me where I needed to go.  He said the track I was on would take me there in a few minutes but that "they" had pushed a window out of that train.  

Tonight, as I was coming home, the station was filled with people again, and I missed the train by about six seconds.  I went down to the platform to wait for the next train and asked a lady if she had been waiting long.  She said no and rolled her eyes, explaining that she was trying to get to World Trade, but had gone the wrong way.  She was on the train I had missed.  I turned around and saw a guy leaning on a wall, and just when I looked at him, he spewed vomit.  I went  over and looked closer (you can't turn away from such a public humiliation) and saw it on the platform and on his bag.  Serves him right, I guess.  He, like most animals, didn't want to stand in his own vomit, so he moved to another spot down the platform and threw up again.  That was pleasant, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Eventually, the train did come, and I got on it.  The bell rang and someone asked if this train was going to Newark.  No, I answered, it's going to World Trade.  The conductor announced it.  One guy jumped up and held the door open and asked for his bag that he had left on the seat.  He then slid thru the doors and we left the station.  Two other people were upset that they had gotten on the wrong train and quizzed me about how to get to Newark.  I explained they should get off at the next station and wait for the train marked Newark.  The guy was getting upset and said "No way, this is so f---ed up."  He glared and me and I told him that it wasn't my fault he got on the wrong train.  The conductor did say where this train was going.  

I did get home, and everything is good.  I'm kind of curious to find out what happens next Friday night.  Rest assured, if it's anything this much fun, I'll let you know.  

I Needed a Day Just Like This

This morning, I got up and went to Growth Group. That's the small group study through my church. It was a good time, and an interesting discussion. But what happened after was even more fun for me. As I was walking back to the train station (the one 10 blocks further, so I could smoke), I was waiting at one particular intersection for the light to change. A car was sitting just forward of the white line, and a taxi came up behind it, nearly hitting it before stopping. When I say nearly, I mean literally inches bumper to bumper. And, when I say inches, I mean one or two. Everyone on the sidewalk gasped, and a man across the street started yelling. "OH MY GOD!! What did he do?!?! We're all gonna DIE!!!" At that point, I started laughing, and we began crossing the street. On the other side of the street, a man walking beside me asked the man who yelled, "Are you crazy?" To which he answered, "Yeah, a little bit. Welcome to New York!" The funny part to me, is that I can see myself as that man in 10 years.

So I got to the train station, and was waiting for the next train back to the relative sanity of New Jersey, and a test train came by. It was a brand new all silver train, with LED lights showing the destination and video screens on the inside. The plastic was still on the seats and a sign said that it was a test train and out of service. Can't wait for them to be in service. They looked Nice. But, I digress. Just as the train was pulling away, a man ran up the steps yelling about catching the train, and realized when he got there that it was out of service. Thats started a rant about how they were going to raise the fares, and he was betting on $2. And soon. Then he picked up the passenger assistance phone and called the operator and said, "I'm at 23rd street going to New Jersey. How long til the next train?" He hung up the phone and said, "They said 2 or 3 minutes. They always say 2 or 3 minutes." The guy next to me started laughing as did I, and I said "You just don't get any better entertainment this cheap." The guy next to me told me that he worked at a hostel in The City, and that he sees the same movie every night. Incidentally, it was only 2 or 3 minutes for the next train.

Then, I got over to Jersey City and went to the mall to do a little shopping in my store. I found what I needed and went the train station. While I was again waiting for the train, a mother with a 4-year old boy and an 18-month old girl (I asked) sat down next to me. The girl kept throwing her cookies on the ground, then her hat. Basically anything her mom gave her to hold, she threw. The hat was the final straw. The mother began speaking sternly, in Spanish, and the girl was getting whiney and fidgety. Just at that moment, the little boy swooped in with hawk-like maneuvers and snatched the last cookie from the girl's lap. And ate it. In front of her. Of course, when she saw that, she wanted it back. Then the train came. God bless the parents of small children.

OK, so I'm almost home, and realize that I forgot to get bath salts and bubble bath for Ali. Her birthday is next week, and she loves her baths. I found a card for her that says, "Bubbles or bath salts....May that be the toughest decision you make on your day." I thought I might confuse her by getting her both. Never fear tho, there was a drugstore on the way home. I stopped in there, and they had nothing. Nada. Zilch. So I ended up walking about 4 blocks out of the way to every store I could think of that might have them, and no one did. So as I was walking back, I went back into the drugstore and got a bottle of dish soap and a thing of table salt. I went back up to the register and said that I would just get this. I had previously told the girl what I needed and why, and when she saw what I got, she said, "I hope you have to do dishes." I said that this was going to be her gift. She said, "Is this a friend of yours?" I said, "Maybe not for long." She asked who I was and where I came from. The last part was, of course, the best. I asked her to double bag it because I just didn't have time to wrap it. She rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, you don't want to spoil the surprise."

I can't make this stuff up. Not even at my most creative. It was so much fun to go out and observe a few different people today. I might have to do this more often.

The Five Things I Do

Where, Oh where to begin? Things went from dismally slow to so fast it's hard to keep up. And I sure haven't had much time to log my thoughts and experiences here. Since I have been lamenting the job search for so long, let me begin there. I got a job part time at UPS sorting boxes. The hours are over night, and the pay isn't much, but the long term benefits can be enormous. I just hope I can hold out there long enough to see them. After being there a year, the benefits are free. Free medical, dental, and vision. Tell me another company that does that. By itself, that is reason enough to take $9.50 an hour. Also, in a year, I can put my name on the list to become a package car driver. They top out at $30/hr after two years. I think I can handle that! The workout is a fringe benefit that one can't really argue with either.

I was also hired by Carlton Cards at Newport Centre Mall. They called me looking for an assistant manager, and I, of course, heeded the call. Full time days and overnights make for a busy, busy week. I am pretty sure I can get one day off a week from both places to relax, and write...or sleep. Keeping this busy really does keep me out of trouble. Fortunately, or not.

Two weeks ago, I joined a church out here in Jersey City. It is somewhat similar to the teachings I grew up with, but not quite as legalistic...perhaps that's not the word I'm looking for, but they are definitely not as judgemental. I don't believe it's up to people to judge anyway. I really like the practical teaching they offer and the people are really friendly. What? Friendly people in New Jersey? Oh, yeah.

I met someone out here. He's a really great guy, and his name is Ismael. The "h" is silent because it nonexistant. He and I met a few weeks ago after a short chat online, and have really become good friends since then. He was a lifesaver last weekend when my aunt and her friend came to visit. He opened his home to me so four people would not have to stay in this one-room apartment. I appreciated it, and I'm sure my sister did too.

Sleep. I do that too, every day for a couple hours.

Usually, when I sit down to write, I just let it come out. I'm never really quite sure where my ramblings will go. Interestingly, just the other night, Ismael told me that I do too much. My response was "Three things. I only do three things. No, four. I only do four things. Wait, no five. Five, and that's it." They are working at UPS, working at Carlton, church, see Ismael when I can and sleep. Funny how it turns out the four paragraphs above were about those things. I had to add the fifth cuz I only do five things. I'll keep it to this for now, but there is more news coming. And big!

Note: After publishing this post, I read it and the last one. The similarities are scary. Perhaps I need to do more than five things, so I have something different to write about. Perhaps I need to do less, so I can keep track of what I have already written. Or, maybe I just need to write about the funny things that happen every day instead of overviewing the bigger things in my life. Stay tuned.